BMW 330i Touring 2016 Review

Car customisation. A pursuit often associated with uncultured youths, rich nerds and organised crime kingpins. But as the car industry continues to evolve, so do the tastes of customers. Case in point: this striking BMW 3 Series Touring, a wagon with attitude. It says "I'm practical but dangerous," providing a high level of aesthetic expression that won't void your warranty. And after a week with the car, I can see the appeal.

Practicality and performance? This BMW does both
Based on the BMW 330i Touring, a practical, efficient wagon in its own right, this particular vehicle has been juiced up with several optional M Performance extras.

Big wheels, sporty body work, a gruff new exhaust, and plenty of interior tweaks transform this otherwise garden-variety BMW 330i Touring into a street machine that looks, sounds and feels special.

Before we go any further, let's look at the financial consequences of adding a little Gotham City to your Beemer. The base car, a BMW 330i Touring, can be had for $73,300. That buys you a nice station wagon with a sought-after German badge. Plus an eight-speed automatic transmission with a four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine (185kW/350Nm) that makes a nice noise and goes pretty quick.

It's also got a big boot that'll swallow a bicycle with the back seats folded (495 to 1500 litres), a powered tailgate with separate window opening, 19-inch alloy wheels, leather seats, an 8.8-inch widescreen infotainment system with satellite navigation and real time traffic graphics, and more stuff you can read about in another 330i review.

Another 13 optional M Performance parts add $18,790 to the purchase price, but that includes the labour and fitting costs, raising the price to $92,090, but doesn't include on-road costs. Realistically, you ain't gonna walk out of the dealership with this car for less than 100 large.

Money well spent? For some it will be.

Cruising around for a week in this dark, brooding Beemer made me feel special, not only for its head-turning looks but also the improved interior materials and the extra decibels from the exhaust system.

I wish the 330i was still a six-cylinder unit like previous generations but the sound it makes, with the M Performance muffler ($2099), is pretty tasty. It blats between gears and it has a nice tone as the revs rise. Despite the extra volume the car is fairly quiet inside the cabin.

Codenamed B46, the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine is a rev-happy unit, keenly spinning to 6500rpm, but the part of me that knows the powerplant is shared with the Mini Cooper S pines after a six-pot screamer.

The benefit of having a high-output 185kW four-cylinder engine is that it's very efficient. A week with this street prowler saw figures of around 7.6L/100km. That's a great result for something that was provoked regularly.

The eight-speed automatic transmission it's paired with isn't one of the newest cog-swappers out of Europe, but it's still one of the best. Smooth and quiet at piddling speeds, fast and decisive at high speeds, it's a great all-rounder.

It's also got a modicum of ride comfort that's remarkable considering the giant M Performance 20-inch alloy wheels ($7250) and 35 profile tyres this 330i rides on.

The seats are stock standard but the cabin is tastefully finished and has a premium look, featuring the M Performance Steering Wheel II ($1199) finished in Alcantara, and the carbon trim is a highlight. Whenever you place your digits on it you feel like you're in a race car. A Porsche 911 GT2 RS to be precise!

Like many BMWs today the electric power steering system lacks the engagement of past hydraulic steering setups but there's nothing wrong with the chassis, the front end slicing surgically through corners with grip aplenty.

Stainless steel M Performance pedal covers ($345) and the carbon fibre M Performance gear selector trim ($430) improve the touchy-feely parts in the cabin too, but compared to what Audi and Mercedes are doing with the A4 and C-Class some parts of the dash look a little drawn.

The M Performance carbon and Alcantara trim set ($1469) adds some lovely artificial suede on the dashboard but I could do without the exposed-weave carbon-fibre accents. They look like cheap plastic highlights and two out of three people quizzed agreed it looked "tacky". Case closed.

To sum it up, the BMW 330i Touring is a luxurious but practical hauler, a good alternative to the millions of SUVs out there and far more rewarding to drive. With the M Performance parts added it becomes a much more fascinating car and I loved the attention it attracted. But if it were me, I'd pick and choose from the catalogue very carefully.

Interior
:
>>M Performance steering wheel II Alcantara with carbon trim – $1199
>>
M Performance Carbon interior trim set with Alcantara – $1469
>>M Performance pedal covers, stainless steel – $345
>>M Performance gear selector trim, carbon fibre – $430
>>M Performance centre console gear lever trim, Alcantara and carbon – $385

Check out the BMW 320d review.

Also consider:
>> Mercedes-Benz C250 Estate (from $71,900 plus ORCs)
>> Audi A4 Avant 2.0 quattro Sport (from $72,900 plus ORCs)
>> Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 Sport Shooting Brake  (from $68,600 plus ORCs)