sudonano
330i M Sport (2015)
Bought new, Owned for 1 Year
Fuel Economy: 10.5 km/litre (9.5 L/100 km), RON95, Mileage: 1,000 km/month
Engine
For a start, I am genuinely impressed by the improvement in the engine in the new LCI. The new B48 2.0 petrol that replaces the outgoing N20 2.0 petrol is very impressive (considering how impressive the N20 was already from a performance, economy and reliability standpoint, in the sense that the previous clatter that used to exist at idle is mostly gone. But more so, the engine sounds smoother and actually sounds pretty good, especially in the higher end of the rev range. It is no inline six, but it is nice in it's own way too. In low speeds, there's not really any turbo lag, and even if you are just ambling around, if you put your foot down, the car responds really well, which is also helped by the well tuned transmission.
Steering too has seen a pretty decent improvement, compared to the outgoing model. The outgoing model wasn't as confidence inspiring as this one at higher speed, not to say that the old one was bad, it's just that this one is even better. Even at speed, you know exactly what it's doing, and doesn't feel like it's wandering around.
Suspension wise, the adaptive M suspension really makes thing very comfortable, yet not too floaty in comfort. Unlike on the normal setup in the pre facelift (especially on non M Sport with smaller rims like on the 316i), which used to feel too soft, this one is just right. It stiffens up just enough in Sport, and even in Sport, it feels very reasonably comfortable while delivering good body control. Some cars that cost twice the amount don't even get this right on their adaptive systems, so this is quite a feat.
Between the outgoing model and this, the insulation too has improved a fair bit. I was impressed by how quiet the car is now, compared to the outgoing one. Gone are the wind noises at 110km/h and even the noises from outside the car are pretty much totally cut out, heck I dare say it is as isolating as the bigger and more expensive 5 series.
Quality too has seen a pretty decent step up, overall fit and finish feels much tighter and even the new displays for the climate control actually look much better and are clearer. Also, the horrid cupholder cover is finally gone, thank goodness.
In terms of the ownership and buying experience, I'd still say BMW lets you have the cake and eat it. My sales and aftersales experience with smaller dealers (Wheelcorp/Ingress respectively) have been nothing short of exemplary for the BMWs I have had, and the sales experience was well done from the start to end even for this, while aftersales is very efficient in my past experience for regular maintenance where the car is consistently done before their estimated times and even should repairs be due, everything is taken care at once. Not to mention the class leading 5 year warranty and 5 year service makes it quite financially feasible to run this car as if you'd only be looking at less than 100000kms in 5 years (which applies for me), essentially you only pay for fuel and tyres on top of the car's repayments of course. This peace of mind is very comforting, especially when it comes to saying goodbye to the car, as the peace of mind makes the resales on these cars to be very strong, with about 30% of loss after 2 and a half years or so of ownership on average.
One thing I did notice is that the paddle shifters don't lead to instantaneous shifts compared to the Audi A4 with the S Tronic transmission. It is almost instantaneous, but the Audi system is still faster I'd say. Having said that, the ZF 8 speed auto here is still better in terms of smoothness and daily usability. It could also be because my unit has only gotten barely 500kms on it and is still new so it probably would improve over time.
Also, the interior unfortunately doesn't feel as special as the C class, and while quality is improved, I'd say Audi interiors still are the best in the business. The seats are good and supportive, though I'd wish the side bolsters could be adjusted more to support individuals with smaller bodies better.
An auto hold/electronic parking brake would be something that would really make this car much easier to deal with on a daily basis as it's annoying that you have to keep your foot on the brake to ensure the car is stopped so the auto start stop will remain active. The Auto Hold on the 5 series and larger makes this more bearable as the parking brake is turned on as soon as you are completely stopped so you don't have to keep your foot on to keep the auto start stop running.
The lack of a reversing camera is odd too at the price point, but honestly I don't miss it one bit, as the car has very good visibility, making parking in tight spots a breeze too. Having said that, it's just odd because considering the price, many of the competing cars have it.
It is also a bit sad that there is still no option to get the adaptive cruise control or blind spot warning, as that would make this car even more appealing. Also, it's a pity that for the price, there is no option to get a high end audio system, at least for the 330i.
To Improve
Give the option to have a higher end audio system for the 330i, as well as adaptive cruise control and blind spot warning.
Also, consider making a reversing camera standard across the range, I mean, honestly a Toyota Vios has it.
But honestly, beyond that, a great chassis, great engine, great economy and reliability and good sales/aftersales, it's the main thing that has made me trust the brand so much.
Yes, I would recommend this car
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