BMW 330d xDrive Review

Compared to the last BMW we tested, which by coincidence was also an xDrive version powered by a diesel, the 330d xDrive was a totally different experience. For one thing, the ride appeared to be more comfortable on mirror-like roads at high speeds thanks mainly to the sportier suspension setup and the 18-inch alloy wheels equipped with low-profile tires.

Strangely , that very same suspension setup and those skinny-profile tires are also responsible for the back problems the occupants might have after countless excursions on badly-paved roads. In other words, as long as the road you're traveling on is pothole and tram track free, the car's ride is just fine. Otherwise, you should maybe switch for the 17-inch wheels, which provide a slightly higher profile for the tires.

As for the pleasure inducing features, apart form the right-pedal of course, our 330d was pretty much equipped with everything you'd expect an entry-level premium sedan to have, and a bit more. An automatic dual-zone climate control which can either heat or cool off the interior in a matter of seconds after you've pressed the engine start button, leather upholstery which appeared much softer than what BMW usually offers in its "lesser" series, electrically adjustable front passenger seats (including the width of the side bolsters) with two memory settings and a three-stage heating system.

We should also add the dreadful BMW iDrive system with an integrated 80 GB hard drive - from which only 8 GB are used to store music - and a satellite navigation system with 3d-view support. Did we say dreadful? Well, this is actually the revised iDrive system, but more of it in our Useful Toys area. On the whole, this is a pretty comfortable car, but it's all very much road-surface dependent.

As expected, the 330d xDrive is using an electronically controlled all-wheel drive system based on the "xDrive" multi-clutch system. In case some of you didn't know it until now, the system is proactive, which technically means it can transfer torque between the two axles even before the driver knows that something's up. Working in close connection with the Dynamic Stability Control system, xDrive can pretty much get you out of a lot of trouble and is especially useful sending this much torque to the wheels (520 Nm, or 383.5 lb ft).

Just like on the 320d xDrive Touring we tested earlier, the system shouldn't be trusted blindly when all the electronic assistance programs are switched off, since it's been set up to offer a sportier, more BMW-like feel compared to your regular all-wheel drive system. The real piece of resistance in this package on the other hand is the mighty three-liter diesel sitting under that "flaming" hood.

With six cylinders that are inline-disposed in true BMW fashion, which are fed by a single turbocharger and a high-pressure direct injection system with Common Rail, this is not exactly your father's diesel. We were expecting some lag and a slight "short of breath" after 2500-3000 rpm from it, but we were half wrong. Yes, there is some lack of response when trying to "kick it" from under 1600-1700 rpm, but everything above this rpm threshold is nothing but sheer manic power.

Apart from the torque surge available on an unexpected wide rpm curve, another great attribute of the three-liter mill is the more than adequate fuel economy, with figures ranging from 13.5 liters per 100 km (US 17.4 mpg) in a busy city with stop/go/stop traffic to an extremely low 5.5-6 liters per 100 km (US 42.8-39.2 mpg) at highway speeds.

As we mentioned earlier in the "Feed me lies" section of our test drive, the 330d xDrive we tested wasn't missing a lot of gadgets that can be found on the 3-Series option list. Sure, the front and rear parking sensors were missing from our regular "useful toys" list, but other than that the car was pretty well equipped.

The biggest surprise probably came from the much-improved iDrive system, which first appeared on the 7-Series. There are a number of helpful buttons around the iDrive controller now but you still have to take some time to get used to the system in order to fully use it while on the go. After all, there's still a lot of information that can be read/configured while using a single knob and watching the center console screen. On the whole, however, it's much more user-friendly.

Apart from the automatic windscreen wipers and the automatic feature of the headlights, another point of interest was the highly responsive cruise control system which we found to be helpful even while cruising at a rather low 60 km/h (37 mph). The Hill Descent Control system is only helpful if you live in a mountain cabin and the only point of access is a steep road. Usually, when you need a similar system you also need some adequate ground clearance, which the 330d doesn't quite have. Still, it's better to have an almost pointless feature than not having it at all.

The bi-xenon headlights were not only equipped with washers but with a cornering function, which is as high-tech as it gets and most useful when negotiating low visibility corners at night. At first glance, the benefits aren't THAT obvious, but trust us, they are. The reason for saying this is that in normal traffic you can't actually see the light beams tilting unless you're equipped with eagle eyes, but it becomes rather obvious outside the city.

Whether tested by EuroNCAP, NHTSA or IIHS, the latest 3-Series generation received either five stars or good ratings all over, so we should only assume that the 330d xDrive is also as safe as it can be. Although technically the cars crash-tested so far were part of the non-facelifted version of the E90 3-Series, we should base our opinion on the fact that cars usually get better with each facelift or new generation, not the other way around.

Speaking of crash-tests, the guys at EuroNCAP said that the passenger cell of the (non-facelift) E90 3-Series remained completely stable and together with the standard battery of six airbags (two frontal dual-stage, two side and two head airbags) provided a pretty safe place for its passengers, especially for the frontal impact. Apart from the somewhat normal number of standard airbags, the facelifted 3-Series has other safety benefits for its occupants.

There are also two intelligent belt reminders for both front passengers, the lower side of the dashboard is padded to protect the feet in the case of a more severe frontal impact while the pedals are automatically set free in the case of such an unfortunate event.

Of course, when talking about a premium car, stuff like standard anti-lock braking system and electronic stability control on all fours seem like an understatement, so our test car upgraded that list with cornering brake control and electronic brake distribution. All these systems, together with the xDrive all-wheel drive system are there to prevent any unexperienced driver getting too excited about the 5.9 seconds required to go from naught to 100 km/h (62 mph).

We didn't expect it at first, but it's very hard to choose just one good thing about the 330d xDrive sedan. There's the extremely quick-acting all-wheel drive system, which doesn't quite make the car corner on rails but makes it much more controllable than an "oldschool" BMW, especially on roads with insufficient grip. The feeling you get by gripping the thick three-spoke sports steering wheel and changing from fourth to third on the twisties is immeasurable. Still, if we had to choose (and we do, actually) just one single truly great thing about this car is its engine. Since it's an inline-six, there's a natural balance and the vibrations expected from a diesel are pretty much history compared to others, while the sound it makes is nothing like any other oil-burner, sounding more like a mix between a gas turbine and a gasoline internal combustion engine. The fuel consumption is also not much higher than its four-cylinder little brothers, but its main feature has to be the extent of the rev range on which the maximum torque is felt. Unlike any other diesel we've experienced, the engine's momentum keeps pushing at max until 3000 rpm, which is stratospheric for an oil burner with a single turbocharger.

At least from the driver's point of view, there shouldn't be any downsides from a car with all-wheel drive, blistering acceleration figures, effortless torque numbers, low lag and a precise gearbox. Sadly, there are a few things which could get on someone's nerves. First, there's the amount of muscle power one has to have in order to operate the manual gearbox, especially when shifting into reverse, which is like a BMW trademark for hard work when driving. Then there's was the rather poor comfort when traveling on not-so-good roads, since the 18-inch alloy wheel with low-profile tires aren't very good partners with wafting over potholes or paved roads. Also, the low ground clearance is doing great things for the car's dynamic behavior but it sure doesn't help when trying to park the car over an optimistic kerb. Still, these are only two minor setbacks, since the worst thing about owning a model identical to our test car would be the complete absence of cup-holders. Sure, that might sound like a minor glitch for a BMW driver, but not all of us are driving against the clock all the time.

The ugly thing about our BMW 330d xDrive test car is probably its lack of user-friendliness. Not in the regular sense, but in the "driving with your family to the country side" sense. As we mentioned before, there are absolutely no interior spaces where to put your drink when cruising for a longer distance, the luggage compartment is a bit on the lower half of its class in terms of volume (only 460 liters, or 16.2 cu ft), while the passengers don't even have door storage spaces. All in all, if you can live without these not-so-terrible ergonomic downsides, the 330d xDrive is pretty close to being an all-rounder.