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BIMMERPOST First Drive of 2012 3 Series F30 Sedan. Our Review with Track Video

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12.5 million – that’s all you need to know about the importance of the 3 series to BMW. Since the introduction of the first generation 3 series in 1975, BMW has sold 12.5 million units. That means every third BMW sold in 2010 was a 3 series. Unsurprisingly then, whenever a new 3 series launches, BMW knows they have to get it right. And we’re not talking about E89 Z4 right but about right in the sense of perfect.

BMW invited us over to Barcelona, Spain, to check out the F30 3 series for ourselves. “Pick up your test car at the airport and experience the new 3 series on public streets and the famous F1 track Circuito de Catalunya”, they said. Of course we accepted. So what is it like?

Bigger and Better
First things first, the new 3 series sedan has gotten 3.66 inches longer, has a wider track (1.46 inches more up front, 1.85 inches more at the rear) and 1.96 inches longer wheelbase compared to the E90 3 series. This means more interior space and an overall better feel inside. Speaking of which, BMW took care of probably one of the biggest complaints regarding the outgoing model by vastly improving the (perceived) interior quality. The leather is soft and nice to look at, and all buttons and interior materials have a very nice premium feel to them. I'm also thrilled that BMW's famous driver-centric center consoles are back - a nice update over the horizontal theme the E90 interior had. The window controls have been moved closer to the driver's reach (a common complaint with the E90), but I still happened to roll down the rear windows accidentally on occasion. Chalk this up to unfamiliarity with the control's placement.

Lining up the F30
One key to the new 3 series' interior is the introduction of different design "lines." F30 customers have the choice between a Sport trim, a Modern trim and a Luxury trim, each called a "line". Add the also-available base model and the soon-to-be-available M Sport package (in July 2012) and there are 5 different trims available in total.

My personal favorite is the M Sport package (more info). It features unique front and rear bumpers, unique side gills and an updated interior including an aluminum interior trim with a blue accent strip. The lovely exterior color Estoril Blue II is exclusive to the M Sport model and makes for a perfectly sporty appearance. Only downside is we’ll have to wait until July 2012 for the M Sport model.

The Sport line is similar to that on the F20 1 series and comprises of matte aluminum accents on the front and rear bumper, as well as black grilles, black side mirrors and black window trims. Inside there are red accents on the gauges and red stitching.

More polarizing in my opinion is the Modern line. It’s probably the most sophisticated color scheme, but not for the weak-hearted. Inspired by modern furniture, there are two different tones of oyster inside including gauges, steering wheel and car key. A matte wood trim is available as is an aluminum trim.

The Luxury line offers chrome accents outside and a nice combination of brown leather and high-quality wood trims inside. Each line also has its unique wheel designs.

You can’t combine different lines with each other, and this is the only letdown of an otherwise brilliant packaging idea. These lines somewhat limit the possible color combinations, but most people should be able to find what they’re looking for within one design line package.

Regardless of which line is chosen, the exterior design of the new 3 is very appealing. The low and wide front end makes for an aggressive front appearance. Or as BMW puts it, the new 3 series is meant to look like an athlete that’s about to jump out of the starting block. Job well done on this design!

The rear design surely shows the car’s family resemblance with the 5 and the 7, but it’s following a unique interpretation of that theme and works well with the rest of the car. Unlike the early E90 models, this is a car you can't really hate to look at.

Drivetrain: Four is the New Six
Even bigger are the changes underneath. For now, US customers have a choice between two petrol engines: For one there’s the well-known N55 twin-scroll turbo 300hp inline 6 in the 335i. It’s been carried over from the E90 and there’s really not much left to say about this great engine. BMW apparently agreed and didn’t even bring the 335i for the first test drives. However, one of the head engineers, Dr. Haenle, mentioned that BMW sees more potential for the 335i, so they might offer a BMW Performance upgrade for the N55 engine. We should know more when BMW announces the F30 Performance parts in late 2012.

And then there’s a model which sounds familiar by its name only - the 328i. BMW replaced the naturally aspirated N52 inline 6 with an all-new 2.0l twin-scroll turbo inline 4, internally dubbed N20. And it’s a FABULOUS replacement! Compared to the N52 it replaces, power increases by 10hp to 240hp. Even more impressive are the torque figures. Not only does the new engine produce 60lb-ft more torque with its 260lb-ft, it does so all the way from 1,250 rpm to 4,800 rpm. Coupled with the fairly light F30 3 series, it’s an amazing match. The engine revs smoothly and strongly right away. I was driving around tapping on and off the throttle for quite some time to find a hint of a turbo lag, but I couldn't detect any.

There are only two reasons why you wouldn’t like this new 328i engine: You either need (read: want) more than 240hp or you have to have the sound of an inline 6. Those are honestly the only drawbacks. This engine does sound good, especially for an inline 4, but of course not as good as an inline 6. It’s fairly muted at first and gets noticeable at higher RPMs only.

As of now, BMW is tight-lipped when asked about a Diesel engine for the US market. There currently is a 335d in the US but it doesn’t sell too well. Board member Harald Krüger explained to us that they see a market in the US for a Diesel F30 (despite the introduction of the Active Hybrid 3 which will be available in autumn 2012). Perhaps the 320d will be the right car for the US then? The new 2.0l Diesel engine is good for 180hp and in our test drive of the 320d, the engine does its job remarkably well. It runs smoothly and has plenty of power this side of 100mph, and its efficiency is hard for a petrol engine to match.

BMW’s all-wheel-drive xDrive will be available for both the 328i and the 335i as of July 2012 production.

All models are mated to the new 8-speed automatic, with a 6-speed manual transmission being a no-cost option. The 8-speed automatic is a first in this car segment, says BMW, and it does a fairly good job. Gear changes are smooth, quick and fairly responsive, and you get to save some fuel in the process. This is the first time an automatic consumes less fuel than the respective manual transmission option.

You can choose between two automatic shift modes but also change gears manually via shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel. Coming from someone (me) who still prefers a good ole manual transmission, if you want an automatic transmission, this box is as good as I've experienced.

Better Than Ever Handling
In sum: as good as it gets! First, it performs daily driver duty exceptionally well. Listening to a common complaint about the E90, BMW made sure to improve ride comfort, and it worked. Our test cars were all fitted with the Adaptive M Sport Suspension which helps in this regard. With the suspension set to comfort mode and you may even mistake the 3 for a bigger car... it’s that refined.

And no worries for those who prefer to drive their 3s harder. Push the F30 hard and it delivers as well. The way it is able to carry speed through a corner has been improved even over the impressive E90. It's nothing short of breathtaking in my opinion. Go too fast into a turn and the F30 understeers a bit to help you deal with the speed, but it otherwise handles fairly neutral. The F30 helps correct mistakes when needed while also allowing neutral and accurate handling. In sum, it will make almost everyone a better driver with the flexibility of its handling.

Interesting note - according to BMW, the 328i handles even better than the 335i out of the box. Due to its lighter engine, the 328i has the perfect balance while the 335i is more powerful in a straight line but a bit less balanced.

But enough talking about handling, just watch this video of a 328i at the Circuito de Catalunya driven by one of our instructors who's also head of suspension development.

Braking: Floating or Fixed
The 335i comes standard with fixed piston calipers front and floating piston calipers rear and the 328i has floating piston calipers all around. Even though the 335i is equipped with it, BMW is still convinced that fixed piston calipers aren't technically necessary on the F30. As far as real world experience, the floating piston brakes of the 328i held up great for us even after 5 laps on the track. If the floating piston brakes aren't adequate for you and your 328i, there's an optional upgrade for M Sport Brake with bigger brake discs and fixed piston calipers (4 piston front, 2 piston rear). If you upgrade though, you better like blue brake calipers.


All New Steering
The F30 now also makes use of BMW’s electric power steering called EPS. EPS has been implemented in recent late model BMWs such as the F10 5 series and E89 Z4. Some loathe it for reducing BMW's legendary steering feedback. Rest assured though, as BMW is well aware of the EPS system’s early drawbacks and hasn’t rested on the matter.

The head of the F30's suspension development explained to us that half of the time he’s spent on technical matters is on the steering system. And the efforts paid off. The F30's steering feels light (maybe even a bit too light in the comfort setting) and once you set up Sport and Sport+ modes via the Drive experience switch, the F30 provides sharp and precise steering, including good feedback from the wheel.

Does the F30's steering provide every nuance of feedback during a hot lap at the racetrack? No. That's what the M3 is for. Does it work well enough for 99% of the driving population in about 99.9% of driving situations? Heck yea! At this point, the EPS system has probably reached a level of development suitable for implementation in the next generation F80/F82 M3, so don't be surprised to see its adoption in the upcoming M3/M4.

Chock Full of Bells and Whistles
The new 3 series sedan is now also available with BMW's latest bells and whistles of Connected Drive, driving aids, and infotainment. A full-color head up display makes its first appearance in the 3 series and is a very nice addition. Plug in your iPhone and you can experience all kind of apps and stream your music and videos to the car with the iDrive screen mimicking the iPhone's graphics. Speaking of iDrive, the center screen is now standard on all models, so there's no way around it if you're one of those who wanted to get along without iDrive or a screen. One more thing worth noting is RTTI, BMW's latest version of Real Time Traffic Information. We weren't able to test it in Spain, but it sounds like a very cool and precise tool to avoid traffics. It should be available in the US soon.


Such a Thing as Too Perfect?
So, the new 3 does everything better than its predecessor. It’s faster and lighter while being more efficient. It allows going around corners at silly speeds without biting you back if you overestimate your own abilities. And it does all that while offering a ride and comfort level never before offered in a 3 series.

In other words, it’s perfectly polished – and that might be its only downside. I’ve mocked the current Z4 at the beginning, and this model is definitely not guilty of perfection. It has its pros and cons and is not that polished. But that somehow makes it more personable. So perhaps the only thing is that the new 3 series comes across as just a tad too polished.

Hopefully that makes some sense to most of you. If I were to offer up a “cure” for the F30's over polished character: just leave out the adaptive suspension. That would make for a less polished ride and thus for a less perfect car – which ironically makes it more perfect to me. In a sense, sometimes the imperfect makes perfect (at least for me when it comes to automobiles). A car that's just a little rough around the edges sometimes has just a bit more character and personality.

Pricing and Availability
BMW will deliver a base 328i to your door for $35,775 and a base 335i for $43,275 (pricing details / options details), but not before its global launch on February 11th 2012.

Speaking of which, this first-time global simultaneous launch (with the exception of South Africa which will follow in March and China in August) of a BMW model is BMW adapting to changing customer sentiments. It's a hard pill to swallow for customers in the US or countries outside of Europe to be told that they have to wait longer for their cars than the European market. The effort needed to pull this off is tremendous, however. Every country has its own specific regulation and equipment requirements. Expect future models to follow the same lead.

For on location images of the F30 3 Series Sedan in Barcelona, see our photo thread.

[PKL]

the interior just does not look like a BMW to me at all.

it will take a lot of getting used to.

[Q4P]

So I am guessing you guys liked the steering right?

Please elaborate a little bit more on this.

Thanks

[GOLFFRR]

i like the fobs

[Roth517]

The way the screen sticks out of the dash and how the black top dash curves down over the aluminum in front of the passenger is not growing on me at all.

[ferrari6891]

Originally Posted by PKL

the interior just does not look like a BMW to me at all.

it will take a lot of getting used to.

They said the same thing when the E9x came out while the E46 was current. We'll all get used to it! I think it looks pretty nice and fresh.

[M-Power111]

you know i always desired the 335i over the 328i but with this new lighter and powerful engine and with the balancing being the way it is i think the 328i is the way to go.

[bmrm396]

Originally Posted by Questforpower

So I am guessing you guys liked the steering right?

Please elaborate a little bit more on this.

Thanks

^^^ yes and for those of us that want the M-sport model, doesnt that come w/adaptive suspension?? so to make it feel more "raw" we just have to leave it in Sport+ mode the whole time?

thx

[Th3xf4ctor]

I think I'll stick with my e90, personally i like the heavy steering and the way the brakes feel. I think in my 11 335i the leather looks rich and great like a bmw should not like what it looks like in the new F30, I am personally somewhat disappointed with what they did with the f30, especially with the front of the car.

[mv57]

Looks like they still have problems with paint chipping on the bonnet. Unless its dead pixels.

[justinnum1]

Great review, Few questions...

What did you not like about the Msport adaptive suspension specifically? I was going to order this option(probably wont be around 1000).

How fast did the automatic down shift?

[EdM5]

Thanks for the awesome review!

I would never buy the souped up 4 pot petrol though.
Inline 6 or diesel ftw.

[rmani]

Originally Posted by 517

The way the screen sticks out of the dash and how the black top dash curves down over the aluminum in front of the passenger is not growing on me at all.

Agreed I liked the e90 dash and integrated nav screen much better. the new interior reminds me a bit of the audi dash which is not a good thing.

[BMWftw]

Shoot me an email ysh.edward@gmail.com. Im interested in these. Are they balanced already, any dmgs dings cracks?

[Alan l.]

The biggest complaint about the design of the interior is the radio area. Reminds me of my buddies old 2000 civic in terms of layout. Does not have that high end commander look that the F10 has at all.

Alan

[BMWftw]

Yes pictures would be nice email me at ysh.edward@gmail.com for quicker response. Im in vancouver, hope we can work something out.

[M-Power111]

Originally Posted by Th3xf4ctor

I think I'll stick with my e90, personally i like the heavy steering and the way the brakes feel. I think in my 11 335i the leather looks rich and great like a bmw should not like what it looks like in the new F30, I am personally somewhat disappointed with what they did with the f30, especially with the front of the car.

hey where did you get ur avatar?

[LemonOne]

Lots of positive comments, can't wait to see it in person

[iwannabimmer]

The interior and the rear (of the exterior) are my favorite design features. The front looked weird to me initially, but it is growing on me more and more. Overall, the F30 looks (in pictures) sportier than E90.

I would also agree with others who have said that 328i is the way to go - enough power, great efficiency, better balance and lighter.

I will strongly consider a F30 328i Sport line with M adaptive suspension and M brakes in a couple of years to replace my Mazda6.

[M-Power111]

Originally Posted by iwannabimmer

The interior and the rear (of the exterior) are my favorite design features. The front looked weird to me initially, but it is growing on me more and more. Overall, the F30 looks (in pictures) sportier than E90.

I would also agree with others who have said that 328i is the way to go - enough power, great efficiency, better balance and lighter.

I will strongly consider a F30 328i Sport line with M adaptive suspension and M brakes in a couple of years to replace my Mazda6.

its funny im looking to have that as my next car aswell and i drive a '06 Mazda 6.

[justinnum1]

Another question, you(reviewer) didnt check out the sounds system, did you? lol deciding if i should get it or not lol

[MrSmoothEM3]

Originally Posted by GOLFFRR

i like the fobs

I also like the key fobs!!