[RacerDad]

While I had my M235i in for service, the dealer gave me a 2017 330i as a loaner. I drove the car for two days and wanted to share my thoughts.

They gave me a white four door. As we were just coming out of a major snow storm, the car would not be this clean very long.





This 330i came with the 2.0L, four cylinder turbo and the 8-speed automatic. The car was modestly equipped with only options being the Driving Assistance Package, Moonroof, Heated Front Seats, Apple Car Play, Navigation, Sirius Radio, Black Floor Liners, and a front license plate bracket (can't believe that is a $50 option). At $45,250 I was surprised that the car did not have Comfort Access. The floor mats were still in the trunk as the dealer installed X-drive all season floor mats. For a moment I though the car was a X-drive, but taking the first right turn on the slush proved otherwise.



This car had the same drivetrain I reviewed in a 428 GC a few months back.

http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1407935

The start/stop system seemed to be slow on restarts, which surprised me a couple of times when the light turned green and traffic started moving. I don't remember the 428 having that type of delay, but I may not have noticed. I know the system can be turned off, but I wanted to try it out (my M235i has a M/T).

The acceleration is strong. This four cylinder revs quick and the the 8-speed auto shifts quickly, either on its own or with the paddles. There were only a couple of times the transmission seemed to be caught in the wrong gear. However, my biased opinion says that this car would be GREAT with a manual transmission.

Fuel economy was between 27 and 28 mpg, even when playing with it on occasion. I am positive I could have gotten the car into the 30s if I drove slightly more conservative. I am envious of the 15.8 gallon fuel tank compared with 13 gallon tank on the M235i.



The handling and brakes are similar to the 428 GC. I felt very confident on the roads and on-ramps in my city. The steering feel in Comfort mode is somewhat numb when the wheel is moved off center. However, the car goes where it is pointed and reacts well to steering input. Moving the drive mode to Sport adds weight to the steering wheel and improves the off-center feel. This is one area where this car differs from the 428 GC and the M235i.

The interior is the typical F series interior. Nice materials, comfortable seats, and a thick steering wheel. The instrument cluster is identical to the 428 GC complete with the engine temperature gauge (BMW feels that 2-series owners should concern themselves with engine temp so they don't get a gauge )

I would like to point out one feature on this car that I would have liked to have on the M235i. Turn and wiper stalks that have a dedicated detents for each position. It is makes driving a lot easier when the stalk stays in its position when making a turn or selecting a wiper speed. The M235i has momentary switches on the stalks, which means the stalks always returns to center no matter what is selected. Also, I like the Auto setting on the wipers having its own position on the stalk, and not a button on the 2-series. Sorry, I know this is trivial but I had to vent.

I like the new iDrive 6.0. The new graphics are a nice upgrade from 5.0. I didn't use the touch screen because I am very used to the controller. My Android phone paired quickly and reconnected to the car each time without issue (sorry, I didn't have an iPhone to test the Apple Car play). I do wish BMW had Android Auto, but everything worked well.




The interior space seems similar to the 428 GC. The back door opening is small, but definitely bigger than the GC. The trunk is also a decent size with folding rear seats. That said, this is not a big car, and rear seat room can be tight depending on how tall the driver and passenger are.





Overall, I was pleased with this car. The four cylinder with 8-speed makes for a quick little sedan. If it had a manual transmission, Comfort Access, and LED headlights, it would be perfect. I know these options are all available, but this was a loaner car. Even as equipped, this car would make an excellent daily driver.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Thank you for the review

[bacampbe]

Originally Posted by RacerDad

I would like to point out one feature on this car that I would have liked to have on the M235i. Turn and wiper stalks that have a dedicated detents for each position. It is makes driving a lot easier when the stalk stays in its position when making a turn or selecting a wiper speed. The M235i has momentary switches on the stalks, which means the stalks always returns to center no matter what is selected. Also, I like the Auto setting on the wipers having its own position on the stalk, and not a button on the 2-series. Sorry, I know this is trivial but I had to vent.

The 2018 LCI 2 Series has both of those updates. Never again will I accidentally signal the opposite direction when trying to turn off the turn indicator. Hopefully. :-)

[tpliquid]

I agree. going back to the original style signal stalk is A+++.

[Seba77W]

Ha just picked up a 2018 330i xDrive loaner from the dealer today. My 4 is getting a new M caliper for delaminating ... anyway it's actually a fun car pretty comfortable and roomy. The car has a $50k sticker though and doesn't even include leather. I think it's a bit pricey.

[SBM1206]

Originally Posted by RacerDad

This car had the same drivetrain I reviewed in a 428 GC a few months back.

It does not. 330 has the new B48/46 engine. Less torque down low, more power at higher RPM.

[Kafkaesque328]

I spent 3+ weeks in a gran coupe with the same engine as the 330i. The n20 engine has more torque and overall feels like the faster car. The GC has a sport tuned exhaust though which I really liked. Really prefer the current iDrive interace to the one in my car

[RacerDad]

Originally Posted by SBM1206

It does not. 330 has the new B48/46 engine. Less torque down low, more power at higher RPM.

Wow! How did I miss that? You are absolutely correct. I wonder if that is why the start/stop system felt different.