Vehicle(s): 2006 BMW 325i with 6-speed Steptronic, Premium Pkg, Dakota Leather, glass sunroof, Active Steering and adaptive headlights
330i with 6-speed manual transmission, Premium Pkg, Sport Pkg, burled walnut wood trim and Harmon/Kardon LOGIC-7 sound system
Price as tested: CDN$51490 (325i) CDN$55700 (330i)

Performance: Both the 325i and 330i are powered by the same 3.0L straight 6 24-valver with Double VANOS and Valvetronic technologies. The only differences between these units are the dual air intakes in 325i and 1 additional intake in 330i, exhaust system is another major difference. Since BMW’s straight 6 has become the industry standard of this unique configuration, its level of refinement and smoothness are exceptional.

With 255 horses and 220 lb/ft of torque, 330i is a true screamer. The throttle response is exceptional without being too abrupt. 6-speed manual is a joy to shift with well-defined gates, short throws and progressive clutch. Its engine note is simply amazing with Teutonic-like sophiscation without losing the sporty edge that defined this straight 6 motor. The Valvetronic really have a desired effect as the motor builds up the power dramatically after maximum torque arrives at 2750 rpm. In short, its a wonderful combination of bottom end torque and great high rpm fun in 330i.

325i’s straight 6 pumps out 215 ponies and 185 lb/ft of torque. While it remains as refined as the unit in 330i, it lacks the punch and responsiveness of 330i silibing. Despite Steptronic is a willing manumatic that is able to up and downshift quickly, it lacks the aura of acceleration that makes 330i so much fun. There is some sluggishness on the bottom end even though its maximum torque arrives at the same 2750 rpm. The torque converter has taken out too much power out of this base motor for low-end torque. As for high rev character, its as willing as any other BMW straight 6. You really have to keep your foot down if you want the most out of this motor with a Steptronic. On the other hand, the 5-speed stick shift 325i I also have experienced feels more responsive at the bottom end.

Handling: Dynamic qualities are one of the most appealing aspect of all previous 3-Series, the same goes for the newest iteration. New car is 25% stiffer than previous car, in terms of bending and torsional rigidty. The whole car feels like its built from a block of granite with a solid foundation that is completely lack of flex and rattles.

The Active Steering in a 325i still exhibits the similar inconsistence as the 545i I test drove. There remains an imprecision during the transition from left to right on the race track, which completely unfound in the one that doesn’t equip with this system. Given the steering ratio varies itself during transition, the “sudden” heavy, light, heavy, light steering weight remedies aren’t my liking. Its also doesn’t feel safe when you enter a corner enthuisastically and the steering suddently changed its ratio. Another problem with this system is it tends to make the driver feels the chassis floats instead of hangs on itself when pushed hard.

On the other hand, 330i without Active Steering handles like all BMW should be. Its steering is precise, responsive and got the right weight all through the cones. Its also provide exceptional driver feedback in every corners and on every surfaces. The sports suspension rides exceptionally well, which absorbs all the washboard pavements and expansion joints with excellent damping characteristics. The most impressive aspect of new 3-Series is both the standard and sports suspension have a supple ride even with standard run-flat tires.

The Dynamic Stability Control on both 3-Series are remain the uninstruisve variety which won’t kick in until the driver nearly lost control. That leaves enough threshold for drivers to experience the fun of oversteer that makes BMW’s rear-driver so much fun-to-drive.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, the pedal feel on these 3-Series are top-notch. The stops are short and straight. The pedal modulation and control are excellent while the ABS only kicks in until absolutely necessary. In short, a system that truly worthy of the BMW emblem.

Interior: The interior of new 3-Series is a mixbag. Let’s start with the goods. Both standard and sports seats are very comfortable and supportive. In the 330i with sports package, those sports seats have awesome support for both back and side which are excellent for cornering. The leather are all excellent materials which are soft and supple. The driving position is easily found, typical of BMW tradition. With 6-way power adjustable in 325i and 8-way power adjustable in 330i, finding the right driving position is a piece of cake. The dual automatic climate control is an effective one. While it blows out warm air efficient enough in a chilly morning, its equally blown out air conditioning efficiently in a hot and sunny afternoon.

However, there are a couple of drawbacks. Firstly, BMW designed to abandon their traditonal cockpit interior while adding the dreadful i-Drive system. Thankfully, this feature wasn’t in any of our tester which is a godsent. Secondly, the interior has tons of cheap and hard plastic around the center console and door panels which totally out of place in a BMW. While its no where as cheaply made as X3, it certainly not up to the level of its E46 predecessor. Lastly, due to the lack of cockpit design language. The interior looks uninspiring with its tacky aluminum trim and too gross with burled walnut trim.

The back seat space is an improvement with 1-inch additional legroom and larger headroom. Since none of the cars in premium compact sports sedan segment is famous for their back seat space, you can take this as a bonus.

The low liftover and unintrusive hinges combined to make an easy access to the cargo space, along with 40/60 split fold-down rear seats. It makes for a pretty versatile package.

Conclusion: Since the introduction of the 3-Series in 1976, every succeeding generation has been much better than the previous one. With the introduction of the new E90, it also celebrates its 30-year-old birthday with the best 3-Series ever. It got excellent drivetrains, great handling (that’s if you don’t opt for the Active Steering), better chassis and features. This car will remain as one of the benchmarks in this class even with all the newcomers.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2006 BMW 325i and 330i
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Performance: 4/5 (325i) 5/5 (330i)
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4/5 (325i) 5/5 (330i)
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5 (325i) 4/5 (330i)
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4/5 (325i) 4/5 (330i)
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5 (325i) 4/5 (330i)
Value-for-money: 3.75/5 (325i) 5/5 (330i)

Overall rating: 4/5 (325i) 5/5 (330i)