Hey, I don't wanna be a jerk to the next owner, at least. I kid. I did actually succumb to bit's bad influence today on the way back from dropping my wife off at a doctor appointment (she's getting her eyes dilated so didn't want to try and drive back). TBH, feels pretty much exactly like I thought it would. Sounds nice, too. I wonder if Lexus did something to make it louder than before? I have the ASC off, but I could swear it's louder at full throttle than previous ISes I've driven.

 

While @bitkahuna is over there enjoying Savagegeese's praise for his Santa Fe, my old GLI has been effectively crowned milquetoast by Everyday Driver.

 

Minor updates: We got a sunshade from BMW, and it's hugely helpful in the hot summer. Oddly enough, it seems to keep most of the rattles at bay. Yes, sadly, the BMW does have some rattles, seemingly in the windows, when it's been sitting in the sun. On a rainy day or when driven early in the morning, it's dead-silent though. It could be placebo effect, but I could swear the sunshade also helps.



My OCD hates the fact that it never seems to be perfectly flush with the windshield, but that could be my fault. I've got a sunshade from Weather Tech on order for the Lexus, and it is supposed to arrive today.

In other news, we've got a family trip happening this weekend, so we're planning to take the IS. It'll be a 4-hour drive each way, so it should be interesting to see how it does. I'm particularly curious how it'll do in terms of MPGs. I'm sure we'll get lots of mileage out of the Mark Levinson system.

 

have you considered windshield tint / heat/uv blocker?

 

Not really, no. I asked my wife about this, and she would rather just have a physical sunshade. I am kinda the same way. Feels like there's less that can go wrong. I am still considering it for the side/back glass on my car, though it has more tint from the factory than my old GLI did or even my wife's BMW.

 

A trip that took four-and-a-half hours of driving each way is in the books for the IS. On each day of driving the interstates and some two-lane roads in Georgia, from Alpharetta down to Bainbridge, it averaged approximately 30 MPG. That is a very impressive result considering the displacement and weight of this car! I never used Eco Mode and drove at about 80 MPH on the interstates, while two-lane roads saw speeds between 55 and 65 MPH. For part of the trip, I had two passengers with me, but for the most part, it was only my wife and me.


This "refuel" was for the second half of our trip back home. The rev needle partially blocks the 30.2 MPG average.


As a highway companion, this car did quite well. The ride quality is great for highway driving, and only the worst expansion joints caused any distracting motions. Railroad tracks and other similar obstacles proved to be no issue as well. Naturally, no trip down to South Georgia would be complete without a random dirt road excursion or two. I was mortified when I saw the pavement coming to an end, and so close to one of our stops, too. However, this car handled it surprisingly well. with some jiggles here and there. It's in need of a wash now, but it's supposed to rain quite a bit this week... so hopefully it'll be fine till the weather passes.

Driving in some of the more traffic-heavy areas, such as Columbus and, naturally, Atlanta, the IS does well overall. Radar cruise makes it a little more relaxing to pilot on the highway, though I need to tweak the following distance to be shorter. As it currently sits, other drivers are given an opportunity to take over the gap between my car and the one in front of me, which prompts the IS to slow down. However, it does so smoothly, and it'll even start to accelerate at the beginning of a lane change (i.e., when I activate the turn signal) if the lane is clear. I find the transmission to be a bit moody, occasionally refusing to downshift enough to give me the power I would like to pass. However, when it gets it right, it is responsive enough. At times, I used manual mode just so that it was a little more predictable. I wonder if Lexus set the shifting behavior up so that it won't give me a low gear unless I trigger a kickdown?

The Mark Levinson also was a great thing to have, if a bit of overkill. For a significant chunk of the trip, we had no cell service, which meant we were relegated to FM radio. One can't really appreciate a high-end setup with radio, but I'd rather have the Mark Levinson than not have it. Thankfully, the car was reasonably quiet if not a library on wheels. Tire noise was the only noise issue, really, which I would attribute to two things. Thing one would be the width of the rear tires: 265 mm. These are wider than what was fitted to the 2016 IS F Sport I had, with its 255-mm-wide tires in back. Thing two is the model of tire - Bridgestone Potenza S001 L. I'm not sure why, but it seems Lexus always fits noisy Bridgestone tires to IS models by default, be them summer or all-season. The Pirelli P7 Cinturato run-flats fitted to the 330i in our fleet are much quieter, even when the pavement isn't smooth. Having said all that, the Potenzas don't emit any overtly offensive tones, but surely contributed to some fatigue in the long run.

The car got lots of oohs and aahs from the family, especially since I hadn't told many of them about it before. The red interior drew the most attention of any of the car's features. I let my brother have a spin in the car, and he was surprised at how nice it sounded. "Is that just a V-6? No turbos or anything?" Yes, good old fashioned V-6. He also remarked that the interior seemed "retro-futuristic", mainly because of the combination of the somewhat throwback red interior with some of the techy elements like the screen and touchpad controller.

All in all, this is a wonderful car to do miles in. The tires are a problem that can be easily solved, and I really can't complain about much else except some minor transmission hiccups. Fuel mileage was even quite decent, beating its EPA score despite having passengers and their luggage along, while running the A/C constantly. I am a happy camper.

 

Your mpg results sound about right. On level highway, I can achieve 31-32 for a few dozen miles. The 3.5 can be quite efficient if left relaxed.

 

My wife and I have had this sparkling blue BMW 330i for nearly two months (it'll be two months in about five days), and we've put about 1650 miles on it as of today. As we are approaching this milestone, I wanted to share some of my overall thoughts and opinions on this car, especially now that I've had some time to send it down a couple back roads and really understand what it's like to drive and live with for routine tasks.


I guess it's the BMW's turn for some low-light photography.

Techy Things

Today, I finally got around to connecting my phone via Android Auto. One thing I never realized about this vehicle is that it supports wireless Android Auto, which is very cool. It connects as soon as I drop into the driver's seat, before even starting the ignition. It looks decent enough on the screen in this car, but the Lexus's Android Auto display looks much more crisp and can display two apps at once. However, the wireless-ness of this car's AA is awesome. This is the way Android Auto should have connected from the beginning. Beyond that, the infotainment experience in this car has been fantastic. The iDrive control scheme is intuitive - turn the dial to select an option, and click in one of four directions to select sub-menus. Finger-writing recognition on the iDrive **** is also nifty, and is criminally underused by us.

Comforts

When one looks upon the interior of this car, it's impossible to ignore the smattering of "//M" logos and colors. They are on the door sills, steering wheel, and seat piping. The seats look sharp, to my eye, and are firm and supportive. They aren't exactly the cushiest nor the sportiest, and they strike a decent balance while erring more on the firm side. They are fabulously adjustable - bolstering, four-way lumbar, and four-way headrest adjustments are featured, not to mention an extending thigh cushion. Ambient lighting with a somewhat limited color selection also dresses things up. We've tended to leave the car as it was when we purchased it, with an electric blue color for both the stripes on the dash and doors and for the footwell lights. BMW really ought to add a red option, not to mention some other shade of blue. At least this one matches the exterior paint nicely.



There's also a rather large, if not industry-standard panoramic, sunroof, which is completely electric in operation. I'm not sure whether I like that aspect of it, as it means I need to wait a moment before I can even consider opening the glass, as the electric motor whirrs the shade out of the way. However, I do enjoy the amount of light it allows into the car, which does serve to brighten up the all-black interior.

Driving Impressions

Well, I have to say, this really is one of the ultimate driving machines when it comes to a sedan that's essentially destined to be a daily driver. Initial impressions of numb steering will eventually give way to what is an imminently refined car. The throttle tuning in Comfort mode is quite linear, and the transmission's tendency to hold a gear changes similarly linearly with throttle input. The steering is quick, but not what I'd call darty, and the brakes are a bit of a mess. They are something my wife and I have adapted to over time, but they seem oddly over-boosted in many scenarios, particularly in those last couple of feet before coming to a complete stop. It's quite frustrating to try and come to a perfectly smooth stop in this car, but it can be done with practice.

Cruising on the highway in this car is quite nice, M Sport or not. The suspension is firm, but reasonably so - I'd liken it to my old Mk7 GTI, but perhaps a touch more comfortable than that. Body roll exists, should you go searching for it, but in typical highway lane changes, this car's agility seems like overkill. Speaking of lane changes, the lane-keep assist is quite aggressive in this car. It irritatingly vibrates the steering wheel, as if I've hit rumble strips, before turning the wheel back toward the center of the lane. In its "Reduced" mode, however, I've nearly forgotten it exists. This is surely the first configuration change I'll be making should we purchase another car like this one.

On back roads, the 330i is down for whatever. Pressing the "Sport" button in the center control cluster causes the engine to get louder, the transmission to shift down a gear or two, and the steering weight to increase - all standard fare in modern sport-sedan-dom. However, a nice touch is that BMW have given us a delicious valved exhaust for this 330i, and it opens up whenever the "Engine" setting is set to Sport. It actually sounds pretty nice, and to quote my mother-in-law, "It sounds almost souped-up, you know? Like you went and changed the exhaust yourself!" I'll take that to mean it has a nice tone. It's not loud, but it's definitely audible. From inside our apartment, with the windows and doors closed, I can hear my wife start the car from three stories below quite easily if started in Sport.



Back to the back roads, as I downshift using the paddles, or the shifter which BMW have done correctly (i.e., down is up, and up is down a gear), I get some faint crackles on the overrun - yet another nice touch BMW didn't have to do in the "base" 3-series here in the US. As I depress the floor-mounted, stainless steel pedal, power arrives immediately. Turbo lag is well-hidden in this car, thanks to the transmission and the sophisticated twin-scroll turbo. Using the paddles to upshift, too, is entertaining. There's a bit of engineered shift-shock to the upshifts, and they happen nearly instantly - it takes a dual-clutch to do any better. The gear spacing, too, is rather tight, making it easy to exploit the wide torque band of this B48 engine. Sadly, a digital soundtrack accompanies the whole dance, in spite of the fitment of a proper exhaust system. It's not the worst fake sound I've ever heard, but it's not reminiscent of a real-life four-cylinder engine either as my old GLI's was. At least the volume isn't as loud.

Handling is quite good, too. As I said, some body roll exists, but I think this car feels more stuck to the road than many I've driven. I feel confident sloppily chucking the car into just about any corner. It's honestly a game of chicken to try and get the rear to step out, as the traction control system seems to discreetly step in from time to time. It doesn't feel as though the party's been shut down, but rather that someone reminded me that we have neighbors. In M Dynamic Traction mode, it allows a bit more slip angle, though this is mostly noticeable in the rain. That was a fun day.

Oh, and we get shift lights in manual mode. In a 330i.

All in all, this BMW 330i is one of the most fun cars I have driven in some time. It's not a raw, engaging experience like a true sports car, but it has the capability to make me feel some G-forces and is simply responsive to every input.

Conclusion

This is a stellar all-round car. My wife even likes it, though she isn't really one for sporty cars. In fact, this entire spec was of her choosing, which I attribute mostly to the color. Portimao Blue, however, is reason enough to swing for an M Sport, but the seats and steering wheel really top it off nicely. If my wife hadn't ended up in this car, I think I might have instead of my IS 350. However, I can say that this car has very much its own identity in our garage, and I like it.

 

Nice write up and great impressions. Do you think the 3 series is the standard for which Lexus, Mercedes, Audi and Cadillac all benchmark?

 

Yes, and in fact, the 3rd-gen IS spent more than a little time alongside an E90 3-series. I am having a hard time tracking it down, but I recall watching a video about the 2014 IS where Lexus engineers explained that they essentially reverse-engineered the German rivals when designing it.

I think, in this era, the 3-series is the one to beat again. Sure, it's not the best at everything, but it's consistently good at many things.

 

Thanks for this review. There is no question this generation 3 series is back to the class benchmark.

Happy to hear your comments on the 330’s sound. It would be nice to save 10k from the 340 and still get a good sounding motor.

Btw, that blue turns my head every time I see one. At first I preferred Estoril, but now Portimao is my favorite BMW blue.

 

I figure that. I see them from time to time. The new 3 series is like the perfect size. Small and compact but not really small and compact…it’s like “just right” Somewhat fuel efficient. Lots of options. Great powerful engines. A good brand name. Nice interior My brother has a 3 series diesel, very nice car.

 

One thing I forgot to mention is that these Pirelli all-season run-flats are quite... talkative. They squeal under hard cornering, though they don't seem to fully give up. They stand in stark contrast to the Bridgestones on my IS, which seem to have more grip reserves. Oddly, in normal driving, the Pirellis are noticeably quieter.

 

I got a little obsessed with finding out what exactly differentiated the 3-series and IS on-paper, I must admit. However, I went on a hunt for all the technical and non-technical facts I could find to see how these two cars differ. Their MSRPs differ by less than $1,000 USD, and yet, the equipment list on the BMW is rather different from that on the Lexus. So, I went about creating a few spreadsheets (or, glorified tables, in this case) to compare their measurements and equipment lists. This is by no means exhaustive... One can go to extreme depths in the mission of extracting all the information known about a vehicle. A few details are missing and will be filled in over time, like more information on the brake pads and exhausts.

Link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

If you don't care to pore over lines upon lines of data, here are my main takeaways:

• When it comes to value, it can be argued that either one of these vehicles is a better value than the other. The Lexus heavily prioritizes comfort and safety, where the BMW prioritizes capability and luxury. For instance, the Lexus exclusively features, as standard equipment, radar cruise control and rear cross-traffic alert, but only the BMW features a hands-free (kick-to-open) trunk operation function and power-folding side mirrors. The BMW may be quicker, but the Lexus has an actual V-6 engine. Only the BMW may have wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, but the Lexus's large screen allows it to show two apps in said application at once. There are many pros and cons.
• Performance is middling between the two, but it is undeniable that the BMW wins in almost every metric, except one: quarter mile trap speed. This may explain why many drivers say the BMW, or, in truth, any car with a modern turbo engine, seems to "run out of breath" at highway speed. In practice, the BMW's turbo mill is better in this respect than my GTI's similar 2.0-liter four, and it isn't unless you really rev it to redline that this becomes noticeable. The 2GR, however, feels like it breathes better at high RPM, and this is reflected in its ability to accelerate quicker at higher speeds when compared to the BMW. It's also notable that the 330i Motor Trend tested was wearing summer tires rather than the all-seasons fitted to our blue 3er, which, combined with its lower curb weight, helps to explain the performance gap.
• BMW seems to give the enthusiast a bit more data to play with. Oil temp, horsepower, torque, and a G-force meter are all present, and the Lexus only has one of those (the G meter). However, the Lexus's gauges make it easier to access tire pressures (which can be important in hard driving) and make the tachometer the center of the display.
• The Lexus also has some other obscure advantages, such as its dramatically shorter turning radius. 34 feet would be impressive for just about any car smaller than an IS.
• The BMW's steering is undeniably a good match for the class of car. It has a much quicker rate off-center, and is variable, much like the steering systems in my former GTI and GLI. However, I don't think this translates to real-world confidence, especially on meandering back streets in the ATL suburbs. It can feel a bit wooly on-center, somehow reluctant to change direction, where the Lexus's feels progressive and allows natural minor steering angle corrections. I think BMW has the potential to have truly awesome steering in this car if only they could get the tuning right. That said, it's easier to drive the BMW in many situations involving twists and turns thanks to its gratuitously-quick steering.
• Today I learned that my car has four-way adjusting headrests. I've no idea how to use their full capabilities, but I suspect I will never need to.
• For some stupid reason, there's no way to turn off the fake engine noise in the BMW without using coding or pulling a fuse. I applaud Lexus for giving me a physical, of all things volume **** for the engine sound. It is quite terrible, and I have regretted every time I have tried it out. It remains off. What's interesting about this problem to me is that the BMW has a dual-mode exhaust with a physical valve that opens up in Sport mode. So, in theory it should have enough volume to be heard within the car.

Subjectively, this data almost seems to betray the realities of driving these cars. Inputs matter a lot, and they cannot be explained by a spreadsheet. So, I will reserve that for later. I am just about done for today.

 

This afternoon, pretty much on a whim, I decided that the few remaining hours before dinner time could very well be spent driving. I took the IS on a famous route in Georgia, through the Chattahoochee National Forest, known as the Suches Loop. This route roughly goes from Dahlonega up through Suches and then over to Vogel State Park before heading back south towards Dahlonega again. In reality, I actually did the reverse - I headed east out of Dahlonega rather than north.



I can see why this is a well-known route for bikers - the turns and the views are fantastic. This is every bit as enjoyable as the MO-76 highway or the snaking back roads around the Ozarks, and certainly has some tighter turns. As you can probably tell from the map above, there are quite a few turns in excess of 90 degrees, and a couple genuine hairpins (with "15 MPH" speed signs to boot). Also, it's beautiful up there in the summer.



The route I took, being reverse, started with a gradual climb, full of a mix of sweeping turns and tighter bends, with plenty of elevation changes to boot. The turns were aggressively banked in places, which helped me to feel safe when cornering quickly. Then, I turned onto the Wolf Pen Gap Road, which is known for being extremely tight - both in terms of its width and the size of its turns. Finally, the trip down from the hills was a bit more relaxed, partially thanks to traffic, but also thanks to the turns growing somewhat in radius. Still, even the most tame portion of this drive would have been worth the trip.

The IS feels fantastic on roads like these. The handling is great. I am actually thankful that there's some degree of body roll, as it helped me gauge whether I was pushing too hard or not. Really, the only frustration with these roads was down to accelerating. Some of the turns were so tight, I'd be in a dead zone where first gear seemed like overkill, but second gear had no grunt. Natural aspiration combined with some elevation will surely have that effect. However, it was not so bad, as the next turn was there before I knew it. Additionally, the roads were imperfect in places, but the IS really glides over them with no problems. It never got upset or bouncy over broken pavement; this suspension setup is something I feel Lexus really does right with the IS.



I encountered a few groups of bikers and, curiously, a red Ferrari 488 (yes... not a 458, I mean the slightly newer 488!) that was going the opposite direction, but little else other than pickup trucks and CR-Vs. Passing a white Silverado on the uphill, northbound section of US-19 was a bit hairy. The guy was using both of the lanes to make turns, so when a third lane opened up, I only hoped he was aware of my intent to pass. Luckily, it went without incident!

While the IS is a nice car out here, I can tell the car was at its limit sometimes. That's not because I was intentionally trying to find it - these roads are actually demanding to drive. There are a lot of turns that are tighter than they appear, which I caught on to after a while. But, before that, there were a few times I expected to hear some tire squeal. Somehow, I did not... Credit Bridgestone, I guess? The tires were a pleasant surprise, especially compared to the ones Lexus used to fit to the IS before the refresh.

Anyway, I'd have to recommend this road if you, for instance, can't make the drive to Tail of the Dragon. I haven't been there, but... from what I understand, this is as close to the Dragon as it gets in the state of Georgia. From what I have experienced, this is the tightest, twistiest, and most varied "driving road" I have been on yet!