Well, last week I had the pleasure of testing the Genesis 3.3T. Today I went to look at the new G20. I parted ways with BMW in 2016 so it’s been a while since I have been back to the 3 series which I owned 3 different prior generations of. Now you all have seen the reviews. The car I looked at MSRP for a tad over 50K, this one had M Sport package , premium package , mocha leather seats , Navi with Apple CarPlay , LED headlights with cornering lights , live cockpit pro, hands free trunk and a suite of safety features. I think the price is worth it for what you get.

There was non with the track handling package in stock so this was the next best thing. The car drove great, instant torque, no turbo lag. It also felt very nimble for a car this big. The steering wheel felt divine, words can’t express how great the car drove. Transmission shifts were superb, quick whether up-shifting or downshifting. Nothing like what we are used to in the 3IS. Everything felt great even the run flat tires. Car drove better than my car for sure with these 19’s. That was the most surprising part for me.

Every thing felt great in the car, seating and steering positions , the controls , rear leg room, trunk space. You can have two adults sitting in the back while still utilizing the ski pass through. I think I have found the one. The car fits me like a glove, like my favorite pair of jeans lol. It really is great, I have no desire to test anything else. The power is great in this 4 cylinder for a 4 cylinder. Stomp the gas pedal and it shoves you back on the seat. Engine and steering response superb in Sport mode while comfort dials everything down. You can also set the steering and Suspension in different modes as well. Everything felt great, brakes, steering, handling, you name it. While the 3.3t Genesis is faster it just didn’t speak to me like this 330i did, there’s nothing in the car I dislike on my test drive. I took in some turns as well as on the highway and the car excelled in driving dynamics.

Wish I could ditch my car today but I still have 3 payments left and I have no desire to roll in negative equity on a lease. So for now, I shall wait till late July before I can get my G20 MSport. Never thought I would be back in a bimmer. I just called my insurance to see how acquiring this would impact my payment and was told it would lower by $40 plus dollars which is great news.

 

Great car, going to be test driving one of these myself soon too. What do you think about the center console though? How does it compare to the IS? The plastic looks a bit cheap and that huge area where the cupholders are looks so empty. On the IS the flow of it is extremely nice and blends in since there are controls for the seat warmers and fan in that spot.

 

I think you should forget about 330i and test drive M340i. It’s a fun car you will definitely forget about 4 cylinder. I already test drove it twice still couldn’t pull the trigger because it’s quite expensive and my IS350 is still looking new.

 

I’m really liking the new design of this car. However I’m not too excited on the prospect of a $50k four cylinder sport sedan. Obviously I would have to test drive it for impressions.

 

Well, I test drove a Volvo S60 R design with the "computer chip" upgrade and I could not tell it was a 4 cylinder....It had great power and virtually no turbo lag. The interior was sublime as well. I also test drove the new RC350 F sport and it was an amazing car but I just am not able to get over the wheel gap in the front.

So now I have the following options:

1. Get the Volvo but the reliability worries me
2. Get the RC regardless of the wheel gap
3. Keep my IS
4. Get an Audi S5

Choices choices....

 

No issue for me, the drive is that good and this car is also good on gas. I never liked my 3IS dash area but it didn't deter me from getting the car. I got the 3IS for the driving dynamics, the exterior styling, the F sport gauges and the red seats. Our 4RX has great cup holders unlike my 3IS. I like that this BMW has a cup holder in the doors as well.
The 340i is a 60k car, that's too much money and the 330i can mostly likely out drive the IS350 F sport which would have been the logical upgrade for me. Although, I was thinking of getting the 2019 RC350 if i were to stick with Lexus. As such the 330i's performance is good enough for me. I am only leasing for 3 years. Maybe if were buying I could make a case for the 340i. Either way, think of the 330I M Sport as the IS350 F sport, power is adequate for my needs and if I were to need more power, there will be several cheap mods to extract even more performance from the car.

 

I drove a 2014 335i and found it to be awesome. That engine sounds great and has basically no turbo lag. The steering response was very quick and precise, and the steering wheel felt perfect to hold. I find the prospect of a lightly-used 340i (perhaps BMW Certified) infinitely more appealing than a four-cylinder model, even if new, but that said, I haven't driven it. I have been in a couple of four-cylinder 4-series (both 428i coupe and Gran Coupe) and found them to be unemotional. Punchy? Yes. Exciting? Eh, maybe? Not nearly as exciting as the 335i was.

However, your review of the 330i is promising. I've already pretty much sworn off buying a brand-new car for my next one due to #lifegoals (or whatever...) so I wonder if I could find one CPO in 9 months or so when I will be looking to do an early turn-in.

 

Go test drive one and see, maybe you like it, maybe you won't. The cheapest 340I M Sport i saw was 59K plus, the majority of the 340i's on the lot were mid to upper 60's. 330i is good enough, it has more performance than either the IS350/RC350F. There will always be a faster/better car. Where does one draw the line. With the low legal speed limit in the USA, even the IS200T must be driven with caution to avoid getting arrested lol.

A few years ago BMW made the legendary E46M3 which was a great car and had less torque than the G20 330i. Today we have the G20 340i with power surpassing even the E46 M3 CSL. Car's are getting insanely faster and more expensive nowadays but most of these cars power will never be fully utilize by its owner's. In America, people want more and more and the cycle of consumption never ends. For my current needs the 330i is more than adequate. Besides, having a degree in Accounting, I have a different mindset when it comes to value/cost.etc.....bean-counters you say lol.

 

That's about how I'd spec it out. 330i M sport in blue. 340 is definitely a monster engine and the way to go all things being equal. but it will cost considerably more money, and more money to insure. 0-60 in low 5s is already fast. plus i'm sure BMS already has it covered.. lol.

though for me, #lifegoals is a thing too. and i've decided to just do cars casually. hence my hybrid. it doesn't handle like an IS/3 Series does, but it does handle nicely for what it is (40 mpg fwd) and allows me to have a bit of fun while being low cost/low maintenance.

returning my IS back to stock these past couple of days (installing the stock suspension) convinced me i am so over jerking off cars. i'll change the fluids and thats it!

 

I understand, if the UX 250H F Sport weren't so damn slow, i would have leased that car instead. I like the looks , turning radius etc but around here, a car that slow means one may encounter too many close calls merging and passing tractor trailers on the highways etc. Here, people drive fast lol with utter disregard for their fellow driver so having a slow car is a safety hazard.

 

Lol thought it was funny what they said about the rear.

 

LOL that is exactly what I have been saying about the new 3 Series, taillights look like it is copying Lexus.

 

and since we all drive lexus, that's... a good thing right? people are throwing it around as if its some sorta insult.

i love that g20 rear end. the front end is what's kind of weird.

i saw my first g20 today. in orange of all colors. the front end is pretty nice. a bit of a melted cheese look but i'm sure it'll grow on me. BMW still cant get front ends to look quite right proportion wise in their new cars. i don't know what's wrong with them. i mean i wouldn't be embarrassed driving one. just not particularly proud. i don't really like the 3IS front end all that much either.

i guess i like my front ends sterile and proportionately perfect. Audi does a superb job at this. and older BMWs did.

 

I agree, I am not the biggest fan of the front end. The rest of the new 3 series looks fine to me, if a bit tall.

 

If anyone who likes that back end on Lexus’ says it as an insult they are hypocrites. It’s definitely sexy but it’s still funny BMW was like let’s pretty much just copy it. The 3IS front end is my favorite part of the 3IS the facelift version not so much the prefacelift. I’ve seen quite a few of the G20’s already here in Germany naturally.