BMW 3 Series 2019 Review

Fans of the BMW 3 Series are salivating at the prospect of an all-new M3, but the German prestige car maker is remaining tight-lipped about when its high-performance halo model will make an appearance.

Until then, the next best thing is its 330i sedan, which does at least come standard with some M Sport kit, including: adaptive M suspension; M aero package; M leather steering wheel; and M Sport brakes.

But if that’s still not doing it for you and you just can’t wait for the M3, where do you turn to? According to BMW, the answer is this 330i with an M Sport Package.
How much will it cost?

A base 330i sedan will run you to $70,900 (plus on-road costs). But the car tested here also boasts: metallic paint ($2000); electric sunroof ($2900); aluminium mesh-effect interior trim ($300); driver and front passenger lumbar support ($600); ambient lighting ($700); and automatic tailgate ($900).

Plus, in keeping with the M theme, our test car is also packing an M Sport differential ($2400), all of which hikes its price to $80,700 (plus ORCs).

But wait, there’s more, because in this instance BMW has gone and added a comprehensive list of additional M Sport cosmetic enhancements, including: matt black front splitter ($1745); side sill attachments ($1258); side decals ($295); bumper trim ($959); carbon-fibre rear diffuser ($2139); carbon-fibre rear spoiler ($1479); black gloss grille ($598); floor mats ($549); 20-inch alloy wheels ($8019); floating centre caps ($130); and M valve caps ($35).

That lot adds a further $17,206 to the BMW’s starting price, meaning we’re rolling in $97,906 worth of M-enhanced 330i.

Well, you could buy a regular 330i and be like the rest of the herd, or break from the pack by adding some tasty styling chops to what is an already good looking sedan.

Just remember that, while you’ll definitely look the part, you won’t be packing any more under-bonnet firepower than a regular 330i, so best be careful who you pick at the traffic lights.

While on that point, back in the day BMW’s alpha-numeric badges had a direct correlation to engine capacity, but these days the 330i designation is more a pointer to the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder’s power and torque outputs.

At 190kW/400Nm those numbers are reasonably impressive and, when hitched as it is to an excellent eight speed automatic, the turbo four-pot launches the 330i from 0-100km/h in 5.8sec.

By way of comparison, that’s five tenths quicker than Audi’s rival A4 45 TFSI quattro, and one-tenth quicker than Mercedes-Benz’s rival C 300.

Yet while it does delivers very competitive performance, the engine lacks character, with a subdued exhaust note that doesn’t approach anything vaguely exciting until high in the rev range. This tendency to quiet efficiency doesn’t exactly match the bristling M Sport exterior kit.

Otherwise, of the M Sport kit that is fitted, the two items that make a meaningful difference are the upgraded brakes, which come as part of the standard 330i kit anyway; and the M Sport differential, which does help the car hook up a little keener on launch, and gets the power down more efficiently in bends.

The G20 3 Series launched here in March 2019 as the seventh-generation in an unbroken line of premium BMW sports sedans dating back to the original E21 of 1975.

Right now the 3 Series is available only in 320d or 330i form, but come September the range will be boosted by the addition of more variants, including a 320i, 330e and M340i x Drive.

The M Sport package has likewise been available since March and does allow some items to be individually selected, where others such as the M Sport brakes must be bundled with the 19- or 20-inch wheels, for instance.

Well, frustrated BMW M3 enthusiasts for a start, who might just opt for a 330i with M Sport Package to tide them over while waiting for the M3 proper to arrive.

Otherwise, anyone who likes driving because the 330i’s bloodline ensures it feels like a machine that’s made to be driven, its keen reflexes and excellent road-holding pushing it to the front of the class for sheer dynamic prowess.

The steering is smooth, direct and well weighted, providing quality feedback, while a stiff body structure, flat corner stance and strong grip ensure the car can be driven enthusiastically with confidence.

The adaptive M suspension, also standard on the regular 330i, provides a range of variable ride settings; from decently compliant Comfort to firmly disciplined Sport, which should suit most tastes and driving conditions.

Like pretty much every other prestige car maker BMW has long since realized that SUVs are where the sales and profits are these days, hence the 3 Series no longer holds the preeminent position in the brand’s range that it once did.

But, while its sales may be surpassed these days by the likes of the X5, X3 and X1, this mid-size executive sedan is in many ways the model BMW has built its modern brand image upon, so it’s still a vitally important car.

While it’s hard to argue against the practical aspects of SUVs, and while acknowledging that their performance and dynamics continues to improve apace, their height and weight are fundamentals challenges that are difficult to engineer around.

Not so the 3 Series, which is right-sized for hauling four adults in comfort and doing so with a level of dynamic prowess that most SUVs can’t match.

We like the new 3 Series very much and have declared it a welcome return to the brand’s renowned sporting form, after its somewhat lackluster predecessor.

Aside from a couple of useful performance-enhancing additions in the form of the M Sport brakes and differential, the upgrades we see here are purely cosmetic.

The items are all stylishly designed and well-made and they add nicely to the car’s already handsome lines, providing a level of differentiation that help ensure owners will stand out from the rest of the 3-Series crowd.

However, at $17,206 the M Sport kit adds substantially to the 330i’s already steep purchase price and means potential buyers might also want to run the rule over more expensive rivals such as the Mercedes-AMG C 43 or the Audi S4, both of which offer superior performance in a similarly-sized package.

How much does the 2019 BMW 330i M Performance Pack cost?
Price: $97,906 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 190kW/400Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 147g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: N/A