2016 BMW 330i GT review, test drive

The revered ‘330i’ badge is back, but it now points to a very different engine, and is attached to a car you least expected.

Published on Jan 04, 2017 06:00:00 AM

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If you compare it to the old 330i, this motor doesn’t feel as special, lacking that sense of occasion at any and all engine speeds that the straight-six offered so well. If you’re in Comfort mode and driving leisurely, it doesn’t feel any different to a 320i, as they are, at their core, the same basic motor. If the two motors were offered on the same model, there would definitely have to be some additional features and tricks to make you want to choose the ‘30i’ over the ‘20i’. In Sport and Sport+, the added performance can certainly be felt, but it’s relatively drama free, and that too only if you flatten the throttle hard. You’re whisked to seriously high speeds in the blink of an eye – 100kph being over and done with in a none-too-shabby 7.3sec – and all you can feel in the car is a slightly louder purr from the exhaust (certainly no straight-six scream). Some of this is down to the clever, smooth and seamless ZF eight-speed automatic, which just keeps getting better and better with each new BMW. It’s something you notice when cruising out on the highway too, where the new 330i will happily cruise at three-digit speeds at low revs in eighth, and will calmly kickdown for an overtake with you barely noticing.

What the 3 GT also does exceptionally well is ride over bad roads. There’s no air suspension or adaptive dampers, but BMW has nailed the tuning of the steel springs, so that they’re just the right mix of supple and supportive. The handling and body control might not be quite as tight as a 3-series sedan, but it’s still better than a lot of other similarly sized luxury cars. The driving position, however, like in the sedan, is very low, so shorter drivers will need to spend some time getting used to it.

Should I buy one?

Though sentimentality drives us, it’s not fair to compare the new 330i to the old one. While we’ll certainly miss the old straight-six, that was the past and this is the future. The new turbo four has all the performance you can ask for and, thanks to downsizing, turbocharging, clever tech and that incredible gearbox, it should be miles more efficient too. What it has instead is an incredible duality; the ability to go from calm, refined cruiser one minute to high-speed missile the next. When compared to its modern counterparts – other turbocharged fours – it feels just as strong, and perhaps a bit more refined too, though we’ll have to put them head to head to be sure.

As for the 3-series GT itself, we’d certainly recommend it. It may not have the familiar shape of a sedan, but if you can look past that, the benefits in space and practicality are impossible to ignore. And yes, many will opt for the 320d diesel, which should also be very capable and a lot more efficient. But if you want more performance from your 3-series GT, the 330i is the one to pick, and though perhaps lacking in a little drama, it otherwise definitely lives up to its historic badge.