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BMW 330d - What Car?
01.07.2000 |
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Here is all the proof you need that a large-capacity, clean, beautifully-balanced turbo-diesel in a relatively light body produces a car that's fit for keen drivers and executive-class buyers. What's more, it shouldn't upset the environmental lobby too much, either.
The 3.0 litre 184bhp 330d will out-sprint the old petrol 328i for overtaking pick-up, despite considerably longer gearing and a 125kg weight handicap. Yet it returned an impressive 44.9mpg around our touring route, and we reckon you'd be hard-pressed to get much less than 40 however you drive. It's all largely thanks to 288lb ft of pulling power available from 1750 to 3200rpm, which makes out-of-town gear-changes almost unnecessary.
That means you can put off refuelling stops until at least 500 miles are under the wheels. Even so, you'll be largely unaware that the 330d is a diesel. There's a bit more vibration on start-up, but on the move the engine is as sweet as a petrol six, and has a similar snarl under acceleration.
It's as though your own little world has been slowed down (you hit the rev limiter at 4900rpm) while what's outside rushes by at unabated pace. And despite the extra frontal weight, the 330d responds just as well as a 330i when you want to change course or wash off speed. It even rides as well, despite the optional 18-inch wheels on our test car.
Verdict
The 3.0 turbo-diesel suits the balance of today's more sophisticated 3 Series better than any other engine except, perhaps, the 2.5 in the 323i.