{"id":23885,"date":"2019-06-13T10:14:15","date_gmt":"2019-06-13T14:14:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=23885"},"modified":"2019-06-13T10:14:15","modified_gmt":"2019-06-13T14:14:15","slug":"payne-bmw-3-series-wants-its-crown-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2019\/06\/payne-bmw-3-series-wants-its-crown-back","title":{"rendered":"Payne: BMW 3-series wants its crown back"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/06\/11\/PDTN\/50ccedde-1d5a-4f90-84d5-d52fd1a43d7c-bmw_side.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2019 BMW 330i sedan's sport coupe roof, long hood, and short overhangs telegraph its rear-wheel-drive, longitudinal engine. The 330i adds AWD for Michigan winters.\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div><div id=\"module-position-R3FaRS-1LJw\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\">he 2019 BMW 330i sedan&#8217;s sport coupe roof, long hood, and short overhangs telegraph its rear-wheel-drive, longitudinal engine. The 330i adds AWD for Michigan winters.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-1 p-text\">Socialism is all the rage these days among Washington\u00a0elites, but lucky for them their new BMW 3-series was\u00a0born in the boiling shark tank of capitalism.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-2 p-text\">Long the alpha shark in the compact-luxury segment, the last-generation 3 got a little, um, fat. And boy, did the product managers in Munich get an earful from the market.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">New Coke never had it this hard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Media outlets ripped BMW for going soft. Car and Driver dropped the 3-series from its Top 10 list for the first time in memory. Sales dropped. Enthusiasts started to talk openly of the Alfa Giulia and Cadillac\u00a0ATS as the new standards for class-handling. The competitive pressures weren\u2019t just athletic complaints, either.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Mercedes\u2019 luscious interiors were turning heads away from BMW. Tesla\u2019s sci-fi Model 3 was shaming the class with Silicon Valley technology. Mainstream upstarts like the Mazda 6 were offering athletic value for $20,000 cheaper. And then there\u2019s the market flip to premium sport-utes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Well. Market reaction duly noted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The seventh-generation 2019 BMW 3-series bears a familiar silhouette and kidney grille but is otherwise a comprehensive remake to re-establish its iconic self as King of the Hill. It mostly succeeds.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-R3FaRS_nf1I\" class=\"story-asset gallery-asset\">\n<div class=\"card-film inactive\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"sidebar-gallery-btn active\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"companion-story-gallery js-llc companion-story-gallery0\" data-name=\"compStoryGallery\">\n<div class=\"companion-galleries embedded_story hasendslate galleries\" data-gallery-id=\"1428400001\" data-title=\"2019 BMW 330i\" data-seo-title=\"\" data-ssts=\"business\/autos\/foreign\" data-cst=\"money\/autos\" data-published-date=\"2019-06-13T01:50:04.809Z\" data-gal-pageurl=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/picture-gallery\/business\/autos\/foreign\/2019\/06\/13\/2019-bmw-330-i\/1428400001\/\">\n<div class=\"viewport gallery-viewport\">\n<div class=\"slide gallery-viewport-slide horizontal active\">\n<div class=\"gallery-photo-border\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gallery-photo horizontal gallery-photo-first\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/06\/12\/PDTN\/041d64a7-edea-4dbc-9d0d-c6e792a03be6-bmw_fr-high.JPG?width=520&amp;height=390&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2019 BMW 330i is its usual pretty self \u2014 but underneath the chassis and suspension have been tightened to counter criticism that the 3-series had gone soft.\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/06\/12\/PDTN\/041d64a7-edea-4dbc-9d0d-c6e792a03be6-bmw_fr-high.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/06\/12\/PDTN\/041d64a7-edea-4dbc-9d0d-c6e792a03be6-bmw_fr-high.JPG?width=500&amp;height=281\" data-byline=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\" data-large-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/06\/12\/PDTN\/041d64a7-edea-4dbc-9d0d-c6e792a03be6-bmw_fr-high.JPG?width=1920&amp;height=1440&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" data-id=\"\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-photo-border\">\n<p class=\"p-text\">Start with its reflexes. The new 3-series clearly spent a lot of time in the gym. My 330i X-Drive tester\u2019s muscular intentions are felt right away through its thick steering wheel. Like wrapping my fingers around a bicep, the steering feels alive to my inputs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">When I nailed the throttle through Oakland County\u2019s twisties, the Bimmer was ready \u2014 the 8-speed transmission snapping off shifts with buttery efficiency, the chassis tight, the car\u2019s balance exquisite. Ahhh, that\u2019s the 3 that I remember from the first BMW I owned \u2014 the beloved, fourth-generation, E46 model equipped with an inline-6.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">But the competition hasn\u2019t stood still, either.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Most customers will never take their 3-series to the track, and those who do will likely wait for the M3 hellion. But your intrepid tester was curious. After all, BMW proves the car at the famous 160-turn N\u00fcrburgring race track.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Flogging the 330i around M1 Concourse\u2019s 10-turn Champion Raceway in Pontiac revealed subtle differences when tested against rear-wheel drive classmates Cadillac ATS and Tesla Model 3.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Like the ATS, the Bimmer rotated beautifully into corners, its gym-toned bod better-tuned than the Tesla. Exiting apexes, the electric Tesla has instant torque. The 330i suffers from turbo lag;\u00a0blame the turbo-4 that has become ubiquitous in compact luxury.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">My kingdom for the straight-6 cylinder of old (which\u00a0BMW shares between the Z4 and Toyota Supra that I recently tested). Fortunately, my 330i came with paddle shifters so I could keep the revs up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Speaking of shifting, the 330i continues BMW\u2019s love affair with the monostable shifter. It takes some getting used to, and kindly explain it to befuddled valet drivers when you hand over the keys so they don\u2019t have to spend a half hour reading the owner\u2019s manual.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Once mastered, its space-saving simplicity is appreciated. Like Mazda\u2019s 3 (oh, there\u2019s that clever, affordable mainstream automaker sneaking into the conversation), BMW has ordered its console for maximum efficiency so that there\u2019s room for cupholders and phone\/French fries cubbies. Audi cramped consoles, pay attention.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-R3FaRS_BES4\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/06\/11\/PDTN\/9e1a2a39-43b7-49ed-89f0-9f0dc8f1f84d-bmw_cockpit.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The steering wheel is fat on the 2019 BMW 330i for good grip on track - but the graphics are lovely for tooling around town.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/06\/11\/PDTN\/9e1a2a39-43b7-49ed-89f0-9f0dc8f1f84d-bmw_cockpit.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/06\/11\/PDTN\/9e1a2a39-43b7-49ed-89f0-9f0dc8f1f84d-bmw_cockpit.JPG?width=500&amp;height=281\" \/>The steering wheel is fat on the 2019 BMW 330i for good grip on track &#8211; but the graphics are lovely for tooling around town.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\">I initially balked at the starter button\u2019s console location right next to other buttons like infotainment and drive modes (don\u2019t want to turn off the car by mistake when reaching for sport mode). But I grew to appreciate the arrangement because\u00a0right above the starter is the off button for stop-start.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Stop-start is the bane of drivers\u2019 existence these days. It&#8217;s the most disliked feature in luxury (I hear from plenty of readers who shudder when their otherwise silky-smooth thoroughbred shudders to a stop at a stoplight). It\u2019s like Secretariat coughing at the Kentucky Derby starting gate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">But I quickly adopted a two-step habit whenever I climbed into the Bimmer: Turn on car, turn off stop-start in one fluid motion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Other operations are a snap. BMW has never been shy to introduce new gadgets (see monostable shifter) and its once-despised rotary infotainment controller is a thing of beauty, allowing effortless navigation of the console screen. My instincts are for touchscreen and BMW allows that, too. The screen was quick to the touch as I swept through menus. It&#8217;s\u00a0illustrated with gorgeous graphics that would look nice framed on dealership walls.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">That graphical interface is a reminder that German makers have had to catch up with Tesla\u2019s new benchmark for electronic efficiency. It\u2019s no longer acceptable to wade through navigation menus \u2014 luxury cars must be as responsive as \u201cOK, Google\u201d smartphones.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">BMW calls its helper \u201cIntelligent Personal Assistant,\u201d and she\u2019s at your service with a quick \u201cHey, BMW.\u201d Setting off on a trip to my favorite Kart-2-Kart go-kart track in Sterling Heights at 5 p.m.\u00a0on a Tuesday, I barked the location to 330i. I might as well have been speaking in Russian.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The system was clueless.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">So I \u201cOK, Google\u201d-queried my phone, read the address to the car, and set off. Which immediately led to a second problem: the\u00a0330i couldn\u2019t distinguish between the fastest route, and the fastest route during rush hour.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">This is Navigation 101 for smartphones (and Tesla), and the phone saved me precious time by navigating away from clogged main arteries (like M-59). This is understandably a tall order for most carmakers given the massive cloud networks phone-makers possess. BMW allows drivers to plug in their Apple smartphones so that Apple CarPlay can take over the screen and do its thing. Alas, Android users like me are left\u00a0in the cold.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-R3FaRS-BxNw\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/06\/11\/PDTN\/e0d8fad3-310d-4079-8fa1-197c77fcbb11-bmw_int.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The interior of the 2019 BMW 330i is nicely understated. The console is busy with remote infotainment controller, MODE button, and ON\/OFF button -- but a monostable shifter helps create enough space for storage cubbies.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/06\/11\/PDTN\/e0d8fad3-310d-4079-8fa1-197c77fcbb11-bmw_int.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/06\/11\/PDTN\/e0d8fad3-310d-4079-8fa1-197c77fcbb11-bmw_int.JPG?width=500&amp;height=281\" \/>The interior of the 2019 BMW 330i is nicely understated. The console is busy with remote infotainment controller, MODE button, and ON\/OFF button &#8212; but a monostable shifter helps create enough space for storage cubbies.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Interestingly, BMW is content not to try to\u00a0keep up with the Joneses on self-driving capabilities. Where Mercedes is chasing Tesla on self-driving ability with autonomous tricks like turn signal auto-lane-change, BMW is content with adaptive cruise-control and lane-keep assist. The latter is a generation behind its peers, ping-ponging between lane lines.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">It\u2019s as if the Bimmer is determined to let you know it\u2019s serious about this driver\u2019s car thing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><em>Hands on the wheel! Don\u2019t you know that I am the ultimate driving machine?!<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Good to have you back, 3-series. It\u2019s survival of the fittest out there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>2019 BMW 3-series<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Vehicle type: Front-engine, rear- and all-wheel drive, 5-passenger, compact luxury sedan<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Price: $41,245 base including $995 destination fee ($58,770 330i AWD with M-package as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Powerplant: 255 horsepower, 295 pound-feet of torque, 2.0-liter\u00a0turbocharged inline-4 cylinder<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Transmission: 7-speed\u00a0automatic<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Performance: 5.2 second zero-60 (Car and Driver); 156 mph top speed<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Weight: 3,582 pounds (3,764 pounds as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Fuel economy: 25\u00a0mpg city\/34\u00a0mpg highway\/28\u00a0mpg combined<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Highs: BMW looks; nimble handling<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Lows: Nostalgia for the inline-6; Android Auto, please<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Overall: 4\u00a0stars<\/p>\n<div class=\"gallery-viewport-meta meta\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>he 2019 BMW 330i sedan&#8217;s sport coupe roof, long hood, and short overhangs telegraph its rear-wheel-drive, longitudinal engine. The 330i adds AWD for Michigan winters.\u00a0(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News) Socialism is all the rage these days among Washington\u00a0elites, but lucky for them their new BMW 3-series was\u00a0born in the boiling shark tank of capitalism. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23885"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23885"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23885\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}