Owned since new?

Yes

Owned for how long?

2 year(s)

Buy this make again?

Yes

Price and equipment7.0/10

M Sport model which has 19" wheels, sunroof, black anthracite headlining, Professional Sat Nav, Upgraded stereo, bi-xenons, Individual Tanzanite Blue Metallic paint. Sports suspension.Leather sports seats with full electric adjustment inc. lumbar support.

Under the bonnet9.0/10

Excellent performance from 2 litre turbo charged '4' - 180 kw - 350 Nm torque giving 0-100 kmh in 6.0 secs. Good economy considering the performance available. 10 l/100km around town.

How it drives9.0/10

Excellent handling, particularly in Sports mode. 'Flappy paddles' plus ability to change gear with central gearshift adds to sportiness. Fantastic 8 speed auto is very intuitive.

Comfort and practicality7.0/10

Ride is far better than a BMW 130i I had owned previously. Good interior room with easy ability to fold down rear seats. Easily accommodates golf bag and buggy with rear seats in normal position. Seats comfortable on a long trip.

Servicing and running costs7.0/10

2 x yearly BMW services thus far have been priced very reasonably. Economy with 95 RON petrol is good and excellent on tour (7.0 l / 100km). Only problem has been the windscreen washer filter had to be cleaned. Puncture in run flat tyre could not be repaired and a new tyre was purchased. Fortunate that it was nearing the end of its life.

Aesthetics and styling9.0/10

An improvement on previous E90 model with more interior room. M Sport exterior treatment adds to appeal together with lower sports suspension.Looks great in Tanzanite Blue Metallic (when clean!) and with black leather interior looks very sporty. My car also has black piano trim with alloy edge trim which looks great but difficult to keep clean. Quality of finish is excellent but not quite as good as our new AUDI A3 sedan.

Safety and security9.0/10

5 star ANCAP rating with all necessary airbags and traction control systems. Have not tested crash ability.

Quality and reliability8.0/10

Have had no problems with fit and finish or things breaking. Appears that it will be long lasting. Quality of leather is probably not as good as Nappa leather in previous BMW 330 Ci.Have travelled close to 20,000 kms

Overall verdict9.0/10

This is my 4th BMW and is almost as good as my previous 2005 330 Ci Special Edition Manual. I do miss the sound of the previous in-line 6 cylinder motor but the performance from the 2.0 litre '4' is very good and one cannot justify the considerable extra expense of the '6'.