At the Wheel of the 2009 BMW 3 Series
By Andreas Stahl, Contributor
Date posted: 08-29-2008


Over the past 33 years there have been no fewer than five incarnations of the 3 Series — each and every one of them a roaring success. It looks like the 2009 BMW 3 Series will be no exception.

The BMW 3 Series manages to rake in sales year after year without ever appearing to try particularly hard. Since the inception of the BMW 3 Series back in 1975, it has entirely dominated the compact sport sedan market with a heady blend of performance and dynamic excellence. Other carmakers have desperately attempted yet failed to emulate this car's perennial sales success.

Such is the popularity of the 3 Series that it accounts for 44 percent of total BMW sales worldwide. This illustrates just how important the 2009 BMW 3 Series is to the company, and this face-lifted E90 model has changed in important ways to reflect this.

The New-Look E90
BMW shocked us with the look of the current 3 Series when it was introduced in 2005, the last of the cars designed with the new styling vocabulary developed by the team of chief designer Chris Bangle. Time has served to lessen its impact somewhat, but there are still those who think it lacks the sort of visual emotion that made earlier models of the 3 Series such a worldwide hit.

The face-lifted E90 tries to rectify this. All of the existing sheet metal, save for the hood, remains the same. However, the remainder has been reworked in a move that provides the 3 Series with fresh visual appeal. At the front is a wider kidney grille, heavily reprofiled bumper and new headlamps that incorporate LED turn signals and BMW's signature corona-ring daytime running lights. The changes soften the previous cars' look, yet also add distinction.

The look is complemented by new rocker sills, while the taillamps also offer a new look with LED turn signals, and the bumper is deeper. On the whole, it's a successful face-lift, and will no doubt win over potential customers who thought the original E90 was too plain.

Improved Interior Detailing
The interior has also been improved, if only in detail. The driver-side armrest now sits higher, making the window and exterior mirror controls more accessible. There are also new-look instruments, higher-quality matte-finish aluminum trim and some redesigned switches within the center console.

The biggest change is reserved for the optional iDrive system. It receives a smaller rotary controller surrounded by four individual one-touch buttons for the navigation, CD player, AM/FM radio and telephone functions, as well as a function to back out of the menu altogether. An 8.8-inch monitor is available. The iDrive software has also been revised, and the various options are now stacked vertically on the screen. All up, it's now a much more intuitive device.

When it comes to people, however, the 3 Series still seems a little short on space. Owing to its rear-wheel-drive layout, the 3 Series can't quite offer the same sort of interior accommodation as some front-wheel-drive rivals. This is particularly noticeable in the rear, which lacks sufficient leg- and headroom.

Choose Your Weapon
BMW has always served up a wide range of power plants with the 3 Series. In some markets buyers get to choose among 10 different units, ranging from a 143-horsepower, naturally aspirated 2.0-liter inline-4 in the 318i all the way to a 306-hp, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 in the 335i.

So it's odd that the only engines available to us for our first drive of the new model in Germany were the familiar 272-hp, naturally aspirated, 3.0-liter inline-6 of the 330i and a new 245-hp, turbocharged, 3.0-liter inline-6 diesel in the 330d. It is the latter unit that holds the biggest interest right now, having been chosen to spearhead BMW's diesel offensive here in the U.S. once fitted with the German carmaker's new Blue Performance technology.

Known internally as the M57, the diesel has been developed using engineering solutions from BMW's smaller 2.0-liter inline-4 diesel. The two engines share the same cylinder-bore spacing, piezo injector design and each gets an aluminum block — all of which sees the new engine shed some 11 pounds over BMW's older, iron-block 3.0-liter inline-6 diesel.

This is an impressive engine by any standard, providing the face-lifted 330d in which it sits with genuinely rapid acceleration. Loaded with a generous 383 pound-feet of torque, this engine never feels anything other than urgent. There are huge levels of thrust from just over 1,000 rpm and it spins with a much more eager nature than most diesels up to an electronic cutout at 5,400 rpm. For a big diesel, it is also amazingly refined. There is a characteristic clatter upon start-up, but once under way the engine is muted.

BMW claims the 330d will do zero to 60 mph in just 6.1 seconds, which makes the diesel quicker up the strip than the 330i. What makes it all the more impressive is the official consumption, which is put at 41 mpg. With Blue Performance, a system that injects a urea solution into the exhaust system to minimize particulate air emissions, the 2009 BMW 330d also conforms to all relevant emission regulations here in North America.

Unchanged Poise
BMW has resisted the urge to bring any major changes to the chassis of the 3 Series. That's a good thing. If there is one area where the rear-wheel-drive sedan has continually excelled over the years it is in dynamic ability. This latest face-lifted model still offers exceptional handling balance, superb body control and the sort of cornering grip that allows the driver to attack challenging back roads with real confidence.

Underneath it retains the same hydraulically assisted rack-and-pinion steering as well as the customary MacPherson strut front suspension and multilink rear suspension system of the outgoing model. The rear track has been widened by an inch to improve cornering stability, however.

The excellence really begins at the steering wheel, which operates in a delightfully positive, precise and direct action. BMW decided not to equip the face-lifted 3 Series test cars we drove with its optional Active Steer rear suspension, which is the right thing as far as we're concerned; the standard setup provides more linear action. As a consequence, there is a good deal of steering effort to contend with as you wind on steering lock — more so than in any comparable compact sport sedan — but the wheel can still be worked with the wrists rather than the elbows.

Stick to the posted speed limits and the 3 Series is close to flawless. Its actions are fluid and almost exclusively sporting in character. Throw it into a corner with a gradually tightening radius and there's a neutral attitude to the handling that progressively favors understeer as the adhesion of the 225/45R17 Bridgestone tires begins to wane.

It doesn't always have to be safe and sensible, though. With the button of the stability control depressed for more than 3 seconds, the stability and traction control systems become disengaged entirely, and lurid oversteer can be produced with a heavy application of the right foot.

It's not all bouquets, though. Despite adopting new fourth-generation run-flat tires with an altered sidewall design aimed at providing greater compliance, the 3 Series continues to suffer from an overly firm ride. At highway speeds it is reasonably comfortable, but at lower speeds around town it can become quite harsh when attempting to deal with broken sections of asphalt.

All the Right Moves
The 2009 BMW 3 Series appears to tick all the right boxes: superb engines, muscular performance, low fuel consumption, brilliant handling, excellent refinement, impressive quality and a top-notch image. When you climb aboard, slot the electronic key into the ignition, hit the start button to fire up the engine and snick the gear lever into 1st, you just know it will deliver. In this respect, nothing much has changed with the new E90 model.

What BMW has also succeeded in doing is making the 2009 BMW 3 Series more user-friendly. The changes brought to the iDrive system greatly enhance its operation, with more intuitive menus and a simplified process opening up its potential in a big way. New software also allows prospective customers to option their car with some cutting-edge technology through BMW's ConnectDrive system, including in-car Internet for the first time. To make sure you keep your eyes on the road, it only functions when the car is at a standstill.

Good thing, because the 2009 BMW 3 Series likes to be driven fast. In this respect, nothing much has really changed.

Thats a hot car right there. Still don't know wtf Acura is smoking when they design the 09 TL.

I love the new LED tail and turn signals plus the wider profile. I can definitely see myself upgrading to the 09 BMW 3 series.

LOL, can you believe that the 09 TSX still has halogen tailights?!

Advance? I don't think so.

BMW announced pricing for its all-new 2009 diesel models during a live webcast today. Fitted under the hood of the 335d and X5 xDrive35d will be a 3.0-liter twin-turbo diesel rated at 265 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque (BMW's own flagship 6.0-liter gasoline V12 barely tops it with 444 lb-ft). The torque precludes BMW from fitting a 6-speed manual to the engine, so both models will arrive with a 6-speed Steptronic automatic. The sedan will sprint to 60 mph in just over six seconds with the SAV adding about a second to the time. Base MSRP for the BMW 335d will be $44,725 (the price includes destination fees), while the base MSRP for the X5 xDrive 35d will be $52,025 (including fees). Both vehicles will qualify for the IRS Alternative Motor Vehicle Tax Credit, though the exact amount has yet to be determined. For comparison's sake, the 2009 VW Jetta TDI gets a tax credit of $1,300 while the Mercedes-Benz GL320 BLUETEC gets $1,800. The first shipment of vehicles will arrive at dealers before the end of the year. However, we'll be driving the 335d during the LA Auto Show next week and will be sure to post our impressions as soon as possible.

January 6, 2009

Kingston, Ontario - The diesel revolution will be a quiet one.

We’ve already seen the beginning of it, with Mercedes-Benz’s BlueTEC and Volkswagen’s newest TDI engines. The latest salvo comes from BMW as it introduces a new twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder diesel to its line-up.

The new diesel will be used in a 3 Series sedan dubbed the 335d, as well as an X5 crossover called the X5 xDrive 35d, which will be covered in a later review.

As a 2009 model, the 335d gets the same mild styling revisions (essentially new headlights and taillights) as the rest of the 3 Series line-up was treated to this year, but the engine is the real news.

The way this BMW motor goes about its business defies every preconceived notion that many drivers have of diesel engines. Those old enough to remember the 1970s and ’80s will recall the diesels of that day as noisy, smelly and slow.

Not so here. Like other recent compression-ignition engines (diesels don’t use spark plugs like gasoline engines do; the fuel is ignited as the compressed intake air heats up), this BMW motor is hard to pick out as a diesel when it’s running. There’s a bit of clatter after a cold start, but once warm, the engine is smooth and quiet. The exhaust is invisible, aside from the usual white condensation seen in cold weather, and smells nothing like the sooty diesel exhaust you’d expect.

The typical upsides to diesel power – high torque and low fuel consumption – apply here. Output is 265 horsepower and 425 lb-ft of torque (peaking at 1,750 rpm), while average fuel consumption is 7.4 L/100 km, according to the company. The engine’s 89.3 horsepower-per-litre of displacement is the highest of any diesel in Europe, and BMW claims a zero-to-100 km/h sprint time of 6.3 seconds.

The 335d is as much of a joy to drive as any 3 Series sedan. A half-day of driving through rural eastern Ontario proved this car to be perfectly at home at highway speeds. The steering and brakes have the same satisfying feel you’d find elsewhere in the line-up, and the transmission’s gearing keeps engine speeds low – at 120 km/h, the tachometer indicated about 2,000 rpm. Suspension changes are limited to those necessary to accommodate the heavier powertrain, so the car maintains the same balanced handling as other 3 Series models.

The engine’s power delivery is terrific. Turbo lag is nonexistent, and the power, which comes on strong barely off idle, stays robust throughout the rev range. This engine lacks some of the ferocious pull of the twin-turbo gas engine, but it still propels the car with plenty of authority.

Maybe most importantly, though, the diesel is quiet while doing all that work. Under a light right foot, the engine’s note barely makes it into the cabin, while when pressed, the sounds it does generate are actually more like a V8 than a six, complete with an aggressive exhaust note that should please drivers in search of a driving machine, rather than an appliance.

While the diesel uses a twin-turbo setup like the company’s range-topping gasoline six-cylinder (used in the 335i, among others), the two are not the same. This one is a sequential arrangement with two different-sized turbos, one to provide boost at lower engine speeds, and another that takes over at higher revs. In the gasoline turbo six, each of the two identical turbos provides boost to three cylinders.

Drivers happy to save on their fuel bills will like this engine’s low fuel consumption, while those looking to save the world will appreciate the fact that this engine generates fewer nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions than a comparable gasoline engine.

BluePerformance is the name BMW has given its new, clean diesel engine strategy, a name the company says is rooted in a desire to “preserve blue skies.” To ensure clean running, this engine uses a urea-injection system similar to that found in Mercedes-Benz’s diesel V6, along with a selective catalytic reduction catalyst in the exhaust.

In Europe, the fluid used is called AdBlue; here, it will be marketed simply as exhaust fluid. The 25-litre reservoir, accessible through a port in the car’s rear bumper cover, is designed to hold enough fluid to last the engine’s 20,000-24,000 km oil change interval, and its replacement is covered by the car’s warranty as a regular maintenance item.

Because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dictates that the 335d’s engine can’t run without exhaust fluid, the car is equipped with a low-fluid warning system that issues reminders when enough fluid is remaining for 1,000 miles (1,600 km), and then 200 miles (320 km, as the original figures were provided by BMW’s U.S. engineers). Ignore this and run the system dry, and the car won’t start. Thankfully, the exhaust fluid will be widely available, and the system can easily be filled by the owner. Fill the reservoir with the wrong liquid, however, and the warning system will jump to that 200 mile warning mark – enough to get you to the nearest BMW dealer, where the system will have to be drained. BMW says urea is typically priced below $10 per gallon (approximately 4 litres).

Potential buyers in Canada and the northern U.S. might be interested to know that the exhaust fluid freezes at minus 12 degrees Celsius. A heated reservoir ensures that the fluid is thawed by the time the engine reaches its normal operating temperature.

Also, while the 3.0-litre diesel does use glow plugs (these pre-ignition combustion-chamber heating elements have been used in diesels for years to ease cold-weather starting), BMW says they don’t function until the ambient temperature reaches minus 20 degrees Celsius.

Performance purists will be disappointed to find that this engine will not be offered with a manual transmission. BMW considers this diesel to be a “premium” engine, and that most prospective buyers won’t miss the lack of a manual gearbox. Almost as a reassurance that we in North America aren’t missing out on anything available elsewhere, the company said that this engine isn’t offered with a manual transmission in Europe either. (Of course, we are missing out on something, and that is the rest of BMW’s diesel engine range.)

BMW also points out that the diesel generates almost as much twist as the company’s V12 engine, so the six-speed automatic normally used with that motor was a natural choice for the diesel, too.

There may be more diesels in BMW’s future here, but only if the market reacts well to this engine. In its experience, the company says Canada has been more accepting of diesels than the U.S., but the hope - both mine and BMW’s - is that this engine’s enhanced performance helps it catch on stateside, to improve the chances of seeing more diesels here in coming years. (As a side note, the 320d, which is sold in other markets with a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine, is BMW’s most popular model worldwide.)

To that end, the diesel sold here incorporates a few technical differences designed to reduce noise and vibration. Most are upgrades to the engine’s internals – there’s a reinforced crankcase, offset piston wrist pins and swirl valves in the intake air stream – along with an under-vehicle trim piece that reduces engine noise heard from outside the car, and reduces aerodynamic drag, too.

Of the changes, a ceramic heating element built into the car’s climate control system is the only one most drivers are likely to think about with any regularity. Diesels run as efficiently as they do because less of the fuel’s energy is turned into heat. The downside is less warmth from the car’s heater, particularly when the engine isn’t working very hard. The ceramic heater will offset this, coming on in particularly chilly conditions to provide the warmth needed to defrost windows and partially-frozen occupants.

As a premium model, the 335d will command a premium price in the 3 Series lineup: its starting MSRP of $49,700 is $800 more than a manual-equipped 335i. BMW says the higher sale price is offset by the diesel’s lower fuel consumption and higher resale value (diesel engines typically last longer than gas motors, thanks to their more robust construction and the diesel fuel’s lubricating qualities, which reduce cylinder wear).

At $50,000, there are certainly cheaper, clean-running, fuel-efficient cars on the market. But as a showcase for what a modern diesel can do – run smoothly and cleanly while providing generous performance – this car is worth every penny. The BMW 335d is on sale now.