2006 BMW 330i



C/D TEST RESULTS
ACCELERATION: Seconds
Zero to 30 mph: 1.9
40 mph: 3.0
50 mph: 4.4
60 mph: 5.6
70 mph: 7.7
80 mph: 9.7
90 mph: 11.8
100 mph: 15.3
110 mph: 18.8
120 mph: 22.9
130 mph: 29.1
Street start, 5-60 mph: 6.0
Top-gear acceleration, 30-50 mph: 9.5
50-70 mph: 8.6
Standing 1/4-mile: 14.3 sec @ 98 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 155 mph


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2006 BMW 330i
Vehicle type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

Estimated price as tested: $39,000 (estimated base price: $37,000)

Options on test car: active steering with variable ratio

Major standard accessories: power windows, seats, locks, and sunroof; remote locking; A/C; cruise control; tilting and telescoping steering wheel; rear defroster

Sound system: BMW AM-FM radio/CD player, 6 speakers

ENGINE
Type: inline-6, magnesium-and-aluminum block and aluminum head
Bore x stroke: 3.35 x 3.46 in, 85.0 x 88.0mm
Displacement: 183 cu in, 2996cc
Compression ratio: 10.7:1
Fuel-delivery system: port injection
Valve gear: chain-driven double overhead cams, 4 valves per cylinder, hydraulic lifters, variable intake- and exhaust-valve timing and lift
Power (SAE net): 255 bhp @ 6600 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 220 lb-ft @ 2750 rpm
Redline: 7000 rpm

DRIVETRAIN
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Final-drive ratio: 3.15:1
Gear - Ratio - Mph/1000 rpm - Max test speed
I - 4.35 - 5.3 - 37 mph (7000 rpm)
II - 2.50 - 9.1 - 64 mph (7000 rpm)
III - 1.66 - 13.7 - 96 mph (7000 rpm)
IV - 1.23 - 18.6 - 130 mph (7000 rpm)
V - 1.00 - 22.9 - 155 mph (6800 rpm)
VI - 0.85 - 26.9 - 155 mph (5750 rpm)

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 108.7 in
Track, front/rear: 59.1/59.7 in
Length/width/height: 178.2/71.5/55.9 in
Ground clearance: 4.0 in
Drag area, Cd (0.30) x frontal area (22.7 sq ft): 6.8 sq ft
Curb weight: 3450 lb
Weight distribution, F/R: 51.0/49.0%
Curb weight per horsepower: 13.5 lb
Fuel capacity: 15.9 gal

CHASSIS/BODY
Type: unit construction
Body material: welded steel stampings

INTERIOR
SAE volume, front seat: 50 cu ft
rear seat: 41 cu ft
luggage: 12 cu ft
Front-seat adjustments: fore-and-aft, seatback angle, front height, rear height, lumbar support, thigh support
Restraint systems, front: manual 3-point belts; driver and passenger front, side, and curtain airbags
rear: manual 3-point belts, curtain airbags

SUSPENSION
Front: ind, strut located by 1 lateral link and 1 diagonal link, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Rear: ind; 2 diagonal links, 2 lateral links, and 1 toe-control link per side; coil springs; anti-roll bar

STEERING
Type: rack-and-pinion with variable ratio and variable power assist
Steering ratio: 10.8:1-18.0:1
Turns lock-to-lock: 1.9
Turning circle curb-to-curb: 36.1 ft

BRAKES
Type: hydraulic with vacuum power assist, anti-lock control, and electronic panic assist
Front: 13.0 x 0.9-in vented disc
Rear: 13.2 x 0.9-in vented disc

WHEELS AND TIRES
Wheel size/type: 8.0 x 17 in/cast aluminum
Tires: Pirelli Eufori@ Run Flat, 225/45R-17 91W
Test inflation pressures, F/R: 32/38 psi
Spare: none

BRAKING
70-0 mph @ impending lockup: 168 ft

PROJECTED FUEL ECONOMY (C/D est)
EPA city driving: 21 mpg
EPA highway driving: 31 mpg

INTERIOR SOUND LEVEL
Idle: 41 dBA
Full-throttle acceleration: 73 dBA
70-mph cruising: 66 dBA

2006 323i Sedan 174 hp 8.0 s $ 35,200
2006 325i Sedan 215 hp 7.1 s $ 40,300 man/auto (sec.) 7.1/7.7
2006 325xi Sedan 215 hp 7.5 s $ 42,900
2006 330i Sedan 255 hp 6.5 s $ 47,900
2006 330xi Sedan 255 hp 6.6 s $ 50,500

MUNICH, Germany -- BMW's successor to the 3 Series convertible will be launched in Europe in March 2007, company insiders say. It will have a folding hardtop.

Officials at BMW of North America declined to say when the convertible will go on sale in that market. But typically BMW launches vehicles in North America three to six months after their European debut.

BMW is expected to introduce the vehicle at the Paris auto show in September 2006.

The convertible will be based on the fifth-generation 3 Series, which was introduced at the Geneva auto show in March. A station wagon variant of the new 3 Series is due in 2006, and an M3 version with a V8 engine arrives in 2008.

German supplier Edscha will supply the roof. Edscha will lease a new construction area at BMW's Regensburg, Germany, plant to produce the three-part roof system.

Edscha supplies the soft-top convertible roof system for the current 3 Series from its plant in Hengersberg, about 50 miles from Regensburg. The first production models of the new 3-Series convertible, known internally as the E93, already have begun.

Edscha supplies roof systems for BMW's current versions of the 6 Series and the Z4 roadster.

Last year, BMW sold 40,300 units of its 3-Series convertible worldwide. In 2002, the niche model's most successful year to date, BMW sold more than 54,000 units of the ragtop.

Diana T. Kurylko contributed to this report

It's the target of every new or revamped entry into the compact luxury car segment, but nothing has caught up with the BMW 3 Series.

Nearly six months into sales of the fifth-generation 3 Series, BMW is again blasting the doors off the competition.

The 3 Series outsold its competition in the United States in September, moving 8,693 units, most of which were the new version. Its nearest competitors were the Acura TL, with 6,228 units sold; Infiniti G35, with 5,472 units; and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, with 5,050 units.

"BMW deserves a huge amount of credit. That car has been at the top of that segment forever," Tom Libby, senior director of industry analysis for the Power Information Network in Troy, Mich., told Automotive News. "It has an extraordinary reputation and that has been built up over decades. There aren't many models that have that history."

Rolling out lineup

The sedan version of the replacement 3 Series went on sale in May. A station wagon and an all-wheel-drive model reached showrooms this month. The coupe, convertible and M3 high-performance model will be rolled out over the next 18 months.

U.S. sales of the 3 Series peaked at 115,428 cars in 2002; none of its competitors has sold more than 100,000 units a year in the United States. With the competition growing and the run-out of the predecessor, 3 Series sales settled at 106,549 units last year.

Ken Bracht, 3 Series brand manager for BMW of North America, says the 2006 3 Series sedan alone will sell at least 50,000 units this year. When the full 3 Series lineup is in place, BMW expects sales to equal the peak, he says.

The 3 Series has a base price of $31,595, including shipping. The average transaction price on the 3 Series is $38,245 -- higher than competitors and $4,860 above that of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, according to Power Information Network data.

Bracht says BMW's mix has improved, with 34 percent of buyers opting for the more expensive 330i compared with 17 percent for the prior generation. He attributes that to pricing.

For the previous generation, it cost about $4,000 to move up from the 325i to the more powerful 330i. With the model changeover, BMW has made the jump cost $2,700.

1977 debut

The BMW 3 Series debuted in the United States in 1977 as the 320i, a spry European sports car that was nimbler, lighter and different from domestic or other import models. Although the car has gotten larger and more sophisticated over the years, the basic concept hasn't changed in nearly three decades, says Tom Purves, CEO of BMW of North America.

"We've sold 1. 2 million of them since then," he says, "and it's the iconic BMW."

Bracht says the major competitors for the 3 Series are the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4, Infiniti G35, Acura TL, Lexus IS and Cadillac CTS.

Although the C-Class is a key competitor, it is no longer the archrival. Bracht says as Mercedes-Benz has moved upscale and expanded its range, the market perception is that "Mercedes is more of an S-Class company."

He says: "A lot of people think of BMW as the 3 Series (company) -- this is where we banked our reputation."