Correction: The BMW 3-series known as the F30, sold from 2012 to 2018, lacked the steering feel and driving dynamics of its predecessor. BMW regrets these errors and, to rectify these mistakes, the company will reissue a new 3-series.

Wouldn't that be nice to hear? The mea culpa is never quite that explicit, but every once in a while, a company will step up and quietly return things that were lost. Porsche's apology for the first water-cooled 911 (the 996) arrived in the form of the 2005 911 (the 997), a car that brought styling, hips, and interior quality back to the model after a six-year hiatus. Enter the new 3-series—a chance at redemption, a chance to make some corrections.

Part of the problem is that when the outgoing 3-series arrived in 2012, it followed three consecutive generations of cars that had each been better than the last. From model year 1992 to 2012, the 3-series established itself as the quintessential sports sedan, collecting 21 straight 10Best awards, countless comparison-test victories, and millions of satisfied customers, many of whom would be the brand's most ardent spokespeople. The 3-series could do no wrong. It was the benchmark: practical and refined, right-on design and execution, dialed-in handling and performance, and exemplary engines. The streak ended with the F30, and the 3-series fell off our 10Best list in 2015. Tough competition and an aloof electric-power-steering system were the official causes of death. But now the fix is in.

View Photos James Lipman Car and Driver

Maybe. A manual gearbox was an option on all those past 3-series. It isn't on the new one, at least not in the U.S. We do expect that the M3 and M4 will offer three pedals when the cars arrive in a year or so. There won't be a wagon coming to your dealership, though. What's the opposite of a correction?

This new G20-generation 3-series is not a mistake, but its overall driving ex­peri­ence isn't so different from the previous generation's. BMW improved the steering and handling, but they aren't the wholesale restoratives we were hoping for. In addition to a sportier suspension tune and 19-inch wheels with run-flat Bridgestone Turanza T005 summer rubber, the M Sport bundle also adds the quicker Variable Sport Steering. Thus equipped, our 330i xDrive test car is a little better than before. But it's like when you roll off your hand after lying on it for a while and it starts waking up—the situation has improved, but the connected feeling isn't all the way back. Which vehicles have better electric power steering? Here's a partial list: Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang, Genesis G70, Mercedes C-class, any Porsche sports car or Cadillac sedan, Mazdas.

In casual, I'm-just-commuting mode, the steering has a strange bit of lightness and imprecision in the first few degrees off straight ahead. It feels unnatural and nonlinear, but you do get used to it. Effort in Comfort mode seems fine until you select Sport and the assist decreases to increase what you feel at your fingers. While it's not the secret handshake of BMWs past, there seems to be a little more info coming through in Sport mode, so that's where we left it most of the time.

View Photos James Lipman Car and Driver

On the skidpad and with the stability control off, this all-wheel-drive 330i managed a lackluster 0.89 g of grip. In nearly every other modern car, we're able to hold the steering and throttle nearly constant as we follow the skidpad's circle; with practice, it's easy to keep the car right at the limit of adhesion. The new 330i will momentarily hold the line, but just as the car reaches its limit and without any throttle or steering provocation, the rear end starts to throw itself into the act, presumably to counteract understeer. And when the rear starts to come around, you find yourself working the steering to counter the tail movement, which corrects the immediate issue but restarts the cycle.

Hustle it on canyon roads and the chassis attempts to bring the rear tires into the action, which degrades path accuracy. It's difficult to anticipate and plot your line through a corner with any smoothness. BMW denies using the brakes to change the cornering attitude, and the rear diff on our xDrive model is open, which means there's no torque vectoring happening. There's no four-wheel steering, either. No camber-changing swing axle to blame. Left to guess, we'd venture that it's due to bushing deflection. Whatever it is, a sports sedan should be your partner, listening closely for your intent, following each command predictably. This 330i seems to think you could really use those rear tires more.

The xDrive system does provide excellent traction under acceleration and ensures easy and repeatable 5.2-second runs to 60 mph. The quarter-mile kept coming up in 13.9 seconds at 100 mph. As in many modern BMWs, Active Sound Design plays engine noise through the speakers, and switching to Sport mode increases the volume. The difference between Comfort and Sport under hard acceleration is a significant seven decibels—72 decibels in Comfort versus 79 in Sport. Gruff and rorty, the 3 sounds appropriate in Comfort and treads into juvenile and annoying in Sport.

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Not all the sound is fake. Some of it comes from the B46 turbo 2.0-liter. Introduced late in the last 330i's life cycle, this newest version makes 255 horsepower for 2019 (up from 248) thanks to a lighter crank, improved direct injection, reduced internal friction, and new engine-management programming. It pulls linearly through the rev range and remains smooth even as it spins past its 6500-rpm redline on upshifts. On the other end of the tachometer, the diesel-like clatter that plagued the last 330i has been reduced.

At 70 mph, the cabin is a subdued and peaceful 64 decibels, so it's luxury-car quiet at speed. BMW wisely kept the windows large and cleverly shaped the A-pillars to make seeing out into traffic easy. The optional 10.3-inch touchscreen atop the dashboard controls navigation, vehicle settings, phone, Apple CarPlay, and our car's $875 Harman/Kardon audio system. Menu structure is logical. You can interact with the infotainment system by touching the screen or by turning and pushing the iDrive controller next to the shifter. Gesture control—part of the $2100 Executive package that also brings cameras galore and automated parking functionality—allows you to adjust the volume by twirling your finger in the air near the screen. But we are not magicians and our fingers are not wands. There is a volume knob on the dashboard and controls on the steering wheel, but why can't there be a volume knob next to the iDrive controller? We kept reaching for one there, having been conditioned to that preferred solution by other brands whose interior layouts make more sense.

View Photos James Lipman Car and Driver

All models feature one of two digital gauge clusters. Our test car came with the larger one courtesy of the Live Cockpit Professional that's included in the $2800 Premium package. To make room for map information and a host of other things, the virtual gauges occupy the outer part of the 12.3-inch display, which means they can be obscured by the spectacular M Sport steering wheel. While the speedometer occlusion isn't an issue because your speed is also displayed numerically, the counter­clockwise tachometer isn't clearly visible. Of course, seeing the tachometer is less important in a model line that comprises all automatics. Go into Eco Pro mode and the tach disappears entirely in favor of an instantaneous fuel-economy gauge. In mixed driving, the 330i xDrive returned only 23 mpg, two short of its 25-mpg EPA city number.

Part of the M Sport package is a SensaTec-wrapped instrument panel that cheapens the interior because the vinyl in no way resembles leather. Then again, the seating surfaces are cow-sourced and they don't look particularly rich, either, despite the Vernasca leather's $1700 asking price. A hard-plastic center tunnel and the Aluminum Tetragon trim firmly quash any further luxury fantasies. There are three no-cost wood trims to choose from. Go with one of those.



At least the 14-way seats strike a commendable balance of comfort and support. Rear legroom is up by a fraction of an inch. The back seat isn't huge, but it is comfortable. It's possible for three adults to sit there without intolerable touching. Though this 3-series has a larger track and wheelbase than the last, its new CLAR platform, underpinning a host of BMWs from this car to the X5, is purported to be lighter and 25 percent stiffer than the F30's architecture. The car is solid and quiet, and it quickly attenuates big hits before they can send a shake through the structure. On the scales, though, this 330i xDrive weighed 3709 pounds—nine more than a similarly equipped 2016 328i xDrive sedan.

View Photos James Lipman Car and Driver

The new 330i starts at $41,245. All-wheel drive is $2000, and from there our test car heaped on the options to ring in at an eye-watering $58,770. Think of that price as a worst-case scenario. It'd be easy to live without the Driving Assistance Professional package, the Executive bundle, and the Premium package to save $6600. Even with the $5000 M Sport package, it's possible to have a well-equipped 330i xDrive for less than $50,000.

Exterior design is a clear evolution of the last 3-series. Wider grille nostrils—they long ago ceased to be kidneys—and sharp head- and taillights are the most obvious differences. Grille aside, this is an undeniably handsome car with great proportions. Those good looks and the BMW badge may be enough for some buyers. But for those of us who mock recommended cornering speeds, who enjoy g-forces and revel in the trust that comes from steady feedback through the controls, this all-wheel-drive version leaves us wanting a car that simply obeys instead of trying to outsmart. That said, while this 330i isn't the correction we were hoping for, it's only the first new 3-series we've tested. A brief drive in Europe of other 3-series—including the 382-hp six-cylinder M340i (it arrives this summer), the rear-drive 330i, and versions equipped with the $2450 Track Handling package (non-run-flat tires, an electronically controlled diff, and four-piston front calipers)—were more promising than this particular 330i xDrive. Maybe that correction is still coming.

Specifications Specifications 2019 BMW 330i xDrive VEHICLE TYPE

front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan PRICE AS TESTED

$58,770 (base price: $43,245) ENGINE TYPE

turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head Displacement

122 cu in, 1998 cc

Power

255 hp @ 6500 rpm

Torque

295 lb-ft @ 1550 rpm TRANSMISSION

8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode CHASSIS

Suspension (F/R): struts/multilink

Brakes (F/R): 13.0-in vented disc/13.0-in vented disc

Tires: Bridgestone Turanza T005 RFT, F: 225/40R-19 93Y R: 255/35R-19 96Y DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 112.2 in

Length: 185.7 in

Width: 71.9 in

Height: 57.0 in

Passenger volume: 95 cu ft

Trunk volume: 17 cu ft

Curb weight: 3709 lb C/D

TEST RESULTS

Zero to 60 mph: 5.2 sec

Zero to 100 mph: 13.9 sec

Zero to 130 mph: 28.5 sec

Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 6.4 sec

Top gear, 30–50 mph: 3.2 sec

Top gear, 50–70 mph: 3.9 sec

Standing ¼-mile: 13.9 sec @ 100 mph

Top speed (governor limited): 156 mph

Braking, 70–0 mph: 165 ft

Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.89 g C/D

FUEL ECONOMY

Observed: 23 mpg EPA FUEL ECONOMY

Combined/city/highway: 28/25/34 mpg DOWNLOAD TEST SHEET Expand Collapse

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