2004 BMW 330Ci Coupe

Even though the tag line of "Ultimate Driving Machine" is hooked up to BMW's entire offering, to the enthusiasts out there it seems best connected to the 3 Series coupes. This is where the qualities of nimble size, great handling and wonderful all-around performance mix into a blend that's about as smoothly ideal as driving can get. And, really, it's the top end of the 3 Series coupes, the 330Ci, which really nails down the concept of an ultimate drive.


BMW's 325Ci coupe gets a 2.5-liter engine with 184 horsepower, but the 330Ci gets a 3.0-liter variant with 225 horsepower and, as standard equipment, a six-speed manual gearbox. The 330Ci arrives with a base price of $36,300, but by the time the happy new owner has chosen some options that can easily top out well over forty grand. Still, included for your money is an impressive array of standard equipment; you would expect nothing less with a BMW. On that list is/are: Four-wheel vented disc brakes with ABS, Dynamic Stability Control (which combines ABS, traction control and stability control), Dynamic Brake Control (which can help reduce stopping distances in emergencies), power assist everywhere you'd expect it, a Harman Kardon AM/FM/CD with 12 speakers, automatic climate control with air filtration system, and a host of other nice conveniences.

The 330Ci really nails down the concept of an ultimate drive.

On the safety side, standard fitment includes dual threshold "smart" front airbags, which provide deployment force based upon specific crash parameters; side airbags in the doors; BMW's Head Protection System (HPS), a tube-like airbag for head protection in side impacts; seat belt pretensioners; interlocking door anchoring system; and so on and so on. When it comes to characteristics of the vehicle that will either help you not have a crash in the first place, or help protect you if the worst does happen, BMW is right at the top of automotive performance/safety.


If you're looking for competitors for the 330Ci, it's difficult to find any that can directly confront the combination of luxury, quality, safety and performance, and tie it all together with the edgy, definitely sporting feel of BMW's two-door. There are a lot of other, very nice, high performance coupes out there for your choosing, but none of them seem to have quite the slant, quite the driving feel, quite the sense of purpose as the 330Ci.

The 330Ci goes where it's pointed with sure precision and quick yet steady response.

Which is not to say you have zing it around it like some kind of high-strung racer. With the six-speed manual transmission—new for this year—the 330Ci offers not only exemplary performance but also extremely relaxed cruising. In Sixth gear, at an indicated 60 mph, the engine is turning over at about 2,000 rpm; at an indicated 80 the tach showed a little under 2,700 rpm. Not only will the engine pull away cleanly without a downshift from those speeds, we tried what most people would consider a fairly extreme procedure: How slow will it go in top gear and still pull away cleanly at wide-open throttle? With the 330Ci in Sixth gear, at 1,000 rpm, it would accept a sudden snap of the throttle to wide open and accelerate without a hitch or sputter. Clearly, the BMW engineers have this thing wired to perfection on driveability.