We just published the results of our 2009 Inside Line Readers Most Wanted Awards and the 2009 Nissan 370Z and 2009 Nissan GT-R cleaned up, winning two categories each. That means these two cars took four of the 15 awards.
The BMW 128i also grabbed a spot on the list, which essentially means three cars in our long-term fleet are favorites of our readers. Plus, several recent long-term blog alums took honors. Readers also voted big time for the Honda Accord, BMW X5, Toyota Tundra, Ford Mustang and BMW 3-Series.
You know, sometimes we take flack for this blog not having cars our readers are interested in. Um, hello.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief
Categories: 2006 BMW 330i,2007 Toyota Tundra SR5 Double Cab,2008 BMW X5 4.8i,2008 Honda Accord EX-L V6,2009 Nissan 370Z Touring,2009 Nissan GT-R
Our last weekend with the 3 Series and it was all mine. I'd like to say we spent it all on yellow-striped blacktop, but the truth is we went to the laundromat (and by the way, it wasn't the only luxo car in the lot... this is LA after all), Toys 'R Us and the grocery store, while making a few laps up and down the freeway. Not that it mattered much...
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Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
Humble apologies, as I am yet one more Inside Line editor praising this spectacular BMW 330i from top to bottom. Recently, Chief Road Test Editor Chris Walton distilled it perfectly. When BMW designs cars, they pay such careful attention to everything from the driver seat. And it feels it...
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Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
We'll be running final performance numbers on our BMW 330i at the track next Tuesday, December 12 as our long-term test officially ends that day.
Local residents should expect to see several tearful editorial staffers chasing a vehicle transport down Santa Monica Blvd. late the following morning.
Kelly Toepke, Manager of Vehicle Testing
Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
A few posts ago, I briefly mentioned our 330i's run-flat tires (RFT) and the ongoing online debate about them on various message boards, including our own Carspace. Most of the heat is directed at the Bridgestone Turnaza EL 42 17" all-season run-flats found on car without the optional sport package. Many wondered aloud why we hadn't said anything here about our 330i.
As I said before, our 330i, with the sport package, features 18" Bridgestone Potenza RE050A RFTs, a different animal entirely. For the most part, board denizens with these tires were less upset. Indeed our 330i doesn't ride way outside the envelope of expectation for a German sports sedan with a sport suspension and sport package. Oh sure, the ride is a bit short, and sometimes stiff, but that kind of thing goes with the territory. Or does it?
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Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
Even though it's a non iDrive-equipped car, I'm not a big fan of our BMW's radio. Excuse me: "Audio head unit." For a start, having the same buttons assigned to different functions, depending on the menu level I'm at, is not my cup of tea, herbal or otherwise. Menu-based setups take the driver's eyes off what he or she should be looking at: the road.
But at least the 330i has steering wheel controls, which make up for a lot of egronomic sins. Once your favorites are programmed, simply toggle through the different modes with the upper left button, and switch between presets via the arrows to the right...
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Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
Anyone ever read Larry King's newspaper column? If he wrote for us, it would go something like this:
--For the record: Push-button starting is goofy.
--That said, the BMW 330i is capable of virtually anything you throw at it. Every time I drive this little red wonder it's like learning that lesson anew...
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Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
I've been spending a bit of time scanning various BMW and Carspace boards, and one topic in particular grabbed my attention: Run-flat tires, or RFTs in chat room shorthand. Seems that quite a few folks are up in arms. It's the same with the minivan set, where run-flats are also making tentative inroads. In fact, a run-flat piece I wrote appears as a sidebar to our latest minivan comparo that went up today.
The Bimmer drivers wanted to know why the Inside Line staff hadn't complained about our 330i's RFTs, since so many of them were complaining about theirs. With that in mind, I weaseled some time in our soon-to-disappear (sigh) 330i long-termer.
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Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
I was recently informed that our time with our 2006 BMW 330i sedan is soon coming to an end. With that thought looming, it gave me pause to reflect on why I love this car so much.
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Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
We've noted before that our BMW 3 Series has a hill hold feature they call their "Brake Start-Off Assistant."
It doesn't hold forever, but it gives you a second or two to move your foot from brake to accelerator without having to use the hand brake on hills.
This weekend while I was gallivanting around, I got cut off by a crazy lady in a Bentley who blasted around me at a traffic light then proceeded to drive about 10 mph in front of me.
This caused me to get stuck at the next red light on a very steep hill. No matter what car I'm in when I get stopped at this particular red light, I roll backwards, manual or automatic tranny...
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Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
Yesterday I decided to do a little basic maintanance on our long-term BMW 330i. First I checked the oil. And I checked it at 70 mph. That's right...
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Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
Took the 3 Series on a run out to Phoenix and back last week. After the first six hour shot two things occurred to me: road trip cars don't get much better than the 330i, and fellow editor Josh Jacquot has no idea what he's talking about when it comes to turn signal stalks.
As far as the first point goes, what is there to say that we haven't already said twice? Our 330i is more than just comfortable, it's quiet, fast and not bad on gas either...
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Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
This is a repeated blog topic. And it's justified. Get over it.
A few months ago our Production Editor, Caroline Pardilla, mentioned some difficulties she had learning the 3's turn signal operation...
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Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
Last night my sister-in-law called to tell us she had taken my advice and purchased a 2006 BMW 325i sedan. Silver. She called to gush. She's very excited and should be...
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Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
Since its last blog entry, our long term BMW 330i has flown past the 20,000 mile mark. As you can see in the photo, the car's trip computer says we're averaging 22.1 mpg, which is impressive considering the BMW's performance and the abundance of low speed/high rpm driving it's subjected to.
This weekend I drove the 330i nearly 350 miles around Los Angeles in complete satisfaction. My wife thinks the sedan's ride is a little too stiff, but I reminded her that our car is equipped with the optional Sport Package and run flat tires...
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Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
Big news Beamer fans (or is it Bimmer?) the outside bolster of the 330's driver's seat is beginning to show wear. If the seat were black I don't think it would be visible, but the tan leather in our long-term doesn't hide anything. And anyone that has driven the sedan knows it's impossible to get in the car without scraping his or her backside across the bolster. Like I said, big news...
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Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
This morning I put my 3-year-old's 16-inch bicycle in the BMW's trunk and could still close the lid. There's no way I could have done that with the previous 3-Series.
Inside Line Executive Editor Scott Oldham, 19,723
Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
We're a little late with this report, but the story is still worth telling.
At 14,924 miles on its odometer, the 330i went to Long Beach BMW for its first scheduled service. That's right, its first. Its oil was changed, as was its oil filter...
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Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
I've never really seen the appeal of the 3-series. Sure they handle great but guess what, I don't live near a slalom or even a interesting twisty road plus they're expensive and everybody and their brother (and his sister and probably her boyfriend) seems to have one. In LA, a black 3-series is about as original as a Good Charlotte song.
And then I took a road trip in our red 330i...
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Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
As automakers have eliminated qualities that used to make automotive writing fun and exciting (panel gaps you could slip "War and Peace" into, a propensity to explode upon impact), modern complaints don't seem to be quite so important. I feel less like Edward R. Murrow and more like Geraldo when I start whining about cupholders. But there are some things about our 2006 BMW 330i that really bug me. If I had paid $42,000 for it and knew that a $15,000 Civic bettered it in many ways, I'd be more than a little miffed. So without further ado, here's a list of my Top Five Sucky Interior Design Features.
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Categories: 2006 BMW 330i
