BMW had sent me an invitation for me and one guest to attend a free 2 hour autocross session for the 2006 330 sedan. My cousin and I showed up at the Office Depot Center parking lot on a glorious rainy day and were teamed up in our own 330 with a BMW instructor.

The 330 was equipped with the sport package and active steering. BMW also had a 2005 G35 sedan with sport suspension and an Audi A4 quattro. All were autos. They had a comparison board set up which showed hp/tq, weight, 0-60 time, weight distribution, and price comparisons. The 330 had less hp/tq but less weight and the same 0-60 as the G. The 330 had a 50/50 weight distribution vs. G35's 54/46 and they put their spin on why 50/50 is better (of course, Infiniti has it's spin as to why 54/46 is better). On price, they compared only base prices of $36K for the 330 and $32K for the G. If they had compared true apples to apples pricing the 330 would have been $42K (I priced out the sport model on their website).

The basic idea was to let us autocross each vehicle one right after the other to compare them. We did get to drive the 330 more than the others, but we didn't complain. We had a super nice and competent instructor who liked us because I had previous advanced handling training and my cousin is a cop so he had training too. The instructor allowed us to push as hard as we wanted and he even showed us how to push even harder.

The bottom line is that we both agreed the Audi was a dog. The 330 did truly handle better than the G but then the 330 is lighter, had a great suspension, and had active steering. We also had the VDC off, just ABS and traction control on. The G was very close performance wise but there was too much body lean and roll and the VDC kept coming on (there was no way to just have ABS and traction control with VDC off like with the 330). I would have loved to take my sedan on the course because I've got the Tein Basics suspension and aftermarket rims/tires. Except for the active steering, I think my car would have outperformed the 330.

The 330 is $10K more than the G. You get better handling, free 4 year maintenance, and a smoother car, but it is physically smaller inside, has higher insurance premiums, and is $10K more.

I think it's really cool that BMW does this (and it was FIRST class all the way). I wish Infiniti would do the same.

 

Nice Read.

So the 330 is a tad bit better, but 10k more for a back end that has a short stubby *** and awkard rear light.

Love everything else about the new 3, but Id rather spend 2-3k in suspension upgrades in my G.

 

Well done post. What 0-60 times did they post for the sedans? Just curious what they projected the numbers to be as no one else has published any numbers for the autos that I'm aware of.

Agree with the above - for 10K I'd tweak my suspension, do wheels and tires, and have a couple of years worth of insurance premiums left over. And look better while doing it.

Can't say I care for the look of the new 3. Not yet. Still don't quite swallow the 5 either. That's just me.

Thanks for the post - good one.

 

They quoted 6.1 seconds 0-60 for both cars.

They both pulled about the same, but the 330 was a bit smoother.

 

Good post ... thanks for the info. Seems like the G vs 3 series debate is about to start up once again. Everybody on this board has obviously already voted for the G, but competition is good for the consumer, and if an improved 3 series means Infiniti has to bring more to the table in 07 or 08, I'm all for it. Maybe a hybrid that gets 35mpg? haha

 

So what happens when you put that $10K difference into the G35? Suspensio, brakes and even an SC. Gimme a break

 

Yeah this is better than that in this area and that is better than this in that area......so what? No need to keep comparing. You like 330i more? Buy it. You like G35 more? Buy it.

 

Nice, balanced post and a good read. Thanks, Miami.

As with anything BMW, you're paying for the name and the chassis. The few BMWs I've driven recently were well-balanced and tossable yet allowed reasonable compliance and ride. Say what you will about BMW quality (particularly the Fabulous Grenading M3 Engine), but they screw together a brilliant chassis.

Nice to see a post about a car other than the G35 that isn't filled with condescension, sarcasm, lewdness or outright vitriol. Sadly, that sort of post is rare on this forum. I'm not sure why. A general lack of automotive knowledge and [a general lack of] age have a lot to do with it I think.

I wouldn't buy a BMW as a daily driver if I planned on keeping it past warranty. But as a short-term purchase or lease, if the money weren't an issue (and it always kinda is with me), I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger.

 

Ditto.

I actually preferred the A4 3.0, the 330, and especially the S4 to the G35x, but leased the G because of price. [flame suit on] Truth be told, I'm kinda regretting it now...

 

10 grand seems a bit heavy,
The BMW is a better car and you get what you pay for

Thank goodness everyone's staying away from that pile the acura TL

 

Cool event, Miami. Thanks for posting. No matter what the complaints are from others, BMW makes a friggen great car. But I'm still glad I bought the G.

 

Very good post, thanks. Question, though: did they compare the 330 sport against the G35 non-sport? When you mentioned body roll in the G, it made me wonder. I have a 2004 6mt with sport suspension, and it corners pretty flat. I still think a 330 sport might have the edge due to its lower weight, but if we're going to make it a fair fight we ought to pit similarly outfitted cars against one another. Also, the weight distribution on my car is 52-48, but again it's a 6mt, the 5at may be different. Again thanks for the good post.

 

Just curious - were you able to confirm the tire-air-pressure on each vehicle?
I went to similar for Lexus a few years back - couldn't determine how much overall mucking around they did w/competitor cars - but we did confirm tire-air-pressure was way off OEM on competitor models.

Good read - thanks~

 

i wouldn't say that the 330 cost $10K more. you would have to get the sports package for the G as welll. Also, the 330 has free maintenance for 4 yrs as well. But I do love both cars. My parents have one and I switch with them once in a while.

 

You wouldn't? That's funny, because the actual numbers say so. The base G35 with sport suspension (either 6mt or auto) is around $30,500 msrp. The 2006 330 starts at $36,300 and if you want heated leather seats (standard on G) that's another $2k. That's already a $8k difference without the BMW sport package and other goodies that make a BMW special. I also doubt you can get a good deal on a 330 like you could with a G35. Four years of oil changes in nice (I got two years with my G35) but that isn't going to be more than $1k - if anywhere close to that.