Test drive BMW 3 Episode E46 1998 - 2002 Sedan

Troika to the degree of X

The latter at this time, the representative of the BMW of the third series has been in production for more than three years, therefore, if it were not for the appearance in the gamut of tremors of one very interesting modification, he would not have come to us for a test. It is called 330xi - the first full -wheel drive passenger car in recent years, and even equipped with the latest 3.0 -liter, in -line, naturally engine. BMW has already attempts to stand on four wheels - in the late eighties and early nineties there were two all -wheel drive models - 325iX and525IX. True, their circulation was very small, especially for the more expensive five, but the volume of production of all -wheel drive BMW has much exceeded the main competitor - Mercedes. And now, when the X5 model has appeared, the specific gravity of all -wheel drive modifications is growing, as they say, not by day, but by the hour.
 
I mentioned the first SUV of the X5 company not by chance, because with it our experimental has a lot in common, in particular, a full -wheel drive system. As in the aforementioned SUV, in the top three control system controls are carried out using the brake system (DSC and Adb-X function), and not archaic and completely unnecessary on cars of this class with differentials. The distribution of torque is as follows: 62% of the power is transmitted to the rear wheels and only 38% to the front. What does it give? And the fact that in management, even in the most extreme modes, a BMW with a Х toll icon on the lid of the trunk is practically no different from its monotive counterparts. That is, of course, there are differences, but such a distribution of torque allows the driver to feel his car as a rear -wheel drive and, accordingly, use the necessary control techniques, although the speed and stability of the all -wheel drive version, of course, is an order of magnitude higher. In addition, the engineers and creators of an all -wheel drive three -lane were able to achieve that the presence of a full -wheel drive system does not in any way give themselves - no vibrations on the steering wheel and even more extraneous noise. And even the running qualities of an all -wheel drive model is no worse than that of a regular three.
 
In order to achieve all this, the creators of the XI had to work hard. Indeed, to preserve the running qualities at the same level, the car should have not become much higher than the prototype, and yet it is necessary to bring drive shafts to the front differential. Of course, there were many problems with this, but the solution, as always, was found very original: the handout was placed in the tunnel section of the cardan shaft, for which there was small changes, and the connecting shafts of the front wheels generally pass through the pan of the oil crankcase. Thanks to this decision, it was possible to maintain the center of gravity at the same level as the standard car, although the body itself was raised by 17 mm, which provides a sufficient road clearance that protects the bottom in deep ruts when driving along country and forest roads. The fact that indirectly testifies to the technical perfection of the all -wheel drive system is fuel consumption - the difference between all -wheel drive and rear -wheel drive versions is less than 10%, and the total mass of the car increased by only ninety kilograms.
 
The car provided for the test participated in an annual event, this year called the individual tour of the BMW, which took place on the basis of Zhuravinka. In addition to our 330 IX, during the event an updated five in version 520i was also presented, which you could read about in AG N14, as well as a popular and over-style relatives Z3 with a new 2.0-liter engine, which we also hope, too, soon Let's tell.
 
So, BMW 330xi. As mentioned above, outwardly the all -wheel drive version is nothing but the nameplate X on the lid of the gap, it does not differ from any rear -wheel drive three. Unless the equipment of the prestigious version with a 3.0-liter engine, which, is essentially the last step in front of the M3, caused the inherents of some options, which are additional equipment for cheaper versions. In addition to the sedan, in combination with an all-wheel drive transmission, you can get a station wagon body, which, in my opinion, is more suitable for the image of a car for outdoor activities. Moreover, recently in Europe, it is precisely such expensive missiles with five -door bodies that have become more popular. By the way, about the price - with all its advantages, the BMW all -wheel drive system is also good because it increases the price of the car by only four and a half thousand marks, and this price includes the installation of the DSC system.
 
A trip to the BMW 330 XI does not bring any surprises or discoveries - Bimmer like Bimmer: an expensive, powerful and stylish car. That's what I like BMW - even if you do not like to ride quickly, what this three spurks all the time, you still get an incomparable pleasure from driving. Everything is so, I won’t pick up another word, it is embroidered - materials, design, efforts on controls, even sounds. We will not tell about what high -quality materials are used in the decoration of the BMW salon and how perfectly it is collected - all this has long been known and described not by one automobile publication, but we will dwell on the sound in more detail.
 
A good, as it is called, the thoroughbred sound of the exhaust has always been valued by lovers of expensive cars, and this 330 XI allows you to always enjoy it if you wish. The fact is that the standard set of an all-wheel drive 330th includes a specially tuned muffler, with a pleasant bass of which is not able to compete with any product of tuning accessories. Sounding is good does not mean to sound loud, and any representative of the glorious Bavarian family is always ready to confirm this. In the standard traffic modes, when an automatic (five -speed, by the way) gearbox is in position D, and the tachometer arrow does not even rise above 4000 rpm, the sound of the motor in the cabin is present purely nominally - not loud, but heard. Due to the double system of changes in the phase of gas distribution, a 3.0-liter motor even pulls very well at low speeds, which allows you to ride smoothly, but dynamic. Those who do not understand cars and do not know what exactly is hidden in the bowels of this XI can really think that the three is a very calm car. I advise you to try the following: stop the car and slightly pump the checkpoint lever to the right, including the Sport mode. Some of the particularly hot drivers are sure that if you have a manual mode in an automatic gearbox, it is precisely by shifting the gear by personally that the highest acceleration can be achieved, but this is not so. Sport mode - that's what you need! The engine is now twisted almost to the very red tachometer zone, and given the fact that acceleration from a place to a hundred at this version takes 7.4 seconds, you can imagine how quickly the programs are replaced. And whatever sound turns out! If at low speeds the 330th simply pleases the hearing with a pleasant baritone characteristic of all six BMWs, then on Sport it just howls, provoking the gas pedal even more tightly. In addition, in this mode, the car slows down the engine very strongly, which also fills the three with pleasant sounds. In general, if you want to ride calmly, it is better to turn on the music louder.
 
Pavel Kozlovsky
 

A source: Autogazet / N 17 (320) dated 06.06.01