[Stryker]

Originally Posted by msnarain

The My BMW App

As someone who has been marketing and selling software for more than a decade, I greatly appreciate solid integration of hardware and software. The My BMW app is I'd say pretty high up there in terms of integration.

Welcome to the list of BMW owners on the forum! I have a pre-LCI 330 Li M Sport bought in December 2022 (couldn't ignore the juicy discounts on offer and decided not to wait another 6-8 months for the updated version). After nearly 10,000 kms of driving all over South India in the one year I've had the car, I can unreservedly say the experience is simply outstanding and never have I felt that I should have bought something else! I still grin every time I see the car in the parking lot, let alone sit inside it!

For some reason, the My BMW app simply does not recognize my car's VIN and refuses to connect to the car. This is the one thing I miss, maybe it won't work with the earlier models.

[Aditya]

Exceptional, unbiased & detailed ownership reviews of cars have started going to our homepage reviews box. It's the ultimate stamp of trust from Team-BHP (as a platform) because lakhs of visitors every month check out reviews from there & make purchase decisions.

Your review has also been included here. Thank you so much for sharing .

[krishnadevjs]

Many congratulations msnarain. And a wonderfully written review as well.
The 3GL is a very well-rounded luxury car, with excellent driving dynamics, great space and good comfort. A brilliant choice for the driver and the family man!

The 18 inchers should be okay, as long as you steer clear of potholes. My M340i comes with 19 inch super low profile RFTs, which are more brittle than the Michelins that come on the Li. While I've had the misfortune to go through 3 front tyres in 10 months (14k km),

I'd say given you're driving in TN - with its wonderfully maintained roads coupled with the difference of 18 vs 19 inchers & RFTs vs non RFTs, you should be okay. A couple of friends in Kerala who own the 330 Li haven't had any issues with their tyres.

You may want to disable the auto parking mode option, which will cause incessant beep boops in city traffic. The heart-ache of having your attention drawn to that auto guy come within inches of your prized possession is simply not worth it. That's one of the first things I disabled.

The anticipation and acceleration graphs are an indication of how well you're utilizing the EcoPro mode. The more you use coasting, the higher your anticipation score goes. Similarly, the less you accelerate hard, the better your acceleration score gets.

[MZee]

Hi,

Thank you for the detailed review.

I live overseas in the Middle East and am planning to retire and settle down in Kerala in December this year . I am seriously looking at the 330 LI as a buying option and therefore , please could you answer the few concerns that I have :

1) How is the egress/ ingress ? Being of large frame and with ageing / creaking bones , I find getting in and out of sedans difficult especially the rear seat .
2) Is the rear seating uncomfortably low ?
3) Is the car at 4.82 M too long for city driving ?

I am looking to engage a driver but I see myself taking the wheel once in a while .
I am looking at the new X1 as an option .

Thank you .

[sandygordon]

Great Review - Rated 5 stars
Was planning to pen down my user experience in the limited 3k km i have covered
You have covered all aspects of the car comprehensively
Had a tough time adjusting to narrow seats with no lumbar support, else it has been a smooth sail.

Sharing a few snaps of my grey bullet

[msnarain]

Originally Posted by UD17

Congratulations and thanks for the elaborative review of the car and features. I test drove the 330Li last weekend and few observation:

Cons:
- Boot space is big let down- Your feedback is appreciated on how you manage long hauls (smaller bags, duffels etc.)

The test drive car (that i drove in Pune) had the tubeless, is there two option RFT and tubeless?

Overall i liked the car. C class is coming tomorrow. Lets C ()

Congrats on the C. Heart still skips a beat whenever I see the C. Do share pictures and definitely a review!

Road trip based bags should be fine. It's the airport trips that are a big no. If we were to ever do a road trip with 4 adults, then it might be the Kushaq to do the duties though.

BMW said it's all RFTs by default.

Originally Posted by anishpraji

Congratulations!

The reason why the car starts in the Guest Mode is because the key which you use has not been linked with the BMW ID you use. If you link that it will automatically login to the BMW ID which your key is linked to.

Hope it helps!

This worked! This is massive helpful, thanks!

Originally Posted by Impulsivemedusa

Thanks for the pretty detailed review @msnarain and congrats on your purchase. I own the pre-LCI model. Just wanted to know if the "pre-cooling" in the LCI switches on the A/C or just the fans (aux ventilation in BMW jargon). For example, can you "pre-cool" the car to a set temperature?

TIA

So it's just the fans and not the AC. I stand corrected. And honestly, it's not really effective as it's just blowing hot air into the cabin.

Originally Posted by Stryker

Welcome to the list of BMW owners on the forum! I have a pre-LCI 330 Li M Sport bought in December 2022 (couldn't ignore the juicy discounts on offer and decided not to wait another 6-8 months for the updated version). After nearly 10,000 kms of driving all over South India in the one year I've had the car, I can unreservedly say the experience is simply outstanding and never have I felt that I should have bought something else! I still grin every time I see the car in the parking lot, let alone sit inside it!

For some reason, the My BMW app simply does not recognize my car's VIN and refuses to connect to the car. This is the one thing I miss, maybe it won't work with the earlier models.

Good to know South India has low GC + large wheels friendly roads. A lot of my driving will be in south India and this is reassuring!

I entered my VIN before the delivery and it automatically detected. The dealer offered to do it for me, but I wasn't comfortable sharing password. Maybe have a wod with them and see if they can do it for you?

Originally Posted by Aditya

Exceptional, unbiased & detailed ownership reviews of cars have started going to our homepage reviews box. It's the ultimate stamp of trust from Team-BHP (as a platform) because lakhs of visitors every month check out reviews from there & make purchase decisions.

Your review has also been included here. Thank you so much for sharing .

Attachment 2522457

Wow, thank you for this and for the earlier nudge!

Originally Posted by krishnadevjs

I've had the misfortune to go through 3 front tyres in 10 months (14k km),

I'd say given you're driving in TN - with its wonderfully maintained roads coupled with the difference of 18 vs 19 inchers & RFTs vs non RFTs, you should be okay. A couple of friends in Kerala who own the 330 Li haven't had any issues with their tyres.

Thank you!

What caused the tyre damage if I may ask? What could you have done differently to avoid that? Any tips for me?

Originally Posted by MZee

Hi,

Thank you for the detailed review.

I live overseas in the Middle East and am planning to retire and settle down in Kerala in December this year . I am seriously looking at the 330 LI as a buying option and therefore , please could you answer the few concerns that I have :

1) How is the egress/ ingress ? Being of large frame and with ageing / creaking bones , I find getting in and out of sedans difficult especially the rear seat .
2) Is the rear seating uncomfortably low ?
3) Is the car at 4.82 M too long for city driving ?

I am looking to engage a driver but I see myself taking the wheel once in a while .
I am looking at the new X1 as an option .

Thank you .

1) Ingress and egress are not the easiest. I am in my late 30s and I am certain my body will never let me buy a sporty sedan ever again. But I guess you get used to it.

2) Rear seating is very comfortable once you are seated. My parents find ingress and egress a bit of an effort, but once they are seated, they are all praises!

3) I live in Chennai and the roads are forgiving.

All the above are my personal observations. The best way to figure these out is to do a longish test drive. I took the test drive car into many smaller lanes and bumpy roads including a couple of tight U-turns before I got the confidence in the BMW 3. Your mileage may wary.

Originally Posted by sandygordon

Great Review - Rated 5 stars
Was planning to pen down my user experience in the limited 3k km i have covered
You have covered all aspects of the car comprehensively
Had a tough time adjusting to narrow seats with no lumbar support, else it has been a smooth sail.

Thank you and congratulations! This is a lovely colour! Love the way it changes hues depending on the time of the day and the colour of the sky!

[UD17]

Originally Posted by msnarain

Congrats on the C. Heart still skips a beat whenever I see the C. Do share pictures and definitely a review!

, What i meant was - 'C class' is coming for the test drive. I test drove C class (C200) and followed the same route as always.

Good things:

- Nicely laid out interior. Perceived material quality was very high.
- Minimalistic interior, No clutter
- Suspension- cushy and silent
- Sunshades all around

Not Liked:

- Power train performance. Even sports mode was not so sporty. 330Li was definitely a beast.
- Car Scraped in 4 out of 9 speed breakers we crossed (most are unscientific big ones). A big concern that it was not even fully loaded that time (330Li cleared them all with ease)
- We had a bad time near same gutter protective cover (3 series scraped a bit. My Honda city with 185 60R15 did not scrap there at the same speeds)
- Poor boot space again
- Poor space inside the car (its really cramped)

Overall the 330Li felt much better in most of the comparison (Powertrain, space, looks, user interface etc.). Family loved the 330Li hands down. Weighing some more options in coming weeks before finalizing.

Both SA informed that the discount could be 3Lakhs (something like- Dewali offer or Oct. offer)+ Supplier discounts (we supply powertrain parts to both) and availability is immediate for both cars.

[msnarain]

Originally Posted by UD17

, What i meant was - 'C class' is coming for the test drive. I test drove C class (C200) and followed the same route as always.

Good things:

- Nicely laid out interior. Perceived material quality was very high.
- Minimalistic interior, No clutter
- Suspension- cushy and silent
- Sunshades all around

Not Liked:

- Power train performance. Even sports mode was not so sporty. 330Li was definitely a beast.
- Car Scraped in 4 out of 9 speed breakers we crossed (most are unscientific big ones). A big concern that it was not even fully loaded that time (330Li cleared them all with ease)
- We had a bad time near same gutter protective cover (3 series scraped a bit. My Honda city with 185 60R15 did not scrap there at the same speeds)
- Poor boot space again
- Poor space inside the car (its really cramped)

Overall the 330Li felt much better in most of the comparison (Powertrain, space, looks, user interface etc.). Family loved the 330Li hands down. Weighing some more options in coming weeks before finalizing.

Both SA informed that the discount could be 3Lakhs (something like- Dewali offer or Oct. offer)+ Supplier discounts (we supply powertrain parts to both) and availability is immediate for both cars.

Hahaha sorry! Yeah, the C200 is definitely underpowered and scrapes everything on the road! Rear is cramped and the boot space is comparable to the 3. The 3 probably scores marginally better though. Because the spare (at least in the demo cars we saw) were kept on top of the floor and not inside as is the case with most cars.

Surprisingly the 3's rear space was way better - rear AC controls and USB charging point. Lack of shades is a downer though.

The C's instrument clusters and screens look levels higher though. And for good reason - it's the baby S after all! The seats in the C also are sportier.

The 3 may drive better, but the C always has my heart!

By the way, if you are okay with a diesel, do test drive the c220d or dare I say, the C300!

[corner_craver]

Congratulations MSNarain on your prized possession. Wishing you miles of smiles ahead.

It is a agile and nimble tool. Take it around the hills and you will be in for a treat.

In the open highways cruising at 100-120 you should comfortably get anywhere between 15-17 Kmph. Chennai city traffic 9-10 is your best bet.

I see sport+ is missing? you get only sport & sport individual. I guess that is missed for the Long wheel base.

General question for anyone who has driven regular wheelbase and the longer wheelbase versions, how much does it compromise the nimbleness/ agility of the vehicle if any?

-Ex 2021 330i owner

[msnarain]

Originally Posted by corner_craver

Congratulations MSNarain on your prized possession. Wishing you miles of smiles ahead.

I see sport+ is missing? you get only sport & sport individual. I guess that is missed for the Long wheel base.

-Ex 2021 330i owner

Thank you. Yes, Sport+ seems to be missing and people have been coding that (and Comfort+) back.

Originally Posted by corner_craver

General question for anyone who has driven regular wheelbase and the longer wheelbase versions, how much does it compromise the nimbleness/ agility of the vehicle if any?

-Ex 2021 330i owner

That's a good question. Die hard 3 fans seem upset, but reviews are surprisingly balanced. I am curious too.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by msnarain

That's a good question. Die hard 3 fans seem upset, but reviews are surprisingly balanced. I am curious too.

I've not driven the Li / Ld but don't think there is much difference any more ever since BMW moved to the staggered 18" Michelin 4ZP RFTs.

The pre-LCI Li / Ld had the inferior Bridgestone Turanza T005 RFT in a square 225/50/17 configuration, and that possibly diminished the BMW 'feel' and made the softer suspension bob and roll more on fast corners.

My thinking is that for the vast majority of drivers, the feel will now be the same.

[Impulsivemedusa]

Originally Posted by msnarain

So it's just the fans and not the AC. I stand corrected. And honestly, it's not really effective as it's just blowing hot air into the cabin.

Thanks. Same case in the pre-LCI model. I do have a problem with BMWs marketing materials. “Pre-cooling” is no name for remote aux ventilation.

The pre-LCI brochures also mentioned "Connected Drive" though the car doesn't connect to the Internet - My gripe on it (BMW 3-Series Gran Limousine Review (Long Wheelbase))

Originally Posted by msnarain

I entered my VIN before the delivery and it automatically detected. The dealer offered to do it for me, but I wasn't comfortable sharing password. Maybe have a wod with them and see if they can do it for you?

Nope. This won’t work. The necessary telematics for connected car tech is not available with pre-LCI cars although iDrive7 is perfectly capable of connecting.

[sandygordon]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

I've not driven the Li / Ld but don't think there is much difference any more ever since BMW moved to the staggered 18" Michelin 4ZP RFTs.

The pre-LCI Li / Ld had the inferior Bridgestone Turanza T005 RFT in a square 225/50/17 configuration, and that possibly diminished the BMW 'feel' and made the softer suspension bob and roll more on fast corners.

My thinking is that for the vast majority of drivers, the feel will now be the same.

I have not driven a pre LCI 330i m sport extensively, but the LCI 330Li is as sharp as a pre LCI 320d atleast, except a tad more wallowy feel on expansion joints.

[sandygordon]

I have been having issues with the wireless charger. My iphone 12 pro max shuts down after 20-30 minutes of charging. Even charging with usb-c to apple lightning cable, the phone heats up pretty fast and gets switched off in 30-40 minutes. Heard the horror stories of IPhone 15 NFC chip damaged on BMW in car wireless chargers.

After the iOS update I am getting a charging on hold notification. Only solution was to use a 12V socket adapter rated for 15W.

[TheBimmerBoy]

Hey mate. looks like we are twins. I also took delivery of my 330Li on the 28th of September, and God do I really relate to you on some of the things!

I have owned a 320D GT from 2016 to 2022 and something I just couldn't let go off from that car,

1) The fuel consumption - I live in Bombay and my GT would do upwards of 35 km a day in the city, and still reward me with close to 11-12 kmpl, which was really good. Last year again, somehow on the 28th of September (pure coincidence), we took delivery of an Audi Q5 45 TFSI Technology (2023) after selling the GT. It was really amazing and I expected the mild hybrid tech to really give me some good coasting power. But to my surprise, after over a year of owning the Q5, it only returns an abysmal 4.5 kmpl. So when getting the 330Li, I really had no hopes with regards to efficiency. But to my surprise, the GL in Eco Pro will really coast like a monster. I mean on highways, with feather-footed driving at 80 kmph like I have done a couple of times, I've seen upwards of 14 kmpl. So me too mate. I'm glad I didn't go for the diesel.

2) It has been just over a month now as I'm writing this and I've already crossed over a thousand kilometers. The car has been an absolute gem except for the first day. On my way back from the showroom after taking delivery, I noticed a juddering sound from the front left of the car, and that left me pretty appalled. I contacted my salesman and my friends at the service center and let them know about the issue. They took the car 3 days later to try and figure out what the noise was. It turned out to be easy to fix as just some sound dampening of the car had not been attached properly which was juddering around. They were very efficient and quick to help me out, but it was just sad to see this on the first day of owning the car.

3) The comfort is really magnificent. After going almost a year without a luxury sedan, I had really forgotten what no body roll felt like :-), but the car really handles well. Most importantly, where I think it handles best is during turn-ins into corners. I've driven the 340i, and the 340i doesn't turn into a corner like our 330s. It's probably because of all the weight up front (B58, S-Drive), but that eagerness to just go into a corner is what really amazes me. On certain freeways within Mumbai, I've noticed myself turning into corners which I shouldn't really be doing, which really is a breath of fresh air.

Honestly, I didn't really have a point in writing this note. I just felt like talking to a fellow owner about our cars. Cheers mate. Here's to some excellent drives in your beautiful girl!

It's my first post on here. Hope you enjoyed reading.

THEBIMMERBOY,

HARSH ANAND.