2005 BMW 3 Series (E90) 330i 6MT RWD (272 HP)

Vehicle Overview

BMW introduced the fifth generation of the 3 Series at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show in March, and it shook the audience with its bold look that followed the design language imagined by Chris Bangle.

Creating a fresh design language for a brand that already had traditional styling was a challenging thing to do, and the person chosen by BMW to do that was the American designer, Chris Bangle. He started his work for the German automaker in 1999, so by 2002, when the first lines of the fifth generation of the 3 Series began to be drawn, his “Flame Surfacing” concept had already been implemented. Unfortunately, customers were not very delighted, to say the least, with the look of the 2001 7 Series (the E65/E66), the 2003 5 Series (the E60/E60), or the 2002 Z4 (the E85/E86). As a result, these vehicles had already polarized the market. With the 2005 3 Series, it was even more complicated since it was the company’s best-selling vehicle. Chris Bangle assigned the sedan’s design to the Japanese stylist Joji Nagashima, who was already known for his work on BMW after it penned the E39 BMW 5 Series. However, the new 3 Series, the E90, was a completely new challenge.

At the front, the car sported a more angular look than its predecessor, the E46, which was characterized by organic, fluid shapes. The new headlights were a mix of curved lines and sharp angles, especially in their rear area. They flanked a narrow kidney grille integrated into the front bumper. Visually, that was extended downward by an additional, trapezoidal-shaped air intake flanked by horizontal scoops with available round fog lamps.

The E90 3 Series was the first to pass the 4.5-meter mark, which was the standard for the European compact-sized vehicles. Its longer wheelbase than the one from its predecessor and increased overhangs led to a well-balanced design. As expected, the hood was still long enough to accommodate longitudinally-mounted inline-six powerplants. At the same time, the raked windshield was followed by an arched line for the roof adorned at the back by a shark-fin-like antenna for the infotainment system. At the back, the short deck was tall and ended with a small spoiler, which was part of the trunk’s lid.

Inside, BMW installed higher-quality materials than on the E46, with bolstered or sports seats, depending on the grade and options. There were two types of dashboards, one without an iDrive unit and another with an integrated one. The former had a sleek line, while the latter showed a double hump design, where the one placed atop the center stack accommodated a color display for the infotainment system. Fronting the driver was a rounded instrument cluster featuring a classic layout for the automaker, with large dials for the speedometer and tachometer flanked by smaller gauges for the fuel level and coolant temperature. In addition, an LCD was placed underneath them, showing data from the car’s onboard computer and the odometer. Between the front occupants, the automaker installed a center console that housed the gear stick, or the gear selector for the automatic transmission versions, an armrest with cubby storage underneath, and a small open storage area. There were no cup holders there, which annoyed some customers. Out back, the comfortable bench seat could accommodate three passengers, albeit the tall transmission tunnel drastically reduced legroom.

Under the hood, the 2005 3 Series E90 offered a wide choice of engines, with four or six cylinders, gasoline or turbodiesel. They were paired with six-speed manuals or automatics. BMW also offered the xDrive all-wheel drive systems for most inline-six versions.