Tom and Nicole broke up. Lionel Ritchie has a new album out titled Renaissance. And the BMW 330i didn't win our entry-level luxury sport sedan test, a segment that it created. Has the world gone mad?!

Many tears were shed by BMW loyalists, who, to this day, wander in a daze. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt, you know. How did this happen?

It's the money, baby. At $39,735, it's the second most expensive car in the test. And it still came equipped with manual seats. It lost a full 4 percentage points in this respect, and although it excelled in all other evaluation areas over the Acura, it could not overcome the price handicap. Ultimately, it lost to the Acura by a mere half a percentage point; had we not been retentive and rounded to the nearest ones rather than tenths, the Bimmer and Acura would be tied.

Other variable factors negatively affected the Bimmer's placement, which left us uttering "if only"s that would have prodded the BMW to the usual top spot:

If only...they didn't lighten the steering. Whereas before, this was Bimmer's strong suit, often garnering 10s across the board, only generous editors gave the 330i a 9. One even gave it a 6, saying that the overboosted steering was simply an atrocity. Well, not quite. While it still provided copious road feel and quick turn-in, all of our editors stated that it was simply too light, almost to the point of being darty on the highway. This point may have been further highlighted by the fact that in our rotations of driving the cars back to back the BMW followed the Cadillac Catera (with its heavy steering), warping our perceptions further. We all mourned the loss of the Bimmer's perfectly weighted steering, and when perfection is marred merely for the appeasement of the effete masses who pout that twirling their "Beamer" into a parking space hurts their po' wittle wrists, well, we get irked.

If only...the brakes weren't malfunctioning. Our model took 126 feet to arrest the car from 60 to 0. It's still a good number, but we're used to seeing 120 for a 3 Series. During one of our braking runs, the right-rear wheel actually locked up and a plume of smoke came from the tire, and during normal city driving, the brake pad squealed a-plenty. Unfortunate, we know, but we had to work with what we were given.

The brake pedal still exhibited excellent feel, though, and in all other instances, the four-disc setup stopped straight and true, with no fade even after a downhill twisty road. In conjunction with the brakes, the Dynamic Stability Control system corrects vehicle path miscalculations, and in case those don't work, the BMW provides a Head Protection System that protects the front passengers' noggins from impacting the side windows.

If only...it had the power seats instead of the leather package. In our estimation, the standard leather-like vinyl feels just as nice, if not nicer, than the rough, ridiculously pricey leather ($1,450) covering the seats. If it were up to us, we'd forgo the cowhide, spend $945 on power seats, and blow the remaining $500 on BMW logo-ed polo shirts. OK, not really. But we were utterly flabbergasted that both leather and power seats are optional items and felt foolish manually adjusting the seats on our $40,000 test car.

Inside, we found that all of its controls had perfect weighting and positive engagement. All the buttons are purposeful and functional, all windows and sunroof are one-touch open and close, but we took issue with the fact that the CD player is an option, and you can't pay to get an in-dash CD changer. The climate control isn't dual zone, and xenon headlamps are a $500 option that wasn't on our test car.

The BMW is meager in terms of passenger/cargo accommodations. It provides rear passengers 34.6 inches of legroom, putting it slightly above midpack, but editors claimed that the seats were very comfortable. The baby seat fit well, with little lateral movement and space enough for handle clearance. No cupholders here for back seat drivers, but the small ashtray could be used as storage space. The trunk is one of the smallest, with only 10.7 cubic feet of space, but the boot opens with gas-type struts to reveal a wide opening and a tool kit, storage bins and cargo hooks. Fold-down seats are an option, as is a ski pass-through. Neither was on our test car.

Yet despite all these faults, the 330i came this close to keeping its title. How do we love thee? Let us count the ways. The BMW isn't about flashy gadgetry; it's about what lies underneath the skin.

Since BMW redesigned its 3 Series for the 1999 model year, we've been struck by the thunderbolt, and we've been smitten ever since. This car inspires more effusiveness than any other. Many on our staff maintain that it's the best modern sport sedan ever created, with a perfectly balanced chassis and a suspension setup so flawlessly taut yet compliant that it is as if the boys from Bavaria commissioned David Blaine to design the front-strut/rear multilink setup.

We didn't so much drive as fly down the curvy road of our test loop; the car provided equal parts of daredevil confidence and sheer exhilaration. With the stiffened componentry of the sport suspension package, such as that on our test car, the Bimmer is as equally at home commuting back and forth as it is on the racetrack. Overengineered? Perhaps, but you never stop appreciating it.

And that incredible engine...the inline six makes the sweetest exhaust note this side of $50,000, a symphony of whirrs and growls that seductively implore you to push it harder. And power delivery of the 3.0-liter powerplant? The double-VANOS valve timing system ensures that the 225 ponies and 215 foot-pounds of thrust are delivered seamlessly; it's like cutting through the purest rendered goosefat. OK, this probably only appeals to foodies, but hopefully it connotes an image of creamy smoothness.

Even though it has less displacement and outlook than our victor, it still trailed the Acura by a mere 0.1 seconds in the 0-to-60-mph acceleration run and ran the quarter-mile at the same speed and time. It was outhandled in the slalom run by the wiry Lexus, running at 63.8 mph, but still posted an excellent number. And, doggone it, it's just a much more attractive car; its design earned perfect 10s across the board, save for one 9. Wrapped in festive Bright Red paint, it was truly the prom queen of this boutique crowd.

The five-speed automatic isn't a compromise, even for performance-lovers. It shifts exactly when the driver thinks it should without missing a beat. In manual mode, correctly placed on the driver side with an up-down engagement, it engages slightly slower than the E-Shift of the Lexus IS 300, but otherwise, this is pretty much a perfect example of how an automanual transmission should behave.

The BMW 3 Series achieved iconic status as the entry-level luxury sport sedan in the mid-80s, and since then, everyone else has been playing catch-up.. For that, the automotive world will be eternally beholden. In its base form, it's already chock-full of luxuriousness; however, getting it gussied up to match the superficial gee-whiz factor of some of the others in the test requires a pretty penny. If you have the means, the BMW offers a no-compromises package. Simply put, this is the best car in the class.

Second Opinions:

Technical Editor Miles Cook says:
What can possibly be stated about the current 3 Series BMW that hasn't already been said in terms of praise? You've heard it all before, and it nevertheless applies to our Bright Red tester.

All the superlatives still hold true. Flawless in-line six? Still there. Unflappable suspension and brakes? No problem. Upper-crust materials and build quality? Haven't gone anywhere. Beautiful shape and German-marque cachet? Nothing's changed here. Perfectly weighted steering? Yeah sure, umm, oh wait a second. Nothing stays perfect forever.

While the BMW 330i remains one of the finest driving cars in the world with its 225-horsepower engine (only 15 less than the previous generation M3), it has been knocked off its perch a little bit by the Acura TL, now an outstanding car in its own right. While the Bimmer's steering is a little less wonderful than it used to be, I'd still be mighty happy with this 3 and almost call the lighter steering a wash when you get those truly stunning 17-inch sport package wheels instead. Make mine a strippo in light blue, with a five-speed manual and the sport package, and I'd have nice day for the rest of my days.


Senior Editor Brent Romans says:
Wow. What a great car. As we were conducting this test, I realized that there were two groups of cars: There were the cars you had to drive because they were in the test, and there were the cars you wanted to drive. Of the latter group, the BMW stood above the rest, a Bright Red buoy in a sea of Light Parchment Golds and Millennium Silver Metallics.

The 330i accelerates hard, brakes hard and gleefully romps through corners. The steering, though not as good as the 2000 328i's, is still excellent. If you like to drive, get this car with the manual transmission and sport package. You won't regret your buying decision.

Now, having said that, let me temper my enthusiasm a little by bringing up the prickly issue of price. From a sporting standpoint, I think the IS 300 is a better deal. It provides an almost equal amount of driving pleasure as the 330i, and you can pick one up for just a tad over $30,000. The 330i is going to cost at least five grand more. And if you like to drive, enjoy a nicely appointed interior and want to stick to a low-cost budget, the Acura TL Type-S is superior to the BMW in my opinion.

My advice? If you don't mind spending the extra cash, go with the BMW.


Editor-in-Chief Christian Wardlaw says:
If Webster's defined the phrase "entry-level luxury sport sedan," a photo of the 2001 BMW 3 Series would certainly accompany the entry. Those crafty Bavarians have imbued the taut and muscular Three with all the necessary ingredients, and enough variation on the theme, to make any consumer shopping for this kind of car happy.

What attracts me to the Bimmer, aside from its incredible ability to connect the driver to the road, is its no-nonsense demeanor. Everything about the car is deliberate and purposeful. Nothing is done in excess. Restraint is key to class, and the BMW is the classiest car in this bunch.

It's also among the most fun to drive, though I'm saddened by the low-effort steering BMW installed to appease buyers more interested in parking at the mall than clipping apexes. On the highway, the Three is downright twitchy. In the twisties, the steering becomes more natural, but still can't match last year's perfect combination of heft, responsiveness and road feel. It's a shame that the creators of the "Ultimate Driving Machine" have apparently lost sight of the company's performance-oriented mission. What's next? The Ultimate Shopping Machine? Oh, wait. That's the contradictory X5.

Thankfully, the rest of the hardware package is nearly perfect. The inline six engine delivers plenty of power throughout the rev range, always smooth, always silky, and with an intoxicating high-rpm shriek that I can't get enough of. The automatic transmission is a joy, though its Sportshift manual mode isn't as responsive as what is found in the Lexus. Brakes are strong, and the sport-tuned suspension represents a decent compromise between ride quality and handling.

Manually adjustable seats on a car nearing $40,000 is ludicrous, but once I got them set properly, they were perfectly comfortable for all kinds of driving. I greatly appreciated the extending driver's bottom cushion and tilt feature, which, in combination with the tilt/telescoping steering wheel, made finding a proper driving position simple.

Despite my issue with the steering and some minor faults associated with cabin ergonomics (primarily steering wheel control markings and climate control operation), the BMW is my pick of this litter. The car exudes style, quality and capability. It's the best car to drive fast on a country road, the best car for a long-distance road trip and the best car in which to cruise Sunset Boulevard. The 330i can do it all.

And if you want it to do it all, but for less money, choose the 325i.

Stereo Evaluation - 2001 BMW 330i