BMW 330i vs. the Alfa Romeo Giulia: Behind The Wheel

MotorTrend

10/4/2023

For decades

Transcript

00:00 (upbeat music)

00:02 Hey, I'm Miguel Cortina, and this is the new BMW 3 Series.

00:09 For decades, this was our favorite sports sedan.

00:12 It was the heart and soul of BMW,

00:15 but that's not true anymore.

00:16 This is the Alfa Romeo Giulia.

00:19 It's our current favorite sports sedan.

00:21 In fact, it drives like the BMW 3 Series used to.

00:25 (car engine roaring)

00:26 So we have a question for you.

00:28 Can this new BMW 3 Series retake the sports sedan title

00:31 over the Alfa Romeo Giulia?

00:33 Let's get behind the wheel and find out.

00:35 (upbeat music)

00:38 All right, so here we are driving the new BMW 330i,

00:50 and even though it looks similar

00:51 like the previous generation, it's actually quite different.

00:54 There's a new 2.0 liter engine, four cylinder,

00:57 with 255 horsepower.

00:59 And also the platform is all new, the interior is all new.

01:04 And if you actually take a look at the exterior design,

01:07 you'll see some tweaks, like the kidney grill is bigger,

01:11 the headlights are bigger too,

01:14 some creases on the hood are a little bigger.

01:15 So it has a little bigger, wider stance on the road

01:19 than the previous generation did.

01:21 It's not really revolutionary in any single way.

01:23 Both brands have their iconic grills.

01:26 The BMW has a kidney grill,

01:27 the Alfa has a triangular grill.

01:29 But the Alfa looks way more sportier and revolutionary

01:33 and new and has this new identity.

01:36 And in the BMW, I feel like we're just getting

01:39 a little more of the same.

01:40 So even though we're not in love with the exterior,

01:42 the interior is actually pretty good.

01:44 We love the way that this screen, the infotainment screen,

01:47 is adapted into the dashboard.

01:50 The instrument panel is all digital,

01:52 it's very clear to see.

01:53 The quality of the materials inside is actually pretty good.

01:57 You know, it has this modern touch to it.

02:00 You know, when you compare it to the Alfa,

02:01 there's for sure like a step above, if you will.

02:05 So in terms of technology,

02:07 the BMW has better tech than the Alfa.

02:10 The adaptive cruise control and the lane keep assist

02:13 work really well on the BMW,

02:14 whereas in the Alfa, the lane keep assist

02:17 doesn't really read the lane markings too well.

02:19 In the BMW, you have wireless Apple CarPlay,

02:23 which is a step above.

02:24 You have a self-parking assist,

02:26 which with the touch of a button, the car can park itself.

02:29 So now let's get to the most important question,

02:32 and that's how does the BMW 3 Series drive?

02:34 I'm gonna engage sport mode here,

02:37 and immediately you'll feel how the whole suspension

02:41 and the steering became a little firmer.

02:43 You have the dashboard that turns red,

02:46 and you have this better experience of the engine.

02:49 It's a fun car to drive, but you know,

02:51 it just doesn't deliver on the same experience

02:53 that the Alfa does.

02:54 I'm correcting myself a little bit on the turns,

02:58 and that's because the steering ratio

02:59 is not as linear as the Alfa is.

03:02 I step down the throttle, and there is a good response

03:05 from the engine right now in sport mode,

03:07 but when you just are cruising down the road

03:09 and you're at a stoplight, that responsiveness,

03:12 that punchiness of the engine that you want,

03:14 it's not the same.

03:16 I love the low body roll.

03:17 The car feels planted.

03:19 It sticks to the ground.

03:21 It feels fun.

03:22 It feels like you wanna go back to that turn

03:25 and do it again.

03:26 I feel like the way that the exhaust sounds

03:29 should be a little more natural.

03:32 I feel like it's too artificial.

03:34 So now we get to the answer, which car drives better?

03:38 We still prefer the Alfa Romeo Giulia,

03:41 and I'm gonna tell you why.

03:42 It's a very natural car to drive.

03:44 It feels dynamic when you want it to be dynamic.

03:47 It feels comfortable when you want it to be comfortable.

03:49 It gives you pleasure when you're looking for pleasure.

03:53 And the BMW, it's trying a little bit too hard on that.

03:57 Yes, it's way better than the previous generation.

04:00 It's capable.

04:02 It handles great, but it doesn't give you the same feeling,

04:07 the same pleasure that the Alfa Romeo does.

04:10 (car engine roaring)

04:13 (upbeat music)

04:16 (upbeat music)

BMW 330i vs. the Alfa Romeo Giulia: Behind The Wheel

Category

Transcript

Recommended