2006 BMW 3 Series 330i from North America - Comments

I had a squeaking noise coming from the passenger side rear wheel. Vehicle is still under bumper-bumper warranty and full maintenance warranty. The dealership was not sure if the rear brake pads were bad or it was the rear brake sensor. The rear pads and sensor were replaced and the cost was ZERO.

Prior to owning the BMW I owned a 2003 Corvette Z06. I needed a backseat, so I began to explore my options. My list dwindled down to the Lexus Is350. I took a test drive in the Lexus and it was a great car. I liked the interior and the power.

After the test drive, I drove a used 2006 BMW 325i, first time ever driving a BMW. As soon as sat in the BMW, I knew I had to have one. Test drove the 325i and what sold me was the way the car drove, the steering and road feel. My gripe with the 325 was I needed more power.

Found my 2006 330i with approx 8000 miles on her. I have had the car for approx 1 year and the only problems were the above listed. Previously owning the Z06, getting into anything and not being impressed with low end torque is a given. After a while I did get used to the 330's power, 255hp.

Where this car feels at home is on the highway. I live in the Las Vegas area and most of the highways are concrete, so you get a lot of tire noise. My (or should I say the Bank's) BMW is very quite on the highway and you definitely don't realize how fast you are going.

I love the interior of this car, it has everything I need. Also has the hands free phone, which links to my blue-tooth phone, and I-pod connect. All seating is very comfortable.

I've been hearing a lot of gripes about the run-flat tires, Ie. harsh ride. The ride is sometimes a bit harsh on my car, but I do have the sports package, so expected?

Lastly, I just wanted to write about the dealership experience which had been good. For the problem the car went in for and routine maintenance, there have been no problems with the BMW dealer. The reason I say it has been "good", is because I used to own an Infinity QX4, and to this date no dealer had been as customer service oriented as they have.

If you are in the market for a vehicle this size, you must drive a BMW. I use this website a lot to do research on cars and appreciate honest reviews. This is one place we as customers can talk about a good or bad experience and can "sway" a purchase. If anyone has any questions feel free to post them, and I will try to answer.

Hi, I have a few questions with the 2006 3 series. I'm just wondering if it's any good in snow, the RWD version, not the xi. Also, how much does the car cost to maintain? Like oil changes and stuff, heard it was quite expensive. One more thing, how much do you think I can buy one in January of 2010, or next year?

Rear wheel drive sucks in winter big time. I have a 2004 Lexus IS300; it's a rear wheel drive and comes with winter mode, but it's no good. You need good winter tires, not all season, only winter :) Which can help by 30% and put some weight in the trunk (salt bags); all these tricks help. This is one of the reason all companies are coming up with AWD and special winter features. My friends dad has a 2006 BMW 745li, and even on a slight up hill he gets stuck during winter time.

Oil changes are expensive compared to regular cars, because this car takes synthetic oil and it is more expensive compare to regular oil. Also an oil filter is $15-20 more compared to regular filters.

The reason people say high end cars like BMW, Mercedes, Lexus etc are hard to maintain is because most of them take synthetic oil and premium gas. It all adds up in the end. Some people somehow buy these cars and start using regular gas and oil to save some money, and then complain about car performance in the end.

So just keep all these things in mind before you buy one. I still recommend BMW xi AWD version; those cars are good in winter.

Premium gas is not maintenance item. Synthetic oil should be rated for your cold weather. If you live in a heavy snowfall area you should buy a 4 Wheel Drive (SUV?).

Original poster here... as far as the rear wheel drive in the snow, it's not too good. The oil changes cost more on the BMW initially, but the oil change intervals come approx every 10000 miles or so, depending on your driving habits. So that in itself balances with the standard 3k oil change. Other routine maintenance is more expensive than other vehicles, but it's those quality parts that make it such a great car, so you have to replace quality with quality. Premium gas, if you want all you can get out of the inline 6 with no knock occurring... then premium it is.