For decades
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MotorTranscript
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)