Stock BMW Suspension
The Original Equipment suspension fitted to the BMW 330Ci coupe at the factory already features a mild sport package suspension. The coupe rides somewhat lower than the sedan version, giving the car a fairly sporty look in the parking lot and taut, responsive feel on the road. BMW tunes the stock suspension to the average customer of the 2-door coupe, counting on a more sporting disposition than those choosing the sedan model.
Driving on the stock suspension as part of this evaluation reminds us of why we selected the BMW 3-Series as a test platform. The rear suspension works very well out on the road, where our team found the ride and handling qualities well suited to the intended purpose of the car. The stock suspension offered a comfortable ride, while still allowing the driver to feel connected to the road. The only portion of our road route that gave the factory suspension any trouble was when driving over the most-broken section. The vehicle with the stock suspension felt a little unsettled, tossing the vehicle and its occupants around more dramatically than the other combinations in this evaluation.
On the track, the stock suspension performed well, but felt a little sluggish compared to the other vehicles in this evaluation. Achieving quick laps required smooth input from the driver, and anticipation of each maneuver to give the vehicle time to respond. Rapid steering and pedal commands would upset the car, slowing lap times. Average lap times for the rear air suspension were the slowest of the group.
We equipped all four of our test cars with 205/55R16 Bridgestone Potenza RE950 High Performance All-Season tires, mounted on 16×7.5 alloy wheels designed specifically for use on the E46 chassis BMWs like the 330Ci coupe. Using the same wheel and tire combination on all four vehicles took the tire variable out of the equation, letting our team focus on the influence of the different suspension combinations. Both the road and track portions of our evaluation were conducted in dry conditions.
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