Long-term report: The BMW 330e Touring proves its usefulness again and again

If there’s one thing I really appreciate, it’s a car that can prove useful in all different situations. It’s probably why I’ve been getting along so well with our long-term BMW 3 Series Touring.

In my previous report, I did state that I’d be finding this plug-in hybrid’s teeny fuel tank a bit of a pain and though that quibble still remains, it has been blending into the background as I’ve been focusing a little harder on making the most of the 330e’s electric power instead.

With a decent fully electric range – I’ve been seeing around 34 to 36 miles in the warmer weather we’ve been having – I’ve found that the 330e is at its very best with a nice full battery. Thankfully, I’m able to charge it up at home, albeit through a window at the front of the house, but even via a regular three-pin plug it only takes a few hours.

But one of the biggest bonuses that you get with a full battery is all of the pre-conditioning functions you can access. It means that you can easily pre-cool the car before you head off on your journey. BMW’s app is really intuitive, too, and it only took me 10 minutes to set up. Via the app, I can now send a temperature for the vehicle to be set ahead of departure. It’s really handy on very hot days and, of course, you can use it to warm the car up when it’s cooler too.

There’s some more functionality to play around with, too. For instance, you can lock and unlock the doors, flash the headlights and even check on the remaining fuel and range. But it’s the locking function that I’ve really found useful lately. On occasions, I’ve been away from home when packages have arrived at the house. Rather than having them left on the doorstep, when the delivery driver contacts me I’ve unlocked the 330e’s boot and let them leave the items inside. Once there, I can lock it remotely so they’re nice and safe.

It’s almost like having a secure locker outside your house whenever you’re not there. If more cars featured this I’m sure it’d quickly prove to be a hit. It’s a game changer.

But aside from using the BMW 330e as some futuristic parcel handover station, what else have I been finding out?

As one of the latest models that get BMW’s eye-catching ‘Curved Display’ and next-generation operating system, the 330e definitely feels right at the sharp end of what’s available in cars today. Most interestingly, however, is that it also retains BMW’s older iDrive-style rotary controller, which is something that has been kept out of some of the firm’s other new models. It’s been a point of contention for many BMW fans, too, who lamented the removal of iDrive in favour of a sole touchscreen approach.

And you know what? With both options, I’ve barely touched the rotary controller. The touchscreen itself is more than intuitive enough and though the number of menus could be cleaned up a bit – it’s quite busy to navigate at times – it’s way easier to simply reach out and press rather than use the dial. I wouldn’t have thought it when BMW first announced the switch-up but hey, the times are changing – and I’m quite alright with that, really.

I’ve also really noticed the refinement levels in this car. I love to drive with music or the radio, but recently I had a pleasant motorway cruise without anything playing and the 330e felt wonderfully hushed. I still think that the four-cylinder petrol sounds a little strange – and almost diesel-y – when under hard acceleration, but when you let it settle down and do its thing it’s impressively quiet. It’s even better when you’re running on silky-smooth – and whisper-silent – electric power too, of course.

I’ve got a little time left with the 330e and I’m going to be making the most of it. I’m sure that there are some more adventures in the works and, going off what I’ve learnt so far, I’m adamant that the 3 Series will be more than up to the challenge.