BMW 330e: Electric power + powerful performance

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews also can be seen in Cruisin’ News magazine published monthly out of Folsom, California.

Sacramento, California -- BMW rightly gets high praise for its electric creations, but for some reason -- at least by my reckoning -- the foreign automaker does not get anything near the respect it deserves for its performance vehicles.

Go figure.  It always seems like Porsche or Mercedes-Benz or even Aston Martin soak up the lion's share of performance car kudos.  Maybe when you've been around for a long time, folks take you for granted.

But in a recent week in the BMW 330e sedan, I savored the opportunity to enjoy BMW's electric and performance engineering.

On the performance side, a 2-liter, four-cylinder, turbocharged engine serves up an enthusiastic 181 horsepower.  Combined with the electric traction motor, the total power output jumps to 288 horsepower, with a max torque rating of 310 foot-pounds.

This creates a pleasant sensation on the move.

The 330e jumped off the line so enthusiastically that it took me a couple of days to master not overdoing it. I was repeatedly tempting a ticket from watchful patrol officers who don't like the idea of seeing a sedan take on the role of a quarter-mile burner.

With the revs up, the tester was likewise muscular.  With just-firm-enough steering adding a feeling of security, I was driving through turns like a sports car racer on a horsepower high. The 330e was particularly strong on uphill runs, and I was impressed by how little I had to ask from my right foot to drive the car upward at an aggressive pace.  Even a near-full song, the ride was smooth and remarkably quiet.

The math for the gas-electric package goes like this: 28 miles per gallon in combined city/highway driving and 75 mpg in purely electric mode.

If you need plentiful luxury in your 330e, it's available.  My tester came with five option packages. That included a $2,600 Executive Package with heated front seats/steering wheel, lumbar support and a head-up display.

With all the extras, the tester's price ballooned from the basic $44,550 to $59,645 on the bottom line.  That's a pretty robust number for a small sedan.

And yet, for BMW fans in search of luxury, comfort, sound electric technology and peppy performance, I'm guessing it's a price they will happily pay.