BMW 330e reliability & safety
BMW as a brand isn't rated very highly by owners, but there's plenty of the latest safety kit available for the BMW 330e plug-in hybrid
| Euro NCAP | Adult protection | Child protection | Pedestrian protection | Safety assist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 stars (2019) | 97% | 87% | 87% | 76% |
The BMW did well in Euro NCAP's crash tests, bettering the results achieved by the Volvo S60 for adult and child occupants, and matching it even in terms of the performance of its driver aids. Cars don't get much safer than this.
BMW 330e reliability & problems
The BMW 3 Series wasn't individually rated in the 2020 edition of the Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, published by our sister title Auto Express. However, BMW as an overall brand didn't fare particularly well, winding up 27th out of 30 manufacturers rated this year. Reliability, as well as the cost of repairs and maintenance, were cited as concerns by owners.
Safety
The BMW's Euro NCAP crash-test rating is excellent, and promise that this is one of the safest cars out there. Our only quibble is that you can't add a space-saver spare wheel (sadly an issue with every plug-in hybrid due to the space taken up by the batteries).
You also have to add a £1,250 'Driving Assistant Professional' pack to get adaptive cruise control, and an upgraded autonomous emergency braking system that can sense pedestrians and cyclists as well as other cars – the latter is standard on the S60.
Otherwise, the 330e comes with a suite of passive and active safety equipment including lane-departure warning and speed-limit assistance. You also get front and rear parking sensors, as well as a reversing camera. LED headlights are also standard across the range and deliver great visibility at night.
