2022 BMW 330e xDrive Long-Term Update | Child car seat test

When I first took possession of Autoblog’s long-term BMW 330e xDrive plug-in hybrid sedan, I had my daughter, Lola, with me during the swap. I took a look at the size of the rear seat and thought, I’d better put her behind the passenger seat. I could tell I’d have to move the seat forward to fit her rear-facing seat behind me.

When it came time to put my son Wollie’s front-facing, high-back booster seat in, I took Lola’s seat out and put the big seat on the passenger side. It’s better for school drop-off to let him out curbside than into potential traffic. I also moved the empty passenger seat forward to give Wollie some needed legroom.

Eventually, though, I’d have to do double duty, and carry both kids at the same time, so I moved my seat forward, then forward some more, and installed Lola’s seat behind me, leaving Wollie curbside. As I expected, I was sitting forward enough for my legs to be uncomfortable — close to the pedals with my knees bent a bit more than I’d like — though I was able to adjust the steering wheel to a position that was just as comfortable as before.

When the school week ended, I swapped the seats, front-facing 6-year-old behind me, and rear-facing toddler behind the passenger seat. I moved the driver’s seat back to my ideal position, and measured the distance of the adjustment. 2.5 inches doesn’t sound like a lot, and I’ve been in cars where I’d have it a lot worse, but boy it felt good to be able to stretch my legs to the pedals. Wollie’s got less legroom, of course, but he doesn’t complain.