Rating
Quick Summary
Highly recommended. Not just another mildly improved German saloon, but a real step forward - especially the 328i.
Road Test
The 3 Series is now into its sixth generation. That might make some manufacturers a bit complacent - 'just do more of the same' - but not BMW. The company has made a huge effort to make this model the undisputed king of the compact executive market. The styling is admittedly evolutionary, but it is definitely smarter and sleeker than the outgoing model. Unusually, the waistline has been lowered to give larger windows - for 30 years, windows have been getting steadily narrower to emphasise how strong cars are (more metal and less glass gives the impression of crash safety). The interior is also usefully larger, especially in the rear, where it is genuinely comfortable even for very tall passengers, which really is a first for a 3 Series. Even the rear doors open wider (to almost 90 degrees) to make getting in and out easier.
However, the passenger benefits do not come at the expense of the driver. The sculpted dashboard is very smart, although some of the trims take some getting used to. The ridged wood of the 'Modern' trim level is unusual, but at least it clearly came from a tree, whereas some German cars' glossy lacquered wood looks like it came out of a test tube. The 'Sport' trim has a smart aluminium panel which looks better (to our eyes), but is unfortunately underlined by a bright red stripe - isn't grey with red a bit eighties?
The driving experience is where you forget about the finer points of interior design. The standout engine is the 328i. It is no longer 2.8 litres, or even a six cylinder, but an apparently modest 2.0 four. However after five minutes behind the wheel, you no longer care about its specification, because the performance is so good. It offers 242 bhp and accelerates to 62 mph is 5.9 seconds (6.1 for the auto). Its turbocharger is so well integrated that there is no discernible power band - it pulls as cleanly as a normally-aspirated six-cylinder motor. To be honest, it does not have that six-cylinder yowl at high revs, but it has a carefully engineered hint of menace from the exhaust under hard acceleration - and it will pull with delight all the way to 6,800 rpm. The best news is that it is also unfeasibly economical, with a CO2 figure of 149 g/km and an official fuel consumption figure of 44.8 mpg. Thrashing it up mountains in Spain, we still got 36 mpg, so real-world figures could actually approach the claimed ones. Most buyers in the UK will still go for the diesel of course, and they won't feel short-changed unless they habitually charge over Alpine passes. The 320d Efficient Dynamics is the economy champion with a CO2 figure of just 109 g/km and a claimed fuel consumption of 68.9 mpg. Our experience is that you would have to take it on a racetrack to make it go below 40 mpg, and an overall figure of well into the fifties is easily achievable.
The handling backs up the engine. It is responsive without being darty and even the electric steering is decent (we have yet to find an electric system as good as the best hydraulic system, but this one is good enough that you rarely notice the difference). The ride has also improved - even on the low profile tyres in Sport mode, it is well controlled.
In today's market there are few new cars that are clearly better than the competition - the 2008 Fiesta was the last time we drove a car and knew immediately it was the best in its class. The new 3 Series is another of those rare cases. It has a better chassis, better engines and all models offer an outstanding combination of performance and economy. Right now, you really can't do better.
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