CAR REVIEW: BMW 3 Series

THE SOLUTION: BMW 3 Series

Long the benchmark for luxury sports sedans, BMW’s 3 Series lost its mojo a tad in its fifth generation. Bold styling polarised the faithful and Merc’s C-Class and Audi’s A4 provided compelling alternatives. But ominously for its rivals, with the sixth-gen 3 Series, “The Ultimate Driving Machine” slogan rings true again.

The 3’s magic has always been in its near-perfect blend of style, comfort and performance, so how do these stack up here?

Style: handsome conservatism, from that signature grille, to the confident flank swage lines, to the familiar L-shaped tail lights. Basically, it looks lower, faster and better. Pick from Modern, Sport and Luxury trim.

Comfort: a clean, uncluttered cockpit, with all instruments subtly angled to the driver. A hi-res colour monitor is standard. In the back, there’s 15mm more knee room and 8mm more head room. That might not sound much, but it makes a big difference. Boot space is up 20 litres to a competitive 480L and the rear seats now offer a 40/20/40 split/fold for awkward lugging duties.

Performance: turbo-chargers all round with a 2L diesel (320d), 2.0L (328i) and 3.0L (335i) petrol engines available now. Each significantly eclipses its predecessor in power, consumption and emissions via a terrific eight-speed auto. Take the 328i (see stats, below): while now a four-cylinder, compared to its six-cylinder, 2.5L (325i) forebear, it’s 1.6 seconds quicker to 100km/h, while using two litres less per 100km and putting out 25 per cent less emissions. Oh, and it’s $5k cheaper, too. The handling? Up to you, with the new Driver Experience Control offering Economical, Comfort or Sport modes. In Sport mode, it’s razor sharp and perfectly balanced, but Comfort is the best for commuting.

Bottom line: the bar’s been raised, again.

– Bruce Ritchie