Humblest BMW, 3 may be best
Of all the swift and luxurious vehicles BMW fields, the most humble remains the most significant.
The 3 Series compact sport-sedan accounts for half of BMW’s 1.2-million annual sales. It’s been the brand’s bread and butter model since 1966, when its predecessor launched the sport-sedan category.
That car, the 1600-2, was affordable ($2,500), a blast to drive and, with its four seats and honest-to-goodness trunk, practical enough to pass muster at home.
Road & Track magazine called it an “upright sedan with sports car mechanicals.”
This spring, BMW debuted the fifth-generation successor to the 1600-2, the 2006 3 Series.
By contrast to the original, the new 3 is a sybaritic delight. Whether the buyer chooses the base 325i ($30,995, including destination) or the more powerful and lavishly equipped 330i ($36,995), she will be amply rewarded.
Standard equipment includes automatic dual-zone climate control, one-touch power windows, power moonroof, automatic headlights, heated mirrors, CD player and keyless entry. The base audio system boasts 10 speakers and two subwoofers.
Safety gear includes side-impact and curtain-style bags, anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control.
Once coolly efficient, the 3 Series interior has aged into warm and inviting. The layout serves the driver, with everything necessary obvious and available at a glance. With its small, black-on-black buttons, the instrument panel appears complicated but ultimately reveals itself to be elegantly functional.
The optional iDrive interface is simpler now but still demands too much driver attention.
High-quality materials cover every interior surface and fit and finish is outstanding. The firm, supportive seats conform snugly to occupants’ torsos; at the cornering speeds of which the 3 Series is capable, one’s backside needs to be firmly planted.
There are two dashboard configurations. Normally, a single cowl tops the main instrument panel. If the Navigation/iDrive package is chosen, a second, adjacent cowl encloses the optional nav screen.
The new 3 is larger in every significant dimension than last year’s model and rear-seat passengers get a much-needed bump in legroom. On the downside, the sleek roofline robs them of a small amount of headroom.
A chunk of the newfound bulk is consumed by structural improvements that boost safety and rigidity. And the 3 is seriously rigid. If there’s a car on the road with less random body motion than the 3, it doesn’t spring immediately to mind. The 3 is rigid like a Porsche.
Count me among those who feel the sculpted lines of the new 3 show a strong Asian influence; from some angles, the 3 reminds of me certain Acuras. It’s a different look for BMW and has been well received by the public, though journalists and purists may disapprove.
As always, the real proof of the BMW pudding lies in the mechanicals.
The same engine powers both models — same architecture, same displacement — but the 330i version has a more complex intake manifold and uses some trick electronics to produce 255 horsepower. In the 325, it turns out 215 hp.
Variable valve lift boosts torque on both versions and broadens the torque band to produce more power across a greater range of rpm.
Two transmissions are offered, a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic with Steptronic manual-shift mode. BMW’s clutchless manual box, called SMG, is optional on the 330i.
A new five-link rear suspension helps keep the 3 Series planted and the stability control system has three settings, from full-tilt babysitting mode to a let-it-all-hang-out mode. In BMW fashion, the steering system is precise, quick and communicative.
All these components — engine, suspension, transmission, steering — make use of lightweight, high-tech materials, helping to offset the weight penalties of the larger package. It’s all invisible but it pays dividends in terms of comfort and performance. And it helps explain why a BMW costs more than another, comparably equipped car of the same size.
Other cool, invisible stuff includes brakes that dry themselves when it’s wet — and that pre-position themselves for activation whenever the driver releases the throttle.
At the press launch, BMW turned the journalists loose on the new BeaverRun racetrack outside Pittsburgh. No matter which version we drove — 325i or 330i, manual or automatic — the 3 did all the things a great sport sedan should, including making a bunch of mediocre drivers feel pretty good about their driving skills.
Most drivers won’t ever enjoy the racetrack experience, of course (though perhaps they should). For them, it will be enough to know they’re driving one of the world’s most accomplished automobiles, and enjoying one terrific ride while they’re at it.
After 40-some years at the top of its game, the humble 3 Series refuses to loosen its grip on the compact sport-sedan crown. The humblest BMW may also be the best.