Smaller engine gives BMW 3 Series better fuel efficiency
A four-cylinder engine in a BMW 3 Series: it can’t be, can it?
Yes it can, and it is, starting with the 328i introduced along with the rest of the redesigned sedan lineup in 2012. The engine in question is a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit that makes 240 horsepower and 258 foot-pounds of torque. The horsepower figure is the same as that of the 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine it replaces, but the torque figure is way up from the six’s 200 ft-lbs.
Performance-wise, it l ooks good on paper and feels good in action. This four-cylinder is a strong engine that pulls hard from low speeds, and only starts to run out of gas as it approaches the 7,000 rpm redline.
The switch to a smaller engine is a response to demands for better fuel efficiency; to that end, this engine comes with BMW’s idle stop/start technology, which shuts the engine off at stoplights and automatically fires it up again when the gas pedal is released.
I appreciate this kind of technology, but I’m not a fan of it in practice here. The motor sends shudders through the car every time it starts back up; you come to expect better after driving hybrids, such as those from Toyota and Ford, whose gas engines restart near-undetectably. That said, those cars benefit from the fact that the car’s electric motor is used to spin the engine to life, where this BMW simply employs a heavy-duty starter motor. My hope is that this feature will be refined in future models.
Also aiding fuel consumption is the eight-speed automatic transmission included in every new 3 Series sedan. (A six-speed manual is a nocost option.) It shifts a lot, but does so very smoothly, so you won’t notice much other than the rise and fall of the engine note (which, by the way, sounds okay, but is nowhere as enticing as that of BMW’s six-cylinders). Driver-selectable Sport and Eco modes tailor the powertrain’s responses to emphasize performance and fuel economy, respectively. In between is the default Normal setting.
This car’s “normal” is pretty impressive, with the sharp handling and quick acceleration for which BMWs are known. My only complaint about the drive was the soft brake pedal.
BMW knows, perhaps better than most automakers, that good handling and a comfortable ride are not mutually exclusive.
If this car rides too soft for you (I found it just perfect), check the box for the M Sport package, which bundles a firmer ride along with grippier seats, a fabulous thickrimmed steering wheel, and larger wheels and tires.
The xDrive designator in my test car’s name is BMW’s language for all-wheel drive, and this system is offered in 328i and 335i models; the base 320i is reardrive only. It runs in a 40/60 front/ rear power split, but can send all of the engine’s torque to either front or rear axles, depending on traction needs. It works well and, along with the sticky winter tires on my car, did a fine job keeping the vehicle going where I pointed it in a week of often-snowy conditions.
Official fuel consumption estimates for the 328i xDrive are 9.1/6.2 litres per 100 kilometres (city/highway); my test car averaged 11.1L/100 km in mostly city driving in cold conditions.
Inside, the 3 Series is essentially a compact car dressed up with a premium price tag. Space is not plentiful, and what there is gets eaten up by the standard sunroof and the wide transmis-sion/driveshaft tunnel. It’s a snug feel, which you’ll either love for how it makes you feel “at one” with the machine, or you’ll hate simply because it’s tiny. Surpris- ingly, the trunk is relatively huge, and is almost as nicely finished as the passenger cabin.
Pricing for the 3 Series starts at $35,900, but my test car’s MSRP was already up to $46,200 before the addition of more than $6,000 in options — including such niceties as navigation, a heated steering wheel, and safety items like lane departure warning and blind-spot monitoring. Those extras brought the final price to $52,950, not including taxes and freight.
The 3 Series used to be targeted mostly at driving enthusiasts, but as the car has gained popularity, BMW has tweaked its mandate somewhat, turning it into a car that prioritizes luxury and comfort — with an increasing, and welcome, emphasis on efficiency. In the process, its performance has been watered down some, but this car is still a lot of fun to drive.
For the record, I miss the old six-cylinder, but if I had to buy a four-cylinder luxury car, this one would be high on my list.