BMW is ultimately a great driving machine
BMW’s marketing department claims the famed German automaker still makes The Ultimate Driving Machine. Yet, with the new sixthgeneration 3 Series Sedan, descriptions such as elegance and comfort creep into the car’s word list, sharing space with the single descriptor that, once was all that really mattered — sporting prowess. Has the 3 gone soft?
Softer, yes; flabby, no. Having been around since 1975, the 3 Series is now middleaged and it’s not the lean, mean, ultimate machine it once was. Creeping maturity means concessions made to coexist with today’s realities. These include automatic transmissions, Eco buttons, stop/start engine technology, greater weight, more safety backups and a plethora of modern “conveniences.” The simple truth is that the 2013 all-wheel-drive 328i xDrive that I have been tooling around in all week has pasted a temporary smile on my normally dour visage. Even with the middle-aged spread, the beast has plenty of dance left.
The turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder in the 328i is a robust engine that earns its pay — its 240 horsepower is more than able to keep the 1,631-kilogram sport sedan percolating along at a good clip. True, not even BMW can disguise the industrial roots of a four-banger, but zipping to 100 kilometres an hour in 5.9 seconds more than compensates. Passing power is even better; the 328i xDrive will pull off a 80-to-120-km/h move in 4.2 seconds.
The only model that comes standard with the manual boxes the base 320i (it’s optional on the 328i, 335i and 335i xDrive). The eight-speed manumatic that’s standard in all other 3s is a very slick affair. BMW says the compact autobox matches or outperforms models fitted with a six-speed manual in both fuel economy and emissions.
Speaking of which, the 328i is rife with BMW efficient dynamics technology — automatic stop/start (it can be deactivated if it becomes annoying), brake energy regeneration and the driving experience control switch — all of which play roles in reducing fuel consumption. The latter offers comfort and sport options plus eco pro mode. Going from eco pro to comfort to sport brings immediate increases in both revs and acceleration. As for fuel economy, my week with the car resulted in 10.5 litres per 100 kilometres — on premium unleaded.
The 3 provides a stable ride through a lightweight, appropriately firm four-wheel independent suspension. Handling is still exemplary, and all-weather traction is guaranteed by the xDrive allwheel-drive system, which can fully vary the power split between front and rear wheels at the blink of an eye. Safety backups include dynamic stability, cornering and traction control systems, making it ideal winter transportation.
The new 3, now more posh, has a slight patrician air to it, yet it is more than capable of showing you a good time when called upon.
Call it motoring muscle memory — the car might not rock like it once did, but it still knows the moves.