BMW 3-Series review
by Tom Stewart (16 April 2010)
BMW's ubiquitous 3-Series has been around now for an impressive 35 years. First launched as a two-door saloon in 1975 (E21), four subsequent generations have seen the range develop to include four-door saloons, five-door estates, two-door fixed-head coupés and soft-top convertibles and, more recently, two-door hard-top convertibles.
The current, fifth-generation E92/E93 models were launched in 2006 and, having already been treated to some mild mid-term updating, 2010 brings more, subtle visual tweakery, higher levels of standard equipment plus two new engines to top and tail the range: a single-turbo Valvetronic 335i petrol motor for the coupé and convertible, plus a new two-litre diesel for the new £27,245 320d EfficientDynamics saloon.
I'll start with the latter. Its 1995cc four-cylinder turbo diesel engine makes a respectable 163bhp along with a useful 280lb/ft of torque. That's 21bhp less than the "normal" 320d, but those 163 horses still yield a claimed 0-62 time of 8 seconds dead along with a top speed of 142mph. Whether you'd wish to duplicate those figures on the public road is another matter, but having thumped along some empty A-roads and engaged in a few fairly spirited overtaking manoeuvres I can confirm it's certainly no slouch. Back in 1975 performance like that from a four-door saloon was the preserve of an exotic V8 Maserati, a big V8 or and a V12 Jag, but such is the march of progress.
More impressive, and this model's raison d'être, are the 320d EfficientDynamics' eco credentials. CO2 is quoted at just 109g/km, a figure that would have been unthinkable for such a car just a few short years ago. In terms of power, top speed and acceleration this 320d trounces all other sub 110g/km cars currently on sale. With optimised aerodynamics, a 15mm lower body, low rolling resistance Michelins on aerodynamically-fettled 16" alloys, a modified transmission ratio and more, the official combined fuel consumption is a faintly amazing 68.9mpg.
I'm not in a position to dispute the CO2 output - and why would I with its attendant zero VED rating? - but according to my test car's onboard computer and a good old-fashioned brim-the-tank fuel check, mpg in the low 50s seems more realistic, but that's still pretty remarkable for a quiet, refined, 140mph executive saloon.
For less parsimonious thrill-seekers, the other end of the 3-Series range now boasts a heavily-revised 335i engine. As with the previous twin-turbo 335i motors, the new six-cylinder 2979cc engine still makes a lusty 306bhp and 295lb/ft (the early '90s E36 M3 made only 286bhp), but by combining a new and confusingly-named TwinPower single turbo unit with variable valve management and high precision direct injection for the first time, fuel consumption and emissions are now at 33.6mpg combined and 196g/km – an improvement of eight and ten percent respectively.
The revised Coupé and Convertible 3-Series models have also been treated to a subtle cosmetic makeover, with new lights front and rear, a lightly redesigned grille and leather upholstery as standard. They're also slightly longer - by 29mm at the front and 3mm at the rear - for improved pedestrian safety.
By way of comparison I drove an "ordinary" 320d Coupé back-to-back with a 320d EfficientDynamics Saloon. On the road there's no doubt that the ordinary 320d is the more responsive and faster car. Its extra power and torque (184bhp, 280lb/ft) render it a pretty speedy machine capable of gobbling up the miles and most other traffic with relative ease. Plant your right foot and, without downshifting, it will gather pace impressively.
For the record the figures are 0-62mph in 7.5 secs and 147mph max, but with consumption at 60.1mpg combined - realistically mid-to-high 40s - and CO2 at 120g/km it shouldnt be a wallet-buster to run.
Step straight into the 320d ED and you'll soon notice its unusually tall gearing. A quick mental calculation while driving revealed the ED car to be geared for over 200mph in top (6th) gear, so if driven with a lead foot and/or without much attention to revs and ratios, it could well prove thirstier than the ordinary version. However, driven with a certain degree of care and proficiency the 320d ED acquits itself well.
I cant fairly compare how the two 320ds steer and handle because my ordinary 320d Coupé was a £32,630 M Sport version, with M Sport suspension and optional (£520) 19" M alloy wheels on low-profile tyres. Suffice to say that this handled superbly, it gripped tenaciously, and its amply-weighted steering was sportscar responsive. Which isn't to say that the less sporty, eco-tyred EfficientDynamics Saloon was lacking in any way. With rear-wheel drive, 50/50 weight distribution, light alloy suspension components (common to all new 3-Series) plus that 15mm lower ride height, the eco car provides a rewarding drive.
Rewarding, however, would be something of an understatement for the 335i Coupé. My car was a £36,340 SE model, and in among the £5865's worth of optional extras fitted were 18" alloys (£505) and BMW's super-slick, seven-speed Double Clutch Transmission (£1640).
Supercars and other track-focused madness aside, on real roads the 335i is potentially as quick from A to B as anything. Having already agreed with a colleague that the 320d Coupé was all you'd really ever need in terms of performance, the silicone-smooth and superb sounding 335i takes it to another level - 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, top speed limited to 155mph.
Judging by the new-for-2010 3-Series I shouldn't be at all surprised if BMW's 2045 models don't better 0-62 in 3 seconds, 30g/km and 300mpg, but by then I'll be too old to care.
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