A return to the 'driver-centred' cabin, clean aesthetics and wonderful fit and finish
What is it?
The all-new BMW 3-series, tested here powered by a four cylinder, 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
What’s it like?
It’s good-looking car, for starters. Outside and in, with a return to
the 'driver-centred' cabin, clean aesthetics and wonderful fit and
finish. And this 328i combines its impressive 242bhp with a CO2 score of
just 147g/km.
It doesn't sound quite as a car badged 328i should. Udo Haenle,
3-series project chief, says his engineers considered electronic sound
synthesis through the stereo system, BMW M5-fashion, to create a
straight-six soundtrack, but he felt there was no point in hiding the
fact that today's 328i has a 2.0-litre four with a turbocharger.
You're not particularly aware of engine noises anyway, because this
is a quiet car whose ample maximum torque – 258lb ft – plateaus all the
way from 1250rpm to 4800.
It hardly needs the optional (£1500) automatic's eight ratios, given
that the manual still manages 149g/km with its six gears, and the
resulting frequent gearshifts aren't always smooth unless you intervene
with the paddleshifters.
But this 328i is a properly fast car, with 62mph claimed from a standstill in just 6.1 effortless seconds.
There seemed little wrong with the previous E90 3-series' chassis
dynamics, but the new F30, slightly larger but slightly lighter, shows
there was room for improvement. Unlike some other recent BMWs this one
has the precision, balance and fluidity a BMW should have, with a
seemingly understeer-proof front end, crisp and credibly weighted
steering and a taut but yielding ride.
The variable-ratio steering (£350), speeding its response as you
turn, aids the agility, while the 'adaptive M' dampers (£750) are
neither too floaty in Comfort nor too fidgety in the Sport Plus mode
that also livens up the gearbox and accelerator and firms the steering.
Our test car was in Sport spec, one of three 'lines' which include
'Modern' and 'Luxury'. For the UK, however, the 328i will come as an M
Sport rather than a mere Sport, with a slightly different look and the
'adaptive M' suspension as standard.
One final thought. Too many new cars have electric parking brakes,
particularly annoying in a manual car, but the 3-series retains a proper
handbrake. “It's better for sliding,” says Haenle.
Should I buy one?
If you’re in the market for a compact executive car with this sort of performance, then this is the pick of the bunch.
John Simister
BMW 328i ES auto
Price: £30,560; Top speed: 155mph; 0-62mph: 6.1sec; Economy: 44.8mpg
(combined); CO2: 147g/km; Kerb weight: 1430kg; Engine: 4 cyls, 1997cc,
turbo, petrol; Power: 242bhp at 5000-6500rpm; Torque: 258lb ft at
1250-4800rpm; Gearbox: 8-spd auto.
source: http://www.autocar.co.uk
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