New BMW 3-series review, test drive

BMW’s brilliant new 3-series has just moved the game forward.

Published on Oct 19, 2012 05:29:00 PM

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Under the bonnet of the diesel 320d is BMW’s familiar four-pot – one of the best four-cylinder diesels around. This worked-upon and more powerful motor still isn’t the most refined of units. There is a hint of buzz at start-up, it gets a bit vocal when you extend it, and it never really turns silky smooth like many other modern diesels do. What you get in return, however, is performance that is quite un-diesel-like. It’s always ready for action, its willingness to rev hard is second to none and that, in effect, makes it the perfect companion for the sporty new 3-series. And considering its size and uprated, 181bhp output (put to the rear wheels via the eight-speed auto), performance is nothing short of shocking. 100kph is dispatched in just 7.8 seconds, approximately a second faster than the earlier 320d, and press on and in 16.9 seconds you will reach 150. So good is the performance, in fact, that you miss having paddles behind the steering wheel. Of course, the light kerb weight and quick gearbox do help give the diesel an extra kick.

The all-new, 241bhp 328i turbo-petrol in-line four gets even more of a leg up due to these two factors. This big-bore motor loves to be spun hard just like a BMW straight six, but unlike a naturally aspirated six, it’s torquey too, thanks to direct injection and turbocharging. So, while there is a tiny bit of lag, this motor has a strong mid-range and an extremely strong top end.

And the faster you spin it the harder it wants to go. Like the diesel, idle isn’t the most refined, and it emits a coarse snarl at high revs too; it’s not quite as smooth as a straight-six. Performance, however, is sizzling hot. 6.4 seconds is all you need to get to 100, 180 comes up in 22.1 seconds, and from the way this car howls past 230kph, you can tell hitting the limited top speed of 250 is only a matter of finding the right stretch of road. The motor, in true BMW fashion, pulls hard all the way to 7000rpm. Select Sport and the gearbox flicks to the next gear almost instantaneously, without that slight interruption in power you get from a twin-clutch unit. The performance is so addictive, the 328i just sucks you into the driving experience. To put it in perspective, this car is faster to 120kph than the 300bhp Audi A6 3.0 TFSI!