Category: Compact Executive 
Price Range: £21,525 to £38,060
Class best drive, excellent range of engines, improved looks.
Limited space in the rear, six-cylinder engines miss out stop-start, poor low-speed ride.
Nip and tuck further polishes what remains the most accomplished car in its class.
The BMW brand trails its main German rivals in the most recent survey carried out by JD Power, but still manages to just scrape into the top 10 most car manufacturers in terms of customer satisfaction. Meanwhile, the BMW 3-Series itself was ranked 16th out of 100 cars.
Early on in the current generation of the 3-Series there were some reports of premature wear or even complete failure of the turbo on both petrol and diesel engines but we expect the brand to have cured this teething problem by now.
Inside, the build is of the highest order, with the 2009 model 3-Series gaining chrome surrounds for the speedo and rev counter as well as many minor instruments that brighten up the cabin.
