Category: Compact Executive 
Price Range: £21,525 to £38,060
Superb refinement, superb quality, terrific detail design and general all-round ability.
Not the entertaining driver's car that BMW fondly claims. Pricey too.
The best in this class, if not as much fun to drive as the Alfa 156.
This fourth-generation 'E46' 3 Series range, comprising saloons and Touring estates as well as the Compact hatchback and coupe (both reviewed separately), still holds its own, though it's not as exclusive as it used to be. Not an out-and-out driver's car by today's ever-higher standards, but it is still a very safe bet for both quality and prestige. It was revised in 2001.
