Category: Compact Executive 
Price Range: £21,525 to £38,060
Best in class to drive, exceptional build quality, excellent engines.
Rear cabin space is tight.
With engines ranging from great to brilliant, and a chassis that suits them all, this is the one to go for if the driving experience is a priority. Short on visual drama, but well built and easy to live with.
The combination of rear-wheel drive and just about ideal weight distribution front to rear invests the 3-Series with superb balance. Driven quickly over twisting roads, it exhibits a neutral manner, giving the driver confidence that neither front nor rear will suddenly step out of line. And when grip does finally begin to let go, it does so gently and progressively and is very easy to correct.
BMW's Active Steering is available on six-cylinder 3-Series models. The system changes the steering ratio depending on the speed of the car, the idea being to make the steering quicker and more agile at lower speeds while delivering more stability at high speed. We'd recommend that you give it a miss, though. It doesn't feel any more stable at high speed than the standard set-up, and at lower speeds over challenging roads it can be difficult to judge exactly how the steering is going to respond to any given input. The standard steering set-up delivers excellent feedback with perfectly adequate assistance at lower speeds.
All 3-Series use runflat tyres, which allow the car to be driven for up to 150 miles at 50mph, even with all four tyres punctured. Our previous experience with 5-Series models so equipped suggested that the ride quality suffered as a result. This is less so with the 3-Series, which does manage to ride well in spite of the runflats.
The 330i engine is a very fine thing: smooth and quick, if perhaps a bit needy when it comes to being revved. It's claimed to be the lightest six-cylinder engine in its class, and performance is outstanding, with 62mph coming up in just 6.3sec (slighter slower for the automatic, and slower again for the Touring versions) and a top speed electronically limited to 155mph. But it pales next to the 335i, which hits 62mph in 5.6sec and, more importantly, feels much gutsier thanks to its 295lb-ft of torque, available as low as 1,300rpm. It keeps pulling strongly all the way up to the 7,000rpm red line. The magic comes from its new direct injection system and its twin turbochargers, each supplying compressed air to three of the six cylinders. It's clearly a very efficient engine, judging not only by its acceleration but also by its modest fuel consumption penalty: a combined figure of 29.4mpg versus the 330i's 31.7mpg.
The 215bhp 2.5-litre six in the 325i is equally impressive and also utterly satisfying to drive, not least because of its wonderful engine note. It hits 62mph in 7.0sec, peaks at 152mph, and will give you 33.6mpg. The 2.0-litre petrol four, in 148bhp 320i and entry-level 127bhp 318i guises, is no jetpack, but the car is still a joy to drive, thanks to its elegant poise and responsive controls. It's also pretty economical, too, giving just over 38mpg on the combined cycle.
Like the petrol range, the diesels are led by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre six. The 335d is incredibly smooth for a diesel, and very quick to respond to your right foot. Its 0-62mph time of 6.2sec is 0.6 behind the petrol equivalent, but it has the same top speed and, at 37.7mpg, is 8.3mpg more frugal on the combined cycle. The other 3.0-litre diesel six, in the 330d, is no weakling: figures of 0-62mph in 6.7sec, 155mph and 43.5mpg give you the general idea, but what they can't tell you is how reassuringly potent it feels at all times. The 325d's 197bhp version is almost as good.
The sixes shouldn't, however, be allowed to overshadow the 320d, the biggest seller in the whole 3-Series line-up. With 161bhp and 250lb-ft of torque, the top speed is 140mph and the 0-62mph sprint takes 8.3sec, but it feels a good deal quicker. And that big mid-range punch delivers a relaxed, low-revving performance; it's happy to chug around if you're in no hurry. Combined fuel consumption is a wallet-friendly 49.6mpg and the 320d is Euro IV compliant, good news for company car drivers. The less powerful version of the 2.0-litre diesel, the 318d, feels a little strained. It's significantly slower and barely more economical, although it is an insurance group (or two, depending on spec) lower.
Whatever the engine, the six-speed manual gearbox is sweet and precise in its shift action, as you'd expect from a 3-Series. The surprise is how good the automatic is, whether you treat it as a full self-shifter or choose to make changes yourself. You won't beat the software's speed, but you may well prefer the feeling of being thoroughly engaged with the car.
