Category: Compact Executive 
Price Range: £49,525 to £54,860
Quick, economical; excellent engine; all the usual 3-Series attributes
Not very roomy in the back; only a minor update for '09
The entry-level 3-Series is no low-rent lead-in model, but a desirable, appealing vehicle in its own right
BMW generally scores well in customer satisfaction surveys, if not at the top of the charts. While the 3-Series hasn't been entirely trouble-free, it scores in the Top 20 of major surveys for reliability, and the engines and technology in these 2009-issue cars has now been thoroughly tried and tested. The stop-start system, for example, is also fitted in the 1-Series and the Mini, and seems to be holding up well. And it's difficult to fault BMW in terms of fit and finish.
Latest Readers' Drives About the BMW 3-Series
wrote on 08 10 2007