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
The rear-wheel-drive 3-Series continues to head off its opposition with its handling - and you don't need an M3, or the new 330d, to make the most of this chassis. The 318i's 143bhp engine is perfectly adequate: while the 130mph top speed and 0-62mph time of 9.1 seconds (9.9 with the auto gearbox) aren't exceptional, out-and-out acceleration isn't all whole story.
This engine has excellent strength mid-range, with plenty of power in reserve for overtaking and charging off down a motorway, and with its sixth gear ratio, it is impressively quiet and smooth at high speeds. Cut-price entry-level models don't always make for comfortable long-distance cruisers, but this one's no poor relation in the 3-Series family. Let the reps with a limited company car budget rejoice...
For the mundanities of life, the 318i also scores. Unlike some performance-oriented sports saloons, it has an easy clutch action, and its stop-start system cuts the engine and restarts it again almost imperceptibly. It's no hassle to drive in urban traffic, or when making slow progress in motorway tailbacks.
Latest Readers' Drives About the BMW 3-Series
wrote on 08 10 2007