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 318i comes into tax band C, along with many a much smaller car, thanks to its fuel-efficient engine and Efficient Dynamics technology, including the stop-start system, brake energy regeneration, good aerodynamics and low-energy alternator and other electrical functions. With manual gearbox, it returns 47.9mpg, and emits just 142g/km of carbon dioxide, an excellent result for a relatively large, heavy vehicle.The auto gives 44.1mpg and 152g/km. For company car users, this means the 16% BIK (Benefit in Kind) tax bracket for the manual, 18% for the auto.
BMW servicing can be expensive - but no more so than for any other prestige German manufacturer - and likewise insurance, but all this will be offset at resale time.
Latest Readers' Drives About the BMW 3-Series
wrote on 08 10 2007