BMW 320i 2005 review: road test

The new Three is a sweet drive, a little roomier and more comfortable and has more of the sporty spark that always set the early 3-Series apart from rivals and potential challengers.

It is a better drive than the car it replaces and we have become more accepting of the styling from a design school that seemed confronting when BMW first went down the blockhouse line with the 7-Series.

The latest Three has edged ahead of the Mercedes C-Class in our affections, is a little further ahead of the Audi A4 despite the best efforts of the other German prestige carmaker and is well clear of pretenders such as the Saab 9-3 and the Lexus IS, though the Japanese brand is promising something special with the IS250 it will reveal in Australia this year.

But we still find the BMW's cabin a bit bland, the ride a touch firm, it could do with more height in the boot, and we are still frustrated by the iDrive system.

The bottom of bottom lines is $54,600 for a new 320i manual, though there is the 330i if you have more cash to splash and even our automatic 320i was a $67,890 machine by the time it had been down the production line with a few ticks on the optional equipment list.

If that's too tough, then there is always the all-new 1-Series BMW. It comes in for less than $40,000 if you want the badge and the basics of a 118i, but even the coming 130i six-pack is going to be a $60,000-something car in Australia.

But the Three is the Three and that means it is still the No.1 prestige car in its class anywhere in the world.

BMW has spent more than $500 million in revitalising the 3-Series, without changing any of the basics.

Still, there is plenty of hi-tech alloy in the latest four and six-cylinder engines, the braking system and electronic stability controls are even better and the car even has run-flat tyres – though people are complaining about the absence of a spare.

The car is claimed to have impressive acceleration and fuel economy to meet the latest European emission standards and returns very sweet fuel economy.

We drove the 320i and 330i at the Australian press preview in far north Queensland and were keen to get one back on home territory for a thorough test.

ON THE ROAD

The 320i is the baby of the new line-up, which will eventually grow to include a V8-powered M3 master blaster.

For now, it is expected to be the best seller and the basics are impressive.

The new look sets it apart from showroom rivals and tells everyone, even from a distance, that this is the new Three, not just another of the older me-too cars.

But then there is the price – $67,890 for our test car. A lot for a starter car.

Then again, ours came with an automatic gearbox ($2600), electric glass sunroof ($2750), rear park radar ($920), iDrive display and satnav ($3600), metallic paint ($1600) and bi-xenon headlamps with washers ($1820).

From that lot, we would have kept only the auto and the brilliant lights, but we understand why people would pick the other gear.

We were interested in the basics and were quickly won over by the comfortable seats, excellent driving position, meaty sound system and quiet cruising.

The basic chassis seems a little sharper than the outgoing Three and the ride is firmer, making the car feel more sporty, which we like.

We tried a manual and automatic and preferred the six-speed self-shifter. It is easier going in stop-start traffic, and the latest touch-change manual mode is excellent. We spent most of our time in the automatic driving it as a manual.

The engine has only 110kW, but it gets along nicely, though without much zest. It will rev happily and always seems to be pulling well enough, but there isn't much feedback from the engine room.

Still, BMW says it will run to 100km/h in 6.6 seconds and we got an impressive 8.2 litres/100km in pump tests.

BMW has joined other carmakers in fitting a system that kills the engine if you left-foot brake in corners, which is difficult for people who have learned to use both feet for their fun runs. Like us.

We are still unhappy about the run-flat tyres, partly because there is no spare, they are expensive and cannot be repaired and because they hurt the ride.

BMW says we are wrong.

And the opening for the boot is not nearly as large as it could be. It has plenty of space inside, but can be hard to fit taller items.

THE BOTTOM LINE

BMW has done an impressive job in renewing its best seller. It has plenty to like and little to criticise. It is one of those rare machines that is truly enjoyable in stop-start city snarls as well as through tight and twisty roads.