3 Series (F30) BMW 3-Series (F30) First Drives/Tests Thread

[Merc1]

I have to go with what Klier is saying. Just something of an updated look of the 5er, but doesn't date the 5er.

M

 

[SKY]

The 3er looks perfect, but so does the 5er. The design has evolved but both are equally fantastic looking cars.

BTW, I´ll be driving a Sophisto Grey 535i in 10-12 months.

 

[Soup]

IL Track Tested: BMW 328i, Six vs. Four

As we all know by now, BMW is just about through with six-cylinder power in its base models. Fuel economy regulations have wrestled the time-honored inline-6 out of the BMW 3 Series engine bay and, in its place, now sits a four-cylinder.

Thankfully, this new four-banger leaves nothing to complain about other than cylinder count. Thanks to turbocharging (a rather effective replacement for displacement) the 2.0-liter I4 makes 240 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque compared with 230/200 from the old 3.0-liter. When we dyno'd the new 2.0 it made 240 horsepower and 257 pound-feet of torque -- at the wheels. What does this translate to on the track?

Vehicle: 2012 BMW 328i

Odometer: 2,141
Date: 2/8/2012
Driver: Josh Jacquot
Price:$50,745


Specifications:
Drive Type: Front engine, rear-wheel drive
Transmission Type: Six-speed manual
Engine Type: Turbocharged, direct-injection inline-4
Displacement (cc/cu-in): 1,997/122
Redline (rpm): 7,000
Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 240 @ 5,000
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 255 @ 1,250 - 4,800
Brake Type (front): Ventilated discs with single-piston sliding calipers
Brake Type (rear): Ventilated discs with single-piston sliding calipers
Suspension Type(front): Independent MacPherson Strut with dual lower ball joints, coil springs, stabilizer bar
Suspension Type (rear): Independent multilink, coil springs, stabilizer bar
Tire Size (front): 225/45R18 (91V)
Tire Size (rear): 225/45R18 (91V)
Tire Brand: Goodyear
Tire Model: Efficient Grip
Tire Type: Asymmetrical, run-flat, low-rolling-resistance summer
As tested Curb Weight (lb): 3,427


Test Results:

Acceleration
0-30 (sec): 2.1 (2.7 w/ TC on)
0-45 (sec): 3.9 (4.8 w/ TC on)
0-60 (sec): 5.9 (6.7 w/ TC on)
0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): 5.5 (6.3 w/ TC on)
0-75 (sec): 8.6 (9.5 w/ TC on)
1/4-Mile (sec @ mph): 14.1 @ 98.9 ( 14.1 @ 97.8 w/ TC on)

Braking:
30-0 (ft): 28
60-0 (ft): 115

Handling
Slalom (mph): 67.1 ( 66.7 w/TC off)
Skid Pad Lateral acceleration (g): 0.88 ( 0.86 w/TC on)

Db @ Idle: 41.6
Db @ Full Throttle: 73.9
Db @ 70 mph Cruise: 65.6

Comments:

Acceleration: Rev-limited to 3,800 rpm with ESC on. No limit (besides redline) with it off. Seems relatively indifferent to launch technique. Only a few hundredths separate clutch dump from careful modulation by 60 mph. Shifter is less likable when rushed in this environment. Engine is done at 6,500.

Braking: Confident pedal every stop but fade (+/- 6 feet) is present. Not the best braking in the segment.

Handling:

Skid pad: Heavy steering with quite good communication at the limit. More body roll than expected makes sensing grip limits more difficult. Still, good balance. Adjustable, but slower to respond than I'd prefer.

Slalom: Ample body roll makes quick transitions feel awkward. Even so, limits are reasonably well defined. Excellent ESC produces quickest slalom time by 0.04 second.

Vehicle: 2010 BMW 328i
Odometer: 996
Date: 5/25/2010
Driver: Chris Walton
Price: $35,575

Specifications:
Drive Type: Rear-wheel drive
Transmission Type: Six-speed manual
Engine Type: Inline-6
Displacement (cc/cu-in): 2,996/183
Redline (rpm): 7,000
Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 230 @ 6,500
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 200 @ 2,750
Brake Type (front): Ventilated disc
Brake Type (rear): Ventilated disc
Steering System: Speed-proportional power steering
Suspension Type (front): MacPherson strut
Suspension Type (rear): Multilink
Tire Size (front): 225/45R17
Tire Size (rear): 225/45R17
Tire Brand: Continental
Tire Model: ContiProContact SSR RSC
Tire Type: All-season
Wheel Size: 17-by-7 inches front and rear
Wheel Material (front/rear): Alloy
As Tested Curb Weight (lb): 3,314

Test Results:
0 - 30 (sec): 2.3
0 - 45 (sec): 4.2
0 - 60 (sec): 6.4
0 - 60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): 6.0
0 - 75 (sec): 9.5
1/4 Mile (sec @ mph): 14.7 @ 94.8

30 - 0 (ft): 30
60 - 0 (ft): 126

Braking Rating: Average
Slalom (mph): 65.0
Skid Pad Lateral Acceleration (g): 0.84

Db @ Idle: 43.8
Db @ Full Throttle: 70.2
Db @ 70 mph Cruise: 64.5

Acceleration Comments: About a half second was gained with a wheel-spinning launch. The shifter is happy to be slammed, and there is some sort of spark/retard or electronic shift smoothing that utterly eliminates shift shock at redline (or even below). Seems to make most of its power up high in the rev range.

Braking Comments: Consistently average distances with virtually zero fade or loss of pedal feel. Very little dive under hard braking.

Handling Comments:

Slalom: With ESP off, this is a perfect teaching instrument for rear-wheel-drive dynamics -- every driver input has an immediate, predictable and appropriate outcome. Not the fastest sedan ever through the cones, but one of the best in terms of feel and setup.

Skid pad: Moderate understeer and good response to the throttle means the steering wheel doesn't move one bit all the way around the circle. While the ultimate figure is not world-class, everything about the way the steering felt during the test was exceptional.

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[tristatez28lt1]

Automobilemag's dyno Test


Here we go again: a new engine in a new 3-series, and just like last time, the Internet blows up with rumors that the Bavarians have underrated the power output. As always, there's only one way to find out, so we strapped our 2012 BMW 328i onto a DynoJet dynamometer and measured what happened.
Long story short, the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder put down 222 hp and 245 lb-ft of torque. [It is rated at 240 hp and 260 lb-ft at the crank.] More important than the peak numbers is, of course, the shape of the curve. And here, the N20 does exactly what we expected: it makes a plateau of torque across the low and middle rpm ranges, and then it tapers off as the turbo's airflow capacity nears.

Are the numbers high? Well yeah -- this is a lot of power for a four-cylinder, especially one with minimal turbo lag. But did BMW underrate this engine at 240 hp? Nah, we don't think so: this number is a little higher than you'd normally expect, but we're guessing that BMW used the 240-hp number as a kind of "worst case scenario" meaning that's the minimum power you can expect in hot conditions.
[For the record, as you can see from the chart below, the N20 puts out 92.5% of peak horsepower to the wheels--similar to both the N54 and N55 six-cylinders. Remember also from our previous dyno articles that we've always published a very conservative result for these engines: early N54s would occasionally put closer to 290 hp to the wheels (and well over 300 lb-ft of torque.) Those engines were a bit stronger than the new single-turbo N55, even though even that engine also put down over 300 lb-ft to the wheels.]
Another interesting engine to compare the N20 to is the normally aspirated straight-six it replaces. In 2007, we took an E85-chassis Z4 3.0si to the dyno. That car used one of the most powerful versions of the N52B30 3.0-liter straight six, rated at 255 hp and 225 lb-ft of torque. (The "28i" version of the N52 was rated at 230 hp and 200 lb-ft. Technically, the N20 replaces this engine, but it's safe to say that the turbo four clobbers that variant in its output.)
The N52 six put down 231 hp, beating the turbo N20 by 9 horsepower. That's well within the noise of the two engine's 15-hp rating spread. The story is similar for peak torque: the Z4 put down 211 lb-ft, or 93.7% of its rated value. The N20's 245 lb-ft dyno result is similar at 94.2%.

We wouldn't use the term "underrated" to describe the N20, just as we wouldn't use the term for the N55, either. We prefer to describe its output as "generous."
More importantly, I've personally spent 2000 miles behind the wheel of the 2012 BMW 328i, and I'm going to quietly take the crown from Volkswagen's EA888 "2.0T" four-cylinder and crown the N20 as the best turbocharged four-cylinder on the market. It clearly makes its advertised horsepower, and I've found that it easily matches its EPA fuel economy numbers. It's smooth, it's quiet, it's responsive, and turbo lag is minimal. Bravo to BMW for an engine that's nothing short of brilliant. As to its qualities as base engine for those non-hardcore buyers who aren't looking for that distinctive straight-six experience, it's definitely underrated.

 

[Monteverdi]

2012 BMW 328i Sedan (Luxury, Modern & Sport Lines) Start Up, Exhaust, and In Depth Review by saabkyle04:

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[DeDe]

335i (8-speed automatic) acceleration by AMS:

0-100 km/h: 5,1 s (claim: 5,5 s)
0-160 km/h: 12,2 s
0-200 km/h: 20,4 s (1,5-2 seconds quicker than the previous 335i with 6-speed-auto)

 

[Human]

Impressive vid from IL, evokes that feeling of getting into a/your Beemer and drive!

Thanks, Soup

 

[-=Hot|Ice=-]

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[Cashmere]

why do American car commercials always feel the need to dub generic engine notes?

 

[Soup]

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[Human]

[video=youtube;Idqp9nZyojI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Idqp9nZyojI[/media]

They have a warning in this video:

"Do not attempt, professional driver."

If you purchase a BMW for the sake of driving or in other words, The Ultimate Driving Machine that's how you're suppose to drive!

Heck, I take the long way around from Bethlehem my hometown to Clarens (tourism driven town where Martinbo and myself met-up). I can take the short 40km road, but rather go Bethlehem- Fouriesburg - Clarens (80 KM detour) it's the best driving road with long sweeping and tight corners with smoothness and grip. At a good average 220km/h my X6 M is composed and at it's most enjoyable through those long sweeps, without taking your foot of the gas. Honestly after some practice I now just put the cruise control on 220km/h and ride it through the pass with the long sweeping corners, did it yesterday (Sunday afternoon)....when man and machine becomes one

 

[martinbo]

Jeepers, Naas! 220 km/h is just too fast my friend. It's fine when nothing goes wrong. But what if the smallest thing happens? Even the mighty X6M can defy the laws of physics somewhat but it can't overcome them.

The world needs to keep people like you - not lose them. Please be safe.

I'm not going to sanctimoniously denounce exceeding the speed limit (let he who is without sin cast the first stone) in any car - even ones as dynamically safe as the F30 and X6M - but with big speeds comes big risks. The higher the speed, the smaller the thing that causes a a catastrophe needs to be. I know that road - it's epic - I took a pic of my old Forrie on it which you can see in this thread (recognise the area? )
[ http://www.germancarforum.com/my-car-owner-galleries/42901-my-trip-down-memory-lane-subaru-ownership.html ]
but heck, taking those sweeps at 220 km/h!

Two things: wow, that X6M has massive grip(!) and if you happen to leave the road at that speed because you swerved for some twat overtaking on a blind rise, well then, I don't want to even consider the consequences!

The problem with cars as capable and competent as the F30 is that you become more exposed to the risks posed by other foolish, ambivilent drivers' behaviour. Doing 200+ km/h in a 335i is a doddle - I can assure y'all - time and distance however become your enemies, regardless of what car you drive.

 

[Human]

^.
Thanks M, every word is more than true and I (being brought up in a typical SA household + strict father) also being the oldest brother of three had the "be responsible drill" from the earliest age. Whether it's a Superbike or car or even a horse if you disrespect the driving tool or ol'Newtons laws you play on the undertakers doorstep. Also bad and slow drivers and farming equipment plays equal danger. And I am the last one to be responsible for another persons injury or death.

That said, the local dealer has a breakfast-run for the BMW Motorad guys and a few ///M-drivers. A certain Johan who is the owner of the panel beater shop (also BMW ARC for the Free State Province) and his M3, a guy from Kestell with his M6 and myself join this run @ speed that I indicated in a 'pre-checked\driven' road. The local dealer principal and two of his staff keep a few km's in front scanning the road. Still not perfectly safe but they do communicate possible danger to us and the bikers. That was the case yesterday and I won't say that I haven't done it on my own once or twice, just slower at certain areas and with caution.

Why I mention Johan, is that we had the M driver training together and frankly of the M cars its just the sh!t, the car simply rules the fun factor!

The X6's grip levels is just beyond believe.

 

[Zafiro]

LOL, I was doing 160-200km/h with BMW 328i F30 two days ago and with winter tyres

 

[Zafiro]

0-60mph - 4.7 sec
1/4 mile - 13.3 sec @ 103.9 mph
60-0 - 109 ft
Lateral accel: .90g

2012 BMW 335i First Test - Motor Trend

 

[Human]

My Review: Local Launch/Introduction BMW F30 3er

South-Africa, Saturday 2012/03/17

Given prior notice and an invitation via e-mail from the local BMW dealer to the local launch of the BMW F30 3-Series to the public, Saturday March the 17th could not come soon enough.
On arrival Saturday morning the wife and myself were greeted with friendly faces and enthusiasm from the friendly staff. With the wife working for the local newspaper which in turn is part of the National Media Conglomerate and me being a customer to the brand, it was like a homecoming. We both know the staff and management of the local dealer through dealings and advertisement.
The local launch theme is "3 - The Measurement of Performance" and we were given name tags, hung around the neck like a medal and written on the blue lanyard the words: “Ready. Set. Enjoy!”
Two model variants were available for test driving, a white 320d in Modern Line and a 328i in Luxury Line, both with 8 Speed Automatic Transmissions and paddle shift.

Design
My first impression after doing the walk-around was one of familiarity. The side view is instantly recognizable and reminiscent of the outgoing E90; in short the new F30 is an evolution in design. The rear echoes that of the F10 BMW 5 Series and the front-end treatment is fresh, very sporty, dynamic and certainly shouts: “That Powerful Presence so Characteristic of a BMW.” Certainly good looking, sleek with short overhangs and a menacing stance if you look it "right in the eyes" or, rather, beautiful new headlights.

Interior
Now me being me (ol' OCD himself) this is where the car will make it or break it for me in terms of its Premium credentials and price tag. Having done my proverbial scratch, feel, touch, lick and flick test on every part of visible and every part not visible of the interior materials, I can sum it up in short. The "good" or premium materials that lift the cabin ambience and perceived quality are better than those of the previous generation E90. The harder plastics left and right of the centre console and handbrake area is of poorer quality than the E90. That said, it is well hidden, although me being me finds it rather worrying. As with Audi’s A6 & A7 that have the same problem in that area, those particular plastics have to have a better quality feel. As for the switchgear, steering wheel, seats, seating/driving position and legroom: pure BMW-perfect ergonomics and the F30 makes the driver feel right at home. Nothing new or unfamiliar, just perfect. The cabin is roomier, without alienating the ‘cockpit’ feel from the driver’s seat.

Driving
First honours went to the 320d. For this initial drive I will just compare the engine and gearbox to that of my X1’s 23d’s Twin Turbo unit. With better noise insulation, the engine runs more quietly than that in the X1 and, with the F30 3er being lighter, the 320d left nothing to be desired in terms of power. Turbo lag or the lack thereof impresses whilst it’s the 8 Speed Auto one can really make a fuss about. Its simply a phenomenal gearbox, seamless, lightning quick up and downshifts in either auto mode or through the steering-mounted paddles.

I was lucky enough to jump right from the 320d into the 328i. After taking my seat behind the wheel and adjusting my seating and driving position to perfectly suit me, I told my passengers to do the same and to try and relax. I was determined to drive this car in all its modes and patterns. To take it all in and drive it like a BMW should be driven. None of the test cars had the optional M Adaptive suspension. I set off and what a surprise! The TwinPower 2.0 litre, 4 cylinder engine is very refined; instantly the 180 kW and 350 Nm of torque mated to the phenomenal 8 speed auto puts a smile on your face. Again, the gearbox make me realise that for the first time paddle shifters actually make sense to me. Man, the up and downshifts are immediate, seamless and do what you want and expect. Say you're in 6th gear @ 5500 rpm and you downshift two gears up by just pulling the left hand (-) paddle twice as fast as you can... it will drop two gears instantly with the tacho needle now @ 7000 rpm. This works best in Sport+ mode, with the gear selector in S (Sport). I can rave all day long about the gearbox; it’s a pure damn joy! The engine feels naturally aspirated - I cannot give it higher praise. It revs up as quickly as any NA engine and pulls like a steam train with the additional turbocharging and wide torque band. In Comfort mode things become a little bit more relaxed, yet still dynamic. In Eco Pro mode, everything changes. The throttle becomes less responsive, so much so that I guess it’s as if you're driving a 320i NA E90 3er. This will be the engine of choice in my opinion, since the 335i may just be too expensive.

Ride
Now get this: can a BMW of this size and nature ride this well or maybe even too well? Have you driven a BMW F10 5er lately? The F30’s primary and secondary ride is on par with that of the F10. Yes, it is! So much comfort over any surface is nearly, how shall I put it… unsettling! See, we enthusiasts expect handling and dynamic driving to be coupled with a ‘hard’ ride, or at least I do. The initial drive comfort is so good that your brain tells you that this Beemer has lost its dynamic ability. To my relief, when pushed hard through the corners, the opposite is true - the car handles fantastically! As dynamic as ever, with at least a plus 50% gain in ride comfort over the E90 3er.

After I got back, the local dealer principal and myself had a discussion about the ride. He mentioned that if Audi and Mercedes-Benz decides to use Run Flat tire technology going forward they have a disadvantage. With tires being the primary damper in the world of suspension engineering and Run Flats being the culprit in harsh ride, it just shows how far BMW has come in chassis and damping engineering. Run Flats just do not influence the primary ride anymore. Well done BMW!
The car is all round excellent with the only negative being the electric power steering. I am not used to it and I guess I/we should give as much feedback to the manufacturers, suppliers and engineers about this system. I suppose it can be better engineered going forward. Comparing it to the conventional hydraulically assisted system, simply put, shows it to be dull, uncommunicative and very un-BMW like. Especially when going in a straight line the steering feels dead in your hands. The feedback through corners and when pushing hard is also a bit too disconnected from what I am used to. Efficient Dynamics and the pressure on OEM’s to achieve low CO2 emission goals dictates the use of this technology, yet in my opinion it can be improved on.

Verdict
Home run! The ICON retains its title in this segment. Praise to BMW and a simple "thank you" would be in order. I am impressed and proud of the brand - the brand I drive and have come to love.
On the downside: PRICE. Being built locally at BMW's Plant Rosslyn immediately gives us locals the advantage of dodging import tax and duties, yet the F30 is R 30,000.00 to R 40,000.00 more expensive than the E90 it replaces. And, again, the new electronic power steering is a compromise.

Naas’ top tip
If it's space, practicality, comfort you're after and if you’re the connoisseur where the best materials and perceived quality makes your boat float without compromise, the F10 BMW 520d with M-Sportpack suddenly seems like a bargain!

Regards,
Naas.

 

[martinbo]

Awesome review Naas! Thanks for the insight and photos too...

I was speaking to one of the BMW instructors over the weekend at Gerotek, where they'd been launching the F30 to dealers, media and customers over the last 3 weeks. Full of praise of the F30 - he said that dynamically the car definitely is a solid step up from the E90. That said, I'm very interested to read what you've said about the electric power steering. I need to test drive this car for myself.

When it comes to interior quality judgement - you are my standard bearer, so once again, thanks for sharing. I can't wait to check the F30 out good 'n proper now.

Regards,
Martin

P.S. Karma.

 

[klier]

Great write up Naas! A joy to read.

 

[martinbo]

The best car in the (real) world

17 March 2012

So the new BMW 3-series (specifically, the 320d Sport) is the Autocar road testers’ idea of a five-star car.

Five stars is a very big deal around here. It’s the highest accolade our we-drive-everything testers can bestow on a car, and they are extremely careful not to spray it about. The last five-star verdict went to the Ferrari 458 Italia in 2010. Which suggests a comparison featuring the new BMW 320d Sport and three similarly priced rivals might be a bit of an anti-climax. How can a car with a near-perfect score fail to administer a brisk coup de grâce to anything else at the price?

Well, easily, we believe. It’s a matter of priorities and emphases. The 320d may be the best and most economical diesel sports saloon going, but who’s to say the £30,000 buyer might not turn up a faster, roomier, better-equipped proposition that’s more appealing on the eye and better value for money? No reason at all, we reckon. So as a means of showing just how diverse is the selection available to the buyer of practical cars with £30,000 to spend we assembled some proven favourites to give the 320d Sport the toughest possible test.

Image meets reality

Premium cars are always vulnerable on price, because a hefty component of the bottom line is ‘image’, a mixture of heritage, reputation and expectation – not metal, rubber and glass. So how could we give the BMW a hard time on that score?

How about matching it with a top-end, £25,000 Volkswagen Golf GTD? It’s a more mainstream car, with a near-identical power-to-weight ratio, whose quality standards are just as good. Its £5000 lower price would also theoretically allow its buyer to invest in extra kit. Its 40cm shorter overall length should give it an agility advantage, too.

For those with a serious metal-for-the-money fetish, we added another mainstreamer of proven ability and character: the Skoda Superb 2.0 TDI Elegance estate. It costs £26,015 before gadgets, because big Skodas are even less ‘premium’ than VWs, they include much more hardware. Our Superb has a paddle-shift gearbox – plus the highest-output 168bhp diesel and an elegant suite of leather upholstery, colour touchscreen sat-nav, tyre pressure monitors and glass roof. Despite being 20cm longer than the 3-series and 40cm longer than the Golf, it weighs less than 10kg more than the 320d, so its performance figures (137mph flat out, 8.9sec for the 0-60mph) aren’t far behind the rest of the cars tested here.

One of the most sought-after cars of the moment, a new Range Rover Evoque, is here because it’s good competition for the BMW on the grounds of desirability. Its eye-popping styling and high seating make it completely different from a four-door saloon. Our budget allowed us a £27,955 two-wheel-drive eD4 Pure version, with the lower-power 148bhp, 2.2-litre diesel as standard and a five-speed gearbox. Still, this much-praised machine would surely rival the 3-series for luxury, impact, eye appeal and desirability.

Last, for those seeking a bit more car at the BMW’s premium – and taking account that the 3-series has grown by a surprising 93mm – we added a Mercedes E-class, specifically a E220 CDI BlueEfficiency SE auto, a car of equal power to the BMW. At £32,515, it doesn’t quite conform to our sub-£30k criteria, but could do if you opted for a lower-power 134bhp E200 model, or denied yourself the excellent seven-speed auto, or opted for a standard SE, or any combination of these. Then you’d have a vastly roomy, quality-built limo with a reputation (arguably) even ahead of BMW’s.

We departed London on a crisp and sunny winter morning, heading for one of our favourite haunts on the Marlborough Downs. Here was the world’s best rear-drive, four-door sports saloon matched against a compact limo, a top-class diesel hatchback, a vast but capable estate and a star-car SUV, all of them around £30,000. From my initial vantage point in the 320d I had absolutely no idea how things were going pan out by the time we’d done 80 miles on motorways, grappled with rutted and pock-marked B-roads, forged country lanes barely a car’s width wide, attacked a selection of corners and brought it back home by dawdling through town.

Behind the wheel

One thing I quickly learned was that I’d developed a dislike for the BMW’s fascia – the bit of a car you spend most time looking at. Apart from lacking brightwork in favour of dull, foil-like accents, the BMW is hamstrung by a simplified iDrive system that, good idea that it is, doesn’t deliver ease of use. Chuck in a lack of logic to its architecture and you get a car whose most important cabin components (excellent sports seats aside) are poor.

The Mercedes also has some quixotic controls, not least its traditional single column stalk for all major functions. Its better use of brightwork, more logical dash and sharp styling give it an advantage over the BMW at £30,000. The drawback is an old-mannish quality Mercedes has always fought. The Skoda’s interior and cabin design is best described as ‘honest’. It sets no new standards and impresses no critics, but it is simple to understand and works very well.

The big winner here is the Evoque. Its combination of high seating, excellent visibility, high and wide centre console and intuitive instrument layout makes you wonder why others find designing such things so hard. For all its emphasis on front comfort and fascia design, the Evoque is quite roomy in the rear.

We pause for a moment to evaluate exterior styling, a near-impossible task with such a motley bunch. The Golf, nice though it is, is merely a Golf. The Superb is one of those laudable cars you rarely notice. The Benz is well dressed, but its size makes it stodgy. So the eye appeal contest is between the low-and-potent 3-series and the ‘slammed SUV’ look of the Evoque. The latter wins.

Comfort and speed

At the dawn of time, the badge ‘320d’ was the ultimate in sensible shoes, a car you chose because (a) it had been chosen for you by some heartless fleet manager, (b) you couldn’t afford better or (c) you just didn’t care much about driving. Today’s 320d is perhaps the best example going of how car makers have lifted their game. It is a 146mph car that can accelerate from 0-60mph in a GTI-crushing 7.5sec, yet return 61.4mpg on the government’s flawed but universal combined cycle and cover at least 550 miles on one tank of fuel. Next time you’re looking for an example to show just how much the world’s car makers have achieved in 10 years, choose this.

Throw in a beautifully balanced chassis that you control through one of God’s greatest steering systems from a near-perfect low and central driving position, and you have a truly terrific car. Shame about the interior, although at least that extra 93mm of length gives slightly improved rear room. Ride comfort is superb, too. The Sport set-up gives you a day-to-day choice of a compliant Comfort setting (occasionally slightly too bouncy) and a still-compliant Sport setting that controls the body perfectly. It’s the only one here with variable ride at this price.

Yet the others are good against the BMW. The Benz feels as fast, but isn’t quite, which is understandable because it’s bigger and roomier. It is still a swift machine on give-and-take roads, not least because the seven-speed auto (a Merc ‘must’) makes its performance accessible at all speeds. It can also turn 50mpg with the right kind of treatment – quite an achievement for such a big car. It rides beautifully, as befits a limo. Its steering is faithful and entirely uncorrupted, although it feels ponderous against the BMW (Mercedes owners seem to like it that way). Its only real Achilles heel is a somewhat tractorish engine, whose vibrations are noticeable through floor and pedals.

The Superb is the revelation, as these fine machines always seem to be on test. It is pretty big, and feels it, but there’s plenty of accessible performance and the six-speed DSG gearbox, which is our transmission of choice, delivers driving ease and smoothness. You can hustle a Superb wagon along, if you must, but it’s more for brisk, relaxed cruising with happy passengers on board and a huge amount of luggage in the back. In that condition, it still rides flat because the wheelbase is long, and the suspension is compliant because Czech roads are (occasionally) as bad as ours. Cornering grip is there if you need it, and the steering reaches the VW Group’s high standard, but this is an essentially conventional car.

Even against the BMW, the Golf GTD is great fun. It’s a diesel GTI, and VW knows plenty about making a success of that genre. Agility is this car’s thing against the rest, plus the fail-safe simplicity of front-wheel drive – especially since it’s accompanied by the ride sophistication of a sporty Golf, and all the quality. It’s a bit of a surprise, though, to see that it’s a bit slower than the BMW, and barely faster than the Benz. Given that VW is supposed to be positioned in Ford territory, it’s difficult to see quite where all the money has gone. Our test car cost £27,640 without many options. Seems a lot for a Golf diesel.

On the road, the Evoque follows a phenomenon that has grown familiar for Range Rovers over the years. They tend to be driven with an imperiousness suggesting they’re faster than they actually are. The eD4 had the least power, weighed most and had the largest frontal area. It was always going to be slowest. But it has a lovely, panoramic driving position and it rides beautifully (although we’d have knocked off a bit of surface noise by choosing 18in wheels, not the test car’s 19s). The mid-range torque matches that of the others, the ultra-high-geared (just 2.3 turns lock to lock) steering is perfectly weighted and accurate, and the manual gearbox has short throws and narrow gaps across the gate. The Evoque is very wide, and initially you feel odd in a vehicle like this without four-wheel drive (which adds 150kg), but it’s great fun to be in and has the virtue of being very different.

And the winner is…

Boiled down, this is a contest between the Evoque and the BMW 320d. For me, the Golf and Superb are cheaper cars; you can buy desirable versions of both for less money. The Mercedes is a fine car, but it simply lacks glamour and driver appeal in this company. From there, it’s blind prejudice. There’s excitement attached to being in, let alone owning, a Range Rover Evoque. But the keen driver will always choose the BMW 320d. It isn’t merely the latest generation of a much-loved model, but the ultimate expression of automotive progress. Until recently, it was not possible to associate such performance and desirability with such practicality. Now it is.

Steve Cropley

Source: The best car in the (real) world - Autocar.co.uk

Another sterling result for the seemingly unstoppable F30 (particularly in 320d guise).

 

[Sayyaaf]

Nice lovely review Naas. I love the way you describe the details I would be looking for in a car. I hope you enjoy your M3 when it comes.