The 3 expands to fit three or more
Not too long ago, if you walked into a BMW showroom and
wanted an entry-level family car, your choice was a 3 Series, either sedan or
wagon. Today, you have your choice of a sedan, a wagon, and now the GT. But
that's not all. You also have the X3, and, if you can wait, the 4 Series Gran
Coupe is coming. Every car listed above is based on the same platform and components,
just organized in a slightly different way.
The 328i GT xDrive
is powered by almost the same 241-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 found in the
328 sedan and wagon
The 328i GT xDrive is powered by almost the same 241-hp,
2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 found in the 328 sedan and wagon, as well as the
428, X1, X3, 528, and even the Z4. The only available transmission in the GT is
an eight-speed automatic connected to an all-wheel-drive system. Our test car
weighed in at 3959 pounds, making it roughly 200 pounds lighter than an X3
xDrive28i we recently tested, but about 500 pounds heavier than the last
rear-drive 328i sedan we weighed. More interesting than the total number on the
scales is how that weight is spread out. The X3 and 328 sedan both had 50/50 weight
distribution, while the GT has a slight rear bias at 48.52. All that glass and
the hatch really add up.
So what's the point of the GT? The front seats get the extra
headroom necessary to get into a driving position usually associated with an
SUV. The driver's seat seems to have more adjustability than the passenger's,
and I was still able to drop it down to what felt like the same height as a
sedan.
The front seats
get the extra headroom necessary to get into a driving position usually
associated with an SUV
The back seat, however, is the real trick. The GT has the
headroom of a 5 Series and the legroom of a 7 Series. Every time I drive a
regular 3 Series, I'm felt thinking it just isn't quite big enough to meet my
needs. Even though I'm tempted by the 328 wagon - with a diesel no less - I
don't think I could pull the trigger on a 3, based on the back-seat space
alone. The GT has roughly the same headroom as the more upright X3 but more
legroom, which is even more valuable to someone stuffing a car seat in back.
Plus, I would shy away from the X3 because I require an off-road vehicle about
as often as snowshoes. With its combination of smart space and driving
dynamics, the 3GT would work and work well.
The GT has the
headroom of a 5 Series and the legroom of a 7 Series
