As with Honda, BMW is, at heart, a small-car company – an
ingrained idiosyncrasy that is perhaps the reason it nearly collapsed in the
1950s when it tried to produce a series of expensive, handmade sedans and
coupes. The ensuing boardroom turmoil and threat of takeover by Daimler-Benz is
what allowed Herbert Quandt and his brother Harald to wrest control of the
company in 1959 and steer BMW toward its destiny as the purveyor of small and
boxy ultimate driving machines. It’s the reason that the 3-series has always
been better than the 5 and the 7.
The 3-series has
always been better than the 5 and the 7
From the start, the 1977 BMW E21 3er and its successors have
been built the way common-sense enthusiasts would build their cars. The axle
loads are nearly equal on the trim and tidy rear-drive platform with exactly
enough room to serve practical needs. No inches or pounds are wasted, and
nothing but an inline engine will do. Even as others have yielded to the
temptations of a V-6 or front-drive, with their inherent packaging benefits,
BMW has stuck to its formula.
The Accord became
the standard by which the largest and most competitive class of passenger cars
is judged
As each new 3-series debuted, from E30 to E36, and E46 to
E90, there was never a question of whether there would be a manual transmission
offered, never a doubt that a sport package or an M version would cure whatever
plushness BMW had conceded for wider market acceptance. Unquestionably, BMW
benefited from the floundering of its competitors; Mercedes-Benz answered with
a dynamic also-ran, and then its quality went into a decade-long spiral before
climbing back out, and it took Audi 20 years to recover from unintended
acceleration. The Japanese and American brands were off the radar.
Even people whose car passions flow elsewhere have a
favorite 3-series generation, but we couldn’t develop a consensus in the
office. Was it the elemental E30; the fully flowered, do-it-all E90; or one in
between? At one time the 3-series was half of BMW’s volume in the U.S., but the
best-selling luxury brand in America has lately borne a lot of kittens, and the
lineup is diluted. Even at around 37 percent of BMW’s U.S. sales for the first
nine months of 2013, the 3 remains both a profit fountain for BMW as well as the
ideological center of its brand.
In some ways, the
3-series feels like an expensive Accord, which feels like an economy 3-series
Today, the 3 wears a bull’s-eye on its back as every luxury
maker now takes aim at the fat, lower end of luxury-car segment, which is the
$35,000-$45,000 (or $399-$499/moth) compact sports sedan. The current F30,
which in its initial 320i, 328i, and 335i form, or 428i/435i as per the coupe’s
new designation, is softer than ever and suffers from imperfect electrified
steering.
But it still bears the burdens of its leadership with
understated, everyday excellence. Anchoring to the road with a balletic balance
and a satisfying exactness to its controls, the 3 also delivers the premium
experience – of powertrain isolation, switch feel, and ride quality – expected
of its premium price.
In some ways, the 3-series feels like an expensive Accord,
which feels like an economy 3-series. Which is exactly what has ensured both
such long tenures on our 10Best list.
Technical specs
BMW
3-/4-Series
·
Price: $33,675-$48,925
·
Vehicle type: front-engine; rear- or 4-wheel-drive;
4–5-passenger; 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan, or 5-door wagon
·
Engines: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter
inline-4, 180 hp, 200 lb-ft; turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve
2.0-liter inline-4, 240 or 241 hp, 255 or 258 lb-ft; twin-turbocharged and intercooled
DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter inline-6, 300 or 302 hp, 295 or 300 lb-ft
·
Transmission: 6-speed manual, 8-speed automatic with manual
shifting mode
·
Curb weight: 3,350–3,750 lb
·
EPA City/HWY: 20–24/28–36 mpg
Honda
Accord
·
Price: $22,745-$34,270
·
Vehicle type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger,
2-door coupe or 4-door sedan
·
Engines: DOHC 16-valve 2.4-liter inline-4, 185 or 189 hp, 181
or 182 lb-ft; SOHC 24-valve 3.5-liter V-6, 278 hp, 252 lb-ft
·
Transmission: 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic, continuously
variable automatic
·
Curb weight: 3,250–3,550 lb
·
EPA City/HWY: 18–27/28–36 mpg
