It provides a tremendous mix of handling, ride quality, performance, - 2008 BMW 3-Series Review
1What's new, trim levels, optional equipment, and safety info for the 2008 BMW 3-series.
Introduction
Last year, more than 140,000 people bought a 3-series BMW, making it America’s bestselling luxury vehicle. Yes, that’s right—more than any high-end truck or car from either the Japanese or domestic automakers. And those 140,000-plus people all had extremely good taste, because the 3-series is a wonderful vehicle. BMW sells the convertible version only in rear-wheel-drive form, but the wagon, the sedan, and the coupe are also available with all-wheel drive, designated by an “x” in the model name. The wagon comes only with the naturally aspirated 230-hp, 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine in 328i and 328xi models, whereas all other variants can be ordered with a 300-hp, 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged six, in which case it is designated either 335i or 335xi. Buyers can choose a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. For 2008, BMW reintroduced the super-fast M3 sedan, coupe, and convertible—all powered by a 414-hp, 4.0-liter V-8 mated to a six-speed conventional manual transmission or a new, seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual.
Verdict
The BMW 3-series is a perennial winner of Car and Driver’s 10Best Cars award and has won every comparison test in which it has competed since the E90 series was launched in 2005. Apart from its slightly controversial styling, relatively high price, and infuriating iDrive interface, the 3-series is almost flawless. It is the best to drive in its class—fast, fairly fuel efficient, smooth riding, and roomy.
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What’s New for 2008
The big news is the reintroduction of the top-of-the-line performance model, the M3, in coupe, sedan, and convertible versions. This high-tech autobahn stormer features a 4.0-liter V-8 engine making 414 horsepower, along with all sorts of electronic gizmos. The elegant 3-series convertible, which features a folding hardtop roof, was introduced in 2007 as a 2008 model. On all 3-series models fitted with the optional six-speed automatic transmission, steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters are available with the Sport package. New 16-inch wheels are standard on the 328i and 328xi sedans. The most significant change for the coupe for ’08 is the addition of an all-wheel-drive model, the 335xi, to the lineup. All sedans, coupes, and wagons now have chrome tailpipe tips.
Trim Levels
BMW keeps its model lineup blessedly simple. The 3-series is available in coupe, sedan, wagon, and convertible forms. There are two engine variants for all models except the wagon—and all but the convertible and the M3 are available in all-wheel-drive (x) form. The 328i wagon starts at $34,975, rising to $36,875 for the 328xi. The sedan begins at $33,175 for the 328i, with the 328xi costing $35,075. The two-wheel-drive four-door 335i is $39,675, and the 335xi sedan base price is $41,575.
Among the coupes, the top-of-the-line 335xi costs $43,375, falling to $41,575 for the 335i, $37,875 for the 328xi, and $36,075 for the 328i. The convertible is available only as the 328i and 335i, starting at $43,975 and $49,875, respectively. The M3 comes as a sedan and coupe at $55,875 and $58,575. The new-this-year M3 convertible hasn’t been priced yet. All 3-series models come with free maintenance for four years or 50,000 miles, which helps to offset some of the initial cost
Optional Equipment
BMW typically lets buyers select from many stand-alone options and various packages, which can bump up the cost of a vehicle considerably. There are three main packages: Premium, Sport, and Cold Weather. The Premium package usually includes leather seating, power folding mirrors, four-way power lumbar on the front seats, and—on 328 models—power front seats with memory. It costs from $1550 on 335i convertibles up to $3250 on 328i sedans and wagons.
The coupe’s Sport package includes sport seats, more aggressive 18-inch wheels and tires, and a 150-mph speed limiter. Rear-wheel-drive sedans and wagons add the sport suspension that’s standard on the rear-wheel-drive coupe, as well as a sport steering wheel. Prices range from $400 for the all-wheel-drive coupe’s Sport package to $1700 for the 335i sedan’s. As long as you live in an area with decent roads, the Sport package is definitely worth the extra dough.
The Cold Weather package adds a headlamp cleaning system (standard on the all-wheel-drive models), heated front seats, and a ski bag ($600 to $1000, depending on model).
Stand-alone options include the following: a six-speed automatic transmission with manumatic actuation ($1275, plus $100 for the paddle shifters); the so-called active steering, which doesn’t seem to offer many advantages over the stock arrangement, particularly at a cost of $1400; heated front seats ($500); active cruise control ($2400); navigation, which comes with the iDrive