Is the 3 Series a formidable contender to best entry-level exec sedan?

Many people aspire to owning a compact executive sedan – the BMW 3 Series is one of the world’s favourite want-to-own-one cars.

The increased sophistication means the 3 Series has grown in size and budget through the years, and though still being an extremely good seller, a mid-range 3 Series model is out of reach of many people’s money.

How refreshing to then get into a BMW 316i.  A pure and simple 3 Series, the way things used to be.  3 and more generations of 3 Series ago the 316i became known as the entry-level car, and 2 generations ago the 318i was entry-level, followed by the previous 3 Series which started at 320i.  So now its back to basics – yes, the 316i is what its badge says on the back – a 1.6-litre… but this time with BMW TwinPower Turbo (single turbo with effectiveness of twin turbo).  The 316i engine manages 100kW, which may seem low (i.e. they could possibly have increased that) but it is an economical engine, achieving peak power at an unstrained 4 350 r/min – that’s as low as some diesel engines.  Important and useful in daily driving is its 220Nm, right at the bottom from just 1 350 r/min.  The 2.0 turbo of the 320i does 135 at 5 000 and 270 at 1 250.
 
Appreciably all the crucial under-the-skin safety technology, BMW driving joy and tempered-in German engineering quality stays put, built right here in Rosslyn, South Africa, for local shoppers and exported to many worldwide markets such as USA, Canada (yes, we build left-hand drive 3 Series in SA) and Japan, China and Singapore.

How refreshing to drive a 3 Series without a bewildering list of options, no equipment “Line” or option packs fitted, and not an M badge in sight – this allows one to feel the car for what it is, without being side-tracked by high-tech features or visual add-ons. 

The car driven had the plain seats, trimmed in Leathertec (synthetic leather-look which seems durable) which was, at first, flat and hard to sit on, but likely only because of contrasting it to the usual comfort or sports seats – on a highway journey and around town to airport and meetings it was very comfortable.  The ride was smoothed out by standard 16-inch tyres, which also brought out the superb suspension, achieving a brilliant balance between compliance and solidity.

While the manual 6-speed (standard on all local 4-cylinder 3 Series) is cheaper, 18 grand extra is worth it for the 8-speed Steptronic automatic, being so exceptionally smooth and responsive – no paddles required.  Other benefits are the automatic’s snap-a-gap acceleration which is more instant than having to change a gear in a manual, while on the highway the revs drop in 8th gear to just over a relaxed 2 000 r/min at 120km/h – the engine is quiet and frugal here, and it is a joyful feeling to be going at speed using so few revs, and so little fuel.  The 1.6 turbo is more than capable, and surprisingly brisk. 

Rather than default rental-car white, the 316i looked the upmarket part in its Sparkling Bronze paint shield.  Telling it apart from a 320i or 320d is not easy:  the same wheels and single exhaust, with only some features deleted to help achieve its price of R 389k for manual or R408k for auto, saving R 37 500 against a base 320i.  Referencing the BMW price list table, these items become options:  autodim interior mirror (worth the R 1 800 option), rain sensor and auto lights control (a must-have at only R 1 400 for the combo), the aforementioned Leathertec instead of genuine leather (a R 10 900 option), cruise control at R 3 200, and the climate control of R 6 600 swapped for standard air-conditioning. 

Considering the 316i is bought for affordability, be aware of the price list’s temptation to tick the boxes – remember this car, due to its deleted spec, has even more options than the 320i.  So keep it simple by avoiding the Modern, Sport or M Sport packs.  High-tech stuff like head-up display (R 14 700), adaptive headlights at R 15 050 or electric seat adjustment – really, you don’t need it in a 316i.  The only concessions would be the get the auto-dimming mirror and rain/lights sensor, maybe cruise control, and a smart metallic paint for R 2 200.

The BMW 316i competes primarily against the ageing Audi A4 (on market since 2008) in base 1.8T S (weaker at 88kW, and manual only).  New competition is the just-launched Mercedes-Benz C180 at R417k manual or R435k for automatic. 

Realising the dream of owning a compact executive sedan (remember BMW created it) has become more attainable with the 316i.  The 3 Series sedan is still fresh in its design, while the engine and gearbox with all the BMW clever bits (and only slightly lower spec) makes this a formidable contender for best entry-level exec sedan.