2008 BMW 3 Series

Summary

The much anticipated V-8-powered M3 coupe and new hardtop convertible join an already stellar cast of models that stays mostly unchanged for '08. Adapted from the M5's V-10, the M3's engine peaks at a screaming 8300 rpm; power flows through a 6-sp manual gearbox. Aggressive bodywork is technically distinguished by an aluminum hood and carbon-fiber roof that helps keep the car's weight in check. Can anyone knock the M3 off its throne?

2008 Full Review

The BMW 3 Series comprises a range of sedans, coupes, convertibles and wagons, with different engines, a wide variety of options, and a spread of $35,000 from the bottom to the top of the line. Yet from the least expensive 328i sedan to the ultra-high performance M3 (reviewed separately), all 3 Series cars put an emphasis on one thing: Sporty driving dynamics that appeal to enthusiast drivers.

For 2008, BMW matches its xDrive all-wheel drive system with its 300-horsepower, twin-turbo six-cylinder engine for the first time in the 3 Series, introducing the 335xi sedan and coupe. The 3 Series also offers paddle shifters on the steering wheel with the optional six-speed automatic transmission. And with introduction of the new 1 Series coupe, the 3 Series cars are no longer the smallest in BMW's North American lineup.

All 3 Series models share mechanical components and similarly compact exterior dimensions. The four-door 3 Series sedan is most familiar, and among the most passenger friendly. The Sports Wagon adds substantial cargo space and utility. The two-door 3 Series coupes are the sportiest. The firmer sport suspension, optional with other body styles, comes standard on the coupe, and these are the lightest cars in the line. They seat four, like the convertible, but they'll appeal to those who want sporting capability something like a sports car's but need a reasonable back seat and decent-sized trunk.

Even with the firmest suspension, the ride in all 3 Series models remains reasonably supple. The 3 Series offer gizmos you'd expect in larger, full-on luxury sedans.

Trims and Styling 2008

The 2008 BMW 3 Series includes four-door sedans, wagons, two-door coupes and convertibles in 10 distinct models, not counting the extra- powerful M3s. All the standard 3 Series cars are powered by BMW's familiar inline six-cylinder engine, and all-wheel drive is available. It's really a choice of body style and engine power.

Minimally, all 3 Series cars come with automatic climate and headlight control, a climate-controlled center console, heated windshield washer nozzles, rain-sensing wipers, a power moonroof, 10-speaker AM/FM/CD and BMW's self-braking Dynamic Cruise Control. BMW's six-speed Steptronic automatic ($1,325) is optional on all models.

The rear-wheel-drive, five-passenger BMW 328i sedan ($32,400) is powered by a 230-hp 3.0-liter inline six. The 328xi sedan ($34,600) adds BMW's x-Drive permanent all-wheel drive system, noted by the x-designation on all 3 Series models so equipped.

The 335 models also add features, including power front seats with memory and BMW's Logic 7 audio upgrade.

The 328i Sports Wagon ($34,300) and 328xi Sports Wagon ($36,100) offer more load-carrying potential and versatility than the sedan, with a rear tailgate and rear window that can be opened separately. The 3 Series coupe is available in four versions: 328i ($35,600), 328xi ($37,400), 335i ($41,200) and 335xi ($43,000). The slinky coupe has two doors, a two-place rear seat and a slightly smaller trunk than the sedan, with a firmer, sport-tuned suspension that's optional on other body styles.

The 3 Series Convertible offers a retracting metal hard top that opens and closes with the touch of a button, and either engine: 328i ($43,500) and 335i ($49,500). The convertible seats four, like the coupe, but it's not offered with all-wheel drive.

The Cold Weather Package ($600-$1,000) adds electrically heated seats, high-intensity headlight washers and a split-folding rear seat with ski sack.
The Sport Package ($500-$1,800) includes sporting suspension calibrations tuned by BMW's M performance division for the sedan, wagon and convertible, more heavily bolstered sports seats and a wheel-performance tire upgrade.

BMW's Active Steering system ($1,400) and radar-managed Active Cruise Control ($2,400) are available as stand-alone options on all 3 Series variants, as is a DVD-based navigation system ($2,100). The convertibles add knee airbags that help keep front passengers from sliding under the seat belts.

Active safety features, designed to help the driver avoid collisions, include Dynamic Stability Control and the latest generation antilock brakes. All of the 2008 3 Series models are different. In general, these are the largest 3 Series cars ever. Overall, the 3 Series coupe is a bit longer and lower than the sedan, and not as wide. With standard xenon headlamps, its front light clusters are smaller. In profile or front three-quarter view, the 3 Series Convertible closely resembles the coupe. All feature BMW's adaptive brake lights, which are based on the idea that drivers in the cars following a 3 Series will know when the 3 is braking hard.

Interior Features and Style

There are subtle interior differences in various models across the 3 Series. The cabin takes the best of several ideas first applied in the larger BMW 5 Series and 7 Series models, synthesizes them for a smaller car and improves them in the process. The 3 Series follows BMW's tradition of soft orange backlighting for the instruments. The dashboard has a pronounced horizontal format, with more community and less driver orientation than previous 3 Series cars. The automatic climate control (which comes standard) features separate temperature adjustments for driver and front passenger. Audio controls on the steering wheel work well, once they're mastered.

Rear-seat accommodations are substantially better than in pre-2006 3 Series cars. The 3 Series coupe's trunk is smaller still (11.1 cubic feet), but the split-folding rear seatback is standard (an option on the sedan). The 3 Series convertible offers the least cargo space. For cargo hauling, the Sport Wagon is easily the best choice in the 3 Series line. Cargo volume increases to 24.8 cubic feet, floor to ceiling, behind the rear seat. With the rear seat folded forward, the 3 Series wagon can swallow 60.9 cubic feet of stuff, or more than some small SUVs.

First Drive 2008

Every car in BMW's 3 Series is a fine performer and a technological tour de force. The 3 Series offers rear-wheel drive and manual transmissions in a class increasingly filled with front-wheel drive and automatics. BMW's x-Drive permanent all-wheel-drive system, available in all but the 3 Series Convertible, greatly enhances all-season capability. EPA ratings range from a low of 16 City, 25 Highway for all-wheel-drive 335xi models with the manual transmission to a high of 19/28 for the rear-drive 328i coupe and sedan with the automatic.

In a more aggressive mode of travel, working the gear change frequently to keep the engine near its power peak, the 3 Series manual shifter falls short of the car's overall high standard. Beyond strong engines, every car in the 3 Series is characterized by an excellent balance of ride quality and handling response. The standard steering is light when it should be, at low speeds, with proper resistance and feedback at the higher speeds these cars constantly tempts drivers to explore. The 3 Series suspension layout is borrowed from the larger 5 Series sedan, with double-joint aluminum control arms in front and a five-link fully independent system in the rear. On 3 Series models with Active Steering, the DSC can also help drive the car by making fairly significant steering corrections without driver input, or even driver awareness.

The steering wheel can move ever so slightly in the driver's hands, without regard to any driver input. Some buyers may worry that BMW's firmer Sport suspension, standard in some coupe models, makes the ride too harsh. Braking is excellent in any 3 Series car.

Conclusion

BMW's 3 Series cars are among the sportiest in their class, and also the most laden with leading-edge technology, which presents advantages and disadvantages. The 3 Series sedan and wagon are the most practical. Car and Driver reports "We're happy that the car remains just as delightful in this newest iteration." -- The coupe is the sportiest, and the convertible, the most hedonistic. U.S. News praises the 3 series "There are many worthy competitors in the entry-luxe category these days and it's getting more crowded all the time but the 3 remains at the head of the pack."  All remain class benchmarks for overall performance. Retail prices rise quickly and substantially from the bottom of the 3 Series line, and we'd guess that most buyers will find the least expensive models as useful and enjoyable as the most expensive.