Photo: Car Advice
The base model in Australia from BMW when it comes to the 3 Series range is the 316i. Over there, this particular car starts at AUD52,300 but it can easily go above AUD60,000 with all the right optionals ticked.
The engine’s an 1.6-liter 4-cylinder unit that makes 136 HP and 220 Nm of torque and yet the 1,405 kg of the car are never felt as an inconvenience thanks to the brilliant 8-speed ZF gearbox mated to the 4-pot at the front.
The sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) destroys the Audi and Passat competition and the handling is still worthy of being called a benchmark. The problems start if you don’t get the right optionals.
The stock suspension makes the car comfortable but not very agile so you should get the adaptive dampers that are only AUD600. The same story goes for the steering too. If you’re more of a passionate about driving, you should get the variable steering option to make sure you don’t miss out on anything.
The AUD7,000 M Sport package really isn’t worth the money. Sure, the car is nimble but it doesn’t need to look like an M3. For that kind of money, you should get the Harman Kardon audio system, and the Navigation Professional for a bigger display on the dash.
Bottom line, if you kit this model properly, you’ll get a very good deal that can be either sporty of classy, depending on the way you want to look. Read the full test at Car Advice.
The sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) destroys the Audi and Passat competition and the handling is still worthy of being called a benchmark. The problems start if you don’t get the right optionals.
The stock suspension makes the car comfortable but not very agile so you should get the adaptive dampers that are only AUD600. The same story goes for the steering too. If you’re more of a passionate about driving, you should get the variable steering option to make sure you don’t miss out on anything.
The AUD7,000 M Sport package really isn’t worth the money. Sure, the car is nimble but it doesn’t need to look like an M3. For that kind of money, you should get the Harman Kardon audio system, and the Navigation Professional for a bigger display on the dash.
Bottom line, if you kit this model properly, you’ll get a very good deal that can be either sporty of classy, depending on the way you want to look. Read the full test at Car Advice.
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