2008 BMW 3-Series Sedan
TheCarConnection.com has read some of the best reviews on the new 2008 BMW 3-Series to produce this comprehensive review that covers both the sedan and wagon. TheCarConnection.com's editors have also driven the BMW 3-Series sedan and wagon models and add their impressions to help shoppers distill the information.
Likes
Responsive, smooth, and refined
Firm but absorbent ride
Nice, supportive front seats
Dislikes
Controls not as straightforward as they could be
Wide center console and narrow footwells
Backseat space is still too tight for most
The 2008 BMW 3-Series is BMW's best-selling vehicle line--a series of compact sport sedans, wagons, coupes, and convertibles. The 2008 BMW 3-Series sedan covered in this review comes with one of two different inline six-cylinder engines, with models designated 328 and 335. The 328's engine makes 230 horsepower, while the 335 gets the 300-horsepower, twin-turbocharged version. The 328 is available in rear-wheel-drive 328i or all-wheel-drive 328 xi layouts, but the rear-wheel-drive 335i is the only way to pick up the high-performance engine.
Between the two engines, there's quite a variation--both on paper and in execution--and the 2008 BMW 3-Series has a decidedly different personality with each, but both the 328 and 335 deliver satisfying performance. Each model can be had with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission; steering-wheel paddle-shifters are included with the latter. The 328i sedan with the six-speed manual can reach 60 mph in about six seconds, yet gets 28 mpg on the highway; the 335i provides tremendous thrust from almost any speed and doesn't have the lag of most turbocharged engines. With near-perfect driving dynamics, the 3-Series threads through corners with great balance and poise--even on rough pavement surfaces. A sign of great suspension tuning, it does so without a sacrifice in ride quality; the 2008 BMW 3-Series has a ride that's firm, yet absorbent over all but the most threatening potholes and heaves. For a car that provides such engaging handling, the 3-Series tracks well on high-speed highway cruises, too.