When this generation of 3-Series BMWs was introduced in mid-'91, it won awards in all the automotive-enthusiast magazines. The modern, spacious interior, generous trunk space, and elegant, compact exterior turned a cramped, conservative but great-handling car into a roomy, stylish, relatively affordable and great-handling car. Sales have since boomed, and the car remains a perennial on everyone's 10-best lists.
For 1995, the 3-Series cars remain mechanically unchanged after a flurry of additions last year. A lower-cost 318i convertible was introduced in mid-1994, as well as the top-of-the-line M3 coupe, with a sizzling 240 hp inline 6-cylinder.
The major changes this year are new body-colored bumpers and outside mirrors for the 318i models, making them visually identical to the more expensive 325i models.
Our test car was a 318i convertible. With a wealth of standard features and little optional goodies such as heated front seats, the price registered at $31,520.
The BMW 3-Series cars are taut little wedges with the snappy muscularity one expects from a German sports car. Only one and a half inches longer than a Honda Civic, they have a compact, purposeful presence that echoes their power and engineering substance.
Without calling it as such, BMW employs the "cab-forward" concept that Chrysler made famous, in which the wheels are pushed out to the ends of the car, creating more interior volume and a longer wheelbase for a better ride and more stable handling. It's a design technique that also produces attractive proportions, keeping more of the car's mass between the axles. Compared with the Audi Cabrio, for example, the BMW is one and a half inches shorter but has a wheelbase that's 6 inches longer.
The 3-Series lineup consists of sedan, coupe and convertible versions in each power level: the 4-cylinder 318i and the 6-cylinder 325i.
All have BMW's high level of safety features. A differentiated deployment system is now standard for the dual airbags and automotive front seat-belt tensioners. In less severe impacts, only the seat-belt tensioners activate. In more severe impacts, the airbags deploy as well. Another thoughtful safety touch: If the passenger seat is empty, that airbag doesn't deploy, saving you repair costs.
The cars meet 1997 side-impact standards and have standard anti-lock brakes (ABS). A recommended optional safety feature for the convertibles is the automatic Rollover Protection System. When the system senses that the car is about to flip over, roll bars pop up from behind the rear seats, supplementing the protection from the reinforced windshield frame.
Another convertible point: One of the factors that allows the 318i a base price of $31,520 rather than the 325i's $40,070 is that it has a manual top. It's a one-person job requiring only a few minutes' work, but it must be done from outside the car, thus eliminating the spontaneous top-down driving offered by the 325i's power top. Both models have a slick, automatic self-sealing system to improve quietness. As you open the door, the frameless door windows lower slightly; close the door and they raise automatically, positioning themselves tightly in the seals.
The look of the interior is classically European: spare, upright and cerebral. The gauges are BMW's traditional round analog dials, with speedometer and tachometer front and center. Controls are all well-placed and easy to use, once you decipher their purpose (with German cars, a thorough read of the owner's manual is a smart idea). Standard cruise control has been extended to the 318i.
For some drivers, the no-nonsense interior is appropriate - stripped down and ready for action. For others, the interior looks shockingly spartan for a $30,000-plus car. Compared with the best American and Japanese interiors, the materials may seem less than luxurious and the padding thin. The cupholders are a crude dealer-installed option - BMW's grudging response to what it perceives as a sloppy American habit of slurping beverages while driving.
