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The looks
Before I write a single word more, I must confess - I drive a previous generation of this car, 3 series Touring (E91) to be precise. So please bear in mind, that as much as I want to, it can be sometimes hard for me to be completely detached and objective.
We all had a chance to get used to how the "3" looks for at least two reasons I can think of. First, current model (F30) has been on sale for almost two years now. Second, if you're not a BMW fan it'll be tough for you to tell current generation and a previous one apart. Only differences I can think of from top of my head would be headlights and... well, and that's it. Period. I posted a comparison pic in gallery below, so see for your self. There were times when Volkswagen kept producing Golfs that didn't seem to change generation after generation and an absolute master of selling the same look over and over again is Porsche with its 911. All these three cars (except from being German) have one thing in common - they seem to be a winning formula, so why change it? The "face" of the car looks focused, almost angry and the light rings now being also day running LEDs remain a hallmark of the brand. The profile of the car is bulky, muscular and leaning forward almost as a sprint runner in starting position. The F30 looks fast even when standing still. As good as the car looks I'd rather have a complete makeover then something resembling a face lift. BMW as a whole boxed themselves in terms of design. All cars have similar lights, grills, hoods. It's difficult to tell apart current 3 series from 5 and a 5 from 7. Maybe Chris Bangle's 5 a 7 series weren't the prettiest Beemers of all time, but they sure are remembered. So if you're into modern covers of old times hits, this car is definitely a song for you when it comes to its presence.
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Interior
I have a conspiracy theory on this one, so bear with me for a minute. I think that ten maybe twelve years ago a Head of Interior Design Department at BMW died. Seriously. But the rest of the team was so incapable of drawing anything new and loosing their jobs that they decided not to tell anyone and just pushed into production the same designs into all cars with only slightest modifications. It all makes sense both if you look across current model range and backwards i.e. compering current 3 series to previous one. It all looks the same and it all has been looking the same. Dials, knobs, everything. And it's all boring. Black on black covered with black. The biggest surprise for me was the steering wheel. Modern material engineering is something amazing. People know these days how to make plastic resemble pretty much anything else. Plastic can look like alloy. Plastic can look like leather. Plastic can look like wood. Plastic can look like glass. But at BMW they took it a step further and covered the steering wheel with leather that looks and feels like plastic. I didn't want to believe it at first, but then I saw the stitching on the wheel and that convinced me. This plasticish leather feels hard and uncomfortable and I honestly see no reason for using it (the leather, not the steering wheel). Infotainment screen is yet another (Mercedes C class was the first described here) attempt of making a driver believe he put a tablet on top of his dashboard. Just as it felt wrong in Merc it feels wrong here. The whole "fitting-objects-from-my-daily-life-into-my-car" thing is beyond my comprehension. There was just one successful attempt and it was a radio. Anything else just didn't work. A phone with a receiver as in your living room? Not really. A tablet on your dash board? Definitely not. What's next in line? A blender? OK, enough nagging. Any positives? Sure. As soon as I start focusing on driver's comfort, things look a lot better. Seat is really comfortable and driving position is natural and effortless. The seat it self is providing a lot of support during cornering and arm rests on both sides are at perfect height. At least for me. So once I stop looking around when inside the car and start the engine and focus on the road ahead, there is nothing to take my attention of it. Who knows, maybe that was the idea in the first place - to create an interior so boring, that you can focus on driving because there is nothing to look at inside the car.
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The drive
Because the interior was so boring it was so much easier for me to think about driving experience. And what an experience it was! The predecessor of this model (my daily driver, remember?) handles really well, but what F30 does on the road completely sets it apart from previous model. Suspension can clear any bump and road imperfection (sleeping policemen included) without destabilizing car balance. Just press the pedal, point the wheel and if the laws of physics allow (and sometimes even if they don't) this BMW just shoots in that direction. Even though the power steering is using electric motor the feel of it is very natural with some nice resistance. Brakes are responsive and can be applied precisely how you want them. The car is stable and feels planted both at low and high speeds. Cornering, braking, acceleration, it doesn't matter. Once you put it through its paces, you see that it was designed more to be driven than to be looked at. There is however one disappointment which is the gearbox. Pedal reaction is not the slowest in the world but it could be a touch faster and when you use it in manual mode it's plain catastrophic. You shift up and the gear changes next month. Instead of speedometer you need to use a calendar to plan your shifting. The shame is even greater when you think that with a decent gearbox the driving experience you get could be close to perfect. BMW has a slogan saying "The drive of your life". With this box I'd rather say "This could be the drive of your life." Still, it's better then anything I've ever driven in this class of cars.
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Summary
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