2008 BMW 3-Series - Performance Review

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Shopping for a 2008 BMW 3-Series? MSRP: $32,700 - $64,950

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Reviewers from around the Web, including TheCarConnection.com’s editors, find the BMW 3-Series a paragon of rear-drive handling.

The 2008 BMW 3-Series Sports Wagon is offered with only one engine in the United States: an inline six-cylinder engine making 230 horsepower. The engine displaces 3.0 liters but is named the 328. Two specific models are available, though: the 328i, with rear-wheel drive, or the 328xi, with all-wheel drive.

Car and Driver reports that the inline six-cylinder engine is "smooth, powerful, and fuel-efficient"; Cars.com provides the specs, stating that the 3.0-liter powerplant "produces 230 horsepower and 200 pounds-feet of torque." Edmunds assures potential buyers trying to make up their mind that there is "no going wrong” with this engine; it’s “a little light on low-end torque, but it moves the car around smartly and provides slightly better mileage” than the engine in other 3-Series variants. Kelley Blue Book affirms this view: "even the entry-level 3 Series offers a full measure of BMW's legendary driving DNA," noting this BMW 2008's engine is "plenty fast from zero to 60 mph and easily capable of coping with any kind of traffic situation."

Cars.com reports that "a six-speed manual gearbox is standard, and a six-speed Steptronic automatic transmission with Normal, Sport and Manual modes is optional." With the six-speed manual, which is the faster of the two, the 2008 BMW 328i Sports Wagon can reach 60 mph in about six seconds, yet is rated 27 mpg on the highway. Kelley Blue Book points out the manual’s hill-holder feature, “this subtle but effective helper that automatically applies the brakes for a few seconds whenever you're stopped on a hill to help prevent the car from rolling backwards while you engage first gear." MyRide.com also notes this 2008 BMW's hill-holder feature and adds that "rowing gears to access the power is sheer bliss, the stick gliding from gate to gate and the clutch delightfully light and easy to engage, unlike with previous BMW manual transmissions which had a hair-trigger clutch and a bit too much resistance at the gates." USA Today attests, “The clutch and gas pedals are well-placed for the lively dance known as heel-toe downshifting.” Automedia declares the “new, smoother and quicker-shifting optional six-speed STEPTRONIC automatic, when ordered along with an available Sport Package, has steering wheel-mounted paddles for manual shift control.”

According to Edmunds, one needn't sacrifice fuel economy for power: "Despite its potent powerplants, the 3 Series remains fuel efficient. The 328 gets about 17-18 mpg in the city and 25-28 mpg on the highway." The EPA rates the Sports Wagon at 18/27 mpg for the automatic rear-drive version, 17/25 mpg for the all-wheel-drive automatic.

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 sacrificing ride quality; the 2008 BMW 3-Series Sports Wagon 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. Car and Driver reports that this 2008 BMW model offers "great handling; a supple ride...comfortable but firm." Edmunds attributes this to the 2008 BMW "3 Series' world-class suspension, steering and brakes [that] will provide hours of entertainment on twisty two-lane highways," adding that the 2008 BMW 3-Series "communicates with the driver in a manner that inspires confidence no matter what kind of driving you're doing." Kelley Blue Book agrees: "There's a precise feel to the steering and the well-sorted suspension provides exceptional confidence through even the most challenging corners." MyRide.com notes, "The car doesn't ride roughly, but it does ride stiffly, and every little ripple in the road gets telegraphed to the cabin...But on a twisty road, a BMW 3 Series becomes an extension of the driver's nervous system, a finely crafted tool designed to maximize the joy of driving."