328i
Driven: 2014 BMW 328i
Already into its third year of production, the sixth generation 3-Series remains the benchmark by which all other sport sedans are measured. While there haven’t been many dramatic changes since the F30’s introduction for the 2012 model year, when we were offered a go in a new 328i equipped with the rarely optioned row-your-own six speed manual gearbox, it didn’t take much coaxing to get us behind the wheel.
Comfort/Involvement Index: 2012 BMW 328i Sport Line
Only a lack of steering feel lets down the 3-Series legend in this sixth generation. Good power from the turbo four, with subtle, adjustable, sports sedan handling. We were happily surprised to find that the sonic profile, while a world away from the song of the outgoing inline-six, is pretty meaty and fun to hear. Turn all of the electronic stability aids off, and the 328i really shows its inherent balance, and becomes a surprisingly willing car to chuck around.
Driven: 2012 Acura TSX Special Edition
It’s probably fair to say that, from the perspective of the typical driving enthusiast, the four-cylinder, manual-transmission equipped TSX is the second-most cohesive product in Acura’s lineup today. We love the TSX Sport Wagon for its form factor (we’re charter members of the Wagon Geeks Support Network, what can we say), but the lack of a manual trans option kills it for many enthusiasts. The bigger TL SH-AWD can be had with a brilliant 6MT, and is a more powerful, graceful vehicle, and clearly our favorite Acura to drive. But even there, the higher starting price of the TL allows for more and interesting competitors, and the combative design makes the TL a non-starter for many.
Driven: 2012 BMW 328i
There’s no getting around it; it’s awfully hard to build the next generation of an iconic car. For drivers of sporting sedans, few models hold as much allure, on a fundamental level, as BMW’s 3-Series—the car that pretty much invented the sports sedan genre. Conversely, with a reputation so thoroughly well earned by its predecessors, and with legions of fans and former 3-Series drivers caught up in the greatness of models past, few cars have as much to live up to as this sixth-generation “F30” car. Constant excellence has its price; a lesson BMW knows very well.
Sports Sedans: Audi A4, BMW 328i, Buick Regal, Lexus IS350
Like your nearest Baskin-Robbins, it seems like there is a car for every person. Nowhere is that more true than in the entry level sport sedan market, where giants like BMW, Audi, and Lexus are taking on freshman entries like that of the Buick Regal. Each vehicle has a unique suite of powertrain options and infotainment systems that follows that brand’s particular philosophy, and therefore, caters to a certain sort of clientele. Thankfully, we’ve recently had some serious seat time in three of the top entries in this segment, and one exciting newcomer.
Categories
Most Popular
