BMW’s 3-Series has dominated the compact sport sedan market for so long that its base paint job should be white with red concentric circles to show it as a target for other carmakers.
The 3-Series has been on Car and Driver Magazine’s annual Ten Best list every year since time immemorial, and every year competitors announce the introduction of their challenger to the sport sedan throne.
At the Detroit auto show this week Cadillac rolled out the latest contender — the Cadillac ATS, complete with video of the car’s development in BMW’s backyard, the Nurburgring race track in Germany.
But every year the Bavarians turn back the would-be usurpers.
“The 3-Series has a long history,” product manager Oliver Ganser said. “The ATS is just one of many competitors who try to take on the 3-Series.”
BMW’s response? Only hours after Cadillac showed the ATS, BMW unveiled the 2012 3-Series, a car meant to reinforce BMW’s traditional strengths while shoring up some potential weaknesses. And it’s faster than its predecessor. Among the regular models (not the M3 hyper-performance version), 0-60 acceleration is now down to 5.7 seconds.
It’s also roomier and more fuel efficient, including turbochargers, an 8-speed automatic transmission and automatic engine stop/start. The EcoPro driving mode not only trims power to save fuel, the car also actively coaches the driver on how to drive to burn less gas.
Mike Cassese / Reuters
Upscale sedans, fuel-efficient electric cars – and old-school muscle cars – make their debuts at the 2012 North American International Auto show.
That feature is important because no matter how much fuel-saving tech a manufacturer puts on a car, the fuel economy can be spoiled by a lead-footed driver.
“The driver is one of the main factors in deciding fuel economy,” Ganser tactfully noted.
Ganser said his personal record commuting in the new car in New Jersey is 42 mpg, but the EPA highway rating is 36 mpg. Meanwhile, the new car is bigger too, with more room in the back seat and trunk.
All of this makes a convincing case for BMW’s defense of the realm. But the real reason the 3-series has long remained the sport sedan benchmark has been its peerless steering feel and accuracy, with composed, responsive handling.
If the company has preserved those aspects while continuing to heap on improvements to satisfy Internet flame warriors, the throne should be safe from Cadillac and the other pretenders.
