Cars
BMW is still benefiting from its long cultivation of the 3-Series brand. You can have at least this much horsepower and at least this much equipment for substantially less money in just about any 3-Series rival. Yet the 3-Series remains the more desirable car.
It still handles wonderfully. Of course there's not the delicacy you'd enjoy in a 2002tii - get over it. And no, it doesn't steer like an E30 M3. Neither do any of the 328i's competitors.
Apparently, most buyers don't care about the 3er's dynamic decline, nor do they appear concerned about its expense. We want a mix of power and efficiency, a blend of luxury and lightness, a union between handling priorities and ride quality. The 328i provides the right brew, and does so while looking better than it has since 1991.
As for the advancement of the breed, the 328i now has as much horsepower as the E36 M3 of 1998. In fact, the 328i now has 8% more torque than that car and only weighs 9% more. The EPA city fuel economy rating has improved 35%, the highway figure is 27% better. The state of the modern sport sedan ain't so bad after all.
Engine: 240 horsepower; 255 lb-ft of torque from a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder
Base USD/CAD Price: $36,500 / $39,990
City Fuel Economy: 22-23 miles per gallon
It's Not Perfect: If the market determines whether an item is priced appropriately, the 328i is perfectly priced. But to those of us who didn't pay the price, the 328i is the most expensive car of its kind with the most expensive options.
Sales Stats: The overall 3-Series range is America's best-selling premium vehicle line; Canada's too. Its best-selling competition, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, is selling better than it has in years, however.
Viable Alternatives: The Audi S4 is quick. The Volvo S60 is comfortable. There's a new Lexus IS on the way. The list goes on.
The Bad 8
- 2013's The Good 12 - Porsche Cayenne S - $70,000-$80,000
PORSCHE CAYENNE S The Porsche Cayenne S actually has a U.S. base price below $70,000 USD, a violation of GoodCarBadCar's eligibility for this price segment. The $65,850 Cayenne S isn't the Cayenne you want, though. It seems necessary...
- 2013's The Good 12 - Mercedes-benz E350 4matic Wagon - $50,000-$60,000
MERCEDES-BENZ E350 4MATIC WAGON Wagons are a rare thing in North America these days. Mercedes-Benz's E-Class is basically without rivals. The BMW 5-Series GT isn't a wagon, and it's ridiculously ugly. The Cadillac CTS and CTS-V wagon won't...
- 2013's The Good 12 - Dodge Ram 1500 - $30,000-$35,000
RAM 1500 There are probably about 1951 different Ram permutations that end up with a price somewhere between $30,000 and $35,000. One important new version is the V6-powered 2013 Ram 1500 SLT 4x4 Quad Cab. Relatively efficient, suitable for work and family...
- 2013's The Good 12 - Fiat 500 Turbo - $15,000-$20,000
FIAT 500 TURBO Remember all the times you questioned whether 101 horsepower was enough in a modern automobile? Fiat heard your concerns. The 135-horsepower 500T is no Abarth. This wasn't the car Tracy Chapman was singing about. But it's plenty...
- 2012's The Good 12 - Bmw 3-series Sedan
BMW 3-SERIES Few cars own so sterling a reputation or so indelible a connection with moderately priced elitism. BMW's new 3-Series sedan, the sixth-generation F30, is a little longer, wider, taller, and more spacious than the outgoing E90 3-Series....
Cars
2013's The Good 12 - BMW 328i - $35,000-$40,000
BMW 328i
Until the F31-generation 3-Series Touring arrives and shows us what rooflines were meant to be, the 3-Series sedan does a fine job of showing us what a luxury car ought to be. BMW is still benefiting from its long cultivation of the 3-Series brand. You can have at least this much horsepower and at least this much equipment for substantially less money in just about any 3-Series rival. Yet the 3-Series remains the more desirable car. It still handles wonderfully. Of course there's not the delicacy you'd enjoy in a 2002tii - get over it. And no, it doesn't steer like an E30 M3. Neither do any of the 328i's competitors.
Apparently, most buyers don't care about the 3er's dynamic decline, nor do they appear concerned about its expense. We want a mix of power and efficiency, a blend of luxury and lightness, a union between handling priorities and ride quality. The 328i provides the right brew, and does so while looking better than it has since 1991.
As for the advancement of the breed, the 328i now has as much horsepower as the E36 M3 of 1998. In fact, the 328i now has 8% more torque than that car and only weighs 9% more. The EPA city fuel economy rating has improved 35%, the highway figure is 27% better. The state of the modern sport sedan ain't so bad after all.
-----
Engine: 240 horsepower; 255 lb-ft of torque from a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder
Base USD/CAD Price: $36,500 / $39,990
City Fuel Economy: 22-23 miles per gallon
It's Not Perfect: If the market determines whether an item is priced appropriately, the 328i is perfectly priced. But to those of us who didn't pay the price, the 328i is the most expensive car of its kind with the most expensive options.
Sales Stats: The overall 3-Series range is America's best-selling premium vehicle line; Canada's too. Its best-selling competition, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, is selling better than it has in years, however.
Viable Alternatives: The Audi S4 is quick. The Volvo S60 is comfortable. There's a new Lexus IS on the way. The list goes on.
The Good 12
Kia Rio 5-Door - Fiat 500 Turbo - Volkswagen Golf GTI
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - Dodge Ram - BMW 328i
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Chevrolet Suburban -
Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic Wagon - Porsche Boxster S -
Porsche Cayenne S - Land Rover Range Rover
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - Dodge Ram - BMW 328i
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Chevrolet Suburban -
Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic Wagon - Porsche Boxster S -
Porsche Cayenne S - Land Rover Range Rover
The Bad 8
Chevrolet Spark - Chrysler 200 Convertible -
Ford Escape Titanium AWD - Honda Crosstour -
Lincoln MKS - Nissan Versa Sedan -
Toyota Corolla CE - Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid
Ford Escape Titanium AWD - Honda Crosstour -
Lincoln MKS - Nissan Versa Sedan -
Toyota Corolla CE - Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid
The Good 12 Rules
- 2013's The Good 12 - Porsche Cayenne S - $70,000-$80,000
PORSCHE CAYENNE S The Porsche Cayenne S actually has a U.S. base price below $70,000 USD, a violation of GoodCarBadCar's eligibility for this price segment. The $65,850 Cayenne S isn't the Cayenne you want, though. It seems necessary...
- 2013's The Good 12 - Mercedes-benz E350 4matic Wagon - $50,000-$60,000
MERCEDES-BENZ E350 4MATIC WAGON Wagons are a rare thing in North America these days. Mercedes-Benz's E-Class is basically without rivals. The BMW 5-Series GT isn't a wagon, and it's ridiculously ugly. The Cadillac CTS and CTS-V wagon won't...
- 2013's The Good 12 - Dodge Ram 1500 - $30,000-$35,000
RAM 1500 There are probably about 1951 different Ram permutations that end up with a price somewhere between $30,000 and $35,000. One important new version is the V6-powered 2013 Ram 1500 SLT 4x4 Quad Cab. Relatively efficient, suitable for work and family...
- 2013's The Good 12 - Fiat 500 Turbo - $15,000-$20,000
FIAT 500 TURBO Remember all the times you questioned whether 101 horsepower was enough in a modern automobile? Fiat heard your concerns. The 135-horsepower 500T is no Abarth. This wasn't the car Tracy Chapman was singing about. But it's plenty...
- 2012's The Good 12 - Bmw 3-series Sedan
BMW 3-SERIES Few cars own so sterling a reputation or so indelible a connection with moderately priced elitism. BMW's new 3-Series sedan, the sixth-generation F30, is a little longer, wider, taller, and more spacious than the outgoing E90 3-Series....