There’s a popular trending joke about the BMW brand that goes something like this. What’s the difference between a BMW owner and a porcupine? Porcupines have pricks on the outside. As an ex-BMW owner (well, lessee), I would like to think that these jokes are the brainchildren of jealous middle-agers who have at some point or another got confronted by a bad BMW driver on the road.

The fact is that both, BMW owners and BMW haters have different issues. The BMW hater has most likely never experienced the pleasure and confidence that one gets behind the wheel of one. The BMW owner doesn’t realize that his/her overzealous driving habits on busy streets can be perceived as dangerous by other drivers. The owner is simply enjoying their performance-tuned BMW as they were intended.  

The 3-series is the most influential culprit in all this. Often driven by 20 to 30-something single men with decent jobs and equivalent egos, the 3-series provides the brand reputation and performance that very few luxury brands provide at that price point. 

For the 2014 model year, BMW redesigned the 3-series line-up. The most interesting news to come out of this was the addition of a new 4-cylinder engine. BMW claims that the output from this engine rivals the base engines of its other German competitors. While we highly doubt that is true, we wanted to see what it was truly able to achieve.

First off, here are some of the specifications of the press vehicle we were given:

-2.0L, 4-cylinder engine

-181 hp @ 5000 rpm

-200 ft.-lb. of torque @1250 rpm

-8-speed automatic transmission option

-Rear-wheel drivetrain

LIKES

Performance

The four-cylinder engine has been well-mated to the eight-speed transmission delivering decent power and quick shifts. Like previous 3-series models, a light tap on the accelerator delivers equally low increases in RPMs – resulting in equally light thrusts. In order to get stronger performance, you would need to push the accelerator about half way to generate higher RPM increases and instant thrust. This is great because it allows better control over the car’s speed from a standstill – especially in dense traffic. That being said, don’t expect the four-cylinder engine to get you much burnout action from the rear wheels. 

The 181 horsepower engine is no V-6 equivalent, but it wasn’t designed to be. However, for a price tag of $36,000 it makes performance junkies question the poor dollar-to-horsepower ratio. But this car wasn’t designed for them anyway. This car is for people who prioritize brand value and fuel efficiency over performance. For those looking for more performance, the 3-series offers other variants including the 328i and the 335i – both generating 241 hp and 300 hp respectively. There’s also a 300 hp hybrid variant offered for a $22,000 premium over the base model.

Fuel Efficiency

The car has 3 modes, Comfort, Sport, and Eco Pro mode. When performance is needed, Sport mode delivers instant acceleration and quick shifts at close to 4,500 RPMs. In comparison, Eco Pro mode limits the RPMs to 2,500 and controls some of the climate control features to deliver better fuel efficiency. Eco Pro mode won’t be the most thrilling drive, as the pick-up can be quite slow. For a balance between the two, Comfort mode offers better acceleration, while still achieving acceptable fuel efficiency.

Design

The redesign of the 3-series is exceptional. It’s a welcome replacement for the previous generation – which has been on the market since 2004. This generation looks sporty and aggressive with a good balance of lines and curves. In fact, don’t blame yourself if you accidentally mistake it for one of the bigger 5-series.

The lighting system on the 320i we drove looks pretty cool, especially at dusk. Equipped with adaptive projection beam headlights and bright white halo rings, the headlights can scream BMW from a mile away. We were disappointed to find out however, that these headlights are an optional upgrade at a $1,200 premium.

DISLIKES

Headlights

The standard headlights on the 320i are just an awful sight. While the shape remains consistent, the lights feature two lighting clusters on each side and blurry daytime running lights on the lower half of each cluster. There are no projection beam headlights or halo lights on the base model. As mentioned above, you would have to pay a premium to get the upgraded lights.

Keyless System

Unlike its outgoing generation, the new version comes standard with keyless start-stop – even on the base 320i. What this means is you can start the car without having to stick your key in the ignition. That being said, you still need to remove the key from your pocket to unlock it, which seems to defeat the purpose of a true keyless system. Additionally, the 3-series seems to have a poor key range. In many instances, I wasn’t able to lock/unlock the doors if I was more than 25 metres away from the car.

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