Friday, 30 January 2009

BMW 320dES Saloon Wins What Car Award for Best Compact Executive Car

In the recent What Car? Car of the Year Awards 2009; the BMW 320d ES Saloon won the category for 'Best Compact Executive Car'.

In the search for the the 'ultimate business car' , the What Car? judges were looking for a car that 'must be able to get you to meetings in comfort and let you arrive in style without upsetting the accountants.'

All three of the top contenders were BMWs :

 In the 'Best buy under £23,000' Category - the BMW 318i ES Saloon

'Best buy in the £23-30,000' category - the BMW 320d ES Saloon

and finally in the 'Best Buy over £30,000' category - the BMW 330d SE Saloon  

....and the winner was the BMW 320d ES Saloon

The reasons why from What Car? 

It's not exactly a surprise — after the 3 Series' domination in this category, the BMW was always going to be our winner.

Domination like this doesn't come easy, and only a car like the 3 Series could pull it off. Not only is it awesomely talented in every area, but it's also class-leading in most — by a mile. That's why the BMW is the best bet, no matter how much money you've got to spend here.

It's the stand-out leader in the class for driving pleasure. Grip and body control are so strong that it feels glued to the road, whatever the conditions. The steering is packed with feel, so you're always in tune with what's going on. It's involving, yet unflappable — a mightily impressive combination. Granted, the ride has a firm edge at low speed, but mostly it's comfortable enough.

Performance

The 2.0-litre diesel engine in our favourite, the 320d, is the smoothest and quietest of its kind, and it never leaves you short of performance. The BMW is also the quietest compact exec — you hear a little wind noise, but that's only because both road and suspension noise are so well isolated.

Despite its power, the 3 Series has the strongest green credentials in its class thanks to Efficient Dynamics. This includes a Stop-Start system that cuts the engine in traffic to save fuel. Such measures cut your CO2 output and fuel consumption to minuscule proportions, so it's cheap to run. The premium image means you won't suffer much depreciation, either.

Class act

Where does this premium image come from? Well, the blue-and-white badge helps, but it's also due, in no small part, to the class-leading quality and attention to detail of the interior. It oozes class, thanks to sumptuous materials and chic design, and the controls work with the sort of slick feel that reminds you every day that you're sat in something pretty special. It's roomy enough for four gangly adults to travel long distances without grumbling, and there's a big boot, too.

We've gone for the 320d, because it provides all the performance you'll ever need at a reasonable cost. Likewise, ES trim provides all the essential kit, but keeps things relatively cheap.In short, the 3 Series is great at pretty much everything. It's been around for almost four years now and, with only one minor face-lift under its belt, it's still streets ahead of the rest. Newer versions of the Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class have tried to topple it but, to be honest, they never even got close. The 3 Series is the real deal: it's hard to see it being beaten any time soon.

What Car? 22nd January 2009

Please note image shown is for illustrative purposes only.