THE GOOD 12 v2.0 FOR 2009 – Part III

BMW 3-SERIES

The diesel onslaught has begun. Who knows how long it will last? That’s right – nobody knows. You better take advantage of it while it lasts, because one of the planet’s best sedans can now be had with one of the planet’s best diesels under its hood.

True enough, one of the planet’s best sedans happens to use nomenclature identical to that of one of the planet’s best coupes; one of the planet’s best wagons; and one of the planet’s best convertibles. And all offer what should be considered the most impressive gasoline-fired engine lineup…. on the planet.

Last year, The Good Car Guy held back. Only the 3-Series convertible snuck onto The Good 12. Amazed, however, that BMW continues to improve the 3-Series while also taking a bit of a risk by offering North Americans (at some expense to both the customer and the manufacturer) a twin-turbocharged 3.0L diesel, GoodCarBadCar.net now recognizes every 3-Series for what it is: a terrific car. 

Complaints directed BMW’s way are few. Please return to classier styling as exemplified by the previous-generation 3-Series, the E46. And umm, maybe…. could you drop the price just a smidge?

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Engines: 230/300/300/414 horsepower; 200/300/425/295 lb-ft of torque from a 3.0L inline-six; a twin-turbocharged 3.0L inline-six, a twin-turbocharged diesel 3.0L diesel inline-six, and a 4.0L V8

City Mileage: 14-23 mpg

Base USD Price: $33,400

Anything Else? BMW offers a 2.5L inline-six with 200 horsepower in Canada. They call it the 323i and offer it only as a sedan. Including M models, all engines, and all-wheel drive derivatives, there are 15 different 3-Series BMWs for sale in Canada.