BMW 3 Series

First introduced in 1975, the BMW 3 Series is BMW's best selling car and the best selling mid sized foreign luxury car in the U.S. It is available in four body styles: coupe, convertible, sedan, and wagon. The BMW M3, first introduced in 1980, offers a high performance version of the 3 Series design.

Fast Facts

1. Class: Mid-Size, Luxury Car
2. MSRP: $32,400 - 49,100
3. Invoice: $29,810 - 45,170
4. Requires premium grade gasoline
5. Car and Driver 10 Best winner every year since 1992

Car and Driver Review

1. Lists comfort, speed, excellent handling and reasonably good gas mileage as the main highlights of the 2008 BMW 3 Series.
2. The iDrive is repeatedly mentioned as the main drawback, as well as the steep price.
3. The 3 Series convertible is singled out as being surprisingly heavy.

Consumer Guide Road Test

1. Fine quality, maneuverability, and speedy acceleration are named as the pros of the 2008 3 Series.
2. In agreement with Car and Driver, price is listed as the major con, largely due to extra charges for features most car makers consider standard. Room for back seat passengers is also said to be lacking.
3. Despite the high price tag, the 2008 3 Series is still named a "best buy" for its class.

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