BMW E90 320i

The BMW E90 320i has been around for a few years now and I for one am glad that the car has been given a much-needed facelift. Looking at the 3-series, I cannot help to imagine me looking at Claudia Schiffer. You know she’s been around for some time and although she’s aged, she still looks stunning. Same goes with the 3-series, this is the 5^th generation of the car and it’s still a remarkable looking car. I for one am glad that the E90 has received a facelift and to be honest, the original design looked boxy. Now it seems that the engineers have reworked the curves, added some lines, which the final effect is a completely gorgeous looking Claudia Schiffer.

The BMW 3-series has always been a weapon of choice for much younger executives who are attracted to the performance and handling of the BMW compared to its other rivals. This is especially true when you think of Mercedes Benz as a car of choice for the typical businessman who equals it to success. Back in those days, drive a Mercedes Benz to your hometown and your relatives instantly know you are rich and successful. Driving a BMW somehow did not have that same effect. In their minds, the BMW was playing second fiddle to the Mercedes and only playboys would drive one. Today, that’s no longer the case. BMW has built a great brand and their vehicles give nothing but sheer driving pleasure.

When I first took delivery of the BMW 320i E90, I was slightly disappointed at the trim of the vehicle. Firstly it’s still very BMW-ish as the dash and centre console is still covered with the familiar orange hue that filled the car back in the 70s. Step into a BMW today and you will instantly recognize it even though you have not been in one for say, twenty years. While it is good that the car has a sense of identity, it does make it seem rather dull, which is why it reminds me so much of Claudia. The interior I must say is a dab boring and it’s always true that when you step into an entry level 320i, you know it’s a BMW because the interior has a sense of familiarity as its predecessors. Sure, the leather colors have changed but they are essentially the same design and layout.

The BMW 320i is the entry level model for the 3 series and with entry level cars, you can’t expect it to have the full specifications. The interior is where you would notice the biggest difference. The iDrive console is missing and there is no screen in the centre console, which was a big disappointment. Compared to its rival, the Audi A4 1.8TFSI, which is roughly about RM 1,000.00 more and comes as a CBU, you get the screen and pedal-shifts attached to the steering. The 320i has a manual mode, but without pedal-shifts like those that you would find in BMW’s more expensive models. The steering was much stiffer and heavier, which I personally find quite tiresome after driving around town in traffic. You would think for a moment that you were getting shortchanged for buying the BMW 320i.

In terms of performance, the BMW 320i has a 4-cylinder 1,995cc engine and has a maximum horsepower rating of 156bhp at 6,400rpm. It’s maximum torque is 200Nm at 3,600rpm, which is quite impressive as it produces a relatively high amount of pull at such low revs. Unfortunately on paper, the BMW 320i loses out to the Audi A4 1.8 TFSI in terms of performance. If you pull up to a traffic light in a BMW 320i and you see an Audi A4 1.8 TFSI next to you, you can be very sure that he’ll beat you at the straight line drag, about 1.1 seconds faster to a hundred. In terms of attracting attention, the Audi has brighter daytime running lights, which are made from bright white LEDs that really attracts attention and stares like a half naked supermodel.

So, what’s the reason to buy a Bimmer you ask?

After driving the two cars, I will tell you that the BMW is the better driving machine. BMW has gotten ONE thing right from the start. It’s the sheer driving pleasure. After driving the BMW 320i for afew days, I’m thinking to myself why am I so attracted to this car. It had semi-electric seats, which meant that the electric seats could only tilt the seats up down and fold the seats upwards and lean downwards. Moving the seats forwards and backwards still required a manual pull switch that you had in the older cars. You would expect a car like this to come with full electric seats. There was no leather wrapped steering, which did not give it a luxurious feel as you would expect a car like this to come standard with it.

I should be complaining but every time I get back into the driver’s seat, it just feels right. The moment where you hit the Start button, the engine springs into life with a slight growl letting others hear your presence. The halo rings glow letting people in front of you see your presence. Once you put the 320i into gear and drive by, people feel your presence.

Take it out on the open roads and you will know why the BMW is the car that a driving enthusiast wants to have. Every complaint that I had with the 320i was immediately forgotten when I hit the B-roads laid with multiple bends. With the traction control and Dynamic Stability Control turned off, the 320i gets a little tail happy and it is just the way I like it. Take it through the turns and corners, the 320i feels just right and even the heavy steering didn’t matter anymore as it gave a good feedback to the driver. I could feel every inch of the corner and knew just how much turning radius to apply to hold the over steer and power out of the corner smoothly. This was where the 320i’s 50-50-weight distribution came into play and I was begging for the corners not to end. This was truly where BMW’s F1 experience came into the light and you knew that they were putting it to good use in their road cars. It just feels like a tailor-made suit that fits you nicely every time you put it on. The 320i retails for RM 236, 800 on-the-road without insurance.

	Technical Data
Engine	4-cylinder in-line petrol engine
Displacement	1,995cc
Max output	156bhp @ 6,400rpm
Max torque	200Nm @ 3,600rpm
Transmission	6-speed Steptronic
Wheels & Tires	Alloy wheels - 225/45 R17
Acceleration	9.7secs (0-100km/h)
Top Speed	218km/h
Fuel consumption	8.0 litres per 100km (Combined)