Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Our long-term Bimmer spent most of the past month in Los Angeles but took a couple brief road trips to San Francisco and Phoenix. Drivers grinned as keys were placed in their hands and frowned as they were taken, or rather, pried out of their tightly clenched fists.

Yeah, we all dig this Bavarian beauty, and apparently so do friends, family and passersby. One driver cited his neighbor, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and wife as just a few coveting one for their next car. Another driver noticed numerous younger motorists checking it out at stoplights. Aesthetics certainly are pleasing here; it's aggressive, stylish and refined.

Interior design is equally as attractive, with smooth lines and materials that look and feel first-rate. We still take issue with all the small buttons and the multitude of acronyms, making it difficult to decipher the function of each control, especially those on the stereo. Ah, the stereo...more comments were directed this month to the poor sound and the inability to get a CD player on 328s equipped with the GPS system. One driver went so far as to say, "Fisher-Price makes a better-sounding stereo."

As for the GPS system, our drivers weren't too thrilled about it this month, and not simply because of a screen that washes out in sunlight. On a trip from Phoenix to West L.A., where the shortest route would have been to take Interstate 10, the system kept directing us to southbound freeways toward Long Beach and San Diego. Commented our driver, "Let's just say that I'm glad I wasn't relying on this system while trying to negotiate the iffy parts of an unknown metropolis." Another driver, while in L.A., said: "At one point, [the GPS system] said I was doing donuts in a field next to the freeway. Funny, I thought I was going north on the 5!" Maybe we'll have better luck next month.

While on a trip to San Francisco, one driver praised the seats, contradicting previous opinions about their lack of comfort on long trips. He also found it amazing that the seats are faux leather, giving BMW kudos for their simulated cowhide. The same driver did say that the fat side bolsters made it difficult to slide his rear into them, but was quite happy once he was aboard.

So how'd it drive this month? Well, drivers licked their chops while accelerating, shifting and turning the wheel. This car begs to be driven quickly and purposefully. Said one driver, "The inline six urges you to seek its redline with a silky smoothness that puts V6 engines to shame." Midrange power is awesome, although it can be a bit pokey in first gear until revs rise, as we noted, "In first gear, the 328i doesn't really move until it hits 4,000 rpm, but there is a rush of power there that portends the excitement to come." All that grunt sometimes results in a bit of overexcitement, with one driver ruing a day where his eager right foot caught the attention of one of California's finest.

All drivers loved the steering, a perfect match for the responsive engine. Perhaps one staffer said it best, "I don't know how they make the steering feel so razor sharp, but I can thread this car through left-lane bandits and out-of-town SUVs on the 405 like it's nobody's business." Another driver felt the weighting was just perfect, and reminisced about his time winding the Bimmer through the mountains.

During its stay in Denver, some California staffers' minds began to migrate toward thoughts of infidelity. One staffer began to fantasize about Audi A4s and Saab 9-3s, that is until he got back in our long-term 328i. "You begin to think that there are other cars in its class that can fill the bill in the fun, style and performance categories just as well as our BMW. Spending some time with the 328i, however, reminds you how foolish such thoughts can be."

In L.A., BMWs are a dime a dozen, especially the lowest-priced 3 Series, so our long-term 328i is far from unique. To which we say, "So what!?" Throw us a freeway, a city street, or a winding mountain road, and we'll be there with the Bimmer in a New York minute...after all, this is first and foremost a driver's car.

Total Odometer Reading: 19,422
Best Fuel Economy: 28 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 13.7 mpg
Body Damage Repair: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: Front windows still creaking.