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| Editors' Most Wanted Vehicles for 2002 |
Entry-Luxury Sedan
 Winner: BMW
3 Series
"The original sport sedan remains the benchmark."
Like other automotive journalists, we have received our share of letters accusing
us of being "on the take" with BMW, as we unabashedly extol the typical BMW virtues
of tight build quality, telepathic handling, brisk performance and dashing looks.
But no, we haven't sold our souls to the lads from Munich. Heck, the Acura 3.2
TL Type-S won our recent Entry-Level
Luxury Sport Sedan Comparison Test over the BMW 330i. But this Most Wanted
list reflects what we, the editors, would park in our own garages, logic be damned.
All we can say to the naysayers is go out and drive the winner of this category,
which happens to be BMW's smallest and most affordable sedan, the 3 Series. It
can be either the 325i or the more powerful 330i; these cars are identical save
for size and output of their inline sixes and standard creature comforts. From
the way the clutch take-up feels to the feedback one senses through the steering
wheel, BMW still has a lock on that ideal symbiotic formula between car and driver.
The point is that even the $30,000 325i, hooked up to a five-speed manual gearbox,
provides a level of pure driving enjoyment that is still unmatched in spite of
the valiant efforts of its competitors.
Honorable Mention: Audi
A4
Audi's A4 is the automotive equivalent of filet mignon. So it's not a big serving,
but, man, is it delicious. Though we admit that the VW Passat is a better value
than the smaller A4, we still think the baby Audi is a delectable work of art.
From the classy chiseled body to the well-appointed interior that gives nothing
except size away to Audi's flagship A8, the A4 impresses visually and tactilely.
And when it's moving, it impresses us dynamically with its quick throttle response,
sharp reflexes and prodigious (and forgiving) handling of its quattro all-wheel-drive
chassis.
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