Drive, ride and handling.
Our experience with the 3 series was nothing short of mind-boggling as regards ride and handling. On our way to the proving grounds of Amby Valley, our thoughts about the handling being too soft were getting more pronounced, as the car simply wafted over undulations and even sharper edges. Coupled with a lighter steering wheel, the new 3-series almost had us commit suicide as we presumed that a car with such amazing practicality cannot quite match its luminary predecessor. Having been totally befuddled by its performance in the end, we decided to talk about the driving dynamics of this car before anything else.
The unrealistically balanced set of wheels on the new 3 series showed us what they were capable of as soon as we got out of the irritating city traffic and let the beautiful machine stretch its legs on the Expressway. Solid as a rock in a straight line with the steering firming up nicely in Sport mode, the 3-series managed to bring a smile on our face like it always has, even before we started our assault on the twisties.
Slightly cautious in the beginning, we were left bamboozled by the way this relatively ‘soft’ machine presented itself to be chucked around corners with disdain. Every passing corner, it inspired more confidence with its baffling balance and poise – the steering which once felt relatively lighter, feeling more and more natural with every passing curve. The 3 series is an incredibly balanced machine. It first invites, and then challenges to you throw it harder than perceptibly possible around corners. You’d be gobsmacken with the way it comes out of it every time! And in the rare instance of you going wrong, it doesn’t take more than a little flick of the wheel to bring it back in line from where other cars would have done an uncontrollable pogo dance all the way into a tree.
Not only is the chassis made of high grade components but also the suspension which houses double-joint tension strut at the front and Five arm rear axle shoulder the support duties. After throwing a few fast corners, couple of hairpins and endless camber changing fast left right bends, the doubts of the “softly sprung“ car quickly evaporate. Not to say that there`s absolutely no rolling around the corners, the fact that it’s so well controlled fools one into thinking it’s completely absent!
BMW has employed intelligent light weight construction which improves the fuel economy and needless to say works wonders for the handling of the car. Extensive use of aluminum at the front of the car viz, sub-frames, suspension components etc eventually add up to create one brilliant handling package. Use of highly advanced magnesium alloys for engine components, high strength steel for the monocoque and advanced plastics contribute towards reducing the body weight by upto 25%, impressive! What’s more, the dynamic brilliance comes from the 50:50 balanced weight distribution between front and rear axles. Hence, advanced components laden light weight front end and a rear wheel drive layout proves the perfect recipe for driving pleasure.
During our initial time spent in the car, even as a passenger we were specifically happy with the ride quality. It’s the right mix of firm and supple, even in the Sports mode contrary to our expectation, it never over stiffened. The engineers at BMW have finally managed to solve the contradiction of dynamic driving experience and luxurious driving comfort, and how!
The Sportline came shod with 225/50 R17 Run Flat tyres, the overall setup of the car made it very comfortable and suspension never crashed over ruts, they were dispensed with a mere thud. That to say, the magically sprung F30 handled the atrocities of our road conditions without a fuss. The car has a low 140mm ground clearance; however we never found overselves tip toeing over regular speed breakers unlike in the case of a Honda Civic which has 170mm ground clearance. Not a direct comparison, but speaks volumes about how the suspension is tuned to handle fast and slow bumps without inviting teeth clenching reactions from the passengers considering a 30mm clearance deficit.
The hydraulic steering which now comes with electronic assist (again in the interests of fuel economy) does a decent job and is way ahead of similar units found on other cars which feel completely artificial. The steering, though lighter than before has just about enough weight at high speeds while being effortless at parking speeds, a transition which it makes flawless.
Also, the 8 speed auto transmission works extremely well, except showing a wee bit of lag, especially in situations where you may have to negotiate a sharp uphill U-turn. This is one area where the 320d leaves a tiny room for improvement in the fun factor. That said it’s never a bother in the daily, real world conditions and only makes its absence felt when the car is pushed to the absolute extreme. The slight slack in shifts is more than compensated for by the oil burner which has enough torque at any point on the tachometer. Modern day diesels have this advantage over petrols for allowing the driver to go faster around twisty sections even with the lack of gearbox dexterity. The 2.0 liter BMW diesel excels as regards torque delivery by the bucketload across the rev range.