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The BMW 320i. The car that yuppies aim to own and young tai-tais love to be seen driving around in. The good news for those shopping for one now is that local dealer Performance Motors has split the 320i model into two trim variants, the Professional and Highline.
Both versions will come equipped with really white Bi-Xenon headlights. The Professional edition will feature aluminium panel trim in the cabin, while the Highline gets interior wood panelling.
The 320i Highline costs $4,000 over the Professional and also comes with electric folding wing mirrors, plus additional ambient lighting that turns on when the engine is switched off or when the car is unlocked from the outside.
Unlocking the car at night in a dimly lit area, we found LED lights under all four exterior door handles and the wing mirrors. Open the doors, and there were lights hidden under the lower edges of the front doors and also in the footwells.
Cabin quality is up to BMW's usual standards and the airconditioning deserves special mention for being extremely efficient. We never needed to turn the aircon fan beyond its lowest speed. The electric starter button is programmed to fire up the car smoothly and run through all systems checks automatically, so just press it once and you're good to go.
A tiny little change can be found at the rear end of the car, where the previously clear tailight lenses have been given a smoky gray tint. Performance Motors says that this was done to "emphasize the striking looks of the car". Errm, ok.
Mechanically, the car remains unchanged with a 150bhp, 2.0-litre four cylinder engine driving the rear wheels though a six-speed automatic gearbox. The car is not all that quick in a straight line, but does have enough power on tap to keep up with highway traffic.
This is the entry-level BMW afterall, and there are much quicker 3 Series BMWs further up the chain for those inclined to driving something faster.
Dynamic ability is something that the 320i is not short of. With a smallish (at least compared to other BMW engines), four-cylinder engine up front, the car is more well balanced than the larger engined 3 Series BMWs and is quite capable of going round corners like it was driving on rails. The traction control is unobtrusive and hardly ever needed. It will take a serious combination of hamfisted and lead footed driving to upset the car.
It still is one of the best drives in this price bracket, and is a true driver's car masquerading as a Yuppiemobile. With the additional equipment specced in the Highline variant, drivers and passengers now should feel even more at home in it.
Both versions will come equipped with really white Bi-Xenon headlights. The Professional edition will feature aluminium panel trim in the cabin, while the Highline gets interior wood panelling.
The 320i Highline costs $4,000 over the Professional and also comes with electric folding wing mirrors, plus additional ambient lighting that turns on when the engine is switched off or when the car is unlocked from the outside.
Unlocking the car at night in a dimly lit area, we found LED lights under all four exterior door handles and the wing mirrors. Open the doors, and there were lights hidden under the lower edges of the front doors and also in the footwells.
Cabin quality is up to BMW's usual standards and the airconditioning deserves special mention for being extremely efficient. We never needed to turn the aircon fan beyond its lowest speed. The electric starter button is programmed to fire up the car smoothly and run through all systems checks automatically, so just press it once and you're good to go.
A tiny little change can be found at the rear end of the car, where the previously clear tailight lenses have been given a smoky gray tint. Performance Motors says that this was done to "emphasize the striking looks of the car". Errm, ok.
Mechanically, the car remains unchanged with a 150bhp, 2.0-litre four cylinder engine driving the rear wheels though a six-speed automatic gearbox. The car is not all that quick in a straight line, but does have enough power on tap to keep up with highway traffic.
This is the entry-level BMW afterall, and there are much quicker 3 Series BMWs further up the chain for those inclined to driving something faster.
Dynamic ability is something that the 320i is not short of. With a smallish (at least compared to other BMW engines), four-cylinder engine up front, the car is more well balanced than the larger engined 3 Series BMWs and is quite capable of going round corners like it was driving on rails. The traction control is unobtrusive and hardly ever needed. It will take a serious combination of hamfisted and lead footed driving to upset the car.
It still is one of the best drives in this price bracket, and is a true driver's car masquerading as a Yuppiemobile. With the additional equipment specced in the Highline variant, drivers and passengers now should feel even more at home in it.
LEXUS IS 250 (A) $141,000 with COE
A 205bhp V6 and steering wheel mounted paddle shifters make the IS 250 a seriously fun drive. Add the legendary Lexus aftersales service experience and the thought of owning an IS is looking really good too.
BMW 320i 2.0 (A) Highline
ENGINE TYPE 1995cc in-line 4 cylinder
MAX POWER 150bhp at 6,200rpm
MAX TORQUE 200Nm at 3,600rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed automatic
TOP SPEED 215km/h
0-100 KM/H 9.7 seconds
Price $143,800 with COE
WARRANTY 3 years / 60,000km
CONTACT Performance Motors
TELEPHONE 6319-0100
PLUSES Now the Brera gets the power to match its über-sporty styling and a genuine automatic gearbox makes it much easier to live with
MINUSES Still impractical if you need to transport more than one passenger
VERDICT It's one of the sexiest cars on sale today.
A 205bhp V6 and steering wheel mounted paddle shifters make the IS 250 a seriously fun drive. Add the legendary Lexus aftersales service experience and the thought of owning an IS is looking really good too.
BMW 320i 2.0 (A) Highline
ENGINE TYPE 1995cc in-line 4 cylinder
MAX POWER 150bhp at 6,200rpm
MAX TORQUE 200Nm at 3,600rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed automatic
TOP SPEED 215km/h
0-100 KM/H 9.7 seconds
Price $143,800 with COE
WARRANTY 3 years / 60,000km
CONTACT Performance Motors
TELEPHONE 6319-0100
PLUSES Now the Brera gets the power to match its über-sporty styling and a genuine automatic gearbox makes it much easier to live with
MINUSES Still impractical if you need to transport more than one passenger
VERDICT It's one of the sexiest cars on sale today.
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