Here at CarBuyer HQ, we maintain a small shrine to the BMW 3 Series. Actually it's just a small section of my desk, but still, there's no doubting that BMW's latest small executive sedan occupies a front row seat in our collective Pantheon of cars-that-we'd- happily-sell-our-first-born-for.

As much as we'd like to, though, we can't stretch to a 330i. Or a 325i for that matter but luckily there's a new ray of hope, fatter than the Toto or 4-D kind, in the form of the 323i. This entry-level six-cylinder model uses the same engine block as the 325i but it's been de-tuned, to the er, tune of 177bhp and 230Nm, as compared to 218bhp and 250Nm for the 325i.

There are few cues to tell the 323i apart from the 320i, excepting for some exterior trim and larger, 17-inch alloy wheels. The interior also gets an electric rear window blind, but let's face it, none of this is really important. On to the drive.

Flooring the throttle in the 330i models elicits neck-snapping acceleration of the sort not normally associated with small executive sedans. Doing the same in the 323i doesn't evoke an identical display of savagery, but the way the two engines work is nevertheless very similar.

Keep your right foot planted to the floorboard and power is delivered in one seamless linear surge, without any flat spots or troughs in the curve. There isn't very much drama off the line but once you do get moving, the way the 323i piles on the speed is very impressive. And the goofy smile-inducing straight-six howl that the engine makes is almost as hair-raising as the one the 330i, except with the volume turned down.

The gearbox is a six-speed automatic, with manual override. It's as smooth as they get, and very responsive, especially to the dictation of your right foot. You can even modulate the throttle to the precise point where you can trigger gearchanges, both up or down, exactly when you want them. Very few cars are capable of encouraging that sort of link with the driver.

The steering is very meaty at low speeds, almost overly so, but it improves when you're on the move. It's accurate and extremely quick, and you can actually steer the 323i with small movements from the wrist, even through the twisties, as opposed to sawing away at the wheel with arms akimbo. Good as the steering is, you can actually make it better, BMW's Active Steering option is constantly maligned by the Luddite British press but in our eyes having a quick rack for low speeds and a slower one for higher speeds is a brilliant idea. If you can afford it you really should go for it.

To those who've driven the amazing 330i, but can't afford to keep one in their garages, the 323i can seem like the poor man's version. Relatively speaking, of course. But it isn't really, just think of it as listening to Led Zeppelin on your iPod rather than live and in concert. The basic elements that make the 330i such a brilliant driver's tool are all still there, but packaged in a sort of Cliff Notes way.

One thing that the 323i does do better than the 330i is to look after the integrity of your driving license. We found it virtually impossible, without activating the limiter function, to keep to civil velocities in the 330i. Not so in the 323i, which means that as a long term ownership prospect it's much safer!

NEED TO KNOW

Model BMW 323i
Engine Type 2,497cc, 24V in-line 6
Max Power 177bhp at 5,800rpm
Max Torque 230Nm at 3,500rpm
Gearbox 6-speed automatic
Top speed 226km/h
0-100km/h 8.8 seconds
Price $169,800 with COE
Warranty 3 years / 100,000km
Contact Performance Motors Ltd
Telephone 6319-0100

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