Words Ben Barry Photography John Wycherleymay 2019 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 65B
MW is now in so many segments, from mammoth SUVs to mini EVs,
it’s easy to forget its most familiar model is also its most important:
no BMW sells more than the 3-series globally, and it remains the
model that defines both the company and the premium D-segment.
So there’s a lot riding on this latest seventh-generation G20 3-series.
This our first chance to test the new 3-series not only on UK roads,
but also in the big-selling 320d trim and against its keenest competitors.
This test has to evaluate the new BMW 3-series against its traditional German
rivals, the Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 – both of which, according to Jato Dynamics,
outsold the 3-series in Europe last year if you include all body styles. Then there’s the
Alfa Giulia. It's not a huge seller, but the Alfa’s a giant-killer when judged on its dynam-
ics and looks, two core reasons to buy for 3-series loyalists.
But today’s drivers don’t all think along traditional lines. Buyers and user-choosers
have more choice than ever, and given a 3-series-sized pot of cash some will head off
in a different direction. That’s why we’re also testing the Jaguar E-Pace and BMW X2
compact SUVs, and throwing in a couple of curveball saloons: the Peugeot 508 and
much larger Lexus ES.
Diverse, certainly, but all eight cars tested here cost between £36,439 and £39,495
before options, so they’re all contenders for your 3-series money. ⊲We’ve lapped the Nürburgringin it and drifted it around snow-covered Alpine passes. Now,the moment of truth. Is the new3-series still the benchmark?