The point of owning a BMW - the reason people pay the tariff and put up with the theft risk - is that they're marvelous driving machines. Plenty of vehicles offer high-quality transportation and driving pleasure for less money, but they don't feel like a BMW. The heart of any BMW's personality is its front-engine/rear-drive layout. In a car the size of the 3-Series, this translates into a sporty, responsive, nimble package. The long wheelbase and stiff, well-engineered chassis help deliver a surprisingly comfortable and quiet ride, considering the car's athletic character. The refined strut-type front suspension, multi-link rear suspension and balanced weight distribution provide exhilarating handling. The large disc brakes, combined with standard ABS, provide exceptional braking ability, stop after stop. Our test vehicle's 1.8-liter 16-valve 4-cylinder engine, producing 138 hp at 6000 rpm, provided plenty of fun. But this is not a lightweight car, and the greater power of the 325i's 2.5-liter 6-cylinder engine would have been more satisfying. Although rear-drive devotees swear by the responsiveness of their cars, they must acknowledge that there are limitations on slippery surfaces compared with front-drive cars. The 318i doesn't offer a traction-control system, but it does have an optional limited slip differential to improve traction during acceleration on slick surfaces. The standard transmission is a 5-speed manual. In our 318i, it offered short, precise shifting and an elastic third gear that was excellent in city traffic. Given the versatility of the manual transmission, it's hard to imagine why anyone would want an automatic, but a well-geared 4-speed is available. It's a little slow off the line, but the sport mode lets you enjoy the power that comes at higher revs.
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