Enya continued to sing in the background, her smooth voice added to the relaxing Sunday drive that just melted the week’s troubles away. Perfect conditions in Metro Manila: the absolute absence of vehicular traffic and sunny skies without a black cloud in slight. A tight uphill left-hander is coming up. Alas, will this end the Bimmer’s blissful run? With a slight smile, a little up flick of the sequential shift sent the inline-4 roaring higher through the rev range. The fat four-spoke steering wheel provided excellent grip to those last minute corrections, sending the car through the obstacle with minimal fuss. Not bad. Not bad at all. Such is the captivation offered by the 318i Executive.
A consistent top ten best-seller in the world, the 3-series has always been regarded as the yardstick against which all compact luxury sedans are measured against. Try as they may have, the 3 successfully devastated the opposition from rivals all over the world. From Japan to the United States, people continued to love, respect and praise it.
As good as it is, hardcore Bimmer fans suddenly found themselves scratching their heads: the 3-series had become too soft compared to the pee-in-the-pants excitement that the original four-pot offered. It had become a fashion symbol, success symbol and even to a degree, a sex symbol—everything except for what it was originally designed for: a sporty symbol. BMW watched as its competitors gained ground—newer cars such as the Lexus IS200 and Mercedes-Benz C-class were riding close behind. However, in true, computing German fashion, BMW answered its critics hard and fast.
Burning the midnight oil (and losing hair in the process), engineers at Munich rolled out the reengineered 3 in 2001. Arriving in the Philippines in 2002 as three variants, the 318i were fundamentally the same with details and some fine tuning that set them apart from each other. The mainstream of these three is the Executive with a well-balanced set of creature comforts and performance. Aimed for the well-to-do and successful young executive, the 318i Executive is the epitome of stylish comfort, luxury without looking dull and dated—but, the question looms: can it be sporty?
At the heart of the 318i is a new inline-4 that develops a healthy figure of 143 horses and 200 Nm of pulling power. The new 2.0-liter engine’s combination of broad-band horsepower and low-end torque makes the 318i a formidable car on any sort of road or track. The engine is silent and sweet, but not devoid of character. The Valvetronic has all the right adjectives attached to it: potent, muscular—and most important of all, sporty. Unlike any forced-induction engine, the growl of power is absolutely present in every rev, at any gear, at any moment—things relatively absent from any high-revving Japanese engine.
The Valvetronic engine uses a combination of hardware and software to eliminate the need for a conventional throttle mechanism. The Valvetronic replaces the function of the throttle butterfly by using an infinitely variable intake valve lift. The Valvetronic engine does not require a timing belt or chain. All in all, this new engine technology reduces maintenance cost, improves cold start behavior, lowers emission and provides a smoother engine.
Obviously, getting the most out of this advanced powerplant can be a troublesome thing. In the past, it was criticized that the 318i had sluggish off-the-line performance. To cure the problem, BMW revised the transmission, throwing out the old four-speed box for a new five-speed automatic with the Steptronic feature. The engine / transmission combination offered hefty doses of acceleration when needed. The shifting is unobtrusive and natural, feeling almost close to a manual gearbox.
Slotting the shifter to the left of ‘D’ makes the 318i enter Sport mode. The engine revs more freely, as if more horses have been given the whip. It shifts commonly at 5,000 rpm, giving the BMW some formidable straight-line power. Montoya wannabes can flick the lever down and watch the needle hit the red—transforming the humble 318i into an entertaining little number. The Steptronic has been recalibrated to mimic manual shifting as close as possible. Though pretty darn close, it still lacks the precision of a computer-controlled automatic or human-controlled manual.
The position of the small, lightweight inline-4 enables the 318i to achieve close to even weight distribution, making this car preppy to drive compared to its inline-6 brethren. Cornering stability has vastly improved thanks to increased contact patches courtesy of upgraded Bridgestone Turanza ER30 tires. The Executive variant is now fitted with ASC or Automatic Stability Control as well. These upgrades make the car very stable and reassuring in mountain or city streets, in wet or dry conditions.
Upgrades to the 318i’s suspension and chassis system are simple sublime. Combined with the revised steering column with a new geometry and ratio, the new 3 blows away all nitpickers of the previous version’s lack of sporty enthusiasm. The 318i scores a perfect ten as it exhibited characteristics befitting the title ‘sports sedan’. The steering now communicates better with the road, sending the right amount of signals to the driver, especially about the road’s potential dangers such as unevenness or bumps without the feeling of being too boosted.
The excellent steering feel works in conjunction with the car’s lightning fast reaction. Though not as precise as a slot car, the 318i exhibited controlled body roll and a well-balanced steering control that’s simply a class of its own. The MacPherson Strut / Double Wishbone suspension layout helped the Bimmer gain enough composure through the tight stuff to match it with sportier cars such as the Subaru Impreza. Nonetheless, unlike the Scooby, the German didn’t give up a millimeter of long-distance touring comfort and luxury for its excellent sporting characteristic.
Build quality is standard BMW fare. The car felt rock solid, a testament to BMW Philippines’ local assembly quality (the 316i and 318i are assembled here). However, the 318i Executive tested was not without electronic niggles. During a high speed run at the Coastal Road, the car lost its sync with its transmission. For a while, the car ran on three forward gears—something terrifying when other cars ran at speeds close to 100 km/h. Thankfully, after a re-start a short time later, the transmission seemed to have sorted itself out quite nicely.
Sound as the BMW’s mechanicals is their testament to high quality interior trimmings. Every space, nook and cranny of the 318i Executive was pleasing to look at and touch. The Bavarian soft plastics was everywhere and coupled with light-shaded Myrtle wood trim, the interior was perfectly and peerless put together, making any BMW owner as proud to sit in the 318i Executive as to drive it. Everything is so cleanly designed with a minimal of button fuss. All the storage bins and auxiliary switches are covered and activated by soft-push buttons.
Unlike its older 5-series and its close cousin, the X5, the 3-series is surprisingly more ergonomic with every bit of control within easy reach and every dial easy to read and understand. The steering wheel is perfectly sized, while the automatic gear selector is fairly easy to hold and to use—very intuitive and connected. The fighter cockpit feel of the 318i extends further to include such controls as the handbrake, where it’s close positioning makes it a tempting thing to yank, after all, this car was designed for that, right? Center-mounted window / door controls may take some time to get used to, especially for those familiar with Japanese car layout, but it’s not so confusing. The real Waterloo of the 318i, much like the rest of the BMW line-up, is its audio system control. The Bimmer’s Business Audio System with stereo cassette and six-disc CD changer contains small and undecipherable prints making changing disc or station a chore. However, once properly deciphered, the premium sound system does wonders thanks to the powerful 8-speaker system.
So far, so good then for the BMW 318i Executive as it has negotiated all the necessary things to make it a top notch luxury compact sedan. Now, the biggest question looms, is the two million-asking price worth it? Is this the better buy compared to the Jaguar X-Type and the Volvo S60? According to some long time BMW 3-series owners, the Bimmer still suffers some minor problems such as trim that easily gets worn as well as audio system glitches. A select few also complained of some more drastic durability issues which could make this car dangerous to drive. Problems range from faulty transmission (no forward gears, no selection above third gear, etc.), a faulty electrical system and even an overheating engine.
Compared to its rivals, the BMW 318i Executive ends up as a mixed bag: one hand, it’s the sportiest and most dynamic among the three, but on the other hand, the other two, particularly the Volvo ends up being the most practical; thanks to its economical light-pressure turbo and large interior space. A BMW advantage is the numerous service centers out there—making the 318i easier to service in case of repairs. People who know the industry say that the BMW 318i also retains its value better than at least the Volvo because of the continued demand for the sportier Bavarian.
With a new BMW Anniversary promotion on-going for the BMW 318i Executive, buying a new 3-series hasn’t been easier and more affordable. However, should anyone actually fall in line for one? The bottom line here is: it depends. Nothing beats the BMW 318i Executive for the perfect balance between luxury and sportiness. If comfort and size are top priorities, then the Volvo S60 is the one to get, likewise if image is the key, then the Jaguar X-Type is the best bet. So what is the BMW’s trump card then? Believe it or not, it’s the German’s sportiness. For the moment, BMW has finally gotten the formula right to make the 3-series as dynamic as possible. Though not as spectacular as the original 3-series, at least this version deserves to wear that blue-and-white propeller upfront.
By Ulysses Ang Photos By Ulysses Ang and Jason Ang
Originally Published in the October 2002 Issue
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