BMW 318d - a sample of the premium middle class

BMW recently announced that it will gradually introduce front-wheel drive to its models. It was enough for me to stop loving the person who came up with this, although I don’t even know who he is. Only this idea can and does make sense. People looking for middle-class cars are not interested in drive, but in what they can find in them and what they can boast of. Everyone will like the first group, so they consider the VW Passat a gift from heaven to the sanctuary of mankind. The latter are more demanding and will not be satisfied with anything - these are Premium class customers. Such people have a very simple choice - they lose almost all the cars on the market. The only problem is that the ones that remain are really good and the choice is hard.

Audi, Mercedes, BMW - they haven't had a major problem riding in the Premium market for years. However, none of these cars are perfect. An axle that must simultaneously rotate and transmit torque to the wheels is a bad axle. Therefore, while BMW and Mercedes have only right-hand drive, “rear”, and the Audi driver has to fight with the steering wheel and the laws of physics. But the A4 can also use the famous Quattro drive. So what - C-Class and Series 3 can be purchased with all-wheel drive. Considering these two models, it is also worth considering another issue - in the eyes of people who envy Mercedes, they will look like a pensioner who made a fortune collecting bottle caps, and his most exciting activity every day is trimming. his gray mustache in front of a mirror. What about BMW? Exactly the opposite - there is nothing to cut off the extra adrenaline, because the mustache fell out along with the hair on the head. In addition, the jacket has been replaced with a hooded sweatshirt, and the collectible lids have been replaced with beer can lids. However, if you think about it for a moment, something is not right here. I am happy to meet 100% "Dres" who have a BMW 3 series E90 for more than 100 90. zł. That's right - he can't afford them. So Generation E is still safe. But is it worth it?

Appearance has always been a matter of taste, although the Series 3 has something to admit - its proportions are perfect. In addition, skillful embossing of the body will keep it from aging for a long time. The E90 has already undergone a facelift in its career - it used to look like a Daewoo Lanos in the back, and now it finally looks like a typical BMW. It has all the hallmarks - the famous angel eyes headlights, shark fin sat-nav roof and rear cab - what more could you want? Driving pleasure!

Steering becomes stiffer as speed increases. As long as you will pay more than 1000 PLN for such a gadget. It allows you to feel the car perfectly, and in combination with the multi-link suspension on bends, it works wonders. In addition, the car is perfectly balanced, so at times you can feel like such a big child. The only problem is that all Polish versions are equipped with RunFlat tires, which are much stiffer than typical rubber bands, but at least allow you to continue moving after a puncture. The suspension is also not soft, so it's a pity for everyone who will drive to work on paving stones. Transverse irregularities are most annoying, but on the other hand, we have so many bends in our country ... That's why you can gnaw these holes on the road - the better the question concerns the car itself.

It's not a big limousine because the Ford Mondeo, which belongs to the same class, is like the Titanic in front of Robinson Crusoe's raft. It's also not a compact car because the Series 1 leaves the gap. Then what is it all about? Probably because of the tradition - "Troika" has always been and is. Trunk 460l - not much, but enough for a holiday. The problem, however, is that its floor is wavy, like in Iceland, which limits its practicality a bit. Interior? There is just enough space here - neither more nor less. It’s better not to plant 3 people at the back on the sofa at the same time, because they will have to be resuscitated. But the driver can feel really good in this car. The console is no longer facing her, as in the previous generation, but the whole thing is painfully transparent. The materials and fit are great, even brushed aluminum inserts and climate control come standard – easy to use too. Some even accuse BMW of medieval design roughness, but okay – about PLN 12 is enough to buy a satellite navigation system with an iDrive controller to kill this medieval style with high technology. By the way, the list of additional equipment is impressive, because it may well compete with Sienkiewicz's "Trilogy". Although in the cheapest version you can count on quite a lot. Airbags? Their whole fight - front, side, curtains ... And, moreover, active head restraints, traction control, tire damage indicator - you don't have to worry about safety. For the environment, including - BMW went to meet people who participate in marches and drill into a megaphone to protect porpoises, so it equipped all Troikas with a brake energy recovery system and an Auto Start Stop function - i.e. automatic engine shutdown and start-up after stopping or starting off. The latest add-on is available in manual transmission versions. With so many standard things, what's on this huge list of options?

It has literally everything. From really nice additions in the style of a heated steering wheel, modified suspension, active cruise control and various sensors, to whole packages that even cost tens of thousands of PLN. Unfortunately, there are also elements that should not be included at all. The front armrest is standard equipment, but it will only move if you pay more than PLN 600. Rear standard only in more expensive versions, it usually costs much more than PLN 300, for a separate back of the sofa in each option you have to pay as much as PLN 2000, and a gray sunscreen another PLN 400 - if you add a car with such small details, its price would increase by the equivalent of a bathroom renovation in an average apartment. However, there is one gem in all this - BMW Individual, unique equipment packages. In fact, there is no point in buying them, because they are expensive and useless, but on the other hand, it’s like going to the surgeon and “fixing your face”. Exquisite lacquer colors, inlays with precious materials or even merino leather upholstery, wherever they live and whatever they look like, all this can strongly emphasize the entire car and it is a pity not to use it if funds allow.

The standard seats are quite sufficient - they have a very wide mechanical adjustment, and the seat can be set in almost any possible position. By the way - you can make an interesting test, but you will also need a C-class from Mercedes. Take two guys of the same height, put one in a Mercedes and the other in a BMW parked next to it. Then move 100 meters away from the cars and look at them through the windshields. And what? The driver of the Mercedes looks like he's sitting on a potty, while the one in the BMW is actually invisible except for the top of his head. Even this small detail shows how different in character these two brands are - BMW is a car, but ...

The phenomenon of this car is that it can be a car that will spit exhaust gases at other cars, or vice versa - it will be a quiet car for everyday use and carrying the contents of supermarkets in the trunk. This instance is just that. It has a reasonable 2.0-liter diesel with 143 hp. under the hood, it costs a reasonable PLN 135 for a BMW and consumes an equally reasonable amount of fuel - up to 500 l / 6 km even with dynamic driving. You can also buy a weaker 100 hp version, but I prefer not to know how it rides. At the top is a 115-liter engine with 3 hp. Among petrol units, it is very similar - 286 km for the 122i and a maximum of 318 km for the 306i. I omit the flagship version of the M here, because it is no longer a machine, but the creation of God himself. So how does the 335d drive? Not bad, just need to know a few things. The clutch works quite sharply, and the gearbox, although clear, is a little “loose”. The cabin has good sound insulation, but 318 cylinders is equal to 4 cylinders - everything is shaking inside. To do this, below 4 rpm. there is no power at all, so it’s not even worth showing off at these speeds that you have a “beem” ... But when the turbo starts up, it becomes much more interesting. 1800 s to “hundreds”, excellent maneuverability and clearly noticeable dynamics - if you use medium speeds, you can really squeeze a lot out of this engine, and the whole thing will be just fun. It's actually a good time to buy this car for two reasons - it can't afford hooded crooks yet, it's also rear wheel drive...

The article was created thanks to the courtesy of the BMW Inchcape Motor in Wroclaw, an official BMW dealer, who provided a car from his collection for testing and photo shoot.

BMW Inchcape Motor Poland

ul. Karkonoska 61

53-015 Wroclaw

Email address: [email protected]

Tel. 71 / 333-10-00