The middle child of the compact BMW 3 Series family, the 328 aims for just the right balance of performance, efficiency and value. Available as a sedan or wagon, the 328 remains a favorite of buyers seeking a well-rounded but accessible luxury car.
What's New for 2015
The 328 receives minor equipment revisions only.
Choosing Your BMW 328
The 328 is powered by a 240-horsepower version of BMW's turbocharged 2-liter four-cylinder engine. The standard six-speed manual transmission will appeal to purists, but we suspect most buyers will opt for the eight-speed automatic. The 328 sedan starts out in rear-drive form with the xDrive all-wheel drive system available as an option. The wagon gets xDrive as standard equipment.
Standard features include power front seats with driver memory, 17-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof (wagon only), auto-dimming mirrors, HD radio, Bluetooth phone and audio, and wood or aluminum interior trim.
The available Premium package rounds out the 328 with leather upholstery, lumbar front seat adjustments, keyless ignition, satellite radio, a hands-free power liftgate or trunk lid, and a sunroof for sedans. The Cold Weather package adds heated seats all around, a heated steering wheel and headlamp washers. A navigation system comes with the Technology package, which also offers a larger dash display, integrated smartphone apps and a head-up display.
Beyond all that, you can upgrade to one of the three optional trim lines: Luxury, Sport and M Sport. The Luxury, which requires the Premium package, adds chrome grille bars and exhaust tips, multi-spoke wheels and specific interior trim. The Sport Line carries a firmer suspension, double-spoke wheels, gloss black grille bars and sporty interior accents. Building on the Sport, the M Sport gets star-spoke wheels, an aerodynamic body kit, sports seats and unique M Sport interior trim. The wheels in each line are available in 18- or 19-inch sizes.
Turning to safety, the Driver Assistance package equips the 328 with a rearview camera and front and rear parking sensors. A Plus version of the same also packs a surround-view camera system, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, speed limit data and an active collision mitigation system. Adaptive cruise control can also be added to the package. Finally, the Dynamic Handling package bundles the M Sport’s upgraded suspension with sport-tuned steering.
Individual options include an automated parallel parking system, a 16-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, M Sport brakes and a leather-covered dashboard.
Unless you're strictly interested in the 328 for its fun factor, the extra perks in the Premium package are rather essential for a luxury car. We feel the same way about the basic Driver Assistance package. Everything else is matter of taste and budget in our view.