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The snowpack in the high country of the Pacific Northwest has been twice the normal level in the first half of 2008. As I write, many lovely summer driving roads in the mountains are still closed, and some may not open at all this year. So I was pleased to get a chance to spend a week in the all-wheel-drive BMW 328xi. I had a trip to central Oregon planned, and a luxury AWD sports coupe was just the car I needed.  Fast, Capable, and Stylish
The BMW driving experience is well-known – a solid-feeling, quiet, comfortable, powerful car with every bell and whistle known to mankind provided for you. The 328 came with a 6-speed automatic transmission, the normally aspirated 3.0-liter version of BMW’s legendary straight-6 engine, and a coupe body graced with BMW’s latest design language.
The bodywork deserves the first and highest praise – BMW’s love affair with straight lines and somewhat blocky sedans and coupes is a thing of the past. The 328 has gently curving lines that make the car look less German and more Italian. The effect is wonderful, giving the car a cat-like grace. In deep silver-grey, the 328 is attractive from any angle.  Better fuel economy than you expect
Mated with the automatic and splitting its torque four ways rather than two, the 328 feels a little underpowered at first. You have to get your foot into the accelerator and use your gears to make a decisive pass. But once you get used to the car, you’ll have no problem bringing out the best in the engine and drivetrain.
In rain and snow, BMW’s all wheel drive system works flawlessly – you never know it’s there, and you can blithely ignore inclement weather. It’s got good brakes, too. The car’s suspension is firm, yet comfortable and never jarring.
Inside, the 328 has a nice, usable passenger compartment. Back seat space is good for a two-door, and the front seat experience is all BMW luxury. Thankfully, BMW didn’t put the difficult I-Drive system in the 328, so you get standard controls on the stereo, climate, and other functions. As you expect with a car in the BMW range, you’ve got heated adjustable seats, furnished in nice leather.  The nice interior you expect from BMW
Fuel economy is on everyone’s mind lately, and I’m pleased to say that I got about 25 MPG through a week of combination real-world driving. BMW says that this car gets 17/23, but in my experience, the average was never lower than 20 MPG around town, and pushed 27 in exclusive highway driving. This is an advantage that the smaller 3-series cars and the normally aspirated 6 cylinder cars will have over larger sedans. Performance is perfectly adequate and with the price of fuel as uncertain as it is, smart buyers will trade off marginal power for good mileage.
I drove the car all over the Cascades and central Oregon and I liked it better and better throughout the week. The car’s spacious trunk could have handled 5 times the luggage I took, and I was grateful for the satellite radio and excellent sound system. Both the heater and the air conditioning got a good workout as well.
So, let’s look at the sticker price – the 328 starts at $37,100, and the options on the car I tested included a $3250 Premium Package including power seats, auto-everything, and universal garage door opener, a $400 sport package including wheels and tires, A $1275 automatic transmission, $600 worth of cold weather package, and about $1350 worth of extra stereo goodies. All in all, the car I tested came in at $45,820.
I think I could trim about $5K in options off the test car and bring home a perfect 328xi for around $40,000. I’d leave off the automatic and shift my own gears, I’d leave off the premium package and the extra stereo goodies and the sport steering wheel. I’d keep the cold weather gear - this is the Northwest, after all.
But at $40,000, the stuff you still get makes the 328xi a good deal compared to the faster and more expensive cars higher in BMW’s 3-series and on up into the 5, 6, and 7-series.
The bottom line on the 328xi is that if you’ve been shopping the european AWD market, this is a solid choice that should be on your short list.
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