BMW 3 SERIES

The archetypal compact executive express makes sense in so many ways. Mark Pearson ponders some of them

- Mark Pearson

Go-to cars. You pick 'em. You squeeze 'em. You put 'em in your bag. No fuss. Just buy one and you'll be driving as good as it gets in its class for the money. After a family car? Volkswagen Golf. Posh off-roader? Range Rover. Premium exec? A BMW 3 Series saloon.

To make that choice even more justifiable, the 2019-onwards G20 3 Series is offered with engines to suit all. There are four diesels, four petrols and a plug-in hybrid to choose from. The base 148bhp 318d diesel is fine, but the 187bhp 320d is a better bet that's almost as economical. Neither has quite the pulling power of the 261bhp six-cylinder 330d or the might of the M340d, which, with 335bhp, is the most powerful oil-burning 3 Series.

The entry-level petrol is the 154bhp 318i, followed by a 181bhp 320i, 254bhp 330i and the delightfully quick 369bhp 3.0-litre six-pot M340i.

Meanwhile, the 288bhp 330e uses the same 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine as the lower-order petrols but has an additional battery and electric motor to allow for short stints of zero-emissions driving.

Entry-level SE Pro trim gets automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, automatic lights and wipers, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, three-zone climate and 17in alloys. Mid-range Sport Pro adds 18in alloys, leather trim and heated front sports seats. M Sport models have M Sport suspension and brakes and an upgraded Professional Connected Package for the infotainment, while range-topping M Sport Pro adds black exterior highlights and trim-specific metallic paint, as well as an M Sport Pro Pack with adjustable adaptive suspension.