BMW BEST OF

They’ve been making the 3-series and its predecessors for about 50 years, have BMW, and it don’t seem a day too long. The cars haven’t always been what they’re cracked up to be. The image at times outran reality, and, as a recent survey suggested, if f you want reliability above all you’re best off with a Japanese brand. For many buyers since the 1980s, the BMW 3-series has been a bit of a default choice, just as the VW Golf has been for a choice of family hatch. This may be one reason why this previously niche model (I’m going back quite a way when I say that) often as not finds itself in the UK's top 10 best-selling models. Still and all, BMW’s staple, now available in more variants than ever, stands up well to scrutiny on its own terms. None more so than one of the newer variations on the theme, the 340i. This has the latest six-cylinder engine and, pleasingly enough, is a traditional “straight six”. These used to be the format of choice for car makers, but the V6 gra