BMW 320i Gran Turismo Sport Line 2013 Review

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $69,500
Options fitted (not included in above price): Metallic paint $1840, 466-type alloy wheels $1650, Adaptive M Suspension $2200, brushed aluminium/Coral Red lines $400, Panoramic sunroof $3000, bi-xenon headlights $2050, extended smartphone connectivity $500
Crash rating: TBA
Fuel: 95 RON PULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 6.3
CO2 emissions (g/km): 147
Also consider: Audi A5 (from $66,900); Skoda Superb (from $38,990)

The BMW 3 Series GT is a compromise – but buyers won't be asked to make severe concessions.

It's one of those good compromises, see? It has the rear-seat accommodation of a Skoda Superb... without the oddball looks. It drives mostly like a BMW, but it's not the sort of hard-core driving machine that passengers will hate.

It's large inside and impresses immediately with its luggage-carrying capacity, but it's not an over-bloated barge to park at the local shopping centre. Comfortable and well equipped, it can also be thrown into corners with a degree of confidence.

Indeed, despite its roominess and slightly raised ride height, the (F34) 3 Series GT provided roadholding that's on par with the (F30) 3 Series sedan. Keeping the boot into it resulted in push on the way out of corners, but by easing off the throttle the car's nose tucked in. Steering response was sufficiently direct, but feedback was a little lifeless at the straight-ahead unless you chose one of the Sport options from the Driver Experience Control.

Things improved considerably by changing from Comfort to Sport or Sport+. Helped by the optional adaptive suspension, the ride remained reasonably compliant, but the body roll was reduced demonstrably in corners.

With passengers on board and left in Comfort mode, the 320i GT was an unfussed cruiser, although tyre noise was constant, even on smoothly-sealed freeways – let alone on typical country roads. One extremely blustery night not even the wind noise could swamp the roar from the tyres.

Otherwise it's a relaxed tourer, with the ride quality providing me with no cause to complain – especially in Comfort mode. But the 320i GT's power delivery from its base engine (135kW and 270Nm) can be a little too relaxed on hills.

As Bruce Newton wrote in his launch review for the car, the Comfort mode dulls performance and it's especially noticeable with two adults and two teenagers on board. There's enough torque to sustain a set speed on moderately steep hills, but to feel the power available from this engine requires more than just mid-range revs.

In fact, despite peak torque being available from as low as 1250rpm, there's no real sense of urgency until the tacho needle swings up to and beyond 5000rpm – the point where peak power is developed. The engine revs cleanly, but as is the case so often with modern turbocharged engines designed to achieve stringent emissions standards, the exhaust note is anodyne.

Paddle shifters combined with the shift lever pushed across to Sport mode make the most of the upper reaches of the rev range, although the ratios are relatively close and it can be harder sometimes to judge which gear to use for any given corner. On at least a couple of occasions the car was reaching its rev limit well before the end of a long, sweeping bend. Otherwise the ZF eight-speed auto is an excellent transmission, as ever. Shifts are always smooth, but the box doesn't muck around handing you the gear you want.

Naturally, once you kick down or open up the throttle additional fuel is consumed. Fuel consumption over the whole week wasn't outstanding; at 10.2L/100km the car's trip computer was posting a figure a long way shy of the official combined-cycle number: 6.3L/100km. And that was despite around 40km of gentle freeway travel thrown in.

While the 320i GT feels much like a 3 Series sedan from the helm, it's the sensible interior packaging that will commend it to buyers. If the interior of the press car was a little dull, at least the combination of the Coral Red highlights and brushed aluminium provides some relief. Ergonomically the 320i GT is hard to fault. The indicator stalk is on the left, but the driving position provides a large range of movement in every direction to suit drivers of any kind of physique and the instruments are nice and big, providing a clearly legible display. Switchgear placement and operation follow conventional BMW philosophy and shouldn't pose major problems for even first-time drivers.

The seats are not what we're used to from a European prestige brand. They're softer and contoured in a way Ford describes as 'V-shaped', cupping the occupant and holding them in place without being over-aggressive or too firm. Entering and exiting the 320i GT is easy and finding your way around at night is simplified by puddle lights in the door handles.

Rear-seat accommodation provides more than enough headroom for average-sized adults – despite the panoramic sunroof fitted. Did I mention the legroom in the rear seat? And boot space measures 520 litres, which is particularly good given the car's length and the outstanding legroom in the rear.

There were some gripes. A persistent rattle in the rear passenger-side door was evident on country roads. During a slow commute to work one morning the car warned of a brake malfunction that never materialised. And the bi-xenon headlights were set too low for night driving on low beam, but on high beam they were excellent.

I find myself wondering why I like this car so much, given that it's by no means perfect. Perhaps it's a question of potential? I can't help thinking that with more grunt from the engine – such as the diesel from the 320d, the 3 Series GT could be the best of all possible worlds.

It's simply a family car that you won't feel embarrassed to drive.
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