carsales Car of the Year takes on Germany

I need to start this little story by apologising for a lack of imagery in my introduction. You see taking photos in BMW’s Munich manufacturing plant is strictly forbidden, and as much as I’d have loved to have shared the birthplace of the 3 Series sedan and Touring (wagon) and 4 Series coupe with you, I didn’t want to have the rest of my trip cut short.

What I can tell you is that the BMW produces around 1000 vehicles and 2000 engines per day from its highly-automated Munich plant. It’s a facility that’s both as clean and efficient as you might expect.

Tours run daily in German and English and cover around 2.4km of the facility, taking in 12 separate work stations. We saw the stamping and welding of panels, the assembly of engines, the fit-out of the cabin and the painting of the bodies – all in real time.

It takes around a day-and-a-half to build a 3 Series from scratch and the guided tour is a terrific way to get a sense of the intricacy of the car-building process. It's an opportunity to see what makes the 3 Series tick at a deeper level than even the most enthusiastic owner will likely ever appreciate.

From Munich, I re-familiarise myself with the incredible BMW Welt museum before taking a cab north to Garching to collect ‘my’ car.

As is the case for carsales Car of the Year judging, we pick the most popular variant. It's the 330i in Australia -- in Germany, the 320i sedan in Jet Black the most popular combination.

It’s nearly winter in the northern half of the world when we drove the 320i and in countries like Germany, cold-weather tyres must be fitted. To that end my 320i was shod with a spanking new set of winter tyres, both a blessing and a curse here.

On one hand the deeper grooves and meatier tread provide the kind of traction that might just save your bacon on frigid, snow-covered roads. But on the other, it means you’re limited to a top speed of 210km/h on derestricted sections of the German autobahn network.

And let me tell you that 210km/h is an easy reach – even for the B48 2.0-litre four-cylinder powered 320i. The turbocharged petrol engine makes 135kW/300Nm and drives the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission that BMW says will accelerate it from 0-100km/h in 7.1sec, and hit 235km/h given the chance. I believe them.

For my first stint toward the alpine resort town of Tegernsee, however, the pace is a little more relaxed. It seems the entirety of Munich decided Friday evening was the best time to make a beeline for the country. The traffic is heavy but it's predictably well-behaved as I made my way south to the picturesque Bavarian lake country.

When I exit the busy #8 autobahn for the valley road to Tegernsee, the view through the windscreen opens like a pop-up book. Traditional houses or ‘Bayerische Hauser’ dot the soft green hills with all the charm of a Bob Ross painting. The crisp air and captivating quiet greet me in a calming embrace as I realise just how under-dressed I am for autumn in Bavaria.

“Ist es das neue 3er?” asked my host, his gaze unwavering from the still-glimmering black paintwork. I needn’t have answered. It’s obvious from his tone that he knows everything there is to know about the new 3 Series. The Bavarians are rightly proud of the car that is produced in their own backyard.

We spend a few minutes picking over the highlights of the seventh-generation 3 Series. The G20-series sedan offers BMW’s latest take on its iDrive infotainment and connectivity system, all LED lighting, sat-nav-enabled idle-stop technology and a stronger (and lighter) new CLAR body that works with intelligent driver assistance systems to achieve a five-star EuroNCAP safety rating.

If you ever find yourself in the German Alps at this time of the year, be sure to wake up in time for the sunrise. The golden light and pure silence of the Bavarian Lake District is captivating, and really makes me wish I’d learnt how to use a camera properly.

A quick ferry trip on Tegernsee reinforces just how magical this mountain setting is, and after a traditional Bavarian breakfast, it’s time to climb back in the 320i for a quick blast west to Oberammergau.

This pretty little town on the border between Austria and Germany is home to one of Germany’s longest alpine coasters. The 2600m long metal-rail course hurtles its riders down the face of the Kolbensattel mountain at speeds of up to 40km/h. It is as much of a tourist draw as the downhill mountain bike trails in the ‘warmer’ part of the year – and the ski fields during the winter.

It’s a ride that’s almost as scenic as the Ettalerstasse that brings visitors in their thousands to this beautiful part of the world. The road is one that’s smooth and flowing, and easily devoured by the 320i’s adaptive chassis,. Acomplete lack of potholes and wonderfully cambered corners give this eager driver almost as much as a thrill as the alpine coaster.

What’s equally great about German roads is how quickly they seem to evolve. A new tunnel was being pushed through the mountain to help eliminate the bottle-neck at the end of the Ettalerstasse. I dare say by the time I visit again, it will be via that tunnel, and not the winding road that traces the Ammer River through the gorgeous Ettaler Weidmoos valley.

Whatever the case, I’m sure the 3 Series’ sat-nav and its handy over-the-air updates will have me covered.

If you think the autobahns are Germany’s only driving highlight, then you should add the Deutsche Alpenstrasse to your list.

Literally the German Alpine Road, this 515km long ribbon of perfectly-maintained black-top winds from Bodensee in the west of Bavaria to Konigssee (near Salzburg, Austria) in the east. The section from Oberammergau to the Berchtesgaden National Park is one of the more enjoyable – and scenic – roads I’m yet to encounter.

Late autumn meant the golden amber, rich red and intense brown leaves of the beech, birch and maple trees contrasted vividly against the evergreen pine and spruce (almost as neat of a contrast as the Cognac Vernasca leather upholstery in the 320i!). The colourful backdrop flashed by the windscreen of the 320i as I made a brief detour to check out the top of the German Alps, the 2962m Zugspitze.

It’s a busy destination I’d urge you to visit early – and on a clear day. The views are absolutely incredible, but the cable car ride is not for the fainthearted. Like tourist attractions anywhere, the Zugspitze asks a fee to enter and to park. The conversion back to the Aussie dollar is a bit of a shock when you sit down and add it all up.

That makes the fuel economy of the 320i something of a welcomed relief. Considering the cold, thin air, higher average speeds and on-and-off throttle driving this part of the world demands, the 3 Series held close to its hybrid-like claim of 5.0L/100km. Welcome frugality giving a tank of ‘Super’ or premium unleaded here sets you back around €79 (or approximately $130).

Of course, BMW also offers a plug-in hybrid version of the 3 Series, just in case that takes your fancy.

I’d originally planned to take this journey in an all-wheel drive and diesel-powered 3 Series but with economy like this I couldn’t have asked for much better.

If the natural beauty of Bavaria and adjacent parts of Austria takes your fancy, it’s worth keeping in mind that what made much of this region wealthy comes from beneath. Salt was a major part of the economy of this area for 7000 years. Right up until 1989 in fact.

The Hallein mine I toured near Salzburg (literally Salt Castle) dates back to pre-Roman times and shows a history of mining by various groups including the Celts. It’s said to be one of the richest workings in the area. The tour comprises a Willy Wonka-style train ride, boat trip, elevator and even a pair of wooden slides.

Interestingly, the underground tour also criss-crosses the Austrian-German border – twice –a recurring theme of my trip, it seems. Like the Deutsche Alpenstrasse, there’s simply no way to explore this area without finding yourself on one side of the geopolitical divide or another.

Which brings us to an important, if at times dark, period of this region’s history: that of the Third Reich.

The Berchtesgaden is home to the Kehlsteinhaus (or Eagle’s Nest) which served as a meeting place for hierarchy of the Nazi Party. It’s an unusual juxtaposition that a place so beautiful could be used to concoct some of history’s most heinous atrocities.

Even 80 years on from its construction, it attracts the curiosity of thousands of visitors each year.

Much of the region surrounding the Berchtesgaden National Park is punctuated with reminders of the Second World War and wartime cemeteries are not uncommon in passing between small towns. The idyllic setting is one that is hard to reconcile against such a violent period.

It’s a profound note to end my tour of this otherwise fascinating and beautiful location. But like history itself, it's is one I must now view through the rear-view mirror.

It doesn’t take a lot of time to appreciate the excellence of the 2019 BMW 3 Series. There’s a reason it won Carsales Car of the Year: it simply nails the brief.

In nearly 1000km, the 320i didn’t put a foot wrong. The driveability is tremendously engaging; the chassis is competent, and at the same time compliant; the powertrain is smooth, efficient and stronger than its numbers would have you believe; and the technology – seen and unseen – is both intuitive and seamless.

It’s also a passenger car that delivers on being a passenger car, as strange as that might sound. So many cars now place too much focus on style and form that they forget people and their belongings need to be carried inside. Again this is something the 3 Series does with impeccable ease.

This is a medium car that has a family-size heart. It’s comfortably spacious and offers plenty of clever thinking where packaging is concerned – incluing generous boot space. It’s easy to see out of and wonderfully well built; and yes, it has a sense of style about it as well.

I really enjoyed my time in the German-spec 320i. It’s a car that suits the roads of its home country as well as the 330i did on the Aussie roads we sampled at Car of the Year. It’s also a car I’d have no trouble recommending to anyone that’s considering a midsize prestige car.

Whether you get to see where it’s made or not, I can vouch for the fact that the BMW 3 Series is a deserved winner.

How much does the 2019 BMW 320i cost?
Price: €37,850 ($60,915)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 135kW/300Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 5.0L/100km (NEDC Combined); 6.3L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 130g/km (NEDC Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star EuroNCAP (2019)