2006 BMW 323i

Brian Moore

You want a trendy, fifth-generation BMW 3 Series with its elegant, "flame-surfaced" styling and classic straight-six, but there's one problem: money.

That's where the 2006 323i and its $35,200 starting price come in.

As the cheapest Bimmer (it's not sold in the U.S.), this compact sports sedan eases you into the 3 league with minimum budget strain.

Standard assets include a silky, 174-horse, 2.5-litre six, mounted north-south; six-speed manual gearbox; start-stop button; four disc brakes; electronic stability and traction aids; six airbags; and a/c.

The tester, medium grey with black leatherette, carried $4,500 in options, but still felt far from decadent.

The driver's sport seat, for instance, while accommodating, was a four-lever manual affair with no lumbar adjustment.

But it did have an electric bolster control, plus a slide-out seat cushion extender.

The 323i takes over from last year's old-gen 320i and its 168-horse, 2.2-litre inline six.

Canadian auto writers named the 3 Series Best New Sports Sedan for 2006, while journalists from 22 countries picked it as World Car of the Year.

All North American 3 Series cars have inline sixes. The last four-cylinder 3 in Canada was the 138-horse 1999 318i.

The current lineup: 323i, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi (x stands for xDrive AWD).

THREE STARS

Feeling part of the great global Bimmer brotherhood (sisters welcome, too, of course).

Lean, athletic rear-drive ride.

Free scheduled maintenance for four years or 80,000 km. The generous coverage includes oil changes, brakes, etc., but not tires.

THREE STRIKES

The dash seems pedestrian, compared to the rakish exterior.

Controls reflect the Teutonic mania for complexity.

Adjusting the dash lighting, for instance, involves two buttons, multi-pushes and checking a miniscreen.

Premium fuel only.