The 3-series saloon is un-arguably one of the best in its class. It brings together quality, reasonable performance and good looks. Aesthetically, mine is a 1992 mk3 model in alpine white (normally not a white fan but it does suite this car) and has sideskirts and a spoiler, which always draws in the looks. To me, the mk3 has always been the best looking of the bunch.
The engine is a work of art. The 24v 2-litre straight 6 pumps out 150bhp, which maybe isn't enough for the amount of cylinders/size. But the point is the engine is very refined and reliable. Many 2.0i BMWs have been known to go over 200,000 if regularly serviced and looked after. The performance certainly isn't explosive, especially off the line and to 30-40mph. But when you push the engine hard over these speeds, 4000rpm+ the distinctive 6-cylinder BMW engine roar brings a smile to your face. Then the car is very capable of keeping up with the GTIs and faster cars on the road at medium to high speed, but don't embarrass yourself off the lights. Fuel economy is quite impressive for a straight six, unless you push the engine(which is quite hard not to do). The MPG dial gives you an education of what really drains fuel. The gearbox is very smooth and easy to operate, although reverse gear sometimes requires too much force to whack it in.
The handling is simply mind blowing. Something for the driving enthusiast to look forward to on the way home from work. I cannot think of a front-engined car (minus the obvious ones over £100,000) that simply makes bends and roundabouts so fun. With a rear-wheel drive car you usually expect good handling but over-steer. Not so much here, the car feels so well balanced and set-up in the corners, the front very slightly understeering, yet darts where you want it to once you apply the throttle and the precise steering. Caution however must be taken into consideration when in the wet, the back will step out under heavy cornering loads/acceleration, although much easier to correct with a rear wheel drive set-up.
The suspension is also superb. The steering remains precise and responsive, yet all the bumps and cracks in the road surface seem to be absorbed for a comfortable ride. The car has good traction and also manages to not be upset at all my big camber changes in the road. BMW have done an excellent job here.
The interior of my car is not leather, but still of a good quality. Except for a few things. The steering wheel is not leather. My car lacks a lot of kit like Traction Control, Air Con, Adjustable steering column, etc. Fair enough, I may not have the top of the range model but I have heard from many other owners that a lot of these features are not very common on most mk3s. The alpine stereo system is very outdated, a chunky cassette radio that looks ugly, but the speakers are of reasonable quality.
There has been one reliability issue which I have encountered. The clutch is known to overheat, and once this happens it can leave cause damage. Next time you overheat it the clutch can violently judder when pulling away or in reverse. This is a common problem with the mk3 3-series. A new clutch is not cheap, but fitting it is cheaper compared to a front wheel drive car.
If you want a car that is affordable, rewarding to drive offers reasonable performance and has the looks, quality and prestige of a BMW go out and buy a second hand 3-series now.