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WWW.AUTOCAR.CO.UK7DECEMBER2011UNFINISHEDBUSINESSThelasttimetheBMW3SeriestookontheMercedesC-classitgotbloodied.Theall-newoneisheretoredressthebalance.MattPriorrefereesx18The320dsteerswithaneasyaccuracyandridesacrossurbanroadswithadeftnessitspredecessorlackedx19ThelasttimeaBMW3SeriesmetaMercedes-BenzC-classonthesepagesthe3Seriescameoffsorer.AndalthoughIknowthatthisall-new3Seriesisgoodaswillyouifyoux19vereadourfirstdrive23Novemberitx19snotinconceivablethattheMercedeswilladministeritanotherlightduffingtoday.Unlikelyyes.Inconceivableno.Thingisincreasinglythereisnoguaranteethatanewcarwillbebetterthanthemodelitreplacesx13particularlywhenitcomestodrivingpleasurewhichiswhatmostinterestspeoplelikeyouandme.Itusedtobedifferentbutlegislationforcescompromisesweightdimensionsandelectronicinterferencegoupengineresponseandvisibilitygodown.Ontopofthatmodernstructuralanalysisissocompletethatwehavealreadylearntmostofwhatwearegoingtolearnaboutthematerialsweuse.Isometimeswonderifitismarketeersratherthanengineerswhofeelthegreaterneedforanewmodel.Volkswagenretainedtheoldplatformwhenmakingax18newx19Touareg.Itisnx19talone.BMWisnx19timmunefromthesyndromeitselfIx19dratherdriveaprevious-generation5-seriesthanacurrentone.Likewisethelatest1-seriesridesbetterbutisnomoreengagingthanitspredecessor.Andsotothenew3Serieshereinwhatwillbeitstop-selling320dformwitha2.0-litreturbodieselengineproducing181bhp280lbftandwithexteriordimensionsthatmatchthoseofanE391995-20035-series.Despitethecarx19sincreaseinsizeBMWclaimsitskerbweightisdownbyasmuchas40kgalthoughatthesame1495kgasbeforeBMWclaimsnomodel-for-modelgainshere.AndwhenitgoesonsaleinFebruarythe320dwillcostfrom28080.AsisinevitablethoughwhenBMWpreppedthiscarforourcomparisontestitcouldnx19tresistafewadd-onsofwhichthereareenoughtoextendthe3Seriespricelistto30-oddpages.MostofthemyouorIcouldtakeorleaveandwillmakenodiscernibledifferencetotheoutcomeofthistest.HoweverafewofthosefittedIshouldtellyouabout.Mostnotablytherearevariabledampersat750andSportsSteeringat375plusanautomaticgearboxwitheightspeedsat1525.Inshortamechanicallywellequipped3Seriesistheothersideof30000evenbeforeyougetbusywithconveniencefeatures.ThetrimyouseeinthesephotosincidentallyiscalledModern.Itfeaturesdistinctivedesignhighlightsforasmallpremiumn.StillMercedesisnostrangertothisoptionmalarkeyeither.AsstandardaC220CDISportat31480wouldhavemadeanextremelypleasingcompanionfortherunfromLondontomeettheBMWinBarcelona.Butittoocamewitha1500automaticgearboxwithonelessgearthantheBMWandaDynamicHandlingPackagewhichgainscontinuouslyvariabledampingandaSportbuttonthatsharpensthrottleresponseandshortensshifttimesatacostof500.Onceyoux19vethrownheatedleatherelectricallyadjustingseatsnavigationandupratedstereosatthesecarsasbothoftheirmakersdidyoucanexpecttheirrespectivepricestostartwithafour.Whichisquitealotofmoney.Butsofarsoequal.Igetaninklingofthenew3Seriesx19qualitiesasItrundleoutofBarcelonacentralheadedforsomeinterestingroadstomeettheC-classwex19vehiddennonetoosurreptitiouslyaroundthecorner.Itimmediatelyfeelsgoodthe320d.Itsteerswithaneasyaccuracyandridesacrossurbanroadswithadeftnessthatitspredecessorlacked.Therex19sarealsophisticationtothewayitgoesdownaroadandsmoothstheedgesfrombumpsandimperfectionswithrealclass.Itx19sespeciallynoteworthybecauseourtest320disridingonrunflattyres.Howmuchofthatisdowntoitssuspensionoptionswillbefascinatingtofindout.Morefascinatingthanthedetail