Back in July 2013, BMW Malaysia made its 316i available to the mass, and price at RM209k, it is the most affordable beemer sedan! The cheaper 116i is not a everyone car anyhow, thus this does not count. With all models now come with iDrive, this lower end 3-Series has almost everything similar to the more luxury and sporty brothers of 320i and 320d. Of course, the facial and buttock look exactly similar except for the 3-digit model at the rear. We had just stepped into 2014 and learning how car dealers need to clear their 2013 car, one should happily ask for a hefty discount. How would the dealer do this without violating the terms and conditions with the manufacturer and protecting other buyers of similar model from quick depreciation? The answer is fairly simple, dealer will pre-registered a new car, then sell it to the buyer. A Pre-Reged car then will be viewed as second hand though it is brand new with zero-mileage on it. The pre-reged 316i could be had for only RM190k, an almost RM20k off the price, and now this is worth every single cent. Well, colour selection is close to none here.
Though the latest MINI has march on with new 3-cylinder engine, the BMW 3-Series and 1-Series will continue with the Prince engine (N13) it co-developed with Peugeot-Citroen. In the 316i, the turbocharged unit could produce 136hp/220Nm of power, from a super smooth 8-speeder. Though not an impressive figure here, but this engine is very willing to rev, and could hit 100km/h in a mere 9.2s. During the test drive, one cost easily notice the engine and road noise in the 316i, and the Start-Stop system seems to react slower when compare to other BMWs. The car at the back honk at us while we wait for the car to start again after lifting the foot off the brake pedal. Well, at least the aircon is still cooling when the engine stop, unlike some other car manufacturers that stop the compressor from activating in this mode. If you did not like this feature, just press the (A) button on top of the engine ignition button to switch if off.
The dashboard and meter cluster is as usual a beemer, simple and elegant. The iDrive and the 6.5" screen add a touch of luxury to the basic 316i, and BMW always has the best looking gear stalk. Luckily BMW has not omitted this feature. If you look at the BMW X1 without the iDrive controller, the car look so NOT COOL and outdated.
As a RWD car, it is indeed difficult to get a flat floor at the rear seat and the 316i has a big hump here, reducing the comfort for the person sitting in the center. Of the whole car, this is the ugliest looking portion.
Though being the most basic 3-Series Beemer, the 316i is loaded with most standard safety features, and the best is the dynamic braking lights which adjust different signal to the brake according to the intensity of the deceleration. 6-airbag, DSC, ISOFIX, TPM, auto wiper and headlight are all standard.
During the drive, switching to Sport mode remapped the throttle response and the response of the steering wheel, and this setting is more enjoyable than leaving the car in Comfort of ECO PRO mode. But the non-stop petrol price hike could make most owner to leave the 316i in comfort mode. Hey, the Ultimate Driving Machine is suppose to be driven aggressively at time, not like a toy car running out of battery.
The steering wheel leather felt a bit fake and rough, and the meter cluster could be better if it could have some red finishes like the beemer usual sport line dials. Overall, the 316i is all worth the money, and it is not as basic as what some would think. In fact, it is quite fully loaded with features, including electrical control seat with memory function, cruise control, BMW Live and TeleServices, Bluetooth connectivity and the standard run-flat tyres...wait till you need to change them, and see your wallet thin out. So now you knew how to get a brand new beemer with good discount...ask for a pre-reged car...not a demo unit!
The answer: No, not a poor man beemer, but a starter unit for the young professional!
Though the latest MINI has march on with new 3-cylinder engine, the BMW 3-Series and 1-Series will continue with the Prince engine (N13) it co-developed with Peugeot-Citroen. In the 316i, the turbocharged unit could produce 136hp/220Nm of power, from a super smooth 8-speeder. Though not an impressive figure here, but this engine is very willing to rev, and could hit 100km/h in a mere 9.2s. During the test drive, one cost easily notice the engine and road noise in the 316i, and the Start-Stop system seems to react slower when compare to other BMWs. The car at the back honk at us while we wait for the car to start again after lifting the foot off the brake pedal. Well, at least the aircon is still cooling when the engine stop, unlike some other car manufacturers that stop the compressor from activating in this mode. If you did not like this feature, just press the (A) button on top of the engine ignition button to switch if off.
The dashboard and meter cluster is as usual a beemer, simple and elegant. The iDrive and the 6.5" screen add a touch of luxury to the basic 316i, and BMW always has the best looking gear stalk. Luckily BMW has not omitted this feature. If you look at the BMW X1 without the iDrive controller, the car look so NOT COOL and outdated.
As a RWD car, it is indeed difficult to get a flat floor at the rear seat and the 316i has a big hump here, reducing the comfort for the person sitting in the center. Of the whole car, this is the ugliest looking portion.
Though being the most basic 3-Series Beemer, the 316i is loaded with most standard safety features, and the best is the dynamic braking lights which adjust different signal to the brake according to the intensity of the deceleration. 6-airbag, DSC, ISOFIX, TPM, auto wiper and headlight are all standard.
During the drive, switching to Sport mode remapped the throttle response and the response of the steering wheel, and this setting is more enjoyable than leaving the car in Comfort of ECO PRO mode. But the non-stop petrol price hike could make most owner to leave the 316i in comfort mode. Hey, the Ultimate Driving Machine is suppose to be driven aggressively at time, not like a toy car running out of battery.
The steering wheel leather felt a bit fake and rough, and the meter cluster could be better if it could have some red finishes like the beemer usual sport line dials. Overall, the 316i is all worth the money, and it is not as basic as what some would think. In fact, it is quite fully loaded with features, including electrical control seat with memory function, cruise control, BMW Live and TeleServices, Bluetooth connectivity and the standard run-flat tyres...wait till you need to change them, and see your wallet thin out. So now you knew how to get a brand new beemer with good discount...ask for a pre-reged car...not a demo unit!
The answer: No, not a poor man beemer, but a starter unit for the young professional!
