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2016 BMW 3 Series First Drive [w/video]

If the 3 Series were a person, it would suffer from crippling anxiety. This has nothing to do with the way the car behaves on the road, and it's not a result of its styling. No, it's because so many people expect so much from the 3er. The model is held to the highest standard, which it tends to set itself, and when it doesn't deliver, it hears about it. So it was when BMW introduced the F30 3 Series sedan for 2012. This was a good 3 Series, but few thought it was great. The car lost some of its edge, instead chasing the comfy-luxury crowd that arguably makes up more of the buying public. The vocal Bimmer-loving minority wasn't pleased. Critics, us included, called the car out for its soft suspension tuning, less-than-perfect electric power steering, and chintzy interior details. Enthusiasts instead waxed nostalgic about the E90 generation that came before. But now, the 3 Series can relax again. BMW managed to address most of the issues in this F30 refresh for 2016. The suspension has been reworked, the steering programming overhauled, and the interior is now more befitting a dignified sporty thing from a luxury brand. For good measure, BMW is introducing a new turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with more power that the car didn't really need. BMW is introducing a new turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with more power that the car didn't really need. That new engine comes with a new out-of-thin-air badge, 340i, replacing the 335i and its N55 six. The updated 3 Series sedan will continue to be offered as a 320i with a turbo four, and both sedan and wagon keep a 328i with a higher-power version of the same engine, as well as a 328d turbodiesel. While those models' engines are unchanged, they all benefit from minor exterior styling updates (lights and bumpers) and the de-cheapified interior, as well most of the mechanical updates. Most of the content from the former Sport Line package, like Sport seats, the Sport transmission, Sport gauges, gloss black exterior trim, and black exhaust tips, is now standard on all but the 320i. Those extra standard features and the new engine bump the price up $2,050, from $44,745 for the 2015 335i sedan to $46,795 for a 340i. Our test drive focused on the 340i, since it's got the new engine. The B58 mill is a single solitary cubic centimeter off of the N55 3.0-liter's it replaces, but it's based on a new modular architecture.

2015 BMW 228i Convertible

BMW history is littered with small, four-seater convertibles that offer style, spirited performance and driving flexibility. These days it's the 2 Series range, not the 1 or the 3, that carries on the droptop-driver's-car tradition, and the 2015 228i Convertible will the first flavor of it to hit US shores. With prices starting in the upper $30k range, conservative but attractive exterior styling and just enough interior comforts and amenities to feel like a true-luxury player, the 228i makes a strong initial case for itself as either a first or second vehicle. Concurrent with my First Drive of the 2015 BMW X6 M, the Germans brought along their new 2 for testing along some pretty mellow Texas driving routes outside of Austin. With roads that ranged from sweeping country lanes to small town streets, and weather changing handily from cold and misty to bright and warm, I got a good sample of what the new open-top 2 can do. Drive Notes I'll admit to getting behind the wheel of the 228i convertible with a bit of a bias: the old 1 Series line, including the droptop, was amongst my favorite BMW models in years. In terms of overall character, this 2 Series has mellowed a lot versus the chuckable, cheerful 1er. The steering response isn't quite so whip-fast, and the longer wheelbase means it's less willing to rotate overall. Of course, the 2, especially in convertible form, does feel better suited for the stereotypical small, premium convertible driver, too. Ride quality over our mostly smooth-road drive route was placid and controlled, and steering still felt steady and weighty on center and with lock added in. The car also offers really well-sorted protection from wind buffeting and noise, both with the top raised and lowered. I drove topless on the highway and on surface streets, and was impressed at how cozy I felt with the wind deflector erected and the windows up. Cold-weather convertiblers should do well with this BMW (especially when the xDrive AWD car launches, later in the year). Erect the folding soft top – a feature that's available at speeds up to 30 miles per hour – and the NVH experience is transformed. BMW says that the top-up wind noise has been reduced "by half" versus the 1 Series – a fact that I had no trouble believing after the first few seconds. Wind rush is basically eliminated with the roof raised, and the car becomes a downright conversational space thusly set up.

Hands-on with BMW's Open Mobility Cloud at CES

BMW had a bevy of cutting-edge technology ready for the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show that ran the gamut from a laser headlight for motorcycles to replacing the mirrors on an i8 with rear-facing cameras. The German automaker's most potentially life-changing (or most creepy, depending on your attitude) concept was the Open Mobility Cloud that aimed to connect the vehicle with a person's daily agenda, sort of like the way many folks use their smartphones. The tech includes a sci-fi piece of furniture called the Mobility Mirror that looks straight out of Star Trek. The pane of glass displays everywhere a person needs to go during the day, offers appointment reminders, and tracks vehicle charging. It even sends an autonomous car out of the garage when the owner picks up the key to leave the house. Get a better look at this cutting-edge connection between the home and the automobile from Autoblog editor-in-chief Michael Austin, direct from CES.