Good morning, worshippers. The sermon for today is read by the Reverend Gregorious Saltmarsh. "You know, the question I'm most often asked is 'can God be found in modern-day society?' My reply is usually this: consider the new BMW 316i SE. "Its comfortable ride provides succour in times of stress. Lo, there is air-conditioning to shelter its occupants from the hellish heat of a hot summer's day. And airbags are not found to be wanting within its cabin walls.

Yea, the engine is the same 1.9-litre powerplant as that in the 318, with balancer shafts to soothe the furrowed brow. It is not swift, as it is detuned to provide 105bhp from the 318's 118; but with such losses there are gains, for the 316 returns a saintly 36.2mpg. So, it may be meek, but at least it leaves an Earth for future generations to inherit. And in non-SE form, this is the cheapest new 3-Series saloon you can buy.

The touring version is identical to the saloon, though the suspension settings are different to allow it to cope with the possibility of heavier loads. It might not be quite as sharp or sporty as the car it replaces, but as a refined mile muncher, there's not much to touch it. Most of the engines available for the saloon can also be found powering the Touring, with the exception of the 316i or 323i version.

Overall, the new 3-Series saloon makes its debut with a roomy new shape. The 318i is very refined if a little slow, though the 328i has lost its edge.

For Refined mile muncher Against Slower than the car it replaces

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