The classic BMW kidney grilles and the bulging hood hint at the performance character of this car.

The curvature of the roof makes the 328xi look fairly mundane, but the way it's set back, allowing for a longer nose, makes its sporting nature stand out.

Our test car came with parking assist, useful on a car with a high trunk lip.

Trunk space isn't large, but the cold weather package includes a pass-through to the front, allowing for skis to be carried inside the car.

Quality materials make up the interior of the 328xi, giving it a luxury feel.

The center stack on a 3-series without the navigation option is fairly simple. Our car also came with an optional six-speed automatic transmission.

We found the interface for navigating MP3 and WMA CDs excellent, even though it's only a two-line display.

A standard auxiliary audio input sits inside the center console, a perfect place to stow an MP3 player.

The Menu button, on the upper right, brings up this function selection screen, which lets you get at the phone and trip computer displays.

BMW's Bluetooth cell phone integration is among the best.

The trip computer is easily accessed, showing range and average fuel economy.

The 328xi handles beautifully, although the wheel takes some effort to turn in parking lot and driveway maneuvering.

The well-balanced gauges show vehicle and engine speed, along with fuel level and, a classic BMW feature, immediate fuel consumption.

This 3-liter inline six-cylinder engine produces 230 horsepower.