BELIEVE it or not, the 3 Series BMW in its current form has already been with us for five years. Where styling is concerned, it now represents previous BMW thinking and this is probably a good thing in the eyes of many. Over the years, it has picked up a number of improvements, not the least of which is the 318i's most recent adoption of a 2.0-litre, twin cam, multi-valve engine. Connect this with a five-speed automatic transmission and the base 3 Series starts to perform more like a BMW should. The driveline changes, in fact, virtually eliminate previous criticisms of the 318i's tendency to be a somewhat strained performer on the road.