2006 BMW 3-Series Road Test

Still, the autocross course, tucked into much tighter confines and featuring strategically laid sand on its surface,

The challenging autocross course brought to light just how nimble and sophisticated the new 3's chassis is. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

specifically designed to reduce traction and cause the car's many driver aids to save the day, brought to light just how nimble, and then just how sophisticated the new 3's chassis is.

In a separate section, a 330i was purposely fitted with a damaged passenger-side rear tire, so that we could test how the car handled with a "flat". Of course, being that the new 3-Series comes standard with runflat tire technology, I found it quite controllable even through the curves. This is a fantastic benefit to those who would rather not stop on the side of a highway to change a flat tire, a prospect that may not only be inconvenient, but also could pose a danger.

The 3-Series comes with a lot of features in base form, by the way, and its price point is quite good, especially when factoring in its extremely high resale value

Despite being better in every way, the base 3 won't increase in price at all when it goes on sale later this month. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

after three years of ownership. In fact, despite being better in every way the base 3 won't increase in price at all when it goes on sale later this month.

While no mid-$30K 320i is available yet, the 2006 325i will once again start at $39,900, despite featuring an entirely new design, upgraded 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine that now makes 215-horsepower compared to the 2005 model's 184-horsepower rating, a new six-speed automatic transmission with manual mode, enhanced chassis engineering and steering geometry, totally revised interior, and more.