THE SWEET SPOT
ARRIVAL OCTOBER 2021
DEPARTURE FEBRUARY 2023
Speed is an expensive habit, and the more you pay, the more you get. Take our long-term 2022 BMW M3. We could have spent more for the more powerful Competition trim or the quicker all-wheel-drive variant. Instead, we went with the $70,895 base model, which not only was less expensive but also allowed us to get a manual transmission.
Even with a number of options, our M3's $77,825 as-tested price is less than the starting price of a Competition xDrive. Opting for the do-it-yourself gearbox gives up a little over a second in acceleration versus the Competition xDrive, but our M3's 3.9-second 60-mph time and its quarter-mile result of 12.2 seconds at 117 mph are figures we can live with. Happily.
Moreover, covering 40,000 miles in a little over a year means spending a lot more time on the open freeway than on a racetrack. And for that task, our M3's spec is ideal. The car simply devoured interstates, traveling from Michigan to California and back, visiting Virginia International Raceway twice, and covering thousands of miles on shorter road trips in between.
Central to our M3's exceptionally pleasing demeanor is its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six and six-speed manual. "This car is so much better with the manual," former staff editor Connor Hoffman commented. "I get why the Competition model exists, but it's just not as engaging to drive on the road."
This story is from the May 2023 edition of Car and Driver.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2023 edition of Car and Driver.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Best Odds
SOMETIMES-NOT OFTEN, BUT sometimes-car manufacturers create something semi-wondrous that is also borderline irrational and three-quarters inexplicable to their own marketing types.
Mileage Booster
Kia Carnival Hybrid HIGHS: Big mpg bump, no CVT weirdness, solid ride and handling. LOWS: Shared HVAC and audio controls, second-row loungers can't be removed, changing brake-pedal feel.
Medium Spicy
Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo HIGHS: Lengthy list of features, spacious interior, generous trunk. LOWS: Uncomfortably flat seats, rivals are quicker, only modest grip.
Drivelines
HORACIO PAGANI IS A visionary designer and self-taught engineer.
Suspensions of Disbelief
It's easy to say a vehicle rides well but much more difficult to explain the nuanced implications of that highly subjective statement.
PUMPED-UP KICKS
NISSAN ISN'T SHY about experimenting with its subcompact of ferings. In the recent past, it briefly gave us the adorable Cube, seemingly designed by Hello Kitty, followed by the frog-eyed Juke that somehow spawned a six-figure R-badged super-SUV in other markets.
THE ALFA ROMEO GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO. THE BMW M3 COMPETITION. AND THE CADILLAC CT4-VBLACKWING HEAD SOUTH ONA ROAD TRIP TO FIND OUT WHICH ONE BEST DELIVERS ON THE SPORTS-SEDAN PROMISE.
One of us, gassing up the 2025 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing, says, \"No, we drove from Michigan.
SINCE WE APPRECIATE GREAT TALENT IN ALL ITS FORMS, WE ALSO HONOR THE 10BEST TRUCKS, SUVS, AND VANS. INCLUDING ONE WINNER WITH LITERAL BUZZ.
THE DISCUSSION AROUND this year's 10Best Trucks competition had some editors wishing the award were called 12Best.
OUR VERSION OF A 2024 AUTOMOTIVE AWARDS SHOW (SOMETIMES HUMOROUS, SOMETIMES NOT).
America's fastest senior citizen made the save of the year when his Funny Car's engine exploded at Virginia Motorsports Park.
"A ROMANCE THAT BUILDS WITH SPECTACULAR PASSION. THE LONGER YOU DRIVE IT, THE BETTER IT GETS."
When the history of the sports sedan is written, the late-narrative plot twist that few would have seen coming is the emergence of CadillacCadillac!-as the keeper of the flame. And yet, that's exactly what's happened.
