When people think of BMW, it is the 3 Series that most often comes to mind. This is the volume selling model, available as a sedan, a coupe, a convertible, and a station wagon with rear- or all-wheel drive. For the purposes of this review, we will keep the conversation limited to the 3 Series Sedan, which is widely recognized among car enthusiasts as the iconic sports sedan, the benchmark in its class. Last redesigned for the 2006 model year, BMW has performed a significant mid-cycle freshening of the 3 Series Sedan.

Here is a summary of the changes to the 2009 BMW 3 Series Sedan:
• New turbodiesel engine in 335d model, equipped with BMW BluePerformance emission-control technology
• Updated exterior design with new hood, decklid, rocker panels, lighting, fascias, and wheel designs
• Increased rear track is 0.6-in. wider
• Bigger exterior mirrors for improved visibility
• LED taillights standard
• Xenon Adaptive headlights standard on 335i and 335d; now include cornering lights
• Shadowline side window trim standard with Sport Package
• Interior receives refined materials, revised power window switch placements, additional storage areas
• Optional Cold Package now includes a heated steering wheel
• Active front head restraints are standard on all models
• New generation iDrive system with high-definition 8.8-inch display
• Navigation system includes a hard drive to store destinations and up to eight gigabytes of music
• BMW Assist includes automatic emergency calling, transmitting vehicle location and data about a collision to the BMW    Call Center, which in turn establishes voice connection with occupants of the car
• MyInfo is now offered with BMW Assist, allowing owners to send business listings, street addresses, and phone numbers from the Internet directly to their BMW
• Optional Park Distance Control includes front sensors for the first time
• New Space Gray, Tasman Green, and Blue Water paint colors
• New Oyster, Saddle Brown, and Chestnut Brown leather choices
• New aluminum and wood trim selections

BMW sells the 3 Series Sedan as the 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335i xDrive, and 335d. The xDrive models have all-wheel drive systems; the others are rear-wheel drive. The 335d is new for 2009, a turbodiesel model designed to return good fuel economy without compromising performance. In terms of standard equipment, and aside from powertrain modifications, there are few differences between the 328i models and the 335i/335d models. The latter receive 17-inch wheels, power front seats with memory, and Xenon adaptive headlights with cornering lights. The xDrive models also add retractable headlight washers.

Greater model differentiation is provided via the options list. Buyers can select Cold Weather, Premium, and Sport packages that bundle features together. Additionally, a comprehensive collection of individual options is offered in addition to 12 paint color choices and a wide variety of interior colors and trims, making it easier to tailor a 3 Series to specific tastes. Fully equipped with every option, the 2009 BMW 335d – the most expensive model – can top $60,000. Or, by limiting options, a 2009 BMW 328i can be purchased for less than $35,000.

The 2009 BMW 328i is powered by a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine driving the rear or all four wheels through a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. The 328i generates 230 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 200 ft.-lbs. of torque at 2,700 rpm. Fuel economy ratings are 18 mpg city/28 mpg highway with rear-wheel drive and 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway for the xDrive models.

The 2009 BMW 335i is powered by a twin-turbocharged, 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine driving the rear or all four wheels through a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. The 335i generates 300 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 300 ft.-lbs. of torque between 1,400 and 5,000 rpm. Fuel economy ratings are 17 mpg city/26 mpg highway with rear-wheel drive. With xDrive, the manual transmission model returns 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway while the automatic is rated 16 mpg city/25 mpg highway.

The 2009 BMW 335d is powered by a twin-turbocharged, 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder diesel engine driving the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. The 335d generates 265 horsepower at 4,200 rpm and 425 ft.-lbs. of torque between 1,725 and 2,250 rpm. Fuel economy estimates are 23 mpg city/36 mpg highway. Our review car was a 335d, and we averaged 26.1 mpg despite liberal use of the accelerator pedal.

Standard safety equipment on the 2009 BMW 3 Series Sedan includes dual front airbags, side-impact airbags for the front seat occupants, and side-curtain airbags for outboard occupants in the front and rear seats. Additionally, the 3 Series comes standard with four-wheel ventilated-disc ABS with dynamic brake control, brake assist, brake-fade compensation, and brake drying. Dynamic stability control with traction control is also standard.

Other safety features of the 2009 BMW 3 Series Sedan include adaptive brake lights, a start-off assistant for holding the car on hills, rain-sensing wipers, and optional side-impact airbags for the rear seat occupants. The 335i and 335d versions come standard with Xenon adaptive headlights that can swivel to help see around curves, while xDrive models have headlight washers that pop out of the front bumper. The 3 Series can also be equipped with BMW Assist (a telematics service that can contact emergency personnel in the event of an accident), Park Distance Control (sensors that can detect objects in the car’s path), and Active Cruise Control (which can automatically maintain a safe following distance between the 3 Series and other cars).

J.D. Power and Associates says the 2009 BMW 3 Series Sedan competes against other entry premium vehicles such as the Acura TL, Audi A4, Cadillac CTS, Infiniti G-Series, Lexus IS, Lincoln MKZ, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and Volvo S60.