GROUP TEST

BABES IN THE WOOD Presented with this bevy of beauties, which one would you spend the night getting to know? The sleek and sophisticated BMW 3-Series Coupe, fresh from its uplift, the incredibly good looking Peugeot 406, the solid and handsome looking Volvo C70, or do you fancy a bit of class and style with the fine Mercedes CLK230 Kompressor? Photography Jim Forrest

2 April 1993 Top Gear

on test

Top Gear April 1993 3

The Beemer may be the raciest-looking car of the bunch, and have sports seats to give you backache, but on test it doesn’t feel as thrilling to drive as its predecessor – it’s grown up and lost its exuberance

126 August 1999 Top Gear

In this magazine’s six-year history there have been a few topics of discussion among the TG test staff which have been consistently contentious. One of these was the dilemma of whether BMW’s 3-Series Coupe really was a true coupe, or simply a four-door saloon with the two rear doors missing. Either way, the Bavarian firm has just launched a ‘coupe’ version of its new 3-Series and, perhaps because we’re tired of debating the subject, or more likely because this Ci model is longer, lower and wider with more steeply raked screens, and shares not one body panel with its saloon counterpart, that old chestnut never arose while we had tenure of this rather sleek 328Ci. One thing not open to contention is the BMW’s showroom success since the original two-door 3-Series emerged back in ’92. It now accounts for one in every four coupes sold in the UK and has prompted several similar offerings from other manufacturers. Peugeot came up with the lovely Pininfarina-designed 406 Coupe. Volvo hatched its C70, currently being advertised with a ‘safe sex’ slogan. And Mercedes launched the CLK, carrying on the line of practical, stylish coupes it has been producing for decades. To get a proper measure of the new £28,995 328Ci, we put it up against the £27,275 406 V6, the £31,590 CLK230 Kompressor and, to keep the automatic Mercedes company, the £30,055 C70 2.5T with optional auto transmission. Last time we pitched the 328i Coupe against its rivals it was a little long in

the tooth, but it won just the same. Will the new Ci win by an even larger margin, or has it grown up too much and lost some of its sparkle? Cue sunshine, empty roads and… action. S T Y L I N G

Um, if you don’t mind, we’ll hold the action for a moment because with any group of coupes the first thing we have to address is style. As just mentioned, the 3-Series traditionally looks most like a saloon and, bearing in mind the CLK, C70 and 406 Coupe have very little in common visually with the C-class, S70 and 406 saloons on which they are based, it still does. But we can’t mark the BMW down for that because there’s something else which separates the 328Ci from the others here. Take a look at those front and rear overhangs – especially the front, where there’s hardly any overhang at all. This makes the car look like there really is a wheel at each corner, which in turn gives it a squat and altogether racier look. This is aided and abetted by those new and purposeful-looking seven-spoke alloys which seem to fill the wheelarches with the snugness of a BTCC racer. Nice. But that isn’t to say the BMW is the best looking car here. Leaving aside any badge-status influences there are many who’d argue, correctly in our view, that the Peugeot is not just the prettiest car here, but one of the prettiest cars on sale today. It’s flawless, from all angles. But there are no ugly ducklings here, for both the Mercedes and Volvo are BMW ●●●● Mercedes ●●● Peugeot ● ● ● ● ● Volvo ●●●

fine looking cars too. Although plainly different and distinctive, they both exude a mature and graceful street presence which few owners, if any in fact, could possibly be ashamed of. P E R F O R M A N C E BMW ● ● ● ● The Mercedes is Mercedes ● ● ● supercharged and Peugeot ● ● ● the Volvo turboVolvo ●● charged but that hasn’t prevented the straight-six BMW from being comfortably the swiftest car of this group, with the V6 Peugeot marginally quicker than the two forcefed motors. Coincidentally, three of them produce a maximum of precisely 193bhp (all within 400rpm of each other) while the 406 produces just one more at 194bhp. Peak torque outputs are remarkably similar as well, with all of them being within about 3 or 4 per cent of each other. Strange but true. While on paper the 328Ci is the fastest, it doesn’t feel any quicker out on the road. Step straight from the 3Series into the 406, or vice versa, and you’d have a hard job telling which was the better performer of the two. This we put down to the fact that there isn’t really any noticeable difference to the human frame or psyche whether you accelerate from 0-80mph in 12.2 or 13.2 seconds. Also, the new 3-Series, this 328 included, is now so refined, so quiet, so smooth, and the occupant(s) so isolated from the oily mechanical workings behind the scenes, that it doesn’t feel as quick as it is. What’s more, although it may be measurably better at just about everything than the old model, it doesn’t feel as exciting –

it doesn’t beg you to grab it by the horns and give it stick. Quite the reverse because most of us were quite happy to select top gear and cruise sedately, just as we might do in a bigger, less sporting, executive saloon. Although the 406 could never be accused of being rough, its crisp engine note provides a measure of stimulation which neither the BMW, Mercedes or Volvo can come close to matching. Hard on the heels of the energetic 406 comes the CLK. Although in outright performance terms it’s encumbered by its auto transmission which, despite having five speeds, often seems to deliver the goods just a little later than you had intended, it’s a lively performer nonetheless. In the real world out on public roads, it’s a match for either the 328 or the 406 in terms of speed and any dozy 328 or 406 driver will have mincemeat made of him (or her) by an eagerly-driven CLK. Unfortunately, the Mercedes driver also has to put up with the rather unsatisfying drone emitted from its four-cylinder engine, which is nothing like as pleasant on the ear as the two sixes or the five-cylinder Volvo. As for the C70, we can’t lambaste it for being sluggish or having any gaping holes in its performance envelope, but we’d never describe the way it goes as sporty, either. And we should also mention that due to circumstances beyond… etc, the C70 was the only car performance-tested with just the driver aboard and a near-empty fuel tank, yet it still didn’t impress us. Apart from its stopping distance, that is; those C70 brakes are really something special.

on test If you can put up with little annoyances like clinking doors and a heavy feel, the rest of the CLK is a pretty satisfying buy. It will also cost the least to service and repair – if you’re particularly clumsy

Top Gear August 1999 127

R I D E / H A N D L I N G

Is the 406 the prettiest car on sale today? We think so, but there is far more to it than surface beauty. It’s fun to drive, practical, has bags of room in the rear and is snapping at the heels of the BMW

128 August 1999 Top Gear

First point to BMW ●●●● Mercedes ● ● ● take into considPeugeot ● ● ● ● eration, and this Volvo ● ● isn’t unusual in modern-day road tests, is that the BMW is rear-wheel drive and the other cars in this group aren’t. That simple fact alone would be the decider for many more enthusiastic drivers and there’s virtually no doubt, this BMW’s chassis and suspension are almost beyond reproach for this class of car. Trouble is, and this has been said before, too, the new 3-Series’ steering feels less alive, less responsive and more remote than the old model’s, which effectively means that it isn’t quite as brilliant as it could be. Despite that, it still takes the prize here. Under even very hard cornering the 328 displays minimal body roll, understeers only when provoked and really only oversteers when the Dynamic Stabilty Control is switched off and you’re driving like a complete nutter. On top of that it grips tenaciously, rides very smoothly and never feels anything short of secure and controllable. But if you’re looking for fun in your coupe then the 406 may be the car for you. Yes, it’s front-wheel driven but, by golly, it’s good. With the suspension damping switched to sport mode, the Peugeot will also hustle through bends very swiftly indeed, and though the steering feels just a tad on the light side, the 406 will eagerly dart left and right with minimum tyre squeal and fuss. Like the BMW, understeer will arise under provocation, and there’s a whiff of oversteer to be had too if you

howl into a bend and lift off midway through. The 406’s ride quality gives no cause for complaint, either. By contrast, the CLK and C70 both feel heavier and less nimble. That isn’t to say the Merc won’t do pretty much what you ask of it – it certainly rides well, steers with decent precision and grips at both ends, even when pushed to the limit – but it never really begs to be driven hard. Yes, it will comply with an enthusiastic driving style but the CLK doesn’t really encourage that kind of behaviour in the first place. And nor does the C70, the difference being that if you ignore the cocooning, sleep-inducing effect the Volvo can have and treat it with youthful exuberence, it will soon tell you to back off. This is a nice enough car for an A-road amble, but ask much more of it than that and it’ll run wide with understeer, and even at quite moderate speeds communicates little to the driver except ‘slow down and grow up’. A C C O M M O D A T I O N

Whoever designs the BMW 3Series’ optional sports seats, (as are invariably fitted to cars given to the press for testing) obviously doesn’t pay too much attention to this magazine’s road tests. Old 3-Series, new 3-Series, it makes no difference whatsoever, because after we’ve been at the wheel for about an hour or two we start shuffling about, fruitlessly fumbling for levers or switches to relieve discomfort in our lower backs. Maybe it’s just us, but at the same time we didn’t have BMW Mercedes Peugeot Volvo

●●●● ●●●● ●●●● ●●●●

this problem with any of the other three cars in this group test. Aside from that there’s very little to criticise on any of them other than, and perhaps this is stating the obvious, none have any excess room for fullsized rear-seat passengers. Of the four, the 406 is marginally the most spacious in the rear with the BMW and Merc being on a par with each other and the Volvo, by having very slightly less head and legroom, in fourth. The C70 also loses out by having painfully slow access to the rear seats because the (optional) front seat motors are seriously sluggish, and you need to keep the lever in the side of the seatback pulled to keep them going. The C70 is also the only one here which doesn’t feature fold-flat rear seatbacks. There’s a small hatch behind the rear armrest, but that’s as much as you get. It’s boot is capacious though, but no more so than the others. Unfortunately for the Peugeot, it drops some marks by having a dash, facia and centre console more reminiscant of an 1.8 repmobile (eg 406 saloon) than a sporty V6 coupe. It’s not nasty, but it is downmarket and the black plastic really isn’t in the same league as that offered by the other three. Fortunately, though, its leather seats are beautifully supple and comfy. And anyone used to the traditionally satisfying great thunk you get from closing a Mercedes-Benz door would be mildly disappointed by the not so traditional ‘clatter’ from this CLK. None of them go short on equipment but it’s the BMW, closely followed by the 406, which offer more as standard.

You want six airbags and a trip computer in your coupe? Then look no further than your BMW dealership.

on test The C70 is hardly sporty, though it does

V A L U E

&

C O S T S

Without even BMW ●●● Mercedes ● ● ● making a choice Peugeot ● ● ● from the lists of Volvo ● ● ● options, there’s more than £4,000 difference in purchase price between the most expensive, the CLK, and the least expensive, the 406, with the 328 and C70 falling very neatly between the two. So that’s perhaps not a huge variance in the grand scheme of things but worth noting all the same. According to our car-cost experts Emmox, the C70 will be knocked about least by depreciation (over a three-year/60,000-mile period), the 328 is likely to use the least fuel, though our CLK did fare marginally better while on test, the CLK should also cost the least to service and repair and the 406 the most to insure. When all that lot has been thrown into the melting pot, there’s little to choose between them. According to Emmox, the most economic, the 328Ci, should cost about 2.2p per mile less to run than the most extravagant, the CLK Kompressor. That’s £440 every 20,000 miles, which at this level probably won’t break anyone’s bank.

have impressive brakes – you’ll need these when you’ve dozed off from the effect the car has on you. If you want a ‘nice’ car, though, look no further

V E R D I C T

Bringing up the rear comes the Volvo C70 2.5T. Yes, it’s quite nice looking, comfortable and has a decent stereo but it provides a relatively wishywashy, middle-of-the-road driving

Top Gear August 1999 129

on test

V O U L E Z - V O U S

Model

C O U P E

A V E C

M O I ?

BMW 328Ci

Merc CLK230

Peugeot 406 V6

Volvo C70

manual

Kompressor auto

SE Coupe manual

2.5T auto

Performance 0-60mph (secs) 0-70mph (secs) 0-80mph (secs) 0-90mph (secs) 0-100mph(secs) Max speed (mph) Standing 1/4m (secs)/speed 30-50mph in 3rd 30-50mph in 4th 50-70mph in 5th 30-70mph thru' gears Braking 70-0mph (metres/ft)

7.1 9.7 12.2 15.3 19.5 146.9 15.6/91.2 4.7 7.2 8.9 7.1 50.2/164.7

8.0 10.5 13.2 17.1 21.7 139.1 16./87.91 n/a n/a n/a 7.7 50.0/164.0

7.8 10.4 13.2 16.4 20.7 141.5 16.1/89.0 5.3 7.3 9.6 7.5 48.4/158.8

8.3 10.8 14.1 18.2 23.1 134.1 16.4/85.9 n/a n/a n/a 7.7 47.4/155.5

Costs On the road price Emmox p.p.mile

£28,995 61.9

£31,590 64.1

£27,275 62.3

£30,055 63.1

31.0/24.6 16

28.9/25.9 15

25.9/23.2 17

24.6/24.5 16

EU combined/test mpg Insurance group Service interval (miles) Warranty Equipment Airbag driver/passenger/side/head Alarm/immobiliser Anti-lock brakes/traction control aircon/climate control

14.5k on average

12k-14k on average

9k

10k

3yrs/60k miles

3yr/unltd miles

1yr/unltd miles

3yrs/60k miles

yes/yes/yes/yes

yes/yes/yes/no

yes/yes/option/no

yes/yes/yes/no

yes/yes yes/yes yes/yes

yes/yes yes/yes yes/option

yes/yes yes/yes yes/yes

yes/yes yes/option yes/option

Electric front seats/full leather

yes/option

option/option

yes/yes

option/option

Electric windows (fr/r) Remote central locking Radio/cassette/CD

yes/yes yes yes/yes/option

yes/no yes yes/yes/option

yes/no yes yes/yes/yes

yes/no yes yes/yes/yes

yes/option

no/option

no/yes

option/option

Engine Capacity (cc)

6cyl, 24v 2793

4cyl s/charged 16v 2295

6cyl, 24v 2946

5cyl, turbo, 20v 2435

Max power (bhp/rpm) Max torque (lb/ft/rpm) Transmission

193/5,500 206/3,500 5-sp manual, rwd

193/5,300 206/2,500-4,800 5-sp auto, rwd

194/5,750 201/4,000 5-sp manual, fwd

193/5,100 199/1,800-5,100 4-sp auto (option), fwd

Brakes (f/r) Suspension f/r

vented discs/discs MacP struts/multilink

vented discs/discs indep. w/bone/multilink

vented discs/discs MacP struts/multilink

vented discs MacP struts/deltalink

Tyres Dimensions L/W (mm)

225/45 R17 4,488/1,947

205/55 R16 4,567/1,722

215/55 R16 4,620/1,780

225/50 R16 4,720/1,820

Trip computer/sunroof Technical

130 August 1999 Top Gear

experience. Its speed is adequate but bettered by the others, its handling is safe but uninspiring and it can’t claim to better its rivals in other areas, except when standing hard on the brakes. It’s a nice car, but not nice enough. Then there’s the Mercedes CLK230 Kompressor, a very fine car indeed – classy, comfortable, practical, stylish and a pretty good performer. In fact, it’s everything you’d expect from a thirty-grand coupe, but it is bettered by a little bit here and a little bit there and so ends up in the also-ran category. The battle for first is very closefought between the Peugeot 406 V6 Coupe and the handsome new BMW 328Ci. Neither is perfect; the BMW isn’t the most comfortable and, though its chassis dynamics are truly excellent, it’s beautifully finished and its performance the best of the bunch, it isn’t quite as rewarding to drive as it should be – not as responsive as a generation of 3-Series drivers have come to expect. But in every other respect it’s as polished as a Grenadier Guard’s toe cap. The Peugeot 406 Coupe is flawed here and there, too. As mentioned before, its dash and certain aspects of its interior are a tad on the downmarket side in this company but perhaps to a degree that’s justified by the lower price. It is exceptionally good looking, at least as practical as any car here and, with a lively feel at the wheel and throttle, it’s also great fun to drive. Objectively it’s a hard choice between the Peugeot and BMW but we’ll give this verdict to the German because, subjectively, it seems just a little better built, just that fraction more desirable and just a speck more cherishable than the Peugeot. Now, can we please end it here before we change our minds? ■