The 2018 BMW 340i helps you to make excuses for going on a drive. Kids want a ride to school with this beautiful weather, Fine, but we're taking the long way. Quick trip to the store, As long as we can hit an on-ramp. A spin to the post office, Sure, I've got nothing to mail, but it has a big empty parking lot. 550) in the tester. A lot has changed in the luxury sports sedan segment in the 40-plus years that 3-Series became the benchmark for accessibly aspirational sports sedans.

Alfa Romeo is back and the all-new Giulia excels, with a spartan interior that keeps the driver's focus on the most important parts. Jaguar's renaissance is proven in the gorgeous all-new XE sedan, which makes up in looks and refinement what it lacks in pure performance specs. Even Kia has a stunning performance sedan in the Stinger that deserves notice in a segment long dominated by Germans.

Then there's the Tesla Model 3, which may or may not be the future. 50,000. As the top dog for so long, BMW has received critical faults, for everything from product oversaturation to the complacency of success to all the electronic whizmogizmotry distancing the driver from the road. The 340i just feels right, from the contours of the seat to the position of the stick to the kickback of the clutch. 29.2 mpg at 55 mph in a mix of sport mode on-ramps and eco mode cruising.

The throttle is ever responsive, and the engine seems perfectly happy pushed to the outer reaches of the rpm gauge before a shift. The notching of the six-speed is natural, and the clutch pedal dances with driver inputs, so at low speeds and light throttle it is forgiving enough to ease the fears of stalling for a new driver. In sport mode and under heavy throttle, it won't allow for sloppiness. Handling was sharp, so discovering it had run-flat tires was a surprise; working them to the edges on curves and accelerating out of a turn didn't raise any run-flat eyebrows.

As far as performance, the car will be given alternatives to motor choices which include: A 4 chamber 270-hp, 337-hp V6, and a 425-hp V6 motor. The new Audi Sedan is expected to lose the RS3’s Turbocharged, 367 hp 5-cylinder for the all-new aluminum-block-Turbo-five banger which delivers 400 hp. It’s expected that this will give the Sedan the power to easily sail from 0-60 in an impressive 4 seconds flat. To assist with this power, Audi is giving their new Sedan more aggressive bodywork to match its incredible power.

Inside, Audi’s Sedan looks modern and lavish with leather seats and high-tech dash with the latest innovative high-end instruments for optimum control of everything about the car. Mercedes Benz has been one name highly associated with luxury automobiles for years. They are a global automobile company that everyone else looks to for their latest models.

They set the bar high every year with their new releases and it’s no different with this next year’s model of their Sedan. The 2018 Mercedes AMG-E63 promises to impress any auto and Mercedes enthusiast with the new, sportier hood, wider wheel arches, new radiator grille and twin louvers in silver chrome and vertical black struts.

Mercedes gave the new 2018 a wider front bumper and for cooling, it added a large front splitter. Silver chrome inserts were added to set it apart from the base model. Inside the E63, Mercedes added some ripples of colors around the console to the doors, and on the dash. It’s a brighter more uplifting mood inside the cabin - modern and cool. The performance on this car is impressive as well with a 4.0 liter twin-turbo V-8 which gives it 603 hp and 627 lb ft or torque.

Volkswagen Passat is already getting the attention of car reviewers and consumers for their 2018 model. The new model is expected to be an even more refined quality that boasts of flawless handling and performance. If a new Sedan is in your future, it appears that 2018 is going to be a good year for the model under several automaker’s names.



But, honestly, taking control of the wheel back from the car isn’t all that bad—especially in the winter. The S4 has a surprisingly powerful wheel heater, and I sure missed it when I got back into my third-of-this-sticker-price personal car. It’s wild how a well-handling, powerful car can make a person so much more comfortable being aggressive.