Mention BMW, and you usually get a response like, “Yeah, they are awesome, I hope I can afford one some day.” Well stop dreaming. With a base price of $28,990 for a nicely equipped 2000 323Ci coupe, ownership of a BMW can, and has been, a reality for many drivers, especially seeing how many are on the road today.

OK, $28,990 isn’t chump change, and adding options bumps this number up considerably. However, the 323 costs thousands less than a BMW 328, and you still get a real driver’s car, complete with excellent handling, looks, and decent power, not to mention traction control, and a long list of standard features. The 323Ci is a far cry from the relatively anemic 318is coupe it replaced. The 323 and 328 coupes look nearly identical, and placing them side by side, one needs to look close at the chrome numbers on the rear decklid to tell the difference. I mean real close, because the last “3” in 323 looks like the “8” in 328 from any distance greater than ten feet. In either case, the owner will have the BMW experience; performance, perceived high quality, and prestige, that was once limited to the affluent.

The 323 Ci is BMW’s entry level coupe, two inches longer, and lower, than the 3 series sedan. The standard engine for the coupe (and sedan) is a 2.5 L inline 6, churning out 170 HP, and 181 ft-lbs. of torque. A 5 speed manual is standard in all coupes, but a 5 speed automatic, called “Steptronic”, is optional, but in my opinion, only recommended for those unable to press in a clutch pedal . (For those who don’t know how to drive a 5 speed, learn quickly.) For 2000, 4-wheel disc brakes and 16 inch wheels are also standard on the 323Ci. BMW has not forgotten about safety, as front, overhead, and side airbags are standard for both the driver and passenger, and rear seat side impact air bags are optional.

Believe it or not, the 323Ci coupe has some competition, which includes the turbo-charged Saab 9-3, 2 door ($25,900) and Audi TT ($30,500).We are talking strictly coupes here, as the 323 sedan has considerably more competition to contend with, such as the Audi A4 2.8 ($28,790).

I drove a 2000 BMW 3 series coupe, with a 5 speed transmission. Price as tested was $34,310, which included leather seats, optional sport package (17 inch wheels, 225/45R-17 tires, and sport seats), Premium package (power sunroof, seats, and wood trim) CD player, and destination charge. Good luck finding a base version sitting on a lot.

The 2000 323 is definitely sporty looking, with clean lines, and an aggressive look accentuated by the 17 inch wheels, low profile tires, front air dam, and classic BMW split grill. The front view of the car is all BMW, but the same cannot be said for the rear of the car. BMW coupe has taken the edges off of its previous 3 series styling. While it works for the front end and sides of the car, I miss the edginess which made the tail lights stand out, and the rear end distinctly BMW. The tail lights seem to sink into the rear of the car, making the back-end less unique. With lesser cars like the Mitsubishi Galant, and even the Honda Civic sharing some styling cues, the BMW needs to regain the distinctiveness of past models. Overall, I like the all-business look of the coupe, as its flawless paint and slight touch of chrome, not to mention the black, white, and blue badges, which exude a perception of quality and performance that is the trademark of BMW, making up for the lack of aggressive styling.

The coupe has a classic BMW interior; functional yet elegant. There are enough comfort and convenience to make it near luxury status. There are not many cars which can stir a driver’s soul just by sliding into the drivers seat. A BMW 323Ci will do the trick (or any BMW for that matter). You can just feel and smell the heritage, and know the performance the car is capable of without ever turning the ignition key. This excitement, or deep appreciation, depending on your mood, allows one to be much more accepting of any faults. For instance, the 323Ci is not the roomiest car in the world, and I had a bit of trouble getting my legs comfortable, as my right leg was required to be perpetually bent a bit too much. Adjusting the seat all the way back was a must, and reclining the seat-back a bit more than I like, helped. But I am not that tall (6’1”) which made me think that most BMW designers are no taller than 5”9”. I could swear I had more leg room in the 1996 328is coupe owned by a family member, which I drove regularly.

This driving position also helped me with headroom, which is not as generous as I would have liked. I didn’t get feel like I was cramped, as the interior doesn’t feel as “cockpit like” as say a new Toyota Celica, or Mitsubishi Eclipse. The interior of the coupe is very rich looking, and the wood trim added a classy touch. The dash is a bit busy, but laid out well, and didn’t seem to have much cheap looking plastic. As far as rear seating is concerned, my driving position left little room for an adult to sit behind me. However, four adults should not have too much trouble fitting in the 323Ci, but I wouldn’t want to travel in the back seat for more than 2 hours or so. With three guests in the car, there wont be much room for luggage, as the 323Ci has only a little over 10 cubic feet of cargo space. Bring along just your significant other, fold down the rear seats, and you increase the luggage capacity enough to go on a week long trip. The seats were firm yet comfortable, and the driver’s seat was fairly supportive, even when driving aggressively. While driving, the blinds spots caused by the rear pillars were minimal. Overall I was pleased with what this interior had to offer, if not secretly wishing for just a bit more overall room.

It’s kind of hard not to smile while your driving this car. I was impressed, but not surprised by the performance. I never felt as if I could push this car too far, where I would be unable to bring back from the edge. For starters, the 2.5liter engine revs willingly, and smoothly, producing steady acceleration throughout its power band. True, the car is no drag racer, yet it is quick enough with a five speed transmission, and everything works so well, and feels so right, that it more than makes up for any lack of straight line acceleration by being an excellent all around driving car. Toss in the brilliant handling characteristics, excellent steering feel and feedback, and great brakes, and its more than likely that this car can whip many higher horsepower performance cars racing through a mile of twists and turns (I would love to try!). The sound of the in-line 6 was nice without being intrusive or “buzzy”.

Also, standing next to the car with the engine idling, it was definitely not as whisper quiet, as say any engine found in a Lexus. The manual transmission shifted smoothly through the gears, as each shift was very direct, not spongy, making it easy to blast through 5 gears with little practice. The moderate feel of the clutch pedal assisted in making shifting a breeze. The real essence of this car however is its excellent sport suspension, which equates to world class handling. When the driver finally works up the nerve to toss around a $34,000 BMW, he is in for a real treat, though exceptional handling came with a bit of a sacrifice in the comfort department, as the suspension was pretty stiff. I found myself trying to avoid even minor bumps or potholes left in the wake of the snowplows a week earlier. But hey, this car wasn’t meant to drive Grandma to the Bingo parlor, and I wouldn’t trade this suspension for anything, as it allows for great communication between the driver and the road. I did not notice the traction control take over at any point in time during my test drive, which just adds to the feeling that this is such a well-balanced rear wheel drive car.

The four wheel disc brakes with ABS worked very well as expected, having no trouble bringing the car to a dead stop when needed. The interior was relatively quiet unless it was filled by the sounds coming from the excellent stereo system. Gas mileage estimates for this car are 20mpg city/29 mpg highway. I didn’t have an opportunity to check my actual mileage, my guess would be closer to 18 or 19 mpg, but I wouldn’t call my driving normal! I have however confirmed that the 29mpg highway estimate is obtainable after talking to two 323 owners. If only every entry level car could be this fun.

The 323Ci is a complete package, and can be a relative performance bargain if the option boxes are left unchecked. Unless you need to drag race from stoplight to stoplight on a daily basis, I can’t really justify spending the additional $5,000 that the 328 will run you. The fact is that there are less expensive cars that are faster in a straight line, if that’s your sole purpose. But Bimmers are so much more than that. The 323Ci has plenty of power for the average driver to make the car fun, and allow for easy merging.

There are cars in it’s price range that have better individual characteristics; more interior space, horsepower, comfort, and a lower cost of ownership. However, what separate the 323 from the rest of the pack is that the car is so well rounded, doing some things good, and some thing great, making for a car that is hard to beat, especially in a price range that is chock full of choices. The 323Ci is an excellent blend of luxury, tried and true performance, and automotive engineering. The only real question is if you willing to sacrifice a bit of interior room, luggage capacity, and a good chunk of change for the Ultimate Driving Machine.