The 2013 Kia Rio, for instance, joins the BMW 3-series and Porsche Cayenne in offering a start-stop engine.
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At most, such makes fiddle with the supporting numbers, such as the BMW 3 series switching from 323 to 325.
And they provide a more unique option for shoppers bored with ubiquitous midsize cars like the Audi A4 or BMW 3-Series.
The automaker has already rolled out a new vehicle ATS to compete directly against BMW 3 series and Audi A4.
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People would still buy the BMW 3 series today even if the car came out of the gate with a name like Utopian Turtletop.
In February, about 4.9% of shoppers who looked at a BMW 3 series also looked at the ATS, up from 3.3% in December 2012.
After years of booming growth, BMW 3 series sales would appear to finally have leveled in 2003, with about 104, 000 sold through November of this year.
Thus, Cadillac introduced the ATS which was designed specifically to take on entry level luxury cars such as BMW 3 series, Audi A4 and the Mercedes C-Class.
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The ActiveHybrid 3, which is new for 2013, marks the first time the BMW 3 Series is getting a hybrid, and the German automaker does not in any sense allow it to be a slouch.
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Luxury buyers were looking for the newest fashions with sales of the new BMW 3 Series, introduced in the middle of the month, taking off like a shot, pushing BMW ahead of Mercedes-Benz for luxury car leadership.
Dealers are offering a 24-hour test drive, and the automaker is inviting tens of thousands of non- vehicle owners to a roving "Auto Show in Motion, " during which they can compare the performance of cars like the Cadillac CTS with the BMW 3 series.
Yes, when I stomped the pedal from a standing start in the lightweight SL 550 (the all-aluminum body shaves 300 pounds off the previous generation roadster) and engaged its monstrous twin turbo V8, I could feel the skin on my face pulling back just as when I did the same thing in a V12 Aston Martin Vantage, a feeling I cannot replicate in my own 7-year old BMW 3 series.
The EPA estimate for the BMW ActiveHybrid 3 is 28 mpg in combined city and highway driving.
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But BMW believes 3 Series hybrid drivers will get better fuel economy than the EPA numbers indicate.
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Last month the Mercedes brand beat BMW by 3, 189 deliveries though it finished just slightly behind in total sales for 2011.
Without question, the BMW ActiveHybrid 3 is satisfying enough to lure those who might not be inclined to consider a hybrid otherwise.
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The BMW ActiveHybrid 3 looks almost exactly like a standard 3 Series.
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At a meeting in May 2011, Mr Coats allegedly took the BMW Series 3 car Mr Burns was driving, which belonged to his brother.
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The BMW ActiveHybrid 3 can drive solely on electric power under light throttle at speeds up to 37 mph in Comfort mode and up to 47 mph in Eco Pro.
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Think BMW's 3, 5 and 7 series, or the Mercedes C, E and S Classes.
Diesel versions of BMW's 3-series sedan and X5 sport utility will also go on sale this fall.
Also, this category has grown in two ways: there are more models, and the cars that are selling well (discounting BMW's 3 series, which always sells well) are larger than they were back in 1998.
In that moment when the functionary at BMW offered me any 3-series I wanted, I succumbed to maximalism.
The 3-Series is the top-selling luxury car in the U.S. BMW sold almost 99, 000 3-Series sedans, coupes, and wagons last year, up more than 6 percent from 2011.
BMW's highly profitable 3-series, the subsidiary is hoping to cash in.
Renault ( RNSDY - news - people ) gained 3.5% and BMW rose 1.1% in Frankfurt.
Making the car lighter will help it feel more nimble when drivers compare it to the BMW. The new CTS weighs in at 3, 616 pounds.
He notes that in Europe, 3-Series wagon buyers are BMW's youngest (read: hippest) customers, while in the U.S., that same vehicle attracts BMW's oldest (read: stodgiest) customers.
In the United States, BMW cars outsell its crossover trucks by more than 3-to-1, AutoData said.
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According to CNW Marketing Research, an Oregon-based firm that analyzes the auto industry, it is a positive sign for the economy when BMW dealers notice that a lot of their shoppers start out looking for a 3 series car, but end up buying the more luxurious 5-series.
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