Teutonic Shootout - Which Entry-Level Luxury Car Is NOW The King Of The Hill?

It is with a keenly self-aware fear of apostasy that BMW has declined to fit its brand-defining inline-6 engine to the 2012 BMW 328i and instead has substituted a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.

This sea change aligns the entry-level version of the 3 Series with its four-cylinder competitors, the 2012 Audi A4 and 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250. But in light of BMW's rich tradition of inline-6 engines and its loyal following of customers, is this new four-cylinder really progress?

This test aims to find out.