How things change. Wind the clock back a few years and a BMW was the sort of car that senior executives and directors drove, the majority of the Munich company's sales coming from private buyers enamoured at the prospect of 'the ultimate driving machine'. These days the BMW that has just muscled you out of the way is likely to be driven by a fleet user who realised that it didn't cost much more over the course of three years than a well specified Vectra or Mondeo. With this ubiquity has come a slight softening of retail sales, something BMW is keen to combat with the 3 Series Edition models.

Available in either saloon or Touring estate guises, the Edition models augment the stock 3 Series range but are targeted at private buyers who may have been turned off the marque due to bigger standard equipment lists from the mainstream players.

All 3 Series models are built as drivers' cars first and foremost, following a classic front engine, rear-wheel-drive layout with excellent weight distribution. The steering is a little less feelsome than older 3 Series models but it's accurate and has some weight to it. Ride quality is good although cars with run flat tyres are a little garrulous over high frequency surface imperfections. Because the Edition models are value oriented, only four-cylinder petrol and diesel 3 Series models get this trim level.

The entry-level units are the 318s, with the petrol-powered 'i' propping up the diesel-driven 'd'. The 318i has the same 143bhp engine as the 118i and the diesel 318d is slightly slower with a 9.3s 0-60mph time. Also highly capable is the 320d, BMW's biggest seller in the old E46 generation car. In this instance, power runs to 177bhp. There's also the 320i that fronts up with 168bhp. It can scuttle through 60mph from standstill in 9.3s and hit 130mph.

"Most people don't need too much of an invitation to choose BMW but the 3 Series Edition models certainly make shopping elsewhere increasingly difficult"

You'll be hard pressed to identify an Edition model from the outside. In fact there are three different Edition versions; the Edition ES, the Edition SE and the Edition M Sport. The Edition ES and Edition SE models get 17-inch V-spoke alloy wheels and are available in Carbon Black, Titanium Silver or Sparkling Graphite. The Edition M Sport gets 18-inch WTCC-style alloys as fitted to the triple championship-winning BMW 320si. Otherwise, the vehicle looks just like other 3 Series models, itself no bad thing.

Many of the contemporary BMW styling signatures are present although in the 3 Series they are a little more conservative than in some of BMW's more niche models. The sill line is bowed, although nowhere near as radically as in, say, a 1 Series. Compare how the rear bootlid is a chamfered and smoothed version of that worn by the 5 Series. Even the flanks betray a less aggressive concave contouring, while the rest of the traditional BMW cues such as the 'Hofmeister Kink' at the rear window and the kidney grille are present and correct. Although it's not what you'd call a striking piece of design, it is nevertheless mature, assured and classy. The Touring model is also a very coherent piece of styling.

Value for money is what the Edition models are all about and it's hard to argue with BMW's figures. After all, metallic paint finishes, an alloy wheel upgrade and a leather interior are amongst the most popular options for many buyers, so factoring these extras into the asking price of the Edition models was always going to prove popular. The Edition ES and Edition SE models get the alloys and leather. They also complement this with brushed aluminium interior trim and an M multi-function steering wheel. This lot would add around £3,000 to a normal ES or SE 3 Series but BMW wants a mere £750 on top of stock pricing for an Edition ES or SE.

Then there's the Edition M Sport which tacks £1,000 on top of the standard M Sport model on which it's based but gets the 18-inch alloy wheels and BMW's Business Navigation system complete with map guidance, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and BMW's ConnectedDrive Online and Assist telematics package. All models feature ESP stability control, air conditioning, and CD stereo with MP3 input.

As with most compact executive cars, once you've paid the initial purchase price, pence per mile costs aren't huge. That has to be weighed against the fact that you'll be getting less engine than if you opted for a less prestigious badge. For example, a ritzy 220bhp Ford Mondeo 2.5T Titanium saloon is about the same price as a 141bhp BMW 318i SE but will cost a heck of a lot more to run over a typical three year ownership period. In terms of pence per mile figures, you'd have to look a lot further down the Mondeo range before you came to a model close to matching the 318i's showing.

BMW has made great strides in improving the fuel efficiency and reducing the emissions of their engines in recent years and the diesel engines fitted to the 3 Series saloon range are almost unbelievable in terms of performance versus economy. The 320d can average over 58mpg. BMW's 'swingometer' instant fuel consumption gauge also gently reminds you when you're getting a bit excited with the right boot. You'll soon learn to manage acceleration without troubling the turbocharger too much; the key to achieving economy in this car. That's amazing parsimony for a car that can serve up such entertainment.

Most people don't need too much of an invitation to choose BMW but the 3 Series Edition models certainly make shopping elsewhere increasingly difficult if you're in this sector of the market. Both saloon and Touring variants are extremely competitive and a package that adds a leather interior, smart alloy wheels and a sports steering wheel for just £750 to the price of an ES or SE trim 3 Series clearly has much to be said for it. The M Sport model is perhaps even better value, getting alloys and a comprehensive navigation system for a premium of £1,000.

BMW's challenge has been to move stock in big numbers but still maintain an illusion of exclusivity. So far it's working. The 3 Series Edition models will give BMW a bigger problem in this regard, but as problems go, it's a nice one to have.