BMW 3 Series Review 2024

The BMW 3 Series is clearly right for so many people, or else why would you see so many on the road? 

Traditionally a big fleet seller, it’s always had strong residual values, and BMW has worked to keep running costs palatable with low emissions and excellent fuel economy. A 320d is the answer to most motorists’ questions, while a 330e does all that while saving your environmental conscience: it can complete short journeys using electric power alone. 

But it also works for private buyers as the main family car. If you need more space, the BMW 3 Series Touring is equally as good in estate form.

The only people the BMW 3 Series isn't right for is those who want to stand out, because you'd be hard pushed to go for even a short drive and not see several of them. If that's what matters, you'd be better off trying one of its less popular rivals instead: and in the coming years it'll become rarer anyway as SUVs dominate the sales charts.

The BMW 3 Series is joined by the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class in the posh family car class. They're its main competitors and sell in similar numbers. However, there are plenty of alternative competitors that maybe aren't quite as good all-rounders, but still hold plenty of appeal. 

There's the stylish and great to drive Jaguar XE and Alfa Romeo Giulia, the comfortable and classy Volvo S60 and the left-field Genesis G70. None are quite as talented in every area as the BMW but all have their own appeal. 

Mainstream brand competitors include the spacious and classy Volkswagen Passat and rakish Arteon, while the Mazda 6 might tempt you. Likewise, if boot and passenger space is of upmost importance, the Skoda Superb dwarfs the 3 Series on interior space.

Of course, in this day and age, you might also be considering going electric. The BMW i4 is a good alternative to the 3 Series and one of the best electric cars going. We'd also suggest looking at the Tesla Model 3, Polestar 2 and Kia EV6.

The BMW 3 Series is a premium model, with an upmarket badge, and the posh interior largely reflects this with high-quality soft-touch plastics and posh metal trim pieces. The infotainment and instrument screens also have high-definition displays with sharp colours.

It feels a cut above mainstream saloons and estates such as the VW Passat. Even when you start to poke and prod in the lower reaches of the cabin, you'd be very hard pushed to find anything that doesn't feel suitably premium. It's the same in the rear, too. Perhaps the Audi A4 feels ever so slightly more granite-hewn, but it's a close-run thing. 

There was a big change to the BMW 3 Series in 2022, and that was the introduction of the brand's eighth-generation infotainment system. It now gets the same curved display as the BMW iX, combining a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a large 14.9-inch central infotainment screen. It's more minimalist than before, with things like the climate control now lumped in with the navigation (rather than having a separate bank of buttons below the screen).

The latter point may be of mild frustration to some because it was so easy to twirl a knob or prod a switch to adjust the fan speed or temperature, especially while driving. Happily it's not a deal-breaker, because there's a strip at the bottom of the screen that always remain dedicated to climate settings. You also get voice control, which responds pretty well to commands like "turn down the temperature" or "turn my seat heater on".

You still get a rotary iDrive controller conveniently located on the centre console. This works brilliantly, allowing you to peruse the infotainment one-handedly without having to lean forward and prod the touchscreen display. Unfortunately (depending on your point of view), you can no longer get Gesture Control in the 3 Series. On earlier models, this allowed you to twiddle your figure vaguely in the direction of the nav to adjust the volume or skip a track. Some liked it, but many (including BMW customers) didn't. That's why it was quietly dropped.

From the car's 2019 launch, all models came with the BMW Live Cockpit Plus, which includes an 8.8-inch touch display, BMW navigation, BMW Concierge services, real time traffic information, remote services – so you can do things like check the car's remaining range using an app on your phone – and DAB radio. All also come with BMW Online Services, that includes BMW Apps, BMW Connected and various other connected features.

M Sport models upwards gain the Connected Package Professional, adding connected navigation that can route around congestion and search for parking. M Sport models and above also get BMW's Live Cockpit Professional, with sees the main screen grow to 10.25 inches, with the conventional instruments also replaced by an additional 12.3-inch screen. Towards the end of 2020, BMW upgraded the standard offering and most models came with the larger infotainment screen.

As for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity? Well, the former has always been available, but BMW initially tried to charge a subscription fee for it. That was dropped entirely in 2019, meaning every 3 Series now gets wireless CarPlay as standard. Similarly, Android Auto wasn't offered at all before the end of 2020, when BMW fitted it to new models and updated existing models to equip them with it. 

The latest BMW 3 Series is larger than the model it replaced. In terms of dimensions it's 4713mm long, 1827mm wide and 1435mm tall, which is around 90mm longer and 14mm wider than the old car. 

That's allowed the company to free up a load of extra rear-seat room. Tall adults will have plenty of room, even if you and your front-seat passenger are also tall: there's more than enough foot- and knee room, and even six-footers won't feel short-changed on headroom.

Okay, so your middle-seat passenger gets a raw deal because the large transmission tunnel that runs down the middle of the floor eats up the space for their feet, and they'll feel squeezed for elbow room. That said, it's no more cramped than in any of the BMW's competitors (in fact, it's better than most) and the seat itself is reasonably compliant, and not overly firm like you get in some cars. 

Oddment storage throughout is decent, with good-sized door bins and glovebox, with the Comfort Package adding Extended Storage including a compartment on the driver’s side of the dashboard, seatback nets, twin USB charging points in the rear, storage hooks, a 12-volt socket in the boot as well as a handsfree, powered bootlid. 

Open that boot and the space is good, with a quoted volume of 480 litres for all conventionally powered models, dropping to 375 litres in the 330e model due to the battery pack being fitted under the boot floor. The 330e also loses the standard 40/20/40 split fold seating, which increases the luggage space and allows for longer through loads. 

The 3 Series’ boot is usefully accessible, with a wide opening helping you to get luggage in. If you need more practicality from your 3 Series, then check out the Touring model. Two Isofix mounts for child seats come as standard and are positioned on the two outer rear seats.

Over its lifetime, the BMW 3 Series has offered a strong range of petrol, diesel and hybrid engines. Only the very smallest engines are a tad underwhelming, but otherwise all are excellent. 

The base petrol originally offered in the latest 3 Series was a 156PS 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder badged the 318i, while the base 318d diesel also used a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder making 150PS. While both are perfectly adequate and do the job that's expected of them, they don't offer the kind of performance to allow you to really enjoy the excellent driving dynamics of the 3 Series. 

On the petrol side, then, we'd step up to the 184PS version of the same engine, badged 320i (now the entry-level car), or go further with the 288PS model badged 330i. The latter in particular offers strong performance, but the four-cylinder noise that accompanies them isn't particularly inspiring. The 320i achieves 0-62mph in 7.1 seconds (7.6 with xDrive) and the 330i manages it in 5.8 seconds. 

If you want a six-cylinder engine with a creamy growl, you’ll need the range-topping M340i, which has a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre with 374PS. It manages 0-62mph in just 4.4 seconds, some four seconds faster than the 318i, and makes a good noise in the process. Its on-paper efficiency isn't all that great, but it'll actually be reasonably frugal if you're gentle with the throttle. 

The M340i is so fast and capable that even enthusiasts would struggle to justify the latest BMW M3. It does put out a monstrous 510PS courtesy of an even more highly tuned 3.0-litre straight-six, though, and manages 0-62mph in just 3.9 seconds. Better still, for the first time the M3 is available in xDrive form, taking the 0-62mph time down to an immense 3.5 seconds and offering greater bad-weather security. 

Diesels have been core to the model’s success in the past, and there’s plenty of choice, here, too. As we said, we'd step up from the 318d to the 190PS 320d (indeed, the 2022 facelift saw the former dropped from the range), which offers effortless performance and is even quite good fun. 0-62mph comes up in a brisk 6.8 seconds. 

Again, though, you might be swayed by the pace and smoothness of the six-cylinders. The 330d gets a 3.0-litre turbodiesel with 286PS and the diesel line-up is topped out by the 340PS 340d – both have six-cylinders that make them more cultured than the lower-ranking diesels. They even make a pretty good noise, while both are pretty rapid. The 340d manages 62mph in just 4.6 seconds, the 330d does the same in 5.1 seconds.

While if you’re conflicted between performance and the environment, the 292PS 2.0-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid powertrain in the 330e is the perfect compromise, with all-electric propulsion for local trips (up to 38 miles), and a four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine for longer journeys.

Initially, the only version of the latest 3 Series available with a manual gearbox was the entry-level 318i and 318d, and all the rest had an eight-speed automatic gearbox that's one of the slickest auto transmissions available. Now, however, most of the engines have been dropped from the line-up. If you're buying brand new, then only the 320i, 330e and M340i remain.

All versions of the BMW 3 Series are quiet on the move. The four-cylinder diesels (that's those badged 318d or 320d) are a little bit more vocal – very marginally so - than their smooth petrol alternatives, but not so much that it’s an issue. 

The six-cylinder engines (whether it's petrol or diesel) are all superbly refined when you want them to be, and make a nice noise when you want that, too. 

All models come with acoustic glass, which helps dampen down wind noise, and the effects are obvious on a cruise, making the 3 Series a hushed, pleasing place to while away motorway miles. 

The 330e increases the refinement levels further thanks to its ability to run on electricity alone, adding to the serenity, and underlining the 3 Series’ good overall refinement. 

Road noise is largely well contained, but nastier combed concrete surfaces and expansion joints do see some road roar making it through to the interior. It's more notable on models with larger wheels and run-flat tyres, as well as those on the M Sport suspension. 

BMW’s Active Guard Plus comes as standard on all BMW 3 Series, so you get safety features such as Front Collision warning with brake intervention, Lane Departure Warning and Speed Limit Assist. There’s Parking Assistant, too, which includes a rear-view parking camera and parking sensors front and rear to help you avoid low-speed dings. 

All models also get traction and stability control (unsurprisingly), while should an accident be unavoidable, there’s front side-, chest-, knee-, pelvis- and curtain- airbags, and a pair of ISOFIX child seat mountings on the rear outer seats. 

For autonomous driver assistance, you need to tick the options boxes, with Driving Assistant Professional adding Active Cruise Control, Automatic Speed Limit Assist, Crossing Traffic Warning Front, Crossroads Warning and City Braking Function, Evasion Aid, Lane Keeping Assistant with Active side collision protection and Steering and Lane Control Assistant. This suite of advanced aids is only offered on M Sport models and upwards. Fitted, it means the BMW can essentially drive itself in certain situations.

Auto dipping headlights and BMW's powerful laser headlights are also optional across the range.

In 2019, Euro NCAP awarded the BMW 3 Series a full five stars for crash safety. Its adult occupant protection score of 97% was particularly impressive, while other scores across the board are very strong. 

The BMW 3 Series 330e offers a combined output of 292PS from its petrol/electric plug-in hybrid powertrain, with the battery and electric motor able to offer a 38-mile range on electric power alone in perfect test conditions. Expect a real-world figure in the early 30s, then. It’ll drive up to 87mph in electric-only mode, too, and using the sat nav allows you to maximise range. It's also possible to hold a percentage of battery charge for destination electric-only use.  

BMW finished 12th out of 29 carmakers in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index, just ahead of the industry average and well ahead of main rivals Audi and Mercedes.

The news wasn't so good for the 3 Series, specifically, though. The car was named and shamed on the list of the ten least reliable cars in the entire study, albeit in 10th place. That's of some concern whether you're buying new or used. If the latter, insist on an impeccable service history.

The less-potent BMW 3 Series models (including the petrol 320i and diesel 320d) have been placed in insurance groups 29 to 31. The powerful BMW M340i and M340d will be more expensive to insure, placed in groups 39 and 42, respectively.

As usual, the actual price you'll pay to insure a BMW 3 Series varies on a wide range of factors, including your annual mileage, where the car's stored overnight, your driving experience and even how long in advance you search for quotes. We'd recommend shopping around for quotes. The BMW 3 Series shouldn't be any more expensive to insure than premium rivals, but it might be prohibitively expensive for young or inexperienced drivers.

The 3 Series is taxed at the same flat rate as all petrol and diesel cars build since 2017, and this rate currently stands at £190 per year. Hybrid versions get a discount, but it's only £10 per year.

That's not the full story, though, because any car that costs over £40,000 when brand new gets hit by an additional 'luxury car' surcharge. For a five-year period from years two to six of the car's life, you have to pay an additional sum on top, a sum that currently amounts to £410 per year. This charge also gets passed to subsequent owners, so you can't swerve it by buying used.

So does that affect the 3 Series? Well, yes, very probably. Early cars of a low-end spec were priced below that threshold (although adding a handful of optional extras could easily take them above), but the vast majority were priced above, and all later versions cost more than £40,000. So, it's fairly likely you'll be stung if you buy a 3 Series, but if you want to be sure, perform a quick online search with the registration of any used example you might be considering.

An entry-level SE trim level was initially offered, but that's since been discontinued. Sport trim is now the entry point to the range, and this includes a very decent level of standard kit, including alloy wheels, three-zone climate control, heated front seats, cruise control and all the various infotainment functionality we discussed earlier.

M Sport trim is the most popular, though, and this adds bigger wheels, sportier styling, lowered suspension and part-faux-leather upholstery. If buying the M Sport, we'd urge you to add the M Sport Pro Pack, or find a used example with it fitted. This adds a bunch of goodies, including the adaptive suspension that gives the 3 Series a plush ride to complement its agile handling.