BMW 3 Series Review & Prices

The BMW 3 Series is the quintessential family saloon car - and it’s been among the best of its kind since it was introduced over 50 years ago. The new model brings futuristic looks and a high-tech interior to the classic 3 Series recipe, but the engine options are limited and the rear seats could do with more legroom.

It’s like a primetime TV show coming back for the latest session. They’ve upgraded the cameras and spent a bit more on set design…but some key characters are now missing. The charm is still there, but your favourite character might have got the axe.

You might even be tempted to change channels and give one of the alternatives a go, chiefly the Mercedes C-Class and Audi A5. If you can do without a posh badge on the steering wheel then the Skoda Superb is definitely worth considering, or if you fancy giving an EV a go, then you should look at the battery-powered i3 instead.

At a first glance, the 3 Series looks identical to the i3. Its wide ‘grille’ and light combo, curvaceous sides and the return of the classically BMW, pointy ‘sharknose’ front end make this a handsome car, but you’ll soon notice some key differences on the 3 Series. The slightly bulbous bonnet and fussy window trims, for example, which let the petrol-powered car down a touch.

The interior is also near-identical to the i3, at least in appearance, but you can feel the totally different packaging once you get behind the wheel. It’s a bit cosier and less airy, as there are far more mechanical gubbins to work around, while rear seat space is notably shorter on legroom compared to the electric car.

Cabin quality is very high, with plenty of posh materials, a quick and easy-to-use infotainment system and BMW’s ‘Panoramic Vision’ driver display which spans the whole width of the windscreen base. The haptic, touch-sensitive steering wheel buttons are annoying to use, though.

One of the 3 Series’ best features is its ‘routine’ function, which means it will remember your driver profile on the key and automatically enable - or more importantly disable - some of the annoying driver assists which you can program through the menus. Great job, BMW.

The new 3 Series has a 450-litre boot, which is a drop from the previous-generation’s 480 litre cargo capacity. That’s also down on the new C-Class (455-litres) and Audi A5 (476 litres). Boo.

Two engine options are available in the UK (for now), with the entry-level 320 featuring a 2.0-litre petrol producing 211hp and achieving 43.5mpg. A 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid is on the way, but there won’t be a diesel offering - which has been a staple of the 3 Series lineup for years.

The range-topper is the M350 xDrive, with a turbocharged 3.0-litre engine, 443hp, four-wheel drive and a drift mode. BMW claims it can achieve 37.7mpg.

We have yet to drive the new 3 Series, only spending a day with one at BMW’s German studio, but we’ll update this review once we get our hands on one. There has never been a bad 3 Series to drive, and if the latest 5 Series and iX3 are anything to go by, this will be a cracker.

In the meantime, have a look at the latest BMW 3 Series deals and leasing offers on Carwow. There are plenty of used 3 Series models, as well as other used BMWs, for sale through our trusted dealer network. Remember Carwow can help you sell your current car when it’s time to switch, too.

The new 3 Series starts at just under £45,000 in 320 guise, shooting up to almost £67,000 for the high-performance M350 xDrive. That's a pretty substantial increase over the outgoing 3 Series, which costs just £42,000 and £62,500 for the same respective models as above.

Even with its heftier price tag, the 3 Series is still cheaper than the Mercedes C-Class at £47,000, but it's notably more expensive than the £43,000 Audi A5.