BMW 3 Series review

It’s one of the automotive pillars. Much like the VW Golf, Porsche 911 and Mercedes S-Class, the BMW 3 Series is the standard by which all of its peers are measured. And those peers nigh on always come off worse.

But for how much longer? Just like the Golf, 911, and S-Class, the 3 Series faces a somewhat uncertain future as electrification really takes hold. You want a fully electric Three? It’s currently called a BMW i4. So best to savour this seventh-generation ‘G20’ BMW 3 Series, just in case.

They wouldn’t get rid of it though…

It’d be a surprise if they did. At the launch of the facelift in 2022, phrases like ‘core of the brand’ and ‘a BMW icon’ were thrown around at will.

But don’t forget BMW is launching another ‘Neue Klasse’ saloon in the coming years. Last time that happened – in the 1960s – it shored up the company’s finances and gave the brand a whole new identity, bringing the Hofmeister Kink design flourish with it. The company books don’t need any help this time around, but the all-electric second coming of the Neue Klasse is reimagining BMW’s cars from the ground up, right down to making interior trim out of recycled fishing nets. True fact.

That’s the future. What about now?

Launched in 2018, the G20 3 Series was treated to a mid-life facelift in 2022 that mostly spruced things up on a surface level, keeping the core components just as they were. This was good news. However, it did also bring with it BMW’s swish curved touchscreen infotainment setup; the plus side of that is a dazzling display that’ll make anyone coo, however addicted (or not) they are to their smartphones. The downside is the inevitable hoovering up of physical buttons, climate control included. A similar move proved the undoing of one of the Three’s fellow pillars, the VW Golf.

Because that facelift was mostly cosmetic, BMW then tweaked the G20 once again in 2024. This time it updated the iDrive to run the new BMW Operating System 8.5, tuned the chassis for a more comfortable ride, and fitted the plug-in hybrid 330e with a new Gen5 19.5kWh battery for faster charging and 63 miles of all-electric range.

At the same time, the diesel engines were also removed from sale in the UK. Shame.

Can the 3 Series remain unshaken?

Without wishing to jump right to the end, yes. This particular automotive pillar remains resolute, thanks in part to the dynamics team knowing a good thing when they’ve got it and not over-complicating it. Same goes for the design team, for that matter. Although as previously mentioned, the engine range in the UK was simplified with the 2024 update. The 320d and M340d diesels were dropped, as was the 330i petrol.

That means you’ve now got the 320i and M340i as your pure petrol options – the latter with 48V mild hybrid boost as well as standard xDrive four-wheel-drive. Then the updated 330e is your full plug-in hybrid. Its on-paper stats have always made it essentially unbeatable in the rep car arena, even minimising the appeal of the 320d, once the prefect of that class.

Of course, we’re also just talking about the 3 Series saloon here, but if you need huge boot space then you can upgrade to the 3 Series Touring. We’ve given that its own review at this link. And there’s the small matter of the snouty M3. You can read all about the 523bhp saloon by clicking here, or the ultimate dog wagon – the M3 Touring – by clicking these words.

How much does a standard 3 Series cost these days?

At the time of writing in mid-2025, the range kicks off with a 320i in entry-level Sport trim costing £41,310. The plug-in hybrid 330e in the same trim starts from £47,185, while you’ll need to pay at least £62,080 for the six-cylinder M340i in its fancy M Sport Pro trim.

What can claim to rival a 3 Series, then?

Well, the Audi A4 has morphed into the A5, but it’s still a strong competitor. Then you’ve got the Mercedes C-Class and Alfa Romeo Giulia. The Volkswagen Passat is now estate-only, and Volvo also only offers its big-booted V60 rather than the S60 saloon.

Don’t care about the badge on the back? You could have a giant Skoda Superb for similar money.

It’d be a sad day if BMW screwed up the 3 Series. Delightfully, that day is still yet to come. The first mid-life refresh for the G20-gen car dripped in lots more digitalisation and touchscreen reliance but without massively buggering the whole thing up.

The second update in 2024 gave it a slightly more refined ride, but the Three still drives as adeptly as ever. The engine range is now less diverse, but what we’ve got remains impressive. Have a plug-in hybrid if you want, but it’s not essential. The 6cyl M340i remains the epitome of the modern sports saloon. There’s no bad way to buy a BMW 3 Series.