El BMW Serie 3 It is the model of the Bavarian house for segment D. It was born back in 1975, and we are currently in the sixth generation, which hit the market in 2012. This model is available with Saloon and Touring bodies, without forgetting the versatile BMW 3 GT Series (Grand Touring). The saloon body is also offered as the BMW M3, a very high-performance variant.
We have tested this car:
Test BMW 3 Series GT 320d, when you have three cars in oneIn addition to its design and manufacturing quality, the BMW 3 Series has always stood out for offering a high driving pleasure and dynamism to its drivers, superior to that of its rivals. However, it is also true that in recent generations he has lost some sportsmanship. For its part, the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo is not as passionate or fun to drive as the other two bodies.
Technical characteristics BMW 3 Series
All the external measurements of the BMW 3 Series are identical for Saloon and Touring bodies. both measure Meters long 4,63, 1,81 meters wide, 1,43 meters high and have a wheelbase of 2,81 meters. The capacity of the trunk does vary, being 480 liters in the saloon and 495 liters in the Touring, although the latter offers greater versatility and ease of loading, as well as being able to load larger objects.
Mechanical range and gearboxes BMW 3 Series
One of the positive points of the BMW 3 Series is its wide mechanical offer, because it can be purchased with relatively fair power mechanics and with others that exceed 300 hp (not to mention the BMW M3 and its 421 hp). They also have a BMW 3 Series plug-in hybrid.
The range of gasoline It goes from 136 to 326 CV, of the 318i and 340i xDrive versions respectively; while the offer diesel It has a range of powers between 116 and 313 CV of the variants called 316d and 335d xDrive. It depends on each version we can have rear-wheel drive or 4 × 4 traction of the xDrive system, as well as 6-speed manual gearboxes or ZF automatic transmissions with 8 simulated speeds.
El BMW Series 3 plug-in hybrid it is known as the BMW 330e iPerformance. It combines an electric motor with a thermal one and develops a joint power of 252 CV. It is only available with the sedan body.
Equipment BMW 3 Series
BMW is a brand that usually offers many configuration possibilities, so that we can have one of the most powerful engines in the most basic finishes. We also have the same possibilities in reverse, that is, a very high finish with a weak mechanic. The negative side is the price of its options.
Video test BMW 3 Series
BMW 3 Series according to EuroNCAP
The BMW 3 Series successfully passed crash tests EuroNCAP, obtaining the maximum score of 5 stars. It scored 95% for adult occupant protection, 84% for child occupants, 78% for pedestrian protection and 86% for active safety. You can see its behavior in the tests by playing the following video:
Rivals BMW 3 Series
The traditional rivals of the BMW 3 Series are the Mercedes C-Class y Audi A4. It's not as elegant as the Mercedes or as well-finished as the Audi, but it drives more dynamically. A newcomer rival is the Alfa Romeo Giulia, which has a more sporty behavior but does not quite live up to the Bavarian in terms of quality in its materials.
Highlights
- Sportsmanship
- Integrated
- ride quality
Improvable points
- Habitability in its rear seats (in sedan bodywork)
- Noise in diesel engines at low speed
- Price
BMW 3 Series Prices
The BMW 3 Series Saloon starts at about 34.300 euros with its mechanical version 318i. The Touring bodywork always raises the price by 2.000 euros compared to the four-door. If we go to the most powerful versions with a diesel or gasoline engine, we will come dangerously close to 60.000 euros without extras and a "modest" level of finish.
The Gran Turismo is more expensive, since it starts in the 320i version at around 42.000 euros.
Photos BMW 3 Series
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