BMW 3 Series: Pros, Cons And Should You Buy One

Fancy yourself something luxurious yet sporty for the everyday drive? One that keeps you engaged and your family entertained? Is the new 3 Series your answer?

The BMW 3 Series has always been the go-to sedan for the enthusiast who is just venturing into the luxury car market. It offers a great blend of driving dynamics and a premium experience to keep you and the entire family happy. But while we can go on praising the sedan for its qualities, it is not without its demerits. Here are the pros and cons of the BMW 3 Series which should help you decide if you should buy one. 

Pros

Sporty Elegance Inside

In the current ‘G20’ generation, the 3 Series has really up its game in terms of the cabin feel and quality. In fact it now stands in line with the 5 and 7 Series. The top half of the dashboard and the door pads are draped in soft-touch materials which help the cabin feel richer. The layout is sportier, with the 10.25-inch touchscreen taking center stage and the centre console tilting towards the driver. Finishing the job is the meaty steering wheel and Sport seats exclusive to the M Sport variant. All this makes the cabin feel like a cockpit when viewed from the driver’s seat.

Superb Engines

The 3 Series is offered with two engine options: a 2.0-litre turbo petrol and a 2.0-litre diesel. The latter makes a respectable 190PS of power and 400Nm of torque. But if you are a driving enthusiast, your pick should definitely be the petrol, which makes 258PS of power and 400Nm of torque. From its predecessor, it’s a 6PS and 50Nm boost. Both engines come paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the rear wheels. 

The petrol engine is effortlessly fast and yet incredibly easy to drive. It’s super refined and barely makes any noise at idle. But if you are in a playful mood, just switch to Sport mode and get heavy on the accelerator pedal. Valves in the exhaust open and add pops and crackles to the daily drive, making even mundane overtaking manoeuvres feel exciting. And with its sharp throttle response and rapid acceleration, the 330i sure feels like an everyday sports sedan in the truest sense.

Brilliant Dynamics

BMW sedans have always found ways to balance comfort and handling beautifully. The 3 is no different. Pushed into any corner, it feels at home and holds its line pretty well. The steering too is communicative and requires very little effort to remain in command. Purely from an enthusiast’s perspective, we wish for a bit more feedback as it feels a bit vague at low speeds. 

Also Read: You Can Now Buy A BMW While Sitting At Home

Cons

Missing Flashy Features

For a luxury sedan costing upwards of Rs 40 lakh, you’d want some fancy features to be part of the package to pamper you on your drive. But BMW has decided to only offer what people usually expect, and not go the extra mile. For instance, features such as a 360-degree parking camera, passive keyless entry and an electric boot lid are not a part of the brochure. These features can now be seen in cars costing half the Beemer. What we’d also like on the list is a heads up display for the driver and a better sound system than a boring 6-speaker setup. 

Misses Rear Seat Focus

The 3 Series remains a low slung sedan. This means getting in and out of the backseat becomes tricky if your knees or vertebrate has seen its set of years. And while the seats themselves are more comfortable than before, they miss some features. You do not get sunblinds for the windows, no entertainment controls for the back seat and even the third zone of the climate control has no fan speed control. These things might not go too well with the hot-shot businessman who is looking to be chauffeured around.

Not Pothole friendly

German sedans, especially sporty variants like the M Sport, are known to be stiffly sprung. This means that they aren’t exactly friendly with potholes. Every time you go over a sharp bump or undulation, the impact is audible inside the cabin. Plus there is some typical side to side rocking motion involved in the ride as well. The BMW 3 Series continues to remain driver-focussed and while the stiff ride might be an annoyance to some, it is definitely not a dealbreaker. 

Should You Buy One?

Simply put, yes. The 3 Series still remains a sedan that you want in your garage out of excitement and enthusiasm, not for a utilitarian purpose. And with that comes a stiffer ride, missing flashy features and a driver seat focus. However, the plusher interiors, better cabin space and the fact that the petrol motor would make you want to drive it over and over again, more than makes up for those aspects.

Also Read: 2019 BMW 3 Series: First Drive Review

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