BMW 3 Series

By now, the design language of the 3 Series has spread across the BMW range. That’s a good thing, because it does a great job blending form and function.

As is usually the case with BMW cars, the ergonomics of the cabin are exceptional. The driver’s seat drops right down to the floor, the steering wheel comes out nicely to meet the driver, and everything you need to poke or prod is within easy reach.

It sounds simple, but BMW consistently gets the basics right where others don’t.

BMW iDrive 7.0 is one of the best infotainment systems in the business. The central 12.3-inch screen is crystal clear, and can be controlled usingHey BMWvoice prompts, touch inputs, and a rotary controller on the transmission tunnel. Sounds confusing, but each is useful at different times.

You also get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which means you can bypass the native navigation and use Apple or Google maps, or more easily access podcasts on the move.

The digital driver’s display is less excellent. It’s visually busy, and doesn’t have the same range of layout options you get in Audi’s excellent Virtual Cockpit, although you still get all the information you need about speed, revs, and your trip computer.

There’s plenty of storage spaces on offer, from the wireless phone charger and cupholders under a damped lid, to the decent-sized underarm bin. There are also door bins with space for big bottles, and a spacious glovebox.

Rear seat space is up there with the best in class, allowing for adults to sit behind adults provided neither is freakishly tall. Headroom is also good, and the bench itself is wide enough to ride three-up for shorter trips. With a relatively conventional three-box design, you get plenty of light through the tall windows.

You get air vents in the rear, along with dual USB-C chargers to keep the kids happy. There’s a fold-down central armrest, and spacious door bins, and the door opening is wider than that of some lower-volume Korean and Italian rivals. That means you’re able to more easily load in children or bags.

Available in both sedan and wagon guise, the BMW 3 Series is inoffensive with its exterior design.

Regardless of body style, the 3 Series has a typical silhouette. There are automatic LED headlights standard across the range, with BMW LaserLight headlights standard on the M340i xDrive and optional across the rest of the range.

On non-M models there are a choice of either M Sport or Luxury Line packages that alter the exterior and interior of the 3 Series.

Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) 330e models, only available in sedan form, can only be externally distinguished because of the charging port on the front right-hand side wheel arch and its model designation badge.

M340i xDrive models, also only available in sedan form, have M-specific matte grey exterior design elements and 19-inch lightweight alloy wheels. There's also a standard body-colour rear spoiler.

The BMW 320i is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 135kW of power and 300Nm of torque.

The 330i also uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, albeit with 190kW and 400Nm.

The 330e uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to an electric motor for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system with a total system output of 215kW and 420Nm.

The M340i xDrive uses a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine producing 285kW and 500Nm. It’s all-wheel drive, unlike the rest of the range which are rear-wheel drive.

An eight-speed ZF torque-converter automatic transmission is standard across the range.

The 3 Series is expected to walk a tricky tightrope. Not only does it need to be well-mannered on the daily commute, it needs to handle with classic rear-wheel drive balance and poise

Although it can’t quite match the smaller, less practical Jaguar XE and Alfa Romeo Giulia for outright sporting talent, it strikes a near perfect balance between usability and handling.

There’s no real need to flick into Sport, because body control is excellent in the more relaxed drive mode. Regardless of mode the 3 Series has a keen front end and classic rear-wheel drive balance, and the more powerful engine in the 330i makes it feel a bit more lively than the 320i.

BMW has backed the balanced rear-drive chassis with a peach of an engine. It’s not a lusty inline six, but the turbo four-pot is buttery smooth and has peak torque on tap between 1550 and 4400rpm, so it pulls strongly in essentially any gear.

There’s fun to be had hanging onto gears as well, revving out happily to redline. It doesn’t really zing through the upper reaches of the rev counter, but it never runs out of puff either.

The eight-speed ZF automatic is unobtrusive at a cruise, shuffling smartly through the gears. Squeeze the accelerator hard and it kicks down quickly, thrusting the engine into its torque band, and you can take charge with the paddles if you’re in the mood.

It’s a shame BMW isn’t fitting its full suite of active driver assists as standard at the moment, though.

Inside is a standard BMW Curved Display, comprising a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 14.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system in a single housing, running the latest BMW Operating System 8 software with a greater suit of voice commands.

BMW has also fitted a new-look gear selector, and all grades bar the base 320i get a seat upgrade.

With the rear seats up, total luggage capacity in the pre-update 3 Series is 480L in all 3 Series sedan models except the 330e, which has a boot capacity of 375L.

With the seats up on the pre-update 330i wagon there’s a total luggage capacity of 500L, expanding to 1510L with the second row folded.