BMW 3 Series
We discover if latest version of long-running saloon can cut it against electric rival
FOR decades the diesel compact executive saloon has been the go-to choice for those wanting to balance luxury, decent performance and handling, cruising refinement, technology, plus practicality – but is that still the case today? We test the £38,325 320d M Sport to find out.
Design & engineering
THIS seventh-generation 3 Series is now competing with electric cars, highlighting just how far tech has moved on.
The BMW has kept pace, though, with an all-new platform underneath here, the latest infotainment, engine revisions and some clever suspension tech.
That architecture is based on BMW’s CLAR platform. As in the Tesla, four-wheel drive is available, but you don’t have to opt for a performance version to get it.
Engine tweaks over its predecessor improve the 3 Series’ refinement and response. The set-up includes a small turbocharger for better response and a larger one to boost power at higher revs.
The 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel produces 187bhp and 400Nm of torque, and is linked to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, so the recipe is relatively conventional compared with the Tesla’s.
Its new dampers employ ‘lift dependent technology,’ which means when the car is unloaded, light and therefore doesn’t sit too far through the suspension’s stroke, the damping forces are lighter. When the BMW is loaded and heavier, sitting lower, the damping is tauter to improve body control.
M Sport trim comes with parking sensors, a reversing camera, autonomous braking, climate, cruise, heated leather seats and a digital dash, so it matches the Model 3’s kit. It adds Apple CarPlay, too.
BMW ’s semi-autonomous driving system is extra, but it exceeds the Tesla for quality. The materials are superior, and the 3 Series’ cabin feels better built. Yet these cars must cover so many bases that this isn’t the full story, and one of those is how they drive.
Driving
HERE the 3 Series delivers. It’s not quite as quick as the Tesla to 60mph, because it took 6.6 seconds, but given it’s down on power and torque, and has gearchanges that punctuate acceleration, that’s a good result.
Our flexibility tests aren’t directly comparable due to the difference in transmissions. In the Tesla you simply plant your foot and go, making it extremely easy to drive, but in the BMW it’s not so swift.
The German car’s box is one of the best automatic transmissions on sale, though, and responds well to inputs from the accelerator, kicking down swiftly and shifting up smoothly. Pick manual mode, leave it in gear and the 3 Series delivers as much flexibility and easy pulling power as you’d need from an ICE car.
The BMW ’s engine is refined, too, only grumbling loudly at higher revs. But its noise is ever-present, unlike in the Tesla, with its near-silent e-motor.
It handles better than the Model 3, though, feeling grippier and less artificial when it comes to its agility. The steering has a much nicer weight, has more feel than the Tesla’s (you’d think it had none if you hadn’t driven a Model 3 before) and the chassis feeds back clearer messages of what’s going on at the interface
between the road surface and the tyres. The ride is good, but isn’t without its issues. It’s more forgiving, but not by too much compared with the Tesla’s. Still, the ride is just that little bit more abrupt than we’d like.
With some extra weight it settles down, but the quality of the damping feels plush where the Model 3 is a little more staccato in its suspension movement. There’s enough comfort, refinement, handling ability and performance, it’s just delivered in a different way to the Tesla – subtly in some areas, markedly in others.
Practicality
THE 3 Series is bound by packaging constraints that the Model 3 isn’t, such as its engine and transmission tunnel, but the BMW actually offers slightly more rear legroom and even more headroom. It’s not quite as roomy in the front, though. The 320d’s architecture means the dash and centre console are bigger and bulkier, with more buttons to control the climate and infotainment.
While it doesn’t have a load area in the front like the Tesla, its 480-litre boot means there’s more luggage volume than in the Model 3, which offers 425 litres, while the BMW ’s boot opening is larger and therefore more practical as well.
Ownership
BMW finished 21st in our Driver Power
2019 satisfaction survey, which was a fairly low result for the premium brand. However, the previous 3 Series was voted the 38th best car to live with by Auto Express readers, and much of the tech in the new car is evolutionary and has already proved reliable elsewhere in the BMW range.
Safety is strong, with AEB, collision warning and lane-departure alert standard in M Sport trim. Our car also had the £1, 250 Driving Assistant Professional pack, which adds adaptive cruise, cross-traffic warning, lane-keep assist with side collision prevention, and a semi-autonomous drive function that’ll keep you in a lane like the Tesla. It works as well as in the Model 3.
Running costs
OUR fleet 320d test car featured in this head to head, and it’s currently returning 53.3mpg. This is impressively efficient, but will still cost £1,322 a year to fuel, which equates to 11p per mile, nearly four times the cost of the Tesla.
It also won’t hold its money quite as well, with our experts predicting the BMW will retain 44.8 per cent, or £17,173, a loss of £21,152. EVs are becoming more popular, and predicted residual values reflect this; the Model 3 is expected to hold on to a very impressive 68.7 per cent after three years or 36,000 miles. It’ll be worth £25,645 after this period, losing just £11,695.