BMW’s 3 Series has been a core part of the Bavarian company’s range since launching in 1975. But which of the more recent versions is best? We strive to find out here.
Ask any car enthusiast what springs to mind when they think of BMW, and it’ll almost certainly be the rear-wheel drive sports sedans the company is best known for. Although predated by the 5 Series, the smaller 3 Series – which was, until recently, the smallest sedan offered by the company before the launch of the 2 Series Gran Coupé – has long been the best-selling of its sedan offerings. And it was, until the advent of SUVs becoming the core part of BMW’s lineup, the company’s best-selling model overall.
After debuting in 1975 with the launch of the E21 3 Series, the replacement for the 02 Series, the model gained iconic status with the second-generation E30 and the legendary M3 version it spawned that helped paved the way for the immense success of BMW’s M division that would be particularly well encapsulated with the E46 M3 in the early 2000s.
Now in its seventh generation, known as the G20, around 4.5 million have been sold globally since its launch, and despite the growth in popularity of BMW’s SUVs – and all SUVs in general – it remains a relatively strong seller, if one that’s seen its sales figures fall in recent years.
Having already analyzed every generation of the 3 Series right back to the E21, here, we’re going to be focusing in greater depth on the more recent 3 Series models – from 2006 to the present day in 2021 – that you might be considering buying as a daily driver, and we’ll establish which version is the best using the measures of reliability and dependability, practicality, safety, and value for money.
E90 (2006-13): The Budget Buy
When the E90 3 Series arrived in 2005, it had big shoes to fill following on from the incredibly warmly-received E46 generation. Although it was a larger and heavier car than the model it replaced, it managed to offer far more room for rear seat occupants and a larger trunk as well making it more comfortable and practical than its predecessor.
Available in sedan (E90), wagon (E91), coupé (E92), and convertible (E93) body styles, it was an immediate success with it quickly being named the 2006 World Car of the Year among a host of other awards from the global motoring press at the time.
In North America, the lineup was primarily concentrated towards six-cylinder gas engines, with the 325i and 328i featuring naturally-aspirated units, and the 335i featuring a twin-turbo one in pre-LCI (facelift) models and updated single-turbo engine in LCI versions.
Both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options were available, as were manual and automatic transmissions. Curiously, one oddity in the range was the relatively rare 335d offered exclusively in sedan form that featured a torque-rich six-cylinder turbo diesel engine.
With the 325i and 328i versions being powered by the highly-regarded N52 engine (in 2.5-liter and 3.0-liter sizing respectively) these are regarded as being among the most reliable BMW 3 Series models you’ll find, with Instamotor naming the 328i in particular one of the five best used BMW models you can buy.
However, the N52 isn’t without its concerns – on earlier examples of it, the ‘VANOS’ variable valve timing system can have issues although this is common on BMW’s of the era, and the hydraulic lifters can also get oil-starved in earlier examples as well, although BMW redesigned the cylinder head for 2009 to alleviate this issue.
However, the turbocharged 335i versions – while certainly a lot faster than the 325i and 328i – are known to be incredibly problematic, with Car Complaints even listing the 2007 and 2008 twin-turbo versions as being among the five worst BMWs based off the number of customer complaints it has received.
In particular, turbo failure, overheating issues, and failing ABS and high-pressure fuel pumps are commonly reported problems, and all of them will cost thousands to fix.
In terms of what you can expect to pay for an E90 these days, Kelley Blue Book cites an average private party value of $9,717 and trade-in value of $7,503 for a good-condition 2009 328i sedan, making them a very affordable proposition.
F30 (2012-19): Changing Things Up
When the F30 3 Series launched for the 2012 model year, it marked some big changes for the 3er. For the first time, the volume-selling model was available exclusively with a range of turbocharged engines, while hydraulic power steering was swapped out in favor of electrically-assisted power steering instead.
Compared to the E90 that it replaced, many complained of the F30 generation not being as driver-focused and satisfying to drive as its predecessor, including R0ad & Track, while Motor Biscuit highlights that it had lower quality interior materials and more intrusive cabin noise as well.
The N20 turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the 320i and 328i proved to not be a particularly reliable engine as well, with early F30 examples being notorious for catastrophic timing chain guide failures which could destroy the engine.
Thankfully, when an updated model arrived in 2017, the 328i was replaced by the 330i which brought with it the new B48 engine that’s still in use today, while the 335i and its N55 six-cylinder engine – the successor to the infamous N54 of before – was replaced with the award-winning B58.
Three F30 body styles were on offer – the standard sedan (F30), the ‘Touring’ wagon (F31), and the GranTurismo with a hatchback design and more rear headroom (F34); the previous coupé and convertible options were renamed as the 4 Series (F32 and F33 respectively, along with the new F36 GranCoupé) with the introduction of this generation.
To give an idea of used F30 values, a good-condition 2017 330i sedan (the mid-point of the range) in white with 40,000 miles is valued at an average trade-in value of $20,985 and a private party sale value of $24,081 according to Kelley Blue Book, so you can expect higher or lower-spec’d versions to bring slightly more or less respectively by comparison. This represents depreciation of a hefty 58.2 percent over the past five years.
G20 (2019-Present): A Proper 3 Series Again
The current 3 Series, the G20, marked a big upgrade over the outgoing F30 when it debuted in 2019, even being called “a proper 3 Series again” by Automobile.
Based on the new scalable CLAR platform that underpins all of BMW’s current vehicles with a north-south engine layout, the current model manages to be 121 pounds lighter than its predecessor due to more extensive use of aluminium components, between 25 to 50 percent more rigid thanks to the new platform, and more aerodynamic thanks to a covered flat underbody that reduces drag from 0.26 Cd to 0.23 Cd according to Evo.
Since its introduction, the G20 3er has swept up numerous in-class and overall Car of the Year awards in Germany, the U.K., and Australia, while the ‘B58’ 3.0-liter turbocharged engine used in the M340i variant has been named one of Wards 10 Best Engines in both 2019 and 2020. It was awarded an IIHS Top Safety Pick award in 2020 as well.
However, while critics have praised it, owners have not all been quite as complimentary. J.D. Power‘s Consumer Verified scoring of it shows that the 3 Series ranks last in its class due to having the lowest scores for reliability and dependability, and for resale value.
Pricing for the current 3 Series starts at $41,250 for a base 330i while stepping up to the plug-in hybrid 330e – which boasts fuel economy of an impressive 75 mpge and produces slightly more torque than the 330i – will cost $44,550. The best-performing model in the standard 3er range, the M340i, starts at $54,700.
All models can also be optioned with “xDrive” all-wheel drive for an additional $2,000.
Unlike previous 3 Series models, a sedan body is all that’s offered in the U.S., so the fact there’s no practical wagon may sadden some buyers – although with many moving to SUVs like the X3, it will be a very small minority. Check out Doug DeMuro‘s take on the M340i, above.
What is the Best BMW 3 Series?
If you’re in the market for a relatively new BMW 3 Series, the answer as to which ones you should be looking at seems really clear cut. If you’re buying a new or very lightly used model, we’d suggest the current M340i with its award-winning engine as being the best pick on offer. It might be the most expensive standard 3 Series model, but BMW’s expertise in making straight-six engines is clearly on display with it.
If you’re looking at going used though, it’s impossible to pass up the E90 328i models which easily rank as the best used BMW 3 Series’ you can buy, although we’d suggest models made in 2009 or later with the redesigned cylinder head so that hydraulic lifter issues are not a concern.
So as not to ignore the F30 generation entirely, though, the later 340i versions with the famed B58 engine will be the pick of the bunch from that era.
Photos: BMW