BMW 3 Series Sedan

Great sporty driver's car, not so much for passengers. Still good looking after so many years since launched in 2011.

Decent power and better after stage 1 tuning. A lot of mods available for this model.

Never had i imagined a 3-cyl 1.5L engine could be so lively. I thought i was driving a 1.8L 150bhp car but this frugal engine churns out just 130bhp with enough torque to over-take with ease. The Sport mode makes even the drive more engaging. Sport mode tightens the steering and suspension and all these can be individually tuned. Latest full digital instrument panel makes a more exciting drive.

BMW 3 Series that really caught on as a show stealer with its stellar headlights and sleek design. And when such a beauty is offered with two fuel options, we better be thanking the gods. BMW 3 Series is a sedan that is way beyond any ordinary sedan. With looks which make even the limousines tremble and the approachable design that makes it an amiable switch from any other regular sedan.

This review is base on my comparison with the C180 that I rented on my recent holidays. I had both cars for the trip and it is a fair comparison. The car I drove were the 318i M-Sport and C180 Avantgarde. I enjoyed the BMW more because it is the more honest car with lots of character, despite being the less powerful car of the 2. The BMW is less spacious at the front but makes up for better visibility, a more comfortable seat that offers great thigh support, and the enjoyable handling along high-speed curves. The BMW does produce a decent amount of road noise but the frequency of the noise is less bothersome than the ones produced by the Merc. In this aspect, the BMW is the better long-distance cruiser. In terms of ride comfort, the BMW does a better job absorbing the high speed bumps. The Merc does slightly better with the low-speed ones. I like the BMW a lot because of its honesty and character. Whereas the Merc is pretending to be a luxury car but it doesn't feel like one. The BMW wins.

Sound insulation - new car worse than my old audi.

roof metal is like a thin sheet of metal when it starts to rain. You cant really hear any other things in cabin! Zzzzzz

handling - terrific

engine - rattling sound sounds like diseal engine. Reason? Waiting for bmw service team

BTW i got a new 318i.

fuel consumption around 10.5-11km/l. Stated is 18km/l. Audi a4 was 25km/l. So dont have to believe this stats which is ran on highway which is few hundred km longggg.

It does not need a genius to know whether or not to get a BMW car. If you want a full comfort drive, this 3series is definitely not the one you are looking at. But if you want something sporty and yet premium luxury, this is the one for you.

I did a comparison with a few cars. The Mercedes Benz C class, Audi A4, VW Passat, Volvo S60, Infiniti Q50 and Jaguar XE. We know all of the good things about individual cars. Let me summarize the cons for these cars and why I finally decided to get the 3-series.

C class. The interior is good looking but there are too many round fixtures and becoming rather too retro for me. The drive is rather noisy and the driver seat feels compact and most importantly, the steering wheel is not centered, same as Volvo cars and I hate it..

Audi A4 and VW Passat. Too many horror stories and makes me avoiding VAG. Enough said. I like the Passat interior the most and I feel that the latest A4 model is kinda ugly to me. The older A4 models are more good looking, in terms of exterior.

Volvo S60. Before the drive, you will get bored with the interior look although it is well known that the seats are the best among the rest and of course, a safe car. But the interior is just too ugly for me.

Infiniti Q50. My 2nd choice during the selection. The interior is very nice, very high end digital edge technology, with two BIG screens. But I hate the noisy T loan Merc engine and the poor gear shifting ratio. You can't feel much difference in terms of comfort to sports mode.

Jaguar XE. Cheaper than a 3series, high OMV and yet fun to drive. The main problems are the A and B pillars are too big that can be blind spots for the driver. The overall size is too compact which is definitely not for those who are having the concern of being claustrophobia. No doubt that the drive is great.. That is why this XE is my 3rd choice.

After deep thoughts and considerations, the new facelifted 3series is a very well built car with full fixtures and powerful engine and gearbox. The usual 50 to 50 weight ratio and RWD are always the main key factor for BMW cars, which out shined on the overall handling. The 8 speed ZF gearbox is just so amazing.

Nonetheless, I think this is the best car for single hood driver or couples without kids who believed to have a good sense of taste and living lifestyle.