Latest news with #3Series
Top Gear
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
BMW 3 Series Touring Driving, Engines & Performance
Driving What is it like to drive? From behind the wheel you'll struggle to tell the difference between the Touring and the saloon. Which means the Touring drives wonderfully. It's just a great all-rounder that manages to combine real agility and driver reward with great cruising manners and low noise intrusion. In other words, standard 3 Series behaviour. Tell me about the engines... There aren't very many of them any more. Diesel was eradicated from the range in 2024 – a moment TopGear wasn't sure whether to celebrate or not. We'd obviously always encourage you to buy petrol over diesel, but now it's gone we miss its incredible tank range, deep torque and churning engine note. Advertisement - Page continues below But even the base 320i has things to recommend it. Rear-drive only it feels beautifully pure for an 'ordinary' car, even if the engine is plain sounding and does its best work in the low and mid-range. BMW just knows how to do steering feel and damping, doesn't it? Rate of turn and roll are deliciously matched, so you peel it instinctively into a bend. A four-cylinder might not have the glamour of BMW's old sixes, but the hybrid version does deliver the pace – 0-62mph in 6.0 seconds flat, even though it weighs 1,895kg. And the economy. This is now the sensible choice of the range thanks to 21g/km emissions and an electric range of almost 60 miles from a 19.5kWh battery. What about the M340i? Given that the M3 Touring boasts *that* grille, the M340i xDrive Touring is the ultimate sleeper 3 Series. It uses BMW's turbocharged B58 3.0-litre straight-six (the M3 gets the twin-turbo S58 engine) and produces 369bhp and 369lb ft of torque. 0-62mph is quoted at 4.6 seconds, while top speed is 155mph. Emissions aren't so attractive at 190g/km, but it should happily outstrip the 33.5mpg claim on a long haul. It's a fantastic powertrain with huge breadth. It's as happy quietly cruising at Autobahn speeds in comfort mode as it is attacking a B road in all-out Sport Plus. In the latter it sounds angry enough too, with pops on the overrun and a mature, beefy sound under acceleration. Magic. Advertisement - Page continues below The xDrive system bestows traction that's all but inexhaustible. Even so, stick it in Sport mode to send more torque to the back, and loosen the traction control to its mid setting, and a real sense of playfulness emerges. Is the 3 Series Touring comfortable? The Touring is still sporty, but the ride is more than acceptable whether you go for standard Sport trim with the smallest 17-inch wheels, or if you go for M Sport trim with its firmer setup and 18-inch wheels. The optional adaptive damping gives the 3 Touring extra bandwidth, but it's not essential. Still, as a long-distance car the 3 Series does a lot to compensate for that ride. Quietness and refinement are first rate, especially engine insulation and wind noise. Motorway lane stability is fine too. And the optional driver aids work unobtrusively, which can't be said for many competitors – BMW's lane keep deserves special mention for working largely unobtrusively. Highlights from the range the fastest M340i xDrive MHT 5dr Step Auto 0-62 4.6s CO2 BHP 368.8 MPG Price £61,635 the cheapest 320i Sport 5dr Step Auto 0-62 7.6s CO2 BHP 181 MPG Price £42,515
Top Gear
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
BMW 3 Series Touring Review 2025
The BMW 3 Series Touring is one of those cars. The cars that do everything, are instantly recommendable, mostly brilliant and have been for generations. See also Porsche 911, VW Golf and Range Rover. In the case of the 3 Touring, why have an SUV or crossover when this is cheaper, more efficient, better to drive and just as practical? So what's new? The front half is pretty much identical to the facelifted saloon, and that's no bad thing. Thankfully the 3 Series has avoided BMW's controversial new design direction so far, still has a modest grille and remains a handsome (if less ostentatious) thing. Advertisement - Page continues below We were first shown the updated version in May 2022, which brought slimmer lights, more aggressive bumpers and BMW's new Curved Display inside, which pairs a 12.3-inch dial display with a 14.9-inch central infotainment screen and merges them into one widescreen unit. Hang on, what about the back end? Ah yes – the important end. Towards the rear, the designers of this seventh-gen G21 took on the same mission as with the saloon – don't just clone 'n' shrink a 5 Series, use a different technique. Where previous 3 Series Tourings took the window line and simply extended it level, here the lower line of the glass angles upward behind the door. That makes, in effect, the biggest-ever Hofmeister kink. It also gives the design some forward-aiming dynamism. In the UK we get the choice of Sport and M Sport trims, with the former getting a clean, body-coloured rear end while the latter gets a fair bit of black plastic designed to look like a diffuser. The Touring is better, right? The estate remains the same length as the contemporary saloon. Although of course they both grew for this latest generation – but not by much. At 4.7m long they've grown less than the length of a credit card over the previous F30 and F31, but it's more about crash safety than interior space, which hasn't seen much benefit. Advertisement - Page continues below The handsome Touring shape encloses 500 litres of boot (or 410 litres if you want a plug-in hybrid where the battery consumes boot space by raising the floor height), which is about par among the style-led premium wagons, but visibly less than, say, the Volkswagen Passat. Still, the 3 Series has some neat mechanisms to ensure your small but perfectly formed cargo is easily loaded and well restrained. And yes, unlike the 5 Touring, it still has the super useful separate opening tailgate glass. What engines can I have? Diesel is dead. Gone. Buried. Such a shame – the 320d and 330d from previous generations have been the best of them. No more 700-mile range and 50mpg. Instead you can do 314mpg. Depending how much you plug the 330e hybrid in. But it is genuinely capable of delivering 70mpg if used with a modicum of sense. Good all-round powertrain, but the four cylinder turbo that underpins it is a charisma vacuum compared to the sixes of old. Speaking of which, only one of those is left. The M340i xDrive Touring is undoubtedly the pick of the range if you can stretch to its £63,880 base price. The single turbo straight six develops 374bhp, has creamy torque delivery and is just endlessly pleasing to use. At the other end of the scale is the 184bhp 320i powered by a 2.0-litre turbo. It's fine, does the job and does it better than the powerplants in most rivals. It's the same engine that underpins the plug-in hybrid, although peak power there stands at 288bhp. But that's it these days, just three engines, plus a fourth if you count the M3s twin turbo V6. Does the 3 Series still sell in the UK? It really does. You may think everyone wants an X3 these days, but the 3 Series still often tops BMW's sales charts. The problem is the model range has been drastically reduced, not just the engines but the options you can have. No manual gearbox, 320i is rear-drive only, 340i comes as 4WD. The need to invest in electrification means BMW needed to slim down its regular car range. You see the same across every marque. How much will it cost me? BMW 3 Series Touring prices start from £43,930 for a base-spec Sport trim 320i. The step up to M Sport trim is only £1,250, so that's what almost everyone does, while the car everyone wants, the M340i is considerably more expensive. Our choice from the range BMW 330e 22.3 kWh M Sport 5dr Step Auto £50,070 See prices and specs What's the verdict? ' Unless you habitually carry very tall rear-seat passengers, or really bulky cargo… it'll do you proud ' If you can't find a 3 Series Touring to suit you, you've got some pretty special automotive needs. For most of us, it's all the car we'd ever need. Unflappable to drive, composed, techy without being baffling to operate and spacious enough to cope with hauling duties. It's better packaged than the over-sized 5 Series Touring, way more efficient and economical than most of its nearest rivals and still has a tangible desirability that elevates it above them. Unless you habitually carry very tall rear-seat passengers, or really bulky cargo, or need to go off-road, it'll do you proud. For many buyers it's a shame diesel has gone and the six cylinder is reduced to a single model, but it's still the best compact estate there is. And the M340i xDrive Touring must put the fear of God into all other carmakers.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
4 German Car Brands Named the Least Reliable of 2025
Auto experts had a lot to say when it came to which German car models to avoid. Electrical issues, oil leaks and brake malfunctions are just a few of the problems that came up when budget-conscious experts discussed German cars. Next time you're looking for a new vehicle, here are the German car brands to avoid, according to top auto experts. Check Out: Read Next: BMW The sleek and luxe BMW brand has been a status symbol for years, but some car experts say, no matter how good these cars look, you're better off without them. 'The most common issues on BMWs are oil leaks, cooling system failures and failures on the turbocharger,' said Alex Black, chief marketing officer and auto expert at EpicVIN. Black said the electronics are another frequent issue with BMW, particularly drive failures and digital gauge faults. Black said that BMW's with N20 and N55 engines (which are commonly seen on the 3 Series and X3) usually start to break down within the 70,000 to 100,000 mile range. 'They are sport vehicles, but to stay reliable, they need to have strict maintenance. Skimping on a couple of services can mean very expensive repairs later on,' Black added. For You: Audi Like BMWs, Audi's are frequently driven by the upper crust, but Black said to not let that persuade you. 'Audi cars have issues with electrical and sensor faults as they age, especially cars from 2010 to 2018. A lot of the faults occur once the warranty runs out, which comes as a shock to most owners,' Black explained. Black said that he sees a lot of claims for Audi's with faulty infotainment, frozen power windows and sensor faults. Because it's a luxury car that's made overseas, these repairs can be very pricey. Customers are often paying a lot of out of pocket costs to keep Audi's running as they get older. Mercedes-Benz Melanie Musson is an auto industry expert with and called out Mercedes-Benz vehicles for consistently breaking down after five to seven years. 'New Mercedes-Benz cars are generally reliable, but after exceeding 50,000 miles, they tend to experience issues with their electrical systems failing,' Musson said. 'Since many of the mechanical parts run based on electrical information, the problems can very from the infotainment system glitching to the car not starting.' Volkswagen Musson said VW's are practically known for their failing electrical systems, but that's not where the issues end. 'The transmissions also have a reputation for being prone to problems. They are hard to repair. Dealership shops may be the most able to fix problems, but they're also the most expensive,' she added. More From GOBankingRates 3 Luxury SUVs That Will Have Massive Price Drops in Summer 2025 7 Things You'll Be Happy You Downsized in Retirement How Far $750K Plus Social Security Goes in Retirement in Every US Region This article originally appeared on 4 German Car Brands Named the Least Reliable of 2025
The Drive
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
This Auction Site Gives Dealers 2 Hours to Compete for Your Car
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Selling a car is a pain in the butt. If you're listing privately, you have to deal with strangers and flakes. If you're trading in at a dealership, you've got to go up against a professional negotiator in a high-pressure environment. The idea behind Bidbus is to bypass that by letting sellers post their vehicles to a private auction system where dealers and wholesale buyers can compete against each other for the best bid on the car. Bidbus was formed in 2022 by 'former auto dealers, brokers, and wholesalers,' according to a press release. It landed on my radar today because it just announced a big private equity investment to improve its functionality. The core concept makes a lot of sense: Sellers can quickly make a listing with basic car specs, set a reserve price (the least amount of money you'd accept to sell), and then the car gets put into a dealer-only marketplace where dealers get a two-hour window to bid on your car. If it car sells, a $300 fee gets deducted from your price, and you get paid. I ran my F31 BMW 3 Series' VIN through the first stage of its listing system and got an estimated sale price of about $17,000, which, yeah, is about what I'd expect the car would fetch at a wholesale dealer auction. I'd hope to get more for it selling privately, but again, that would come with the considerable headache of fielding questions and test drives from random people. The interface is slightly clunky—not sure why '4D Sport Wagon' is listed as the 'Drive' while the model name is listed as the 'Transmission.' Bidbus In theory, Bidbus should be a lot more efficient than bouncing around from dealer to dealer or checking Carvana, CarMax, and every other wholesale buyer's site individually. It seems like a cool idea. Unfortunately, it's only active in Southern California right now. But according to the PR company promoting it, the investment today will help Bidbus 'expand to other geographies' in the near future. Bidbus essentially pitches its value proposition as 'fast selling' for car owners and 'big inventory to shop from' for dealers. Bidbus also shared a statement from Kraig Coomber, dealership owner and Bidbus CFO and co-founder: 'Traditional auctions might have thousands of cars, from rental companies and leases, but only a handful are worth buying. Our team built Bidbus after years of experiencing the frustration of sourcing inventory as dealers. We built a platform where quality comes standard and where every car is worth a bid.' Having worked in the automotive wholesale world myself, I can provide some context to Coomber's comment and why dealers might be into this arrangement. Typically, when you trade your car in to a dealership for something new, they don't put it on their lot and resell it. They'll shunt it into a colossal private auction system that can only be accessed by other licensed dealers. In the U.S., there are two main auction houses for this: Manheim and ADESA. Both run similar programming. This is just a fraction of the cars that run through a standard wholesale auto auction every week. Adobe While fancy high-dollar auction outfits like RM Sotheby's or Barrett-Jackson sling cars like fine art, a Manheim or ADESA sale is more like a livestock auction. Hundreds of cars (good, bad, and ugly) roll through multiple lanes simultaneously, with other dealers bidding in person and online via webcam. I'm not making the livestock comparison derogatorily—it's just that buying a batch of used cars to sell on your lot is a commodity acquisition, not an exciting purchase. As a buyer, you have to work very quickly, inspecting and valuing a car in minutes to decide what your bid ceiling is. There are complex social dynamics to navigate in a very Mos Eisley spaceport-style setting, too, but that's probably a blog for another day. Anyway, there's a trickle-down situation here. Mid-level dealers buy clean off-lease cars from big reputable dealerships, smaller dealers buy the stuff mid-level guys are liquidating, and bargain shoppers get the dregs. Being able to bid on cars directly from consumers cuts out much of the above. And a two-hour buying window is an eternity compared to what wholesale buyers are used to. I'm still skeptical of anything that claims to be 'AI-powered' or 'AI-assisted,' as Bidbus claims to be. However, at a minimum, buyers could probably pre-configure parameters like year, make, model, and mileage, and get alerts when cars that fit their criteria are coming down the pike. It wouldn't be that much of a stretch to have a program even bid for you based on historical data of what cars have sold for in the past. On paper, it seems like a good idea that could help used car dealers source inventory and help consumers unload used cars painlessly. It's been a long time since my days of sprinting around Manheim facilities in Massachusetts trying to buy dozens of cars at once, and I'll tell you what, I do not miss it at all. Had any good or terrible trade-in experiences? Tell me about 'em at
The Advertiser
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
BMW celebrates 50 years of 3 Series with special six-cylinder sedan
The 3 Series has been a linchpin of the BMW lineup for 50 years, and the German auto brand is celebrating this milestone with a special edition. The BMW 3 Series 50 Jahre Edition is based on the flagship M340i xDrive – powered by a turbocharged inline six-cylinder petrol engine – and priced at $127,600 before on-road costs. Just 50 examples of the 50-year edition are coming to Australia, appropriately enough, with first local customer deliveries expected in the fourth quarter of 2025. For context, the standard M340i xDrive is currently priced at $127,752 drive-away for buyers in New South Wales. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. BMW says the special edition has specifications unique to the Australian and New Zealand markets, including BMW Individual Anthracite Metallic exterior paint and a limited-edition build plate on the centre console. Other specification highlights include: As it's based on the M340i xDrive, that means a 3.0-litre inline turbo-six can be found under the bonnet, producing 285kW of power and 500Nm of torque. It's mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system as standard, and the M340i xDrive's claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time is 4.4 seconds. Standard equipment for the M340i xDrive includes: The 3 Series is now in its seventh generation, and BMW says it's the brand's highest-selling model on a local level since records began. More than 191,000 registrations of the 3 Series have been recorded since official VFACTS records began, keeping the mid-size luxury car ahead of the X3 and X5 overall despite the surge in popularity of SUVs this century. The first 3 Series – the E21 – was introduced in 1975 as a replacement for the 2002. Six-cylinder power arrived in 1977, but the E21 only ever came with two doors. A four-door 3 Series wouldn't arrive until 1983 with the subsequent E30 generation. The E30 also brought the first M3, the first Touring wagon, and the first 3 Series with all-wheel drive. Those options remain available today, and the latest, seventh-generation lineup is the first to combine all three. The previous F30 generation was the first to offer plug-in hybrid power, while the current G20 is offered with electric power only in China (as the i3). The upcoming eighth-generation 3 Series range is set to include not only new internal combustion engine (ICE) variants, but also an electric version that will be based on BMW's dedicated electric Neue Klasse platform yet will closely resemble its ICE sister model. MORE: Explore the BMW 3 Series showroom Content originally sourced from: The 3 Series has been a linchpin of the BMW lineup for 50 years, and the German auto brand is celebrating this milestone with a special edition. The BMW 3 Series 50 Jahre Edition is based on the flagship M340i xDrive – powered by a turbocharged inline six-cylinder petrol engine – and priced at $127,600 before on-road costs. Just 50 examples of the 50-year edition are coming to Australia, appropriately enough, with first local customer deliveries expected in the fourth quarter of 2025. For context, the standard M340i xDrive is currently priced at $127,752 drive-away for buyers in New South Wales. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. BMW says the special edition has specifications unique to the Australian and New Zealand markets, including BMW Individual Anthracite Metallic exterior paint and a limited-edition build plate on the centre console. Other specification highlights include: As it's based on the M340i xDrive, that means a 3.0-litre inline turbo-six can be found under the bonnet, producing 285kW of power and 500Nm of torque. It's mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system as standard, and the M340i xDrive's claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time is 4.4 seconds. Standard equipment for the M340i xDrive includes: The 3 Series is now in its seventh generation, and BMW says it's the brand's highest-selling model on a local level since records began. More than 191,000 registrations of the 3 Series have been recorded since official VFACTS records began, keeping the mid-size luxury car ahead of the X3 and X5 overall despite the surge in popularity of SUVs this century. The first 3 Series – the E21 – was introduced in 1975 as a replacement for the 2002. Six-cylinder power arrived in 1977, but the E21 only ever came with two doors. A four-door 3 Series wouldn't arrive until 1983 with the subsequent E30 generation. The E30 also brought the first M3, the first Touring wagon, and the first 3 Series with all-wheel drive. Those options remain available today, and the latest, seventh-generation lineup is the first to combine all three. The previous F30 generation was the first to offer plug-in hybrid power, while the current G20 is offered with electric power only in China (as the i3). The upcoming eighth-generation 3 Series range is set to include not only new internal combustion engine (ICE) variants, but also an electric version that will be based on BMW's dedicated electric Neue Klasse platform yet will closely resemble its ICE sister model. MORE: Explore the BMW 3 Series showroom Content originally sourced from: The 3 Series has been a linchpin of the BMW lineup for 50 years, and the German auto brand is celebrating this milestone with a special edition. The BMW 3 Series 50 Jahre Edition is based on the flagship M340i xDrive – powered by a turbocharged inline six-cylinder petrol engine – and priced at $127,600 before on-road costs. Just 50 examples of the 50-year edition are coming to Australia, appropriately enough, with first local customer deliveries expected in the fourth quarter of 2025. For context, the standard M340i xDrive is currently priced at $127,752 drive-away for buyers in New South Wales. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. BMW says the special edition has specifications unique to the Australian and New Zealand markets, including BMW Individual Anthracite Metallic exterior paint and a limited-edition build plate on the centre console. Other specification highlights include: As it's based on the M340i xDrive, that means a 3.0-litre inline turbo-six can be found under the bonnet, producing 285kW of power and 500Nm of torque. It's mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system as standard, and the M340i xDrive's claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time is 4.4 seconds. Standard equipment for the M340i xDrive includes: The 3 Series is now in its seventh generation, and BMW says it's the brand's highest-selling model on a local level since records began. More than 191,000 registrations of the 3 Series have been recorded since official VFACTS records began, keeping the mid-size luxury car ahead of the X3 and X5 overall despite the surge in popularity of SUVs this century. The first 3 Series – the E21 – was introduced in 1975 as a replacement for the 2002. Six-cylinder power arrived in 1977, but the E21 only ever came with two doors. A four-door 3 Series wouldn't arrive until 1983 with the subsequent E30 generation. The E30 also brought the first M3, the first Touring wagon, and the first 3 Series with all-wheel drive. Those options remain available today, and the latest, seventh-generation lineup is the first to combine all three. The previous F30 generation was the first to offer plug-in hybrid power, while the current G20 is offered with electric power only in China (as the i3). The upcoming eighth-generation 3 Series range is set to include not only new internal combustion engine (ICE) variants, but also an electric version that will be based on BMW's dedicated electric Neue Klasse platform yet will closely resemble its ICE sister model. MORE: Explore the BMW 3 Series showroom Content originally sourced from: The 3 Series has been a linchpin of the BMW lineup for 50 years, and the German auto brand is celebrating this milestone with a special edition. The BMW 3 Series 50 Jahre Edition is based on the flagship M340i xDrive – powered by a turbocharged inline six-cylinder petrol engine – and priced at $127,600 before on-road costs. Just 50 examples of the 50-year edition are coming to Australia, appropriately enough, with first local customer deliveries expected in the fourth quarter of 2025. For context, the standard M340i xDrive is currently priced at $127,752 drive-away for buyers in New South Wales. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. BMW says the special edition has specifications unique to the Australian and New Zealand markets, including BMW Individual Anthracite Metallic exterior paint and a limited-edition build plate on the centre console. Other specification highlights include: As it's based on the M340i xDrive, that means a 3.0-litre inline turbo-six can be found under the bonnet, producing 285kW of power and 500Nm of torque. It's mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system as standard, and the M340i xDrive's claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time is 4.4 seconds. Standard equipment for the M340i xDrive includes: The 3 Series is now in its seventh generation, and BMW says it's the brand's highest-selling model on a local level since records began. More than 191,000 registrations of the 3 Series have been recorded since official VFACTS records began, keeping the mid-size luxury car ahead of the X3 and X5 overall despite the surge in popularity of SUVs this century. The first 3 Series – the E21 – was introduced in 1975 as a replacement for the 2002. Six-cylinder power arrived in 1977, but the E21 only ever came with two doors. A four-door 3 Series wouldn't arrive until 1983 with the subsequent E30 generation. The E30 also brought the first M3, the first Touring wagon, and the first 3 Series with all-wheel drive. Those options remain available today, and the latest, seventh-generation lineup is the first to combine all three. The previous F30 generation was the first to offer plug-in hybrid power, while the current G20 is offered with electric power only in China (as the i3). The upcoming eighth-generation 3 Series range is set to include not only new internal combustion engine (ICE) variants, but also an electric version that will be based on BMW's dedicated electric Neue Klasse platform yet will closely resemble its ICE sister model. MORE: Explore the BMW 3 Series showroom Content originally sourced from:
