2018 BMW 3 Series

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Rating7.3
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$34,900 - $50,950
Starting Price 
Nathan Dyer's image
Nathan Dyer 

Senior Editor,

Updated on September 26, 2023

ProsConsWhat's New

Respectable power from the Inline-4 engines

Most of the driver assist features were saved for the top trims

No major changes on the mechanical front

Blend of a refined ride and responsive handling

Options are too expensive

Upscale interior design

Sleek exterior design

Specs & Features

$34,900

price

180 hp @ 5000 rpm

horsepower

200 lb.-ft. @ 1250 rpm

torque

8-Speed Automatic w/od

transmission

2.0L 4cyl RWD 8A

engine

-

basic warranty

Overview

The 2018 BMW 3 Series Sedan is a compact sedan segment offered in 3 trims with no major change as such, starting off at a base MSRP of $34,900. Between 3 trims, the 2018 BMW 3 Series sedan offers 2 powertrains of 180 hp 2.0L turbocharged Inline-4 and 248 hp 2.0L turbocharged Inline-4. For that price, it mainly competes with the Audi A4, Jaguar XE, and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. While its 8-speed automatic transmission and 14 striking colors help it to keep up with the challenge. 

Started back on July 25 2016, "Patrick Ying" reviews newly released cars and gives you a top-down analysis from exterior to interior specs. As for the 2018 BMW 3 Series, we and "Patric Ying" believe that "Driving position is spot on with steering wheel and pedals perfectly aligned". And its "2.0L Turbo 4 provides power in linear fashion without turbo lag" is also one of the positives he pointed. Check out more on this video.

Buying Advice

We do not recommend the base trim because it lacks a number of essential features. For the best value, we suggest going with the 330i trim bundled with the optional Premium Package that fetches you features like Heated Front Seats, Navigation System, Remote Services, Advanced Real-Time Traffic Information and more.

Trims

    320i
    $34,900 onwards
    • Engine: 2.0L 4cyl RWD 8A
    • Horsepower: 180 hp @ 5000 rpm hp
    • Torque: 200 lb.-ft. @ 1250 rpm
    • 0-60 mph: 7.1 sec
    • Top Speed: 130 mph
    • Fuel Economy Combined: 28 mpg
    i South Africa
    $36,900 onwards
    • Engine: 2.0L 4cyl AWD 8A
    • Horsepower: 180 hp @ 5000 rpm hp
    • Torque: 200 lb.-ft. @ 1250 rpm
    • 0-60 mph: TBD sec
    • Top Speed: TBD mph
    • Fuel Economy Combined: 27 mpg
    330i
    $40,250 onwards
    • Engine: 2.0L 4cyl AWD 8A
    • Horsepower: 248 hp @ 5200 rpm hp
    • Torque: 258 lb.-ft. @ 1450 rpm
    • 0-60 mph: 5.5 sec
    • Top Speed: 130 mph
    • Fuel Economy Combined: 27 mpg
    330i South Africa
    $40,250 onwards
    • Engine: 2.0L 4cyl RWD 8A
    • Horsepower: 248 hp @ 5200 rpm hp
    • Torque: 258 lb.-ft. @ 1450 rpm
    • 0-60 mph: 5.5 sec
    • Top Speed: 130 mph
    • Fuel Economy Combined: 27 mpg
    328d
    $41,750 onwards
    • Engine: 2.0L 4cyl RWD 8A
    • Horsepower: 180 hp @ 4000 rpm hp
    • Torque: 280 lb.-ft. @ 1750 rpm
    • 0-60 mph: 7.4 sec
    • Top Speed: 130 mph
    • Fuel Economy Combined: 36 mpg
    340i
    $48,950 onwards
    • Engine: 3.0L 6cyl RWD 8A
    • Horsepower: 320 hp @ 5500 rpm hp
    • Torque: 330 lb.-ft. @ 1380 rpm
    • 0-60 mph: 4.8 sec
    • Top Speed: 130 mph
    • Fuel Economy Combined: 25 mpg

Compare to similar cars

Price

$34,900- $50,950

Engine

Gasoline

Rating

7.33

Horsepower

320 hp @ 5500 rpm

Torque

330 lb.-ft. @ 1380 rpm

Capacity

7

Read Review

$28,100- $35,100

Gasoline

6.25

201 hp @ 6800 rpm

180 lb.-ft. @ 3800 rpm

5

Read Review

$33,000- $45,750

Gasoline

7.39

206 hp @ 6800 rpm

182 lb.-ft. @ 4500 rpm

5

Read Review

$38,195- $73,700

Gasoline

7.7

280 hp @ 5200 rpm

306 lb.-ft. @ 2000 rpm

5

Read Review

$31,950- $49,500

Gasoline

8.35

186 hp @ 4400 rpm

221 lb.-ft. @ 1600 rpm

5

Read Review

$36,000- $50,000

Gasoline

8.03

190 hp @ 4200 rpm

236 lb.-ft. @ 1450 rpm

5

Read Review

$49,700- $61,400

Gasoline

7.27

252 hp @ 5000 rpm

273 lb.-ft. @ 1600 rpm

5

Read Review

$43,650- $49,925

Gasoline

8.16

292 hp @ 5400 rpm

280 lb.-ft. @ 1900 rpm

5

Read Review

$34,895- $49,795

Gasoline

7.54

272 hp @ 5500 rpm

295 lb.-ft. @ 3000 rpm

5

Read Review

$46,295- $71,095

Gasoline

7.8

268 hp @ 5600 rpm

295 lb.-ft. @ 3000 rpm

5

Read Review

2018 BMW 3 Series vs competitor's 0-60

    Car Name
    0-60 MPH
    Quarter Mile
    Top Speed
    SourceCompare
    7.1 sec15.6 sec130 mph
    2018 Audi S3

    Ranked #1

    4.7 sec13.6 sec155 mph
    4.7 sec--
    5 sec13.6 sec-
    5.6 sec13.8 sec-
    5.6 sec14.1 sec-

    2018 BMW 3 Series vs competitor's MPG

      Car Name
      MPG City
      MPG Highway
      MPG Combined
      Fuel Tank Capacity
      Range (C/H)
      SourceCompare
      23 mpg35 mpg28 mpg15.8 gal.379.2/553 mi.
      43 mpg44 mpg44 mpg13.2 gal.567.6/580.8 mi.
      2018 Audi A4

      Ranked #2

      27 mpg37 mpg31 mpg15.3 gal.413.10/566.10 mi.
      25 mpg36 mpg29 mpg17.8 gal.445/640.8 mi.
      25 mpg35 mpg29 mpg13.2 gal.330/462 mi.
      2018 Audi A3

      Ranked #3

      26 mpg35 mpg29 mpg13.2 gal.377/507.5 mi.

      2018 BMW 3 Series vs competitor's dimensions

        Car Name
        Length
        Width
        Height
        Ground Clearance
        Wheelbase
        SourceCompare
        182.5 in.71.3 in.56.3 in.5.5 in.110.6 in.
        201.4 in.75.3 in.58.5 in.6 in.117.9 in.
        195.9 in.73.4 in.56.9 in.-113 in.
        195.5 in.72.2 in.57.2 in.6 in.114.6 in.
        195.2 in.78.2 in.57.4 in.4.1 in.116.5 in.
        2018 Audi A6

        Ranked #5

        194.2 in.73.8 in.57.8 in.7 in.114.6 in.

        2018 BMW 3 Series vs competitor's trunk space

          Car Name
          Trunk Capacity
          Passenger Volume
          Max Trunk Volume
          SourceCompare
          13 cu.ft.62.5 cu.ft.15.2 cu.ft.
          12 cu.ft.95.4 cu.ft.218.9 cu.ft.
          10.4 cu.ft.91 cu.ft.10.4 cu.ft.
          13.7 cu.ft.97 cu.ft.13.7 cu.ft.
          15.4 cu.ft.96.5 cu.ft.15.4 cu.ft.
          14.7 cu.ft.91 cu.ft.15.9 cu.ft.

          2018 BMW 3 Series vs competitor's cargo space

            Car Name
            Cargo Volume
            Cargo Volume w/ Seat Area
            Max Cargo Volume
            Bed Length
            SourceCompare
            41 cu.ft.13 cu.ft.15.2 cu.ft.98 ft.
            13.5 cu.ft.12.3 cu.ft.13.5 cu.ft.-
            67.1 cu.ft.14.7 cu.ft.15.9 cu.ft.69 ft.
            14.3 cu.ft.14.3 cu.ft.14.3 cu.ft.-
            -10.8 cu.ft.--
            13.2 cu.ft.13.2 cu.ft.13.2 cu.ft.-

            2018 BMW 3 Series vs competitor's towing capacity

              Car Name
              Towing Capacity
              Payload Capacity
              Weight
              SourceCompare
              -900 lbs.3295 lbs.
              3500 lbs.1149 lbs.3619 lbs.
              1000 lbs.-3739 lbs.
              1000 lbs.-3373 lbs.
              -825 lbs.3805 lbs.
              -1010 lbs.3730 lbs.

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