2016 BMW M3

The 2016 BMW M3 comes with a single well-equipped trim that offers everything you would expect from such a sporty sedan. The standalone trim comes at $63,500, with a huge number of features within and out of the cabin. M3's standard features include 18-inch alloy wheels with summer tires, adaptive xenon headlights, an active locking differential, an active exhaust system with quad tailpipes, an exclusive exterior body kit, power-folding auto-dimming heated mirrors, and many others.

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Due to this being a standalone trim, buyers can only order the M3 in this package. There are, however, three more packages that will further enhance your M3. Packages include Executive, Lighting, and Driver Assistance Plus. We recommend the Executive Package along with Driver Assistance Plus, which adds parking sensors, a rearview camera, a head-up display and heated steering wheel, blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, surround-view cameras, speed limit display, and forward collision warning and mitigation.

The 2016 BMW M3 is equipped with a 3.0L Inline 6-Cylinder engine that pushes out 425 horses and 406 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine is mated to a standard 6-speed manual with automated rev-matching or an optional 7-speed automated manual transmission. The M3 is made sportier with the rear-wheel-drivetrain, which makes it more capable. The high-performance sports sedan receives appraisals from everywhere with this majestic engine.

The torquey motor gives good acceleration specs too. It sprints smoothly to 60 MPH within 4.1 seconds and completes the quarter-mile race in 12.7 seconds. The figures are ample enough for the small sports car to impress any driver. Handling the car has never been a difficult task. The BMW M3 gets precise handling characteristics and impressive ride quality, though firmer at times. However, the engine never stays silent, keeps on making noise, which will not be pleasing to every buyer. The immensely capable big brakes pump enough confidence into the driver to drag this monster to its extreme of performance, as he knew that everything would be under control.

The 2016 Mercedes-AMG C63 stands the first in the competition with a bigger engine that produces greater power and torque. The acceleration figures are the best for Cadillac ATS by an edge. The Mercedes-Benz AMG C63 stands too close to the Cadillac ATS-V in terms of acceleration. The M-DCT in the bimmer would make the acceleration figures matched with the Cadillac ATS as the M-DCT has standard launch control.

The EPA has rated the 2016 BMW M3 to deliver 17 miles per gallon on city drives, 26 miles per gallon on highways, and 20 miles per gallon combined in the standard 6-speed transmission RWD configuration. As the transmission grows to M-DCT, the fuel efficiency figures significantly drop to 17 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. 

As an initiative of saving fuel, BMW has equipped every M3 with the Automatic Stop and Go function as standard. It switches off the engine as the car is halted and turns on immediately when ordered for. This can save fuel in heavy traffic.

The Infiniti Q50 gets the best-in-class fuel economy. Moreover, it gets the largest fuel tank as well, which improves the range figures significantly and you’ll need only fewer stops at the gas station. Though the figures are better in the M3 than the ATS, the fuel tank is slightly smaller for the bimmer, which affects the range figures.

The 2016 BMW M3 gets pleasant interiors. The cabin is similar to that of a regular 3-Series sedan and gets minor sporty characters everywhere. The carbon-fiber trim and the M logo are added to the interior that distinguishes M3 from 3-Series. The well-bolstered seats offer support as well as comfort. The seats are plentifully spacious and offer enough room for your head and leg. The rear seats are also decently spacious to seat 2 adults comfortably. 

The car is loaded with a good number of features that improve the overall cabin experience. The seats get heating and memory functions as well. The cabin is made more charming with the dual-zone automatic air conditioning. The manual tilt-telescopic steering wheel gets sport leather wrapping as well, with controls mounted on it. The driver and passenger-side visor vanity mirrors with illumination on the passenger side are other feel-good features. The small car also offers a decent trunk capacity of 12 cubic feet, which would be adequate to carry all your bags and baggage. 

The 2016 M3 seems to be the most spacious after the Merc-AMG C63. Though the front row legroom is better for ATS and Infiniti Q50, the rear seats do seem far more spacious in the M3, making it the better one overall. The cargo space is the best for Infiniti Q50 with 13.5 ft3, while M3 comes third after C63. Some of the noteworthy features in the cabin of the BMW M3 are:

• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Head-up display projected onto the windshield
• Tilt/telescopic steering wheel with sport leather trim and mounted controls
• Dual-Zone Front Automatic Air Conditioning
• Heating and Memory functions on seats
• Driver and passenger-side visor vanity mirrors

How intuitive is the 2016 BMW M3’s infotainment system?

BMW’s iDrive system is one of the best-in-class infotainment systems in the present market. The centrally placed 8.8-inch central screen, which comes as a paid option in regular 3-Series, comes standard with the M3. The controls are all with a single rotary dial at the center console. It helps you control everything in a single place, which makes it less confusing and more engaging, and driver-focused. 

The system is crisp and quick even at launch. A navigation system with Internal HD and Traffic Information is an important feature within the bimmer. USB and Bluetooth Plus Smartphone Integration would let you be connected. You can control everything with voice commands as well. The sounds are made better with Harman Kardon premium audio. The salient infotainment features include:

• Harman Kardon Premium Audio
• USB and Bluetooth Plus Smartphone Integration
• Voice Commands
• 8.8-inch central screen
• Navigation System with Internal HD and Traffic Information
• Text-to-Speech and vice versa

Like any other BMW, the M3 is amply attractive and unique in looks. With the signature kidney-shaped grille, the M3 would look modern even after years. The traditional design language hasn’t changed. The iconic M styling is evident everywhere, which means that this car has some serious muscles within. The black grille with chrome surrounds looks fabulous and syncs well with the clear coat paint. 

The automatic high-beam full LED headlights with Auto-Off function adds to the looks. Fog Lamps look cool in placement and design. The body-colored front and rear bumpers do look good with the M3. Apart from these, you’ll get body-colored power heated auto-dimming side mirrors with power-folding and turn signal indicator. You would also get speed-sensitive rain-detecting variable intermittent wipers with heated jets, which is a good thing to have. 

With the dimensions, the Infiniti Q50 seems to be the longest and tallest, while the M3 is the widest. The Cadillac is the heaviest while the M3 is the lightest. Infiniti gets the longest wheelbase too. BMW M3 is the lightest of all, thanks to its lightweight aluminum body, which improves agility and responsiveness. Few major exterior features of the M3 are:

• Full-LED Headlights
• Automatic high-beam headlights with Auto-Off
• Speed-sensitive Rain-sensing Variable Intermittent Wipers
• Fog Lamps
• Aluminum wheels

The 2016 BMW M3 comes equipped with many standard safety features, which would let you be safe even during the worst crash. It gets a suit of the airbag system and vehicle controls to mitigate collision events. 

The braking setup gets improved with the self-drying brake rotors, which come into play when the windshield wipers are in use, and the automatic brake-ad preparation when the driving manner turns athletic. BMW also offers an emergency communication setup as standard with every M3. This system involves automatic crash notification, stolen vehicle recovery, and roadside assistance. Noteworthy safety features include:

• Electronic Stability Control
• Driveline Traction Control
• BMW ASSIST eCall Emergency SOS
• Side Impact Beams
• Auto-leveling headlights
• Vehicle Anti-Theft System

The BMW M3 in its iconic silhouette is surely a good pick in the segment. However, the stiff rides and lack of steering feedback would surely make you think of the Merc-AMG, Cadillac, or Infiniti. M3 is a sporty little car with enough space, best-in-class infotainment, and sufficient performance specs. However, some features like stability control, which works less fine on your drives, would make the handling side a bit more cumbersome.