2027 BMW 3 Series Review, First Drive – A New Level of Perfection

I stole the title of this article from BMW. Somewhere deep within the 73 page press release they handed to the group of international journalists who made the trek to Aix-en-Provence, France for the coveted first drive of the next-generation 3 Series are the words “A new level of perfection.” I wrote it down because, as a person who loves the English language, it made me chuckle.

How can perfection have a new level?

Preposterous.

If thinking something is as bad as saying something, then consider this article my apology.

Once upon a time the 3 Series was BMW. Currently, it’s not as important to the brand, with a flood of SUVs dominating the sales charts. But at its core, no vehicle represents what BMW stands for like the 3 Series.

Gas vs EV

The first thing you need to know about the new 3 Series is that it is available as both a gasoline and as an electric vehicle. It’s either, or. Although the gasoline version is actually mild a hybrid. We had the opportunity to spend a half day each in the M350 xDrive as well as the i3 50 xDrive.

You wouldn’t know it from looking at the two cars, but they have a lot that’s different about them. And I’m not just talking about what’s under the hood… or the floor, as it were. Compared to previous gen 3 Series its very slightly larger in every dimension. Compared to each other, they are surprisingly different, with different wheelbases, length, width, height, track and, obviously, weight. The gasoline model has a longer front to fit the engine, while the EV has a longer wheelbase to fit the battery pack.

BMW has done an amazing job of making what one could consider two totally different cars, meld into not just the same design, but the same thing.

Outside, BMW’s somewhat controversial new era of styling elements just seem completely at home on this new 3 Series. The sharknose design is wide but aggressive. And when it lights up at night, especially if you have the Iconic Glow package, the headlights and grill work together to give a serious face.

I'm less of a fan when it comes to the rear of the car. But no car is perfect. Or is it? I digress...

Even cooler than the glowing front end, are the racing-inspired M Yellow Lights, on the new M Performance model. I’d wager every BMW tuner in the world is going to be offering an aftermarket lighting kit so fanboys everywhere can mimic this style.

Of note, M Sport models also get specific bumpers, skirts and an M-specific diffuser. These are joined by M Sport brakes in Blue.

POWERTRAINS

Let’s talk specs for a second, shall we.

On the gasoline side, the top trim is the M350 xDrive making 437 hp and 428 lb-ft torque with a 0-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds (4.1 seconds to 100 km/h). In North America, BMW will also offer the 330 (not in Canada) and 330 xDrive with a turbo-4 making 255 hp and 295 lb-ft with a 5.9 second 0-60 time.

Moving on to the electric side, the i3 50 x Drive tops the gas model with 463 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque but surprisingly has a slower 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds (4.7 to 100 km/h). That most certainly has to do with the added weight it’s lugging around – more on that soon.

What is super impressive is the estimated range of 446–468 miles (roughly 750 km). These are truly impressive range numbers to the point that any range anxiety fades away like a dose of Zoloft. I spent five hours driving around in the i3 only to return it with 242 miles (390 km) left on the battery pack!

Globally a smaller EV pack with less range will be offered.

The i3 offers a DC charging rate of up to 400 kW meaning it can add 191–208 miles (roughly 335 km) in 10 minutes.

Another advantage of the EV is that it offers bidirectional charging, plus you can power external devices – something BMW showcased at a mid-morning stop along our route where a small crêpe cooking station was being powered by the car. Magnifique!

Of note, a higher performance i3 M60 electric version is coming as is a plug-in hybrid – although it’s not clear if we’ll get the latter one in North America.

Now for the only spec that’s hard to swallow. The curb weight. The M350 xDrive tips the scales at around 4,100 lbs (1,860 kg), a several hundred pound increase over the previous 3 Series. But that’s nothing compared to the i3 at 4,861 lbs (2,205 kg).

It's What's Inside That Counts

Inside the car it’s hard to know where to start. So maybe the best place is with what’s missing: gauge clusters.

That’s right. There are no circular gauge clusters behind the steering wheel. Rather, they’ve been replaced by what the brand calls BMW Panoramic Vision with a digital bar right below the windshield with all the info you need – kind of like a heads up display (which is also available by the way). Although importantly, there’s no concern seeing this screen with polarized glasses.

The info in front of the driver remains static, with all the pertinent driving data, while the other parts of the screen can be augmented with different widgets you literally slide up from the central screen. As a result, you can show fuel economy or driving directions, or have some fun with a great big horizontal tachometer and g-meter.

As for that center screen, it’s massive and measures 17.9-inches. As impressive as it is, it’s also missing something – physical buttons for the climate control. I wonder if BMW will regret that decision…

As you would expect in a brand new car, there’s AI in it as well. BMW has updated the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant with Amazon Alexa+ AI, which means you can give voice commands in natural language and actually talk to the car.

There’s a huge list of interior trims with standard Veganza (which is a vegan leather alternative), or you can opt for the Veganza/Softex mix and then there’s Merino leather on the highest trims.

If you want ventilated seats, they are only available on the gas models. A massaging feature is only available on the electric model. Odd.

Jumping into the back seats for a second, the space is adequate in the M350 I sat in, though not as large as the vehicle’s exterior dimensions would suggest. I’ll admit being a poor automotive journalist here and say I didn’t test out the rear seats in the i3 and I’m left wondering if the larger wheelbase helps.

Some other highlights include the optional Harman Kardon audio system with Dolby Atmos. If you’re not familiar with the technology, you can find out more here, but the short story is that it accurately reproduces the sound exactly how the composter intended it to be heard. If you love music, it’s a must have.

The Drive: M350 xDrive

So we’re pretty far into an article about one of the world’s great driver’s cars and I’ve yet to say anything about how it drives. But before I do, I think it’s worth noting that the first BMW I ever drove, not surprisingly, was a 3 Series. If my memory serves me right it was a 1996 325is with a stick shift. A sort of forest green with a tan leather interior. I had owned a few cars by that point and I had always heard about how BMWs drove. It did not disappoint. My eyes were opened to the world of driving precision and I’m thrilled to say that while a lot has changed, that feeling is alive and well in this car.

As one of the BMW execs speaking at the event said; the goal is for this to be the sportiest car in its segment. They definitely checked that box.

Power wise, it boots and is super responsive, especially in the M350 format. Put it in M Sport, or better yet, M Sport Plus and it aggressively drops gears so you can rocket out of corners.

The other drive modes are almost too toned down by comparison. The most normal setting is “Comfort” but you can also personalize your own setting and it’s tied to your digital key so that will be your default setting every time you drive.

Models like the M350 get an adaptive suspension and I’m truly impressed, not so much by how it improves handling, but with how it doesn’t impact ride quality.

The steering is light and precise. Maybe I’ve gotten soft driving crossovers, or maybe it’s just that good. You turn the wheel and the car just obeys. Body roll. What body roll? The new 3 Series is just dialed-in.

Now the car has gained a few hundred pounds on its predecessor, as I mentioned above, but as you’d expect with BMW’s magic, it doesn’t feel that way.

On the very narrow European roads of French wine country, with cars roughly the size of my shoes, it doesn’t feel overly compact. Back on North American roads surrounded by full-size SUVs, I suspect that perception would change rather quickly.

Of note, the PR team tells me North American spec models will have a louder exhaust than the Euro ones we’re testing. Still, I’m getting some pops and burbles here.

The Drive: i3 50 xDrive

Remember the original BMW i3 with its odd shape and tiny bicycle tires? It was all efficiency with none (or not many) of the true BMW traits. Now, at last, we have an i3 that is, I think, true to the BMW brand and the 3 Series name.

It drives exceptionally. Like it’s gas counterpart, the steering is sharp. It’s so sophisticated it can actually lull you into complacency, the EV sound humming away, but hop on the throttle and it’ll wake you up real fast.

Braking is smooth and if you crank the regenerative function all the way up, you pretty much never need to use the brakes. And speaking of never using the brakes, BMW has engineered the car to use the regen feature almost exclusively, claiming that only under hard driving or emergency stops will the mechanical aspect come into use.

Hitting the curvy roads you do feel the added weight of the car, but not nearly as much as you might expect.

More than that, I think the feeling is amplified by what seems to be a much higher driving position. I noticed it the second I sat in the car after spending the prior day in the gas model. There are no headroom concerns, but I do feel rather close to the A-pillar (I tend to sit upright like you’re supposed to like a nerd).

A plus side of this experience is that the i3 feels more stately and luxurious, which definitely fits the car's ethos. It wasn’t long ago that this level of refinement would have been only capable in a 7 Series.

The Verdict

So the question isn’t: is this a good car? It’s not just good. It’s spectacular! The question is also not: is an electric 3 Series is an affront to the brand? It’s not. In fact, this is exactly what an electric 3 Series should be. The real question is: which one should you buy?

To answer that for yourself, you’ll want to look at pricing. Surprisingly, a comparable gasoline version is more expensive than the EV. The M350 xDrive is $69,600 US or $78,500 in Canada. Compared to $61,500 US or $74,900 Canadian for the electric i3. That said, you can opt for the significantly more affordable 4-cyl gasoline hybrid 330 xDrive for $51,900 or $61,500 Canadian (The non-AWD 330 retails for $49,900 and won’t be offered North of the border).

Over the course of the two day test I actually managed to spend a lot more time in the i3. I was impressed at first and it just kept growing on me. I’m a practical guy, however, who doesn’t want to think about range and charging times. Although with how much range this car does give, I think the former is now a moot point.

So maybe I’ll show my age, or wear my automotive enthusiast badge on my sleeve, but the internal combustion engine is too good to pass up. The sensation of it gearing down and then sitting high in the revs just as you apply throttle and add feel it push forward with linear aggression can’t be beat. And you never know… this might be the last ICE 3 Series?

And the best news is, if you think I’m an idiot for going with the gas model. BMW has just the car for you either way.

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