2022 BMW 3 Series

With the seats up, total luggage capacity is 480 litres in all 3 Series sedan models except the 330e, which has a total luggage capacity of 375L.

With the seats up on the 330i wagon there’s a total luggage capacity of 500L, expanding to 1510L with the second row folded.

The BMW 3 Series was crash tested by ANCAP in 2019 and received a five-star safety rating. This rating does not apply to the M340i xDrive Pure and M340i xDrive, as they remain untested by ANCAP and Euro NCAP.

Standard safety features across the 3 Series includes:

• Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection
• Lane-departure warning
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Driver attention monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors
• Eight airbags

BMW offers a $2900 Drivers Assistant package for the 320i to bring it in line with the rest of the range. This adds:

• Front cross-traffic alert
• Lane-keeping assist
• Semi-autonomous parking assist
• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Surround-view camera

The BMW 320i uses 6.3 litres per 100km on the combined cycle, while the 330i sedan and wagon use 6.4 litres per 100km and 7.0L/100km respectively.

The BMW 330e uses 2.1L/100km, while both the M340i xDrive Pure and M340i xDrive use 7.7L/100km.

The whole BMW 3 Series range requires 95 RON unleaded fuel, apart from the M340i xDrive Pure and M340i xDrive which require 98 RON unleaded fuel.

BMW offer two servicing packages of either three years/40,000km or five years/80,000km, priced at $1450 and $1750 respectively.

The 3 Series is expected to walk a tricky tightrope. Not only does it need to be well-mannered on the daily commute, it needs to handle with classic rear-wheel drive balance and poise

Although it can’t quite match the smaller, less practical Jaguar XE and Alfa Romeo Giulia for outright sporting talent, it strikes a near perfect balance between usability and handling.

There’s no real need to flick into Sport, because body control is excellent in the more relaxed drive mode. Regardless of mode the 3 Series has a keen front end and classic rear-wheel drive balance, and the more powerful engine in the 330i makes it feel a bit more lively than the 320i.

BMW has backed the balanced rear-drive chassis with a peach of an engine. It’s not a lusty inline six, but the turbo four-pot is buttery smooth and has peak torque on tap between 1550 and 4400rpm, so it pulls strongly in essentially any gear.

There’s fun to be had hanging onto gears as well, revving out happily to redline. It doesn’t really zing through the upper reaches of the rev counter, but it never runs out of puff either.

The eight-speed ZF automatic is unobtrusive at a cruise, shuffling smartly through the gears. Squeeze the accelerator hard and it kicks down quickly, thrusting the engine into its torque band, and you can take charge with the paddles if you’re in the mood.

It’s a shame BMW isn’t fitting its full suite of active driver assists as standard at the moment, though.

The BMW 3 Series is available in the following exterior paint colours:

• Alpine White
• Black
• Black Sapphire metallic
• Melbourne Red metallic
• Glacer Silver metallic (wagon only)
• Mineral White metallic
• Mineral Grey metallic
• Sunset Orange metallic (sedan only)
• Phytonic Blue metallic
• M Portimao Blue metallic
• Blue Ridge Mountain metallic (wagon only)
• Dravit Grey premium metallic (wagon only)
• Tanzanite Blue premium metallic (wagon only)
• Oxide Grey premium metallic (wagon only)
• Brilliant White special premium metallic (wagon only)
• Frozen Dark Grey special premium metallic (wagon only)

Metallic paint costs an additional $2000, premium metallic paints costs $3850, and special premium metallic paints cost $6500.

The BMW 3 Series range is covered by a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with three years of roadside assist.

BMW might not be defined by the 3 Series anymore, but it’s arguably the best car the brand makes in 2022.

Not only is the 3 Series still right up there as a class-leader, the 330i is the sweet spot in the range. It offers a brilliant blend of practicality, performance, and everyday comfort, wrapped in a design that hits all the right notes.

It’s not perfect, though. The chip crunch has hit BMW hard, and the fact the 330i doesn’t currently come with adaptive cruise control as standard (and that some owners have missed out on touchscreens) undermines its credentials as a premium sedan.

We’d recommend searching (or waiting) for a car with a full equipment list. Not only will it make the car better day-to-day, it should pay off come trade-in time.