The 3 Series has never had so many tough competitors before. When the 3er was in its prime, it only really had the Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 to truly worry about. Now, it has triple the competition that it used to have, so is it still able to compete? In this new video from Carwow, we get to find out.
In the video, Carwow’s Mat Watson brings along five different cars—the 3 Series LCI, Mercedes C-Class facelift, Audi S4, Genesis G70, and the DS9. The BMW, Mercedes, and Genesis all have small turbocharged four-cylinder engines, while the Audi S4 uses a turbocharged V6, and the DS9 uses a turbo-four plug-in hybrid setup. The DS9 is also a bit of a class up, in terms of size, luxury, and cost and the Audi S4 is easily the most powerful of the bunch because it’s a performance model, while the others aren’t. So it’s not the most apples-to-apples comparison but it does paint a good picture of which car is best for this sort of money.
Watson tests them all in a variety of different categories. He checks out their exteriors, interiors, tech, practicality, and driving dynamics. What’s interesting is just how different each car is, despite having similar specs and prices. Their interiors, technologies, and driving dynamics are all different, which proves that each car has its own unique flavor. But the 3 Series is the car that surprised me the most.
It’s not that I thought the 3 Series was bad or that it wouldn’t compete well but its shocking breadth of ability. While it’s expect that the 3 Series would be the best to drive on a twisty road, as that’s always what its strength has been, it also impresses in most other categories. Watson felt that the 3 Series’ interior was the best of the bunch, with the highest quality materials and design, even if its touchscreen climate controls are a bit annoying.
After driving the BMW 330i LCI in Palm Springs, I was reminded of what makes the G20 3 Series so good. As an all-around daily driver sport sedan, something that’s fun to drive, comfortable, practical, and high-tech, the 3er is almost impossible to beat. Which is why Watson considers it the best overall car in the test. Some cars might be better at specific things—if you want a hybrid, the C-Class is best—but the 3 Series is still the overall king.
