Used BMW 3 Series 2012-2019 review

It might seem like BMW has every niche covered in the motoring world these days, but if there's just one car that's come to define the German firm's products it must be the BMW 3 Series.

This sixth-generation version ran from 2012 to 2019 as an executive saloon or an estate, and due to it being incredibly popular as a company car, there are loads of pre-owned examples to choose from.

Engines: The engine line-up included a range of petrols and a couple of hybrids, but the vast majority of used 3 Series you come across will be diesels. While there are no truly bad engines in the range, although the 114bhp 316d diesel and 136bhp 316i (later renamed 318i) petrol can feel a little weak.

Aside from those already mentioned, the rest of the petrol range consist of a 2.0-litre 181bhp 320i, a 242bhp 228i and 248bhp 330i, with the high-performance, 3.0-litre six-cylinder 302bhp 335i and 321bhp 340i versions completing the lineup. Diesel options, which have always been the better sellers, with the 2.0-litre 148bhp 318d and 181bhp 320d being particularly prevalent on the used market. A more powerful 2.0-litre diesel can be found in the 218bhp 325d, followed by two 3.0-litre, six-cylinder models in 254bhp 330d and 309bhp 335d forms.

Meanwhile, the plug-in hybrid 330e – a car with a pure-electric range of around 25 miles - was considered to be one of the best plug-in hybrids on the market at the time and, thanks to plenty of company car buyers going for it, there are lots available used.

Trims and equipment: There are four major trim levels on offer: ES, SE, Sport and M Sport. ES has 17in alloy wheels, climate control, a DAB radio, Bluetooth, cruise control and a 6.5in infotainment screen. Go for SE to get auto wipers and lights, rear parking sensors and dual-zone climate control. Sport grade adds numerous sporty touches including lots of red trim inside; some gloss black exterior trim and sports seats. M Sport adds firmer suspension, larger 18in wheels, and a more aggressive bodykit outside.

There were also a couple of styling packs called Modern and Luxury. The former doesn't alter much over a regular SE car other than swap some piano black interior inserts for matt chrome alternatives, but the latter gives you upgraded leather on the seats and some wood panelling to the dash and door cards.

Performance: On the road, every 3 Series model performs with an all-round competence that will always place it at or very near the top of their particular class. Most engines combine power and economy in almost unmatched excellence and add a dollop of refinement to the mix.

Ride and handling: But it's the 3 Series' ability to offer an amazingly pliant ride (in most versions) with its wonderfully agile handling that most attract the car to the keener driver. That ride can be reasonably firm ride at low speeds, and it becomes outright harsh in M Sport versions without the optional adaptive suspension, but stick with an ES, SE or Sport models on smaller wheels and you won’t go far wrong.

In fact, all versions handle beautifully and the steering is still superior to that of any rival. If you want to combine this with a dollop of extra all-weather traction, you can always choose a four-wheel-drive version (badged xDrive).

Interior and practicality: Inside is an interior that makes much use of high-quality materials, and fits form to function neatly while offering ergonomic efficiency in its major and minor controls. If you want a car with a manual gearbox rather than the excellent automatic transmission, make sure you like the driving position, because while there’s plenty of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel, the pedals are noticeably offset.

Space up front is on a par with its rivals, although rear seat leg room can be tight for a lanky passenger sitting behind a taller driver. The 3 Series is on a par with the contemporary rivals the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4 in terms of boot space, although even by saloon standards the opening is on the narrow side. Split-folding rear seats were also optional, so if you need this feature, make sure it’s fitted to the car you’re planning to buy.

Facelift: 2015 saw a mid-life facelift. This included an update to most of the engines in the range and also added some small exterior styling tweaks. Other updates included some minor recalibrations of the electric power steering and adjustable dampers and revisions to interior surfaces and standard sat-nav across the whole range.

If you're interested in finding a used 3 Series, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

You’ll need a budget of around £5000 for a sixth-generation 3 Series and for this you’ll be looking at cars that are either repaired write-offs, high-milers, or both.

A petrol model with less than 100,000 miles on the clock can be picked up for around £6000. Increasing the budget to around £7500 or more to get you a 320d variant that’s averaged a reasonable number of miles per year.

Spend between £10,000 and £12,000 on a good 2015 or 2016 example of the facelifted car. You'll need between £15,000 to £18,000 for the last of the sixth-gen 2019 cars.

All-wheel-drive cars have proven popular on the used market - especially in colder regions of the country - and command a slight price premium as a result. Early, high mileage xDrives can be had for around the £7000 mark, whereas anywhere north of £15,000 buys a tidy, post-facelift model.

The plug-in 330e version makes sense if it fits your lifestyle, but you'll need around £12-15,000 to buy one with an average mileage.

Meanwhile, if you want a used 3 Series with a six-cylinder engine – and we can understand why you might – expect to pay a minimum of around £11,000 for one with an average mileage.

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Find a used BMW 3 Series for sale here

MPG

The cheapest 3 Series to run is the 320d in ED form, which is good for an impressive official economy figure of 72.4mpg, according to the older NEDC fuel economy tests. The popular 318d and 320d achieve combined economy figures of 67.3mpg and 60.1mpg, respectively. The bigger, six-cylinder diesels aren't far off the smaller engines, though, with the 330d rated at 55.4mpg and the 335d at 51.4mpg.

Going for a smaller petrol shouldn't cripple you financially on fuel; the 318i has a combined economy figure of 52.3mpg. The more potent 320i, 328i and 330i models drop down into the mid-40s, though, while the older six-cylinder 335i achieves as little as 34.9mpg.

The plug-in hybrid 330e has an on-paper claimed average fuel consumption of a startling 134.5mpg. As is the case with most plug-in hybrids, you're unlikely to see anywhere near this figure in the real world, unless your journeys are short and you have access to a charging point at either end.

CO2 emissions

Some of the petrol engines emit an awful lot more CO2 than the diesels, particularly the 335i with 189g/km. The more sensible 318i, though, coughs out 122g/km. The popular 320d diesel emits 124g/km (102g/km in EfficientDynamics form), while the 318d has a figure of 111g/km. Even the six-cylinder diesels are quite affordable to tax; the powerful 335d's 145g/km is quite impressive given the performance it offers. Choose the 330e and you'll make it into the free tax band because emissions are only 49g/km.

Road tax (VED)

Tax for all models registered before 1 April 2017 will vary depending upon the emissions the engine produces (see paragraph above for more information) while examples registered after this date will render owners liable to pay a flat rate fee, currently £180 per year (£170 for the hybrid). There are two of these; a lower rate for cars that cost less than £40,000 when new, but any example that cost more than that will incur an additional fee, currently £390 per year for years two to six of the car's life. To find out more about the current road tax costs, click here.

Servicing costs

BMW offers a five-year fixed-price servicing package on its new cars, so it’s worth checking to see if you’re still covered by this when buying a used one. Servicing isn’t too pricey, however, and you’ll pay from roughly £200 at a BMW main dealer for simple service on a four-cylinder diesel, up to around £500 for a six-cylinder petrol that needs all of its filters and spark plugs changing. Inspections are due every two years or 15,000 miles.

Reliability

In our annual What Car? Reliability Survey, BMW 3 Series owners said that while most had found their cars reliable, there were exceptions.

The issues reported were mostly minor, with a focus on infotainment system glitches. A notable concern among some owners was the higher-than-expected cost of servicing through BMW main dealers.

Additionally, a few readers were disappointed by the three-year warranty, expecting a longer coverage period.

Find out more about the BMW 3 Series’ long-term reliability with our dedicated reliability page.

Engine

Chances are you’re after a diesel-engined car, as that’s how most people bought them new. If so, our favourite engine is the 320d, which has slightly more oomph than the 316d and 318d versions, and yet retains class-leading economy.

The higher powered diesel models all offer an excellent blend of performance, refinement and economy. If you must go for a petrol due to a greater amount of urban driving, aim for the 320i because that's plenty quick enough and reasonably efficient.

Specification

As for the trim levels, all 3 Series are well equipped and there isn't really a bad choice amongst them, although the firm sports suspension fitted to M Sport cars can be too jarring for some. On balance, we'd recommend Sport since it gets all the equipment form the SE model but has more supportive sports seats that are better on long journeys.

Our favourite BMW 3 Series: post-2015 320d Sport

The obvious rivals for the 3 Series are the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Both have their merits and in their most recent guises can make for more comfortable companions than the BMW along a bumpy road, but fall short for driver enjoyment.

If that’s a priority for you, the Jaguar XE (launched in 2015) is well worth considering as an alternative to a facelifted 3 Series. It’s a great car to drive, although not as spacious as the BMW.

Meanwhile, if you're tempted by a hybrid saloon but don’t think you’ll ever bother to plug it in, a Lexus IS 300h makes more sense than a hybrid 3 Series, being more common and having a proven reliability record.

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If you're interested in finding a used 3 Series, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.