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Few badges in the compact luxury saloon class carry the gravitas of the famous blue and white roundel. The 2026 BMW 3 Series rolls into its final model year before an all-new generation arrives. Yet it still wears the crown its forebears earned the hard way. This is the seventh generation of the long-running breed, the G20 platform that first landed back in 2018. Despite eight years on the market, it still feels like the benchmark every rival is chasing. Whether buyers tick the box for rear-wheel drive or BMW’s clever xDrive system, the latest 3 Series Saloon serves up that signature cocktail of body control, steering feel, and everyday usability.
The line-up has been simplified considerably for this final stretch. The entry-level 330i runs a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. The flagship M340i serves up a creamy mild-hybrid 3.0-litre straight-six for keen drivers. Both engines feed their muscle through the brilliant ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. The manual option was retired from the order books some time ago. New for this year is a special M340i xDrive 50 Jahre Edition, marking half a century of the 3 Series since the original E21 first hit the road in 1975. Buyers can choose from five BMW Individual paint shades pulled from previous generations. They also get extended Merino leather, an M Performance exhaust system, and a tasty carbon-fibre boot lid spoiler thrown in.
From the outside, the 3 Series still cuts a properly handsome silhouette. Its long bonnet, raked windscreen, cab-rearward stance, and short rear deck give it the unmistakable proportions of a proper sports saloon. Standard LED headlamps flank a kidney grille that thankfully avoids the supersized treatment seen elsewhere in the range. The regular 330i sits on 18-inch alloys, while the more aggressive 19-inch wheels come with the M Sport package and the standard M340i. Under the skin, the engineering shines just as brightly. The 330i posts a 0 to 60 mph dash of around 5.6 seconds. The M340i xDrive cracks the same benchmark in just 4.1 seconds, thanks to its mild-hybrid straight-six and all-paw traction.
Step inside, and the driver-focused layout that long-time BMW owners cherish has been preserved. A curved digital display houses a 12.3-inch instrument binnacle and a generous 14.9-inch central touchscreen. Both run the latest iDrive 8.5 software. Wisely, the German marque has hung on to physical switches for climate control and audio volume. SensaTec leatherette comes as standard, while optional Vernasca leather, real wood inlays, and brushed aluminium trim lift things further upmarket. Front sport seats hug the body nicely during keener cornering work. The wide centre console and snug door cards do mean broader-shouldered occupants might feel a touch hemmed in.
Practicality remains entirely respectable for a saloon of this size. There are 16.9 cubic feet of boot space and a 40/20/40 split-folding rear bench. That swallows skis, golf clubs, or weekend luggage without fuss. Fuel economy is competitive across the line-up, too. The rear-driven 330i returns EPA-rated figures of 28 mpg city, 35 mpg motorway, and 31 mpg combined. The muscular M340i xDrive still posts a respectable 26/33/29 mpg despite its serious performance credentials. Stack the 3 Series up against the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4, Genesis G70, Lexus IS, and Alfa Romeo Giulia. The Bavarian saloon still feels the most cohesive package from behind the wheel. For drivers who genuinely care about how a car steers, brakes, and behaves on a winding B-road, the 3 Series remains the benchmark that the rest are still trying to topple.
