BMW 3 Series [G20] (2018 - 2022) used car review

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By Jonathan Crouch

Introduction

The BMW 3 Series has ruled the compact part of the mid-sized executive segment for around half a century and, back in 2018, the company's hopes were high for this seventh generation 'G20'-era version. It was smarter, slightly larger, more efficient and considerably high-tech. All the things you'd expect really. Something else you'd expect from this model is rear wheel drive handling purity. It doesn't disappoint in that regard either. Let's check this car out as a used buy.

Models

4dr saloon / 5dr Touring estate (318i,320i,330i / 318d,320d,330d / M3 Competition)

History

Think of a really sharp handling relatively compact mid-sized sports saloon and it's probable that you're thinking of this car, BMW's 3 Series. Over more than four decades, it's dominated the segment it first invented and by 2018, upwards of 15 million of them had been sold. The Bavarian marque used to advertise every car it made as being 'the ultimate driving machine', but that hasn't been a slogan appropriate to many of the SUV-inspired or electrified models the company's brought us in more recent times. And it's also been a difficult mantra to meet as the 3 Series has become larger and heavier over the last few years. With this seventh generation 'G20' model, it was time for a re-set. Back in 2018, we wondered whether this 'G20'-series design would be good enough to provide it.

BMW was determined that it would be. A clever new suspension system with 'lift-related' damping meant that the luxury ride this car needed to deliver didn't have to compromise the quest for the sharpest possible levels of handling. There were more responsive engines too, the strong selling diesels boosted by a switch from twin-scroll turbos to sequential twin-turbocharging that delivered extra mid-range engine punch. And the boast is that owners could have their cake and eat it because all the powerplants on offer were from the brand's latest 'Efficient Dynamics' family and claimed to offer class-leading cleanliness and frugality. That was something further aided by sleek aerodynamics and the lighter weight of the new CLAR platform that this contender borrowed from BMW's larger models.

Actually in many respects, this was by 2018 one of the brand's larger models. For years following its original launch in 1975, this '3' was the entry point to BMW's range, but since the 1 Series hatch slotted in below it back in 2004, the 3 Series had been on a growth spurt, gaining more in size in its fifth and sixth generations than the previous four combined. Hence the needed change in descriptive terminology from 'compact' to 'mid-sized' executive saloon, justified in this G20 version by a rear cabin that at last on a 3 Series, claimed to be able to offer decently class-competitive levels of passenger space. Wherever you're sitting in this car, the Munich maker claims it'll feel properly luxurious, something previously only possible on mainstream models if you'd spent a fortune on extra cost options. From launch, G20 3 Series buyers were also promised safety upgrades, transmission improvements and key media system updates.

It was the rejuvenated driving dynamics that many loyal BMW customers were keenest to put to the test. For the first time in a very long time, this promised to be a BMW that really would return the brand to the values it started out with. This 'G20'-series seventh generation 3 Series was subtly updated in mid-2022, but it's the earlier 2017-2021-era versions of it we look at here.

What You Get

So what have we here? A 3 Series certainly, but one that's clearly evolved, both in style and size in both Saloon and Touring estate forms. This 'G20'-series seventh generation design is 85mm longer and 16mm wider than its predecessor and features a nose section dominated by a larger and much more imposing take on this car's familiar broad-framed kidney grille. From the side, you get a better feel for the extra 41mm of wheelbase that was added in this time round. And there's a cleaner, more modern look at the rear too, where surface contours flow into slim LED tail lamps featuring darkened lenses.

Inside up front, for the first time in a 3 Series you're guaranteed the feel of a proper luxury car, even in the lower echelons of the range, surrounded as you are by widescreen, chrome-garnished expensively elegant cabin architecture. The media features will obviously be quite a talking point. The popular 'M Sport'-trim level gets you the brand's desirable full 'Live Cockpit Professional' package, which gives you a 12.3-inch virtual instrument binnacle screen and a 10.25-inch centre-dash iDrive monitor. There's some clever stuff incorporated into this pricier set-up, including gesture control and what BMW calls an 'Intelligent Personal Assistant', which works a bit like the 'Siri' or 'Google Assistant' systems you might use on your 'phone and is there to answer questions you can voice to the car as you drive it. Even the lesser 'Live Cockpit Plus' media package fitted with less trim packages gives you quite a lot, including 'Apple CarPlay' smartphone-mirroring, though original buyers only got that for a year before they had to pay for it. Many of the various 'ConnectedDrive' digital services were also life-limited before becoming chargeable. Finding the ideal driving position is easy, the redesigned seats are very comfortable and standard features like a rear view camera and a 'Park Assist' auto parking system make town driving easier too.

In the rear, there's certainly more room to stretch out than was the case with the previous 'F30'-generation MK6 3 Series model, the distance between the front and rear seats extended by 11mm. There's slightly more headroom than before too and BMW claimed that the cabin was wide enough to take three child seats side by side, though only the two outside positions come with Isofix attachment points. You certainly get the kind of premium luxury feel you'd expect from the class above, particularly in a highly specified variant with classy stitched door card finishing and smart blue M flashing on the seat belts.

And the boot? Well on a saloon variant, a powered boot lid came as part of the extra-cost 'Comfort' package but an electric tailgate was standard on the Touring estate version. Both include a 'hands-free' opening feature. The revealed trunk space on the sedan is the same size as it was before - 480-litres. That's the same as you'd get in an Audi A4 and an Alfa Romeo Giulia but 25-litres more than you'd get from a Mercedes C-Class from this era - or Jaguar XE. The Touring estate version serves up 500-litres, which was 5-litres more than the previous generation model thanks to a 112mm increase in cargo area width. That station wagon gained a rear window that opened separately, so smaller items became easier to load. You'll get a little less than that with the PHEV powertrain.

What You Pay

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What to Look For

Our owner survey revealed many satisfied users of this 'G20'-era 3 Series model, but inevitably, there were a few issues reported. Quite a few owners have complained about an exhaust rattle when the car starts up from cold. Others have mentioned oil leaks from the rear differential - check for any spots of oil beneath the back wheels. Creaking sounds from the interior plastics came up as an issue; as did a rattling from around the sunroof. Others reported connectivity issues with the iDrive infotainment system, so check that out thoroughly. Some owners mentioned that the audio system bass turns off randomly, especially on models equipped with the optional harmon Kardon system upgrade. We've also come across reported problems with the Cross Traffic Alert safety system.

With the diesels, the main thing we'd check for is for diesel particulate filter problems for diesel cars which haven't ventured onto the highway very frequently. The DPF has to be up to temperature before it can regenerate. Obviously, a fully-stamped service history is vital. This car uses complex engines and only regular and appropriate maintenance will see them go the distance. Otherwise, it's just the usual things. Insist on a fully stamped-up service record and check the alloys for scratches and scuffs.

There were product recalls for airbags (May 2019), the rear view camera (September 2019), the 3.0i petrol engine (October 2019), the seat belts (December 2019) and the steering assembly (June 2020).Make sure that these have all been attended to by a franchised BMW dealership if the car you're looking at is affected.

Replacement Parts

[based on a 2019 model 320d ex-vat] Parts prices for a G20 3 Series model from this period can be reasonable if you shop around. We trawled around the internet and found these: An oil filter is in the £9 bracket. An air filter is around £20. Front brake discs cost in the £200 bracket; rear discs are in the £122 bracket. A set of front brake pads is around £29-£70; rear pads are around £32-£44. A fuel filter is in the £35 bracket; an alternator is around £352; wiper blades are around £11-£25.

On The Road

On the Road

Much is familiar here; a front engine, rear wheel drive formula with near-perfect 50:50 weight distribution has defined the 3 Series to date and this seventh generation G20 model didn't deviate too far from that script, But also much was different. The company's xDrive 4WD system was more widely available across the line-up. And BMW's engineers were given permission to add more of a sporting edge to this 'G20' design, being aided in that quest by this MK7 model line's adoption of the aluminium-rich 'cluster architecture' platform which by 2018 was being used by the brand's larger models. This provided a platform that was 25% stiffer and it was a major contributor to weight savings over the previous 'F30'-series model of up to 55kgs. From this optimum starting point, the development team then added in a whole range of handling updates, with the most significant addition being the special so-called 'lift-related' dampers. These clever shock absorbers incorporate structures that provide extra damping at the extremes of wheel travel and were standard on all models, allowing quite a firm sporting set-up to be adopted, but also one able to deliver a fluent ride over tarmac imperfections. Thanks to that, this car was able to combine a set-up for Silverstone with something that worked equally well on the North Circular.

Upgraded four-cylinder 2.0-litre engines from BMW's Efficient Dynamics family were used across the powerplant range, which kicked off for petrol people with the 156hp 318i, then the 184hp 320i. The same 2.0-litre unit additionally features in the 330e plug-in hybrid model, plus it was also used in uprated 258hp guise in the brawnier 330i. If you want six cylinders, you'll need the 374hp engine of the rare M340i, which gained an xDrive 4Wd system in G20 guise. Plus there's the full-fat M3 Competition road burner which in G20 form put out 503hp. The diesel line-up kicks off with the 150hp 318d, but most buyers prefer the 190hp 320d derivative, which slots into the range just below the 265hp six cylinder 330d. The brand's xDrive 4WD system was optional on the 320i, the 320d and the 330d. And as mentioned, you have to have it on the M340i - it was optional on the M3 Competition too. A new generation six-speed manual gearbox was available - though only on the 318d and 320d diesel variants. Most buyers of these models though, preferred to pay extra for the 8-speed auto gearbox that was mandatory with all the other engines. Just prior to the 2022 facelift, BMW introduced its 48V mild hybrid (non-plug-in) technology on most of the petrol and diesel engines, but the efficiency benefits were fractional.

Overall

With this MK7 G20 3 Series, BMW returned to creating the kind of car it's always been best at making. We understand why the company has to make SUVs, People Carriers and Electric Vehicles, but it'll lose its soul if it ever stops making models like this one. Prior to 2018, the most recent previous generation 3 Series designs had dabbled with conformity, but this 'G20' version reasserted this Bavarian maker's dynamic dominance in the mid-sized sports saloon segment. No other rival from this period serves up as deliciously rich a driving experience as this.

There are a number of reasons why this seventh generation design progressed once more in this regard - lighter weight, sequential turbocharging, a stiffer structure; all of it helped. But we reckon the 'lift-related' dampers were a crucial contributor, delivering a balance of ride and handling that no competitor from this period could match. And segment-leading running cost efficiency added the finishing touch to a classy package. Over the years, the 3 Series has changed a lot about the way we buy cars in this class, continually forcing its rivals to play catch up. This one was no different. As you were, people.