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BMW 3 SERIES Used Car Review

The 3 Series is German car maker BMW's signature model - a compact luxury passenger car that has existed in multiple generations since its 1975 debut. Since 2014, the 3 Series name has applied to sedan and wagon body styles only, with coupe and convertible models adopting the 4 Series nomenclature. The 3 Series has long been considered one of the most entertaining cars to drive in its class, and the flagship M3 performance variant is especially famous.

Pros

Cons

  • Entertaining to drive with beautiful handling
  • Fuel efficiency consistently excellent, and often class-leading
  • Superb performance of six-cylinder engines
  • Good build quality
  • Run-flat tyres (introduced in 2007 in lieu of a spare wheel) bring a firmer ride
  • Four-cylinder turbos replaced brand's famous six-cylinders in performance but not sound
  • Adaptive suspension (optional on many models) needed for best ride quality
  • Interior presentation has generally lagged behind rival Audi A4
This is general information and should not be relied on as purchasing advice.
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2020 BMW 3 20i LUXURY LINEBMW 3 lXUHsg

  • 130000 km
  • Sedan
  • Auto
  • 4 cyl 2.0L

Tank fly boss walk jam nitty-gritty, You're listening to the boy from the big bad city, This is jam hot. This is jam hot

$30,000 Excl. Gov. Charges
Richmond, NSW

Dealer used
3 hours ago

2020 BMW 3 20i LUXURY LINEBMW 3 hurVtjQ

  • 120000 km
  • Sedan
  • Auto
  • 4 cyl 2.0L

Tank fly boss walk jam nitty-gritty, You're listening to the boy from the big bad city, This is jam hot. This is jam hot

$20,000 Excl. Gov. Charges
Richmond, NSW

Dealer used
4 hours ago

2020 BMW 3 20i LUXURY LINEBMW 3 IHAZS

  • 130000 km
  • Sedan
  • Auto
  • 4 cyl 2.0L

Tank fly boss walk jam nitty-gritty, You're listening to the boy from the big bad city, This is jam hot. This is jam hot

$30,000 Excl. Gov. Charges
Richmond, NSW

Dealer used
8 hours ago

2020 BMW 3 20i LUXURY LINEBMW 3 xcQQll

  • 120000 km
  • Sedan
  • Auto
  • 4 cyl 2.0L

Tank fly boss walk jam nitty-gritty, You're listening to the boy from the big bad city, This is jam hot. This is jam hot

$20,000 Excl. Gov. Charges
Richmond, NSW

Dealer used
10 hours ago

test gumtree

  • 2333 km
  • Sedan
  • Auto
  • 3 cyl 1.5L

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$2,333 Excl. Gov. Charges
Sydney City, NSW

Dealer used
Yesterday

2018 BMW 3 Series 18i SPORT LINE

  • 9 km
  • Sedan
  • Auto
  • 3 cyl 1.5L

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$9,999 Excl. Gov. Charges
Sydney City, NSW

Dealer new
Yesterday

2016 BMW 3 Series 18i SPORT LINE

  • 23232 km
  • Sedan

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$3,232 Excl. Gov. Charges
Sydney City, NSW

Dealer used
Yesterday

2019 BMW 3 Series 20d LUXURY LINE

  • 5678 km
  • Sedan
  • Auto
  • 4 cyl 2.0L

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$20,565 Excl. Gov. Charges
Sydney City, NSW

Dealer new
Yesterday

2020 BMW 3 20i LUXURY LINEBMW 3 FlvPUwWZH

  • 120000 km
  • Sedan
  • Auto
  • 4 cyl 2.0L

Tank fly boss walk jam nitty-gritty, You're listening to the boy from the big bad city, This is jam hot. This is jam hot

$20,000 Excl. Gov. Charges
Richmond, NSW

Dealer used
21/01/2025

2020 BMW 3 20i LUXURY LINEBMW 3 yKuxai

  • 130000 km
  • Sedan
  • Auto
  • 4 cyl 2.0L

Tank fly boss walk jam nitty-gritty, You're listening to the boy from the big bad city, This is jam hot. This is jam hot

$30,000 Excl. Gov. Charges
Richmond, NSW

Dealer used
21/01/2025

2020 BMW 3 20i LUXURY LINEBMW 3 gSEJsRCr

  • 120000 km
  • Sedan
  • Auto
  • 4 cyl 2.0L

Tank fly boss walk jam nitty-gritty, You're listening to the boy from the big bad city, This is jam hot. This is jam hot

$20,000 Excl. Gov. Charges
Richmond, NSW

Dealer used
21/01/2025

2020 BMW 3 20i LUXURY LINEBMW 3 TlNRGKf

  • 120000 km
  • Sedan
  • Auto
  • 4 cyl 2.0L

Tank fly boss walk jam nitty-gritty, You're listening to the boy from the big bad city, This is jam hot. This is jam hot

$20,000 Excl. Gov. Charges
Richmond, NSW

Dealer used
21/01/2025

2020 BMW 3 20i LUXURY LINEBMW 3 XbWepmDeV

  • 130000 km
  • Sedan
  • Auto
  • 4 cyl 2.0L

Tank fly boss walk jam nitty-gritty, You're listening to the boy from the big bad city, This is jam hot. This is jam hot

$30,000 Excl. Gov. Charges
Richmond, NSW

Dealer used
21/01/2025

2020 BMW 3 20i LUXURY LINEBMW 3 PFruDWU

  • 130000 km
  • Sedan
  • Auto
  • 4 cyl 2.0L

Tank fly boss walk jam nitty-gritty, You're listening to the boy from the big bad city, This is jam hot. This is jam hot

$30,000 Excl. Gov. Charges
Richmond, NSW

Dealer used
21/01/2025

2020 BMW 3 20i LUXURY LINEBMW 3 PMiHCs

  • 120000 km
  • Sedan
  • Auto
  • 4 cyl 2.0L

Tank fly boss walk jam nitty-gritty, You're listening to the boy from the big bad city, This is jam hot. This is jam hot

$20,000 Excl. Gov. Charges
Richmond, NSW

Dealer used
21/01/2025

  • Common FAQs
  • The most popular member of the marque known as the "ultimate driving machine”, the BMW 3 Series has also been described as the definitive luxury sports sedan that can take you from a standing start to 100km/h in just 5.8 seconds.
  • The BMW 3 Series can't claim to be a sports car as such. Even so, the M Sport variant in particular boasts the performance characteristics of any sporting rival, including the more expensive Mercedes AMG C series.
  • Earlier BMW 3 Series models are available as a coupe, sedan, tourer (wagon) or convertible with a choice of petrol and diesel engines. From 2014 onwards only, sedans and tourers rolled off the production lines.
  • Like most modern cars a BMW 3 Series should be serviced around every 10,000 kilometres and at least once a year. Recent BMW's have Condition Based Servicing (CBS) that monitors key functions to let you know when it's time to check in.
  • Known for higher servicing and replacement part costs, the BMW's counterpoint in this respect is its inherent quality. This is reflected in the prices it commands second hand, depending not only on age and what's on the odometer, but service history as well.

Overview of the BMW 3

Overview of the BMW 3

The 3 Series is German car maker BMW's signature model - a compact luxury passenger car that has existed in multiple generations since its 1975 debut.

Since 2014, the 3 Series name has applied to sedan and wagon body styles only, with coupe and convertible models adopting the 4 Series nomenclature.

The 3 Series has long been considered one of the most entertaining cars to drive in its class, and the flagship M3 performance variant is especially famous.

BMW 3 SERIES GENERATIONS (SINCE 1998)

1998-2006

2007-2012

2012-present

RUNNING COSTS

Fuel Consumption

2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol: 5.4-6.7 litres per 100km

2.0L 4-cylinder turbo diesel: 4.4-5.3 litres per 100km

3.0-litre 6-cylinder turbo petrol: 6.8-7.2 litres per 100km

3.0-litre 6-cylinder turbo diesel: 6.2-6.4 litres per 100km

Hybrid 2.1 litres per 100km

= Highly economical.

= Good economy.

= Average fuel use.

= Heavy consumption.

Servicing

SIMILAR MODELS TO BMW 3 SERIES

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR: BMW 3 SERIES

As with any high-end European car, don't go near a 3-Series that doesn't have a fully stamped service history.

Biggest potential grief comes from variable valve-timing system (VANOS, in BMW-speak) which can fail due to internal leaks within the hydraulic circuitry. Some six-cylinder 3-Series were even recalled to fix this.

Beyond a leak, VANOS can fail through a lack of oil changes as dirt and grit blocks the tiny oilways that operate the system. If it fails, it can cost thousands to fix and the car won't be right without it.

Any 3-Series showing a 'check-engine' light on the dash is cause for concern.

Some early cars from this series had a brake booster that could fail, leaving the car with brakes but no assistance, requiring the driver to press harder on the brake pedal.

Again, this was the subject of a recall, so check that it's been done on affected cars.