^ But Klier you can't deny that it isn't unusual. Maybe because I've have my fair share of cars with traditional two-toned interiors that I am struggling to warm to this setup, I might ever fall in love when I see it for real but at the moment I can't get pass the fact it's at odds with what I am use to.
The BMW F30 is the sixth generation of the BMW 3 Series range. Body styles: F30 (sedan), F31 (wagon/,touring), F34 (fastback/gran turismo), and F35 (long-wheelbase). For this generation, coupé/convertible models were spun off to create the new BMW 4 Series.
Predecessor: BMW E90. Successors: G20 3 Series, and G26 4 Series Gran Coupé (F34). Production: 2011–2018.
SCOTT27
Lap Time Luminary
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No, but the i3 and i8 will have their North American Preview but they will only be there for a couple of the early days as they are heading to Japan for the Tokyo Motor Show , where the Active Hybrid 5 will have it's world premiere.
The F30 launch is more focused on the World-wide market launch and will have it's show debut at the show that is closest to the February 11th premiere. It is purely BMW being more focused on the key market and on remaining E90 models still to be sold which is why the public will not see the car until Next Year.
The US has four autoshows a year and BMW only brings anything new globally to the NAIAS in Detroit. LA etc is for Product launching in the US for the first time. The M5 and the BMWi Concept Cars will be the focus of BMW's stand in LA. Dont forget that on the LA press-day last year they pulled the wraps off the new 6er Cabrio but did not unveil the car at the show.
The marketing people are funny like that.
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So like the 6er do you think the F10's interior is also "forced smooth"? The reason i ask is that I have been driving my new 550i (Xdrive dark graphite II over oyster/black leather with black headliner) for a couple of weeks now and I think the interior is head and shoulders nicer than the E60. In fact, before I took delivery, I was in and out of a 750Li on the showroom floor a few times and thought it was also very nice, quite similar to the 5er albeit more roomy in my view.
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- Marcus
Thats kinda strange Klier. All BMW interiors are more or less copies of each other with some details varying. I don't see how you could see any real difference between a 5 and a 7 interior, they're exactly the same. Truth be told all BMW interiors are boring and stark to me, that is until the 6 and this new 3. The same black plastic in the center, the same knobs and the same dash, the basics haven't change in years. The X6 is nice and the 6 and the new 3. The 7 is plush but the design isn't any different to me, ditto for the 5, just less plush than the 7. I like them all, but for me Audi and MB make vastly better interiors in most cases, again IMO and for my money.
M
Zafiro
Supreme Roadmaster
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Drove the new BMW 3-Series yesterday…
Steve Sutcliffe
Because of the manufacturers’ embargo, I’m not yet allowed to talk about how good or otherwise the new BMW 3-series is to drive.
What I can remind you about, though – just to whet your appetite before Thursday’s first drive – are some of the key facts and figures about the 3-series, which was launched in October.
For example, the new car weighs 45kg LESS model on model, comes as standard with a new Drive Performance Control system that allows you to radically alter the car’s personality on the move, and is available with a new eight-speed flappy paddle gearshift as an option.
And don’t worry too much about the demise of the six-cylinder engine in the somewhat oddly badged 328i, which you may or may not have seen on the move in our teaser vid.
There may only be 2.0-litres and four cylinders thumping away beneath the bonnet, but there’s also 241bhp, 258lb ft of torque, 0-62mph in a scarcely believable 5.9sec (from a 2.0-litre four!) and the very real possibility of 40mpg plus if you’re just bumbling – as you very much tend to do with the Drive Performance Control set to Eco Pro.
Be in no doubt, the sixth generation 3-Series is an absolute belter, both on paper and to look at in the flesh. And on the move? Well, you’ll have to tune in on Thursday to find out more about that.
Drove the new BMW 3-Series yesterday
Steve Sutcliffe
Because of the manufacturers’ embargo, I’m not yet allowed to talk about how good or otherwise the new BMW 3-series is to drive.
What I can remind you about, though – just to whet your appetite before Thursday’s first drive – are some of the key facts and figures about the 3-series, which was launched in October.
For example, the new car weighs 45kg LESS model on model, comes as standard with a new Drive Performance Control system that allows you to radically alter the car’s personality on the move, and is available with a new eight-speed flappy paddle gearshift as an option.
And don’t worry too much about the demise of the six-cylinder engine in the somewhat oddly badged 328i, which you may or may not have seen on the move in our teaser vid.
There may only be 2.0-litres and four cylinders thumping away beneath the bonnet, but there’s also 241bhp, 258lb ft of torque, 0-62mph in a scarcely believable 5.9sec (from a 2.0-litre four!) and the very real possibility of 40mpg plus if you’re just bumbling – as you very much tend to do with the Drive Performance Control set to Eco Pro.
Be in no doubt, the sixth generation 3-Series is an absolute belter, both on paper and to look at in the flesh. And on the move? Well, you’ll have to tune in on Thursday to find out more about that.
Drove the new BMW 3-Series yesterday
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The F30 is going to slap the competition silly, I reckon. And please, don't tar and feather me for being a fanboy - I'm not - this is just my honest gut feel. Personally, I feel that this is one of the most remarkable BMWs in a long while and I expect it to drive rather well indeed.
donkeykong
Track Technician
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Well the competition just got updated themselves,lets see how it all pans out.
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It's going to be a damn good car that's for sure. This is a model BMW can not afford to be 'luekwarm'.
It would be interesting to compare the development budget of the 3er to the 5er. I wouldn't be surprised if the 3 got more money because of its importance to BMW's bottom line.
That said as it stands the new FL C-Class is quite a package in itself, so I hope it holds its own against the 3.
It would be interesting to compare the development budget of the 3er to the 5er. I wouldn't be surprised if the 3 got more money because of its importance to BMW's bottom line.
That said as it stands the new FL C-Class is quite a package in itself, so I hope it holds its own against the 3.
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Never one for the overly dramatic (I hope you'll grant) but in this instance I would go so far as to say that the competition has been updated - as you say - but the 3er has been revolutionised this time round; both aesthetically and technically.
The updated competition competes with the E90 line.
F30 is the next level. MB and Audi will be there in 5 years or so, maybe
No, the 5er has some small things I dislike. So small it's almost stupid to even talk about them. Like the shape of the hump over the dials. It's perfection on the 7er, and a bit weird on the 5er.
And for the love of God, Marcus, 5er and 7er interior have similarities because of the buttons/screen integration and stuff, but they are completely and utterly different. 7er is far more stately and upright. 5er is smoother, sportier and more rounded. 5er interior somehow feels 'heavier' too, maybe because it's more wrapped around the driver...
And last saturday I have been driving a 760Li and 535i the whole day. Trust me, I know!
7er > 3er > 5er > 6er
6er needs most getting used to because it's unlike a BMW, but all interiors are of the highest quality (for the money), and a far cry from the Bangle generation indeed.
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I don't get the attraction to LED interior lights. My W212 has LED reading lights, and I'm not a big fan of them, compared to halogen reading lamps. LED's are great on the outside, with their cold and clinical look, but on the inside, I like warm, comforting lighting (don't want it to feel like a Dr's Office. I got an LED lamp in my bedroom recently, and I hate it as well. Just a cold, blue-ish light, and it actually doesn't even illuminate as well as my regular lamp does.
The updated competition competes with the E90 line.
F30 is the next level. MB and Audi will be there in 5 years or so, maybe
On certain things I think you are right but there are elements of both the A4 and the C-class which even now are ahead of the curve. Over the next five years as both Audi and Mercedes introduce their replacement models it will be interesting to see if the F30 is still ahead of the competition. I personally doubt it will be but it will be close.
For the first time ever I think it's the 4cyl model and not the 6cyl which looks the most exciting to own.
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It dawned on me that I haven't truly praised BMW for offering all the "Lines" in the new 3-Series (although, "Modern" is still a terribly named choice for one of them).
I criticize M-B, namely MBUSA, for showing a lack off passion for their cars due to the lack of different "outfits". When a car maker just puts out ever model with the same Package (in MBUSA's case, the Sport is the now-generic Package, when it used to be unique and exclusive), it is the antithesis of premium, and of expression, it just shows a Corporation out to grab market share and sales, without putting the long term and pride aspect of the brands well being in sight. It makes the cars appear as "Fleet Cars", all clones of each other.
BMW offering and heavily touting these "Lines" is great, and I hope we see it in the U.S. It can be the best damn cure for how common these cars get, and will allow them to retain individuality, and a premium sense of interest. The 3-Series is such a common car, when you see so many, day after day, looking the same, you get numb to it, and it loses its Premium presence. Pushing these Lines is the cure for that. I hope M-B is taking notice.
I criticize M-B, namely MBUSA, for showing a lack off passion for their cars due to the lack of different "outfits". When a car maker just puts out ever model with the same Package (in MBUSA's case, the Sport is the now-generic Package, when it used to be unique and exclusive), it is the antithesis of premium, and of expression, it just shows a Corporation out to grab market share and sales, without putting the long term and pride aspect of the brands well being in sight. It makes the cars appear as "Fleet Cars", all clones of each other.
BMW offering and heavily touting these "Lines" is great, and I hope we see it in the U.S. It can be the best damn cure for how common these cars get, and will allow them to retain individuality, and a premium sense of interest. The 3-Series is such a common car, when you see so many, day after day, looking the same, you get numb to it, and it loses its Premium presence. Pushing these Lines is the cure for that. I hope M-B is taking notice.
Zafiro
Supreme Roadmaster
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The new 3-series have been driven with positive reviews. Drive, handling, steering, interior materials. Its all good 
Autocar
What is it?
What’s most encouraging of all about this new, sixth-generation BMW 3-series is that, despite its very obvious eco credentials and its numerous technical innovations – which range from a dizzying new eight-speed, paddle-shift gearbox to an intriguing new ‘Eco Pro’ driver control system – it’s still just a good-looking saloon that drives rather beautifully at heart.
To the naked eye the new saloon may seem like business as usual, featuring a slick and elegant new style that looks both familiar yet more thrusting, all at the same, but beneath its new suit the F90 3-series is dazzlingly different from and, says BMW, infinitely superior to the car it replaces in every single area you can imagine. It’s more comfortable and more capable dynamically than before; better at pretty much everything it does, in other words.
In its entirety, the new range will span from the entry-level 316d at £24,880 to the 335i Luxury at £37,025. Later next year will come an even more of-the-moment Hybrid Active 3 model touting 335bhp/46mpg, and beyond that will follow a four wheel-drive model plus the usual estate, convertible and various M versions.
What’s it like?
I drove both the 320d and 328i at the launch, both of which were only available in Sport trim with the new paddle-shift gearbox and top-spec chassis and steering systems fitted (optional adaptive dampers and sport specification servotronic steering, in other words, all of which combined with the gearbox would add just under £6k to the price).
The first thing you become aware of when driving either car is that there’s an incredible lack of inertia when on the move. The new 3-series feels quite amazingly light on its feet, the 328i especially, and to begin with this can make it seem ever so slightly insubstantial as a result.
The steering of the 328i is so light and fingertip easy, the accelerator so delicate underfoot, the gearbox so smooth in its machinations, you almost feel like a passenger in the car as it wafts gracefully from one destination to the next. The four cylinder engine purrs gently in its low to mid ranges, providing more thrust that you thought possible from such a small petrol engine when installed in a car as big, relatively speaking, as this.
Select Sport and it instantly feels even more alive, not just beneath your backside and feet but at the tips of your fingers as well. And if you’re feeling truly in the mood there’s a Sport+ setting available in this model as well, which brings yet crisper responses from the steering, gearbox and throttle, and turns the traction control to a fruitier setting for good measure.
It sounds an awful lot more complex and, no doubt, rather less intuitive than might be deemed desirable in a car that was once praised for its purity of purpose – but in practice it’s nothing of the sort. After half an hour, most drivers will be well used to what does what; and after half a day they’ll be amazed by the ability to fine tune the car into whatever mood, or whatever road, they mind find themselves on.
The next day I drove the pick-of-the-range 320d and found it to be more of the same but better than the 328i, if anything, where it counts. It’ll also be BMW’s better-selling model, especially in the UK.
It may not be as fast on paper – with a 0-62mph time of 7.6sec versus 5.9sec – but unless you’re really going for it in the 328i, the 320d feels the brawnier of the two on the road.
It has even more low to mid-range punch, emits a similarly unentertaining noise and to all other intents and purposes feels like the same car. Same fantastic range of chassis set-ups, same light but lovely steering, same superb optional eight-speed gearbox; same ability to switch from smooth motorway cruiser to crisp B-road bruiser, and pretty much anything in between, all at the flick of a button. Oh yes, except the 320d will do 64mpg on the combined cycle and has a range of over 800 miles.
Should I buy one?
If Superman drove a car, in fact, he’d probably drive a new BMW 320d. And the rest of us would be more than happy with any other member of the range. Because be in no doubt, a new world leader has arrived – and it may take a while for the others to catch up.
BMW 3 Series 320d - Road Test First Drive - Autocar.co.uk
Autocar
What is it?
What’s most encouraging of all about this new, sixth-generation BMW 3-series is that, despite its very obvious eco credentials and its numerous technical innovations – which range from a dizzying new eight-speed, paddle-shift gearbox to an intriguing new ‘Eco Pro’ driver control system – it’s still just a good-looking saloon that drives rather beautifully at heart.
To the naked eye the new saloon may seem like business as usual, featuring a slick and elegant new style that looks both familiar yet more thrusting, all at the same, but beneath its new suit the F90 3-series is dazzlingly different from and, says BMW, infinitely superior to the car it replaces in every single area you can imagine. It’s more comfortable and more capable dynamically than before; better at pretty much everything it does, in other words.
In its entirety, the new range will span from the entry-level 316d at £24,880 to the 335i Luxury at £37,025. Later next year will come an even more of-the-moment Hybrid Active 3 model touting 335bhp/46mpg, and beyond that will follow a four wheel-drive model plus the usual estate, convertible and various M versions.
What’s it like?
I drove both the 320d and 328i at the launch, both of which were only available in Sport trim with the new paddle-shift gearbox and top-spec chassis and steering systems fitted (optional adaptive dampers and sport specification servotronic steering, in other words, all of which combined with the gearbox would add just under £6k to the price).
The first thing you become aware of when driving either car is that there’s an incredible lack of inertia when on the move. The new 3-series feels quite amazingly light on its feet, the 328i especially, and to begin with this can make it seem ever so slightly insubstantial as a result.
The steering of the 328i is so light and fingertip easy, the accelerator so delicate underfoot, the gearbox so smooth in its machinations, you almost feel like a passenger in the car as it wafts gracefully from one destination to the next. The four cylinder engine purrs gently in its low to mid ranges, providing more thrust that you thought possible from such a small petrol engine when installed in a car as big, relatively speaking, as this.
Select Sport and it instantly feels even more alive, not just beneath your backside and feet but at the tips of your fingers as well. And if you’re feeling truly in the mood there’s a Sport+ setting available in this model as well, which brings yet crisper responses from the steering, gearbox and throttle, and turns the traction control to a fruitier setting for good measure.
It sounds an awful lot more complex and, no doubt, rather less intuitive than might be deemed desirable in a car that was once praised for its purity of purpose – but in practice it’s nothing of the sort. After half an hour, most drivers will be well used to what does what; and after half a day they’ll be amazed by the ability to fine tune the car into whatever mood, or whatever road, they mind find themselves on.
The next day I drove the pick-of-the-range 320d and found it to be more of the same but better than the 328i, if anything, where it counts. It’ll also be BMW’s better-selling model, especially in the UK.
It may not be as fast on paper – with a 0-62mph time of 7.6sec versus 5.9sec – but unless you’re really going for it in the 328i, the 320d feels the brawnier of the two on the road.
It has even more low to mid-range punch, emits a similarly unentertaining noise and to all other intents and purposes feels like the same car. Same fantastic range of chassis set-ups, same light but lovely steering, same superb optional eight-speed gearbox; same ability to switch from smooth motorway cruiser to crisp B-road bruiser, and pretty much anything in between, all at the flick of a button. Oh yes, except the 320d will do 64mpg on the combined cycle and has a range of over 800 miles.
Should I buy one?
If Superman drove a car, in fact, he’d probably drive a new BMW 320d. And the rest of us would be more than happy with any other member of the range. Because be in no doubt, a new world leader has arrived – and it may take a while for the others to catch up.
BMW 3 Series 320d - Road Test First Drive - Autocar.co.uk
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BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, abbreviated as BMW is a German multinational
manufacturer of luxury vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
The company was founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines, which it produced
from 1917 to 1918 and again from 1933 to 1945.
Official website: BMW (Global), BMW (USA)
Official website: BMW (Global), BMW (USA)
