The 2014 BMW 3 Series is available in sedan and wagon body styles. (A hatchback model, the 3 Series Gran Turismo, is reviewed separately.) Sedans come in 320i, 328i, 328d, 335i and ActiveHybrid 3 trim levels. For almost all of these, BMW offers all-wheel-drive versions, which it labels "xDrive." The wagon is only available in 328i xDrive and 328d xDrive trims.
Standard features for the entry-level 320i include 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, foglights, automatic wipers, cruise control, dual-zone automatic climate control, eight-way manually adjustable front seats, leatherette premium vinyl upholstery, wood trim, a leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a trip computer, Bluetooth, the iDrive electronics interface, a 6.5-inch display and a premium sound system with a CD player, HD radio, an auxiliary audio jack and an iPod/USB audio interface.
The 328i sedan adds a more powerful version of the 320i's engine, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, eight-way power-adjustable front seats and driver memory functions. The 328i and 328d wagons are equipped similarly to their sedan counterparts.
The 335i sedan and ActiveHybrid 3 get unique powertrains, although both come equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels, adaptive and auto-leveling xenon headlights, automatic high beams and a sunroof.
BMW offers three optional equipment lines -- Luxury, Sport and M Sport -- that include different wheel designs, color schemes, trim types, seats, steering wheels and even suspension tuning. There are also a number of available packages to choose from.
Opting for the Technology package brings a hard-drive-based navigation system (with 20GB available for personal music storage), a higher-resolution 8.8-inch display, BMW Apps (including Pandora and Stitcher), BMW Remote Services (which allows many smartphones to lock the car remotely and turn on the climate control, among various other tasks) and a head-up display.
The Premium package is your ticket to leather upholstery, a keyless ignition, power front seats for the 320i, four-way power lumbar support for the front seats and, on wagons, a power liftgate that you can open by swiping your foot under the bumper.
For extra safety, the Driver Assistance package provides a rearview camera along with front and rear parking sensors. The Driver Assistance Plus package gets those items plus side- and top-view cameras, blind-spot monitoring, a lane departure warning system, a driver drowsiness monitor and a speed limit info display. The Cold Weather package comes with heated front and rear seats plus a heated steering wheel. The Dynamic Handling package bundles the sportier suspension tuning from the M Sport line with variable-ratio steering.
Individual option highlights include the Lighting package (provides adaptive bi-xenon headlights), adaptive cruise control, an automated parallel parking system and an upgraded Harman Kardon audio system.