Used 2021 BMW 3 Series Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2021 3 Series, so we've included reviews for other years of the 3 Series since its last redesign.
Addictive acceleration and grip
George Lakkas, 05/27/2019
2020 BMW 3 Series M340i 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A)
52 of 52 people found this review helpful
This is my first review on Edmund’s. I owned a 2011 F10 BMW 550i M sport and decided to downsize once I saw the 2020 M340i. The car is amazing. Plenty of power almost instantly on tap and the grip is incredible. The steering is very sharp and precise. This car demands respect. I love the Sport Plus mode where the exhaust backfires. Sounds like a Porsche. I use the Sport Individual mode where I can tune the steering, engine and transmission to what I like. The M340i has M adaptive suspension, transmission and brakes. The braking is so important especially on this car. I have all the options except AWD and the optional 255 rear tires. This car has the latest BMW computer and ADAS system. I find the ADAS features overwhelming and actually annoying. The lane departure system is annoying and the car will try to steer you back into your lane if it feels you made a lane change too quickly. And the ADAS is always on when you turn the engine on, so you have to turn it off when you start the car by pressing a button in the dashboard. The remote access is very convenient as it unlocks the car and unfolds it the mirrors when you approach the car. The Automated Parking feature needs to be improved as I tried it once and if I had not paid attention it would have backed into a garbage bin. This is a driver’s car and the seats, steering and digital cluster are fantastic. The seats are very supportive. They should make the steering wheel and headrests also adjustable via switches, Right now they are manual. There are plenty of cup holders which is great, also in the doors, and 3 USB ports and wireless charging. The rear legroom is obviously less than a 5 series but still decent and you get an armrest with cup holders. The headroom is pretty good and the trunk space is quite large. This car is so fast that you definitely need to learn how to drive it and respect it. If you don’t want to buy an M this is the closest it can get to an M. The M340i will always put a smile on your face.
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Very Good but not Great
Mugman, 07/29/2020
updated 01/31/2022
2020 BMW 3 Series 330i xDrive 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
34 of 35 people found this review helpful
Purchased my 2020 330i X drive sedan in late February. Less driving than usual due to COVID 19, but I have 3000 miles on it now, mostly back roads and some highway. Traded a '13 Audi A4 which I was very happy with but it was getting up there in miles. First the positives: Powerful engine, excellent gas mileage (averaging 32 MPG overall, again mostly side roads driving 35-50 mph, but got 34 on the highway running at 80mph average), sporty and secure handling, strong brakes, comfortable seats, very good fit and finish of the interior, plenty of tech with the ability to disable some aggravating "safety" features like lane departure warning with assist (I keep it turned off); sport mode ramps up engine/throttle response quite well for a fun drive. Negatives: transmission, when in comfort mode, likes to grab 8th gear around 48-50 mph, so on back roads it is constantly shifting between 7th and 8th which is annoying (my Audi wouldn't grab 8th until 58mph and this worked much better--I'd rather give up 1 mpg to avoid the gear hunting); run flats lead to a jittery ride--the suspension absorbs bumps quite well, but it's the small impacts that wouldn't be felt with normal tires with slightly softer side walls that cause the problem; engine note is artificially piped in through the speakers which is fine in comfort mode, but when in sport mode, it is just piped in at a louder volume which is unnecessary and annoying; auto stop/start feature, though better than in past BMW's, is too aggressive in that it kills the engine immediately on stopping, so if you stop to parallel park and shift into reverse, the engine stops and starts constantly--I just inactivate it with every start up with the easy to reach button on the console; too much orange peel on my paint which is mediterranean blue--significantly worse than the audi; trunk is small for the size of the car; finally, when shutting the car off and getting out of it, the IP and infotainment display screens all stay on as does the radio, and they will all stay on, along with the radio, for up to 30 min unless you lock the car--my Audi inactivated everything once the driver opened the door, but I cannot find any way to do this in the BMW, so I have to lock it every time I leave it in my garage which is also annoying. Bottom line: sporty and fun to drive with a nice look, classy interior and very good fit and finish to the interior, but let down by poor ride on the run flats, subpar paint quality for a luxury vehicle, and gear hunting in Comfort mode. Overall I'm still satisfied, especially since I got 9K off the MSRP by buying in the winter (nobody wants a sedan in the winter). Update after 19,000 miles of driving and nearly 2 years of ownership: as I mentioned, the Pirelli runflat tires were horrible. They wore out at 18,000 miles. I replaced them with a brand new set of Pirelli P7AS3 all season, non-run flats, and the change in ride is dramatic. These tires are very quiet, they handle quite well, and smooth out the ride significantly compared to the run flats. They maintain all the handling grip as the run flats, so I would definitely recommend swapping them out. My car also had an issue with jerky starts when trying to accelerate from 2-3 mph, such as when rolling through a stop sign. It took two trips to the dealer, but they ultimately reprogrammed the transmission and the engine control module, and now the car drives as it should. With the drivetrain re-programming, and a new set of non-runflat tires, the car is now perfect in my opinion. Still very happy with the power from the engine and the quality of the interior
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It's Fun to Drive Again
John in PA, 03/19/2021
2021 BMW 3 Series M340i xDrive 4dr Sedan AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 8A)
17 of 17 people found this review helpful
I've had this car for about six weeks, and I still can't wait to drive this car every time I get behind the wheel. The thing that I like the most about this car is that it does what you tell it to do - in every way. If you want to go - it goes! If you want to stop - it stops! I don't even know what you have to do to overdrive a corner - it holds the road like no car I've ever had. Your wish is it's command. On top of that, I get 29 mpg in mixed driving around town! The only knock on this car is that the entertainment system operation is clunky, but everything else has met or exceeded my expectations. I'm all in!
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Value for Money BMW
Krish Bellamkonda, 07/02/2021
updated 01/08/2024
2021 BMW 3 Series 330i 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
25 of 26 people found this review helpful
I traded in a 2020 Subaru WRX STI since the used car values for the car was higher than what I had paid. I was looking for a much more economical(fuel economy), great handling vehicle which was not marked up crazy in these times(1H 2021). So i test drove a lot of vehicles, found the steering terrible and handling not to my liking, incl. Audi A4/S4, BMW M340i and Lexus IS350. For the money and deals on offer(16% off MSRP, with Costco Auto Program & corporate sales program incentives), the BMW 330i(RWD) was the best handling car with lots of space and awesome technology(iDrive has improved a lot and love it better than Audi's Cockpit). I dont have many options and it was much cheaper than the competition and for the pure rear wheel drive experience in a safe and spacious vehicle with gas mileage(34-40 mpg), nothing else comes close. The only drawbacks for me were steering( little vague, but I came from hydraulic power steering in STI) and lack of essential features like keyless entry(Convenience Package was not there on my vehicle). I also came from a manual transmission vehicle and I was worried about performance and the ZF 8 speed gearbox and fun handling more than make up for my loss in manual transmission. It rides beautifully and I purposefully did not opt for M Sport package which brings staggered tires and rims which hurt the handling sharpness of a square tire and rims. I dont take it to the track, so e-differential didnt matter to me as much. The biggest revelation is that M340i was something I was keen on and I honestly felt steering and handling wise, it was not as fun as the base humble 330i. The 15-20k premium is purely for the lovely engine, but the 4 cylinder surprised me with the responsiveness and efficiency. For other comparisons, Audi S4 was great, but the handling was not same as a pure RWD. Lexus IS350 had great motor, but there were space deficits. Same with G70 and Alfa Romeo. The technology is intimidating, but some of the best executions I have seen. I have owned '17 Audi A4 and '13 BMW 3 series(with old iDrive) and I can unequivocally say that it is vastly improved and voice recognition legit works and even for someone with an accent. So for the price I paid and for what I received for STI, I believe I got a great deal for a car which is no less fun than STI, but with a different feel and great gas mileage. It was hard for me to let go of the Subaru( I have had WRX and STI in the past 4 years). But BMW has upped it game with G20 (2019+ ) 3 series and it is worth evey penny as long as the MSRP is in under 45K. The options are a killer on this vehicle and please refrain away if you can and for the base vehicle, this is an awesome deal, even in these times.
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A UPSCALE DRIVING EXPERIENCE BUT NEVER PERFECT
iflymaui, 09/17/2020
2020 BMW 3 Series 330i 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
14 of 14 people found this review helpful
I'm an avid BMW fan. This new 2020 330i is my 8th BMW to date. BMW was once a luxury car combined with a performance machine. Precision fit out of Germany and near perfection in performance. This 2020 330i comes out of San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Coming in at around a MSRP of $40,000; you'll need to add another $10,000 to equip it as it should be. Or better yet, simply upgrade to the fantastic M340i if you can afford to. The standard engine is a 4-cylinder, 2 liter sometimes noisy or struggling powertrain. Sadly, BMW has decided to place 18" rims/wheels with smaller road grip and just fair-to-good handling. It really needs more rubber and width at 55-70mph speeds. Also, BMW is using run-flat tires that provide a often harsh ride coupled with road noise (upgrading to Michelin run-flats will greatly improve the ride). The interior fit is amazing in quality. BMW has gone with 'Sport Seats' as standard now and while these are not leather (they use a vinyl called Sensa-Tec), they are still a very comfortable seat for long or short trips. So easy to adjust 12 ways. As is typical for BMW, switches and controls are laid-out exactly where they should be. You'll feel as if you have total control over the vehicles operation with ease. i-Drive version 7 is still there and it's just a mush of settings and sub-folders of rubbish. Use i-Drive only when not driving and in PARK as its a distraction aspect. No longer standard are fog lights and XM Sirius Radio. There is no CD player included as well. Any onboard entertainment will have to be accomplished via your included basic AM-FM radio or Smartphone connecting to what is called BMW Connect via iDrive. Navigation is now standard but not needed if you have a iPhone. The 330i feels as though it runs on a rail (typical of 3-series). It knows a straight line better than most vehicles and yet turns with assurance. Steering return is excellent. Safety is compromised with headlights as you'll have to pay for that safety if you want LED Cornering headlights or Laser headlights. Standard LED lighting is weak until you engage the BRIGHT LIGHTS. I expect sub-par lighting on a rental car and not on a BMW. It's the entry-line of the three series so I expect and accept the minimal equipment onboard in its base unit. Again, look into a highly upgraded M340i version instead of the 330i; even pre-owned. I still love BMW but I really miss the days when a BMW was about luxury and performance and so was everything from the service department to the sales staff at a dealership. BMW has eliminated those aspects in 2020. Any BMW is better than no BMW at all and this car still exceeds entry-level Audi's or Mercedes.
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