2025 BMW 3 Series First Look: More Power, Sharper Chassis, Fresh Interior

• BMW gave the 2025 3 Series a minor makeover with new interior details.
• Starting at $46,675 for the 330i, the 2025 3 Series costs nearly $1,200 more than the 2024 model.
• The new BMW 3 Series will launch in July.

BMW's Ultimate Driving Machine mantra has been muddled over the last few years. Some of its cars (like the sensational M5 CS) have nailed the brief, but that didn’t always translate in the brand’s entry-level options. As we noted in our review of the 2024 330i, our test car suffered from an overly firm ride, which put it behind some of its rivals in the compact luxury car segment.

The German brand strives to correct that with new chassis tuning for 2025, which it says “improves the balance between capable and comfortable.” Small changes all throughout the car will bring about this change, including tiny tweaks like a stiffer mounting connecting the rear dampers to the body and even lighter steering in Comfort mode.

BMW didn’t forget about the 3 Series’ aesthetic appeal on the outside either. The front and rear bumpers get slightly more flair, and two new colors are available to 3 Series buyers — Arctic Race Blue metallic and Vegas Red metallic. For an additional fee, Frozen Pure Grey metallic and Frozen Portimao Blue metallic are also offered. Choosing the 330i with the M Sport package opens up the option to choose 19-inch M alloy wheels in bi-color or Jet Black with a double-spoke pattern; these are standard on M340i models. A Y-spoke design may be selected as a BMW Individual option.

What's under the 3 Series' hood?

Along with the chassis fine-tuning, BMW tweaked the power of both the 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine in the 330i and the 3.0-liter inline-six propelling the M340i.

For 2025, both models are enhanced with the 48-volt starter generator carried over from last year’s M version. BMW’s plug-in 330e, it seems, has been kicked out of the lineup in favor of a more holistic approach. The newest 330i will retain its 255 horsepower while the torque gets a tiny bump from 294 lb-ft to 295 lb-ft; the M340i improves to 386 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque, an increase of 4 hp and 29 lb-ft, respectively.

They're both still connected to BMW's ubiquitous eight-speed ZF automatic transmission and send power to either the rear or all four wheels.

How's the 3 Series' interior?

Inside, the 2025 3 Series benefits from two new steering wheel designs featuring illuminated buttons and gearshift paddles. New wood trims and a revised dashboard include selectable colors surrounding the central vents.

BMW says it has augmented its operating system to be easier to use; however, the automaker says the touchscreen and voice integration have led to the reduction of physical buttons and controls. As manufacturers weigh the safety and efficiency of mechanical versus digital controls, it will be interesting to see how customers feel about the changes.

The 2025 BMW 3 Series starts at $46,675 for the 330i, and the more powerful M340i begins at $60,775. Adding all-wheel drive (the brand calls it “xDrive”) tacks on $2,000 to the price.

Edmunds says

These updates may not be enough to propel the 3 Series ahead of its rivals in our rankings, but they're welcome nonetheless. We're looking forward to driving the 2025 model to test it in real time.