04/06/2024
Will the 2025 BMW 3 Series Finally Live Up to Its Own Reputation?
What would a refreshed BMW be without some extra glitz and glamour? This year’s model has that, and we’ll get to it, but we’re more interested in what can make the 3 Series a better great car. The two available 48-volt mild hybrid powertrains aren’t changing much. The 330i and 330i xDrive come with the B48 2.0-liter turbo I-4, still making 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. It uses Miller cycle combustion, and the intake ports and combustion chambers have been redesigned.
A few more ponies (four) get added to the turbo I-6’s stable, putting 386 hp under the hoods of the M340i and M340i xDrive, but torque gets a bit more love, creeping up to 398 lb-ft. The 48-volt starter-generator is available for an on-demand boost of 11 hp via the column mounted paddle shifters. Quoted performance hasn’t changed, but when we tested a 2023 M340i xDrive, it beat BMW’s estimated time by 0.3 second. Eight-speed transmissions transfer torque to the rear wheels or all four on xDrive models, but the M340i will have a sportier feel thanks to the Drivelogic shift logic. Performance gains weren’t necessary this time around. Both powertrains are smooth and great drivers, while the M340i xDrive already borders on being too fast to fully appreciate on public roads. If performance is what you’re after, don’t forget that there’s a new M3 on the way, too.
What the current 3 Series lacks is exceptional road feel, and those criticisms have apparently not gone unnoticed by BMW. There are a lot of claims in BMW’s press material, such as increased comfort without dynamic loss, more precise handling, composure, controllability; Just words until we get our hands on it. But BMW did specifically note that the damper mounts are stiffer, and that could be huge on its own. The chassis can be completely rigid, but any compliance where the road forces directly transfer into it, and it all goes out the window. This is promising news.
A minor concern is the supposed reduced steering effort in Comfort mode. Less steering feel isn’t exactly what we’re after. We’ve knocked BMW for numb steering for a while as it attempts to refine its electric steering racks year after year, and this seems like a step back. However, connoisseurs of the slightly less sporty 330i models might appreciate it, and a great chassis can often give us the road feel we want through the seat instead.
