The BMW 3 Series has traditionally been the “entry-level” BMW sports sedan, classed by the EPA as a “compact” based on nothing but its interior and cargo volumes added together. The 3 Series is more specifically part of the “D Class” of European sedans, known as an “executive compact.”

Depending on the generation, the 3 Series could’ve contained not only a sedan (the volume seller), but a coupe, a convertible and a station wagon. In the current BMW lineup, coupes (really two-door sedans) and convertibles are moved to the 2 Series, and the 3 Series only exists as a sedan.

In past generations, you’d have found both four-cylinders and inline sixes under a 3 Series bonnet. Today, you’ll find a turbocharged four-cylinder, a turbocharged inline six, and a plug-in hybrid drivetrain in the “e” segment of the current product offering.

The current lineup includes rear-wheel drive (RWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) drivelines, and AWD has also been offered in the past.

The BMW 3 Series was traditionally critical as a sort of ambassador introducing customers to the BMW product line, but that role has increasingly been taken over by the manufacturer’s array of compact crossovers. Still, the BMW 3 Series appeals to entry luxury consumers who expect sporty engine performance, precise handling, confidence-inspiring braking, and businesslike luxury in their vehicles.

Generations: Seven

• BMW 3 Series 1st Generation
• BMW 3 Series 2nd Generation
• BMW 3 Series 3rd Generation
• BMW 3 Series 4th Generation
• BMW 3 Series 5th Generation
• BMW 3 Series 6th Generation
• BMW 3 Series 7th Generation

Pros: Excellent performance at a somewhat affordable price, Precision driving dynamics, Outstanding braking
Cons: Relatively tight compact interior dimensions, More expensive to own and maintain than other entry luxury brands, Increasingly complex with every generation

BMW 3 Series 7th Generation (2019-Present

Rather than referring to their vehicles by the generations, BMW owners typically use the internal codes. In this case, it’s the G20, which arrived in 2018 for the 2019 model year. In the United States, the new BMW 3 Series is available in one four-door sedan body style, broken into three different sub-models: The 330i, the 330e, and the BMW M3.

The 330i features a 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo inline 4-cylinder, which develops 255 horsepower. All 330i variants have an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 330i is rear wheel drive, while the 330i xDrive is all-wheel drive.

The 330e has the same essential platform as the 330i, but with a plug-in hybrid driveline, offering the benefits and tax advantages of an electric vehicle (EV) for short drives, along with a 181-horsepower version of the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the 330i. The 330e is also available in an all-wheel drive version known as the BMW 330e xDrive.

We won’t go into great detail on the M3 model here, since it’s listed separately on the site, but the M3 shares its platform with the rest of the 3 Series, has a 503-horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six, and is also available with an all-wheel drive M3 xDrive Competition driveline.

The 330i, 330i xDrive, 330e, and 330e xDrive are available in two trim levels. “Sport” is the base trim, with 18-inch V-spoke wheels, sport seats, Shadowline exterior trim, a BMW Curved Display, Live Cockpit Plus with Navigation, ambient lighting, and a moonroof. The “M Sport” trim is optional, and includes 19-inch wheels, an exclusive M steering wheel, an aerodynamic kit, an anthracite headliner, and a rear spoiler.

Technology abounds in the 3 Series, including over-the-air software updates, available head-up display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant.

Safety technology includes standard frontal collision warning with city collision mitigation. The Driver Assistance Package adds lane-departure warning, active blind-spot detection, and front and rear parking sensors.

BMW 3 Series 6th Generation (2012-2019)

The sixth generation of the BMW 3 Series is known internally and otherwise as the F30. The F30 was available in the traditional BMW 3 Series sedan body style in the United States. It was also available in the 3 Series Gran Turismo five-door fastback body style, which was discontinued after the F30 bowed out in the 2019 model year.

At introduction, the F30 was available with two engines. The 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (codenamed N20) was the first four-cylinder to be offered in a 3 Series in two decades here in the US. This engine made 240 horsepower and 255 lb-ft of torque, and it powered the 328i and 328i xDrive. The N20 provided better power than the previous generation’s base engine had, and did it with better fuel mileage to boot: 23 mpg city and 34 mpg highway, up from just 18 mpg city and 28 mpg highway in the E90.

Six-cylinder-powered 3 Series models were known as the 335i and 335i xDrive, and featured a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six (N55) with 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque, enough to get to 60 mph in under five seconds. Fuel economy rang in at 20 mpg city and 30 mpg highway.

The 3 Series was available in rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, indicated by the xDrive emblems on the rear deck lid.

Transmissions for the rear-drive 328i and 335i included a six-speed manual and an optional eight-speed automatic sourced from German transmission supplier ZF. Selecting the xDrive all-wheel drive system required the eight-speed automatic transmission.

The F30 was available in three different trim levels: Modern Line included satin aluminum trim on the kidney grille, leather seats, and 18-inch light alloy wheels. Sport Line had gloss black trim on the grille and polished exhaust tips, while side mirror and b-pillar and window trim were black. The wheels were unique double-spoke 18-inch alloys. Luxury Line featured mostly chrome details, including the grille, exhaust tips, and window trim, and came with multi-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels.

Every F30-era 3 Series offered a wide range of safety equipment, including antilock brakes (ABS), front and side curtain airbags, and traction and stability control. More advanced safety equipment arrived as the years went on. The earliest F30 had optional blind-spot detection and lane-departure warning. By the end of the F30 era, the cars could be equipped with frontal collision warning with city collision mitigation, and a Driver-Assistance Package that included adaptive cruise control, curve-adaptive headlamps, and high-beam assist.

BMW 3 Series 5th Generation (2006-2011)

The fifth generation of the BMW 3 Series consisted of the E90 Sedan, the E91 Sports Wagon, the E92 Coupe, and the E93 Convertible. It was the last time that the 3 Series was offered in a coupe or a convertible body style, as those broke off into a separate model line that became the BMW 4 Series after 2012.

The E90 was a departure from the 3 Series vehicles that preceded it. It was longer, wider, and taller than the car it replaced, providing better interior volume and cargo space.

These cars were the last BMW 3 Series with naturally aspirated engines. The engines that followed would all have turbocharging. The E90-era 335i did have a turbo, but the bulk of the cars were equipped with natural aspiration. Engines in 2006 included the 2.5-liter in the 325i, producing 215 horsepower, and the 3.0-liter in the 335i, producing 255 horsepower. From 2007 to 2013, the 3.0-liter six in the 328i produced 231 horsepower. From 2007 to 2013, the 3.0-liter six in the 335i developed 302 horsepower. And between 2009 and 2011, BMW offered a 3.0-liter turbodiesel six in the 335d, producing 282 horsepower and a generous 430 lb-ft of torque at 1,750–2,250 rpm.

Transmissions included a six-speed manual or a ZF-sourced six-speed automatic in the rear drive cars. The all-wheel drive cars with the xDrive badge had a GM-sourced six-speed automatic. Later F90s featured a seven-speed automatic with a dual clutch.

The major change occurred during a facelift for the 2008 model year, which included cosmetic revisions, along with the shift from 325i and 330i to 328i and 335i, indicating larger engine displacement.

Safety equipment was good for the time, but pales in comparison to what’s offered even in base-level 3 Series vehicles today. Expect a number of airbags, dynamic stability control, traction control, park-distance control, rain sensors with automatic headlamp activation, and a tire pressure warning system, but that pretty much rounds out what you’d find in an E90.

BMW 3 Series 4th Generation (1999-2005)

The fourth generation of 3 Series was collectively known as the E46 and included a sedan, a wagon, a coupe and a convertible in the United States.

In the US, all E46 BMWs were powered by inline six-cylinder engines. These included a 2.5-liter 169-horsepower engine in the 323i and a 2.8-liter 190-horsepower engine in the 328i between 1998 and 2000, a 2.5-liter 184-horsepower six in the 325i from 2001 to 2006, a 3.0-liter 225-horsepower six in the 330i between 2000 and 2005, a 3.0-liter 235-horsepower engine in the 330i with Performance Package (ZHP) between 2000 and 2005, and a 2.5-liter super ultra low emissions qualifying engine in the 325iA between 2003 and 2006.

E46-era 3 Series variants were available in rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations in the sedan and wagon body styles. The coupe and convertible were all rear-wheel drive. Either driveline was available with a manual or an automatic transmission. In 2000, a Steptronic manual mode was added to the automatics.

The E46 got a facelift for the sedan and wagon in the 2002 model year and the coupe and convertible in 2004. That included the engine changes detailed above, along with a widescreen navigation display, cosmetic revisions, and bi-Xenon headlamps.

BMW 3 Series 3rd Generation (1991-2000)

The third generation of the BMW 3 Series was known as the E36. In the United States, we saw body styles including the sedan, a two-door coupe, a convertible, and a three-door hatchback that aesthetically looked like a BMW E36, but actually was more closely related to the previous generation’s platform.

The 318i, 318is, 318i Convertible, and 318ti all had a 1.8-liter inline four-cylinder engine good for 138 horsepower. 325i, 325iS, and 325i Convertible models from 1992 to 1995 had a 189-horsepower inline six. After 1995, the six-cylinder cars featured a 2.8-liter inline six with just one more horsepower but considerably more torque.

BMW never offered the E36 with all-wheel drive. All of these cars are rear-wheel drive, and you could buy every configuration with either a five-speed or later six-speed manual or an automatic. The early automatics were a four-speed sourced from General Motors, and the later cars had a five-speed automatic from German supplier ZF.

Revisions to the car were exceedingly minor. There were subtle aesthetic changes, and the engines got slightly larger, but there was never really a major facelift in the 11 model years the car was available here.

BMW 3 Series 2nd Generation (1982-1991)

The second generation is the longest-running generation of the 3 Series, and it’s starting to get thin on the ground and very expensive these days. The E30 generation was—for years—the cheapest way to get into a BMW, but those days are history. These are largely considered collector cars now.

The model range included the 318i (1984-1985 with an M10 engine, after 1991 using the M42 engine), the 325, 325e, and 325es, the 325i and 325is (1987 to 1991), and the 325ix.

All of these cars—with the exception of the 325ix—were rear-wheel drive. BMW offered AWD for the first time on the 325ix, which is insanely rare today, commanding serious investment for a rust-free example.

The early 318i had an 89-horsepower inline-four fed by a carburetor. By 1984, the carburetor was gone, and in its place was a Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection setup, which increased the powertrain’s output to 103 horsepower. In 1987, the car was updated with a new four-cylinder, featuring electronic Bosch Motronic fuel injection. The 318is arrived in 1989, and with it came a new engine with double overhead cams, Bosch Motronic 1.7, hydraulic valve adjustment, and an ignition coil on every plug, previewing changes that just about every car in production would have in the next decade.

A six-cylinder powered the most popular E30s. The 325i, 325is, and 325ix featured a 2.5-liter six with 168 horsepower. Cars without an “i” (the 325, 325e, and 325es) featured the low-revving, more fuel-efficient and lower-emissions Eta six-cylinder, displacing 2.7-liters and producing 127 horsepower.

Safety equipment? A three-point seatbelt and a collapsible steering column. This was not the era of abundant adaptive safety features.

Similarly, “infotainment,” such as it was, included such advanced options as a radio and perhaps a cassette player.

This car—more than any other in BMW’s history—cemented the company’s reputation here in the United States. The E46 might have been the car that sold the best for BMW over its run, but the E30 proved what a German sedan should be. Every other mass-market manufacturer in the business sold an E30 copy, or at least was influenced in some way by this car’s success.

BMW 3 Series 1st Generation (1977-1983)

The E21 era introduced the 3 Series. It was the replacement for the iconic 2002 two-door sedan, and it had big shoes to fill. The 3 Series introduced much more modern styling, European driving characteristics, and obsessive quality to American audiences.

The first-generation 3 Series debuted in 1975, but we didn’t see it stateside until 1977 with the introduction of the four-cylinder-equipped 320i. All of the 3 Series cars sold in the United States were four-cylinders, since the inline six that powered European versions couldn’t pass the increasingly strict emissions requirements. All of the cars were rear-wheel drive, and they were available with either a five-speed manual gearbox from Getrag or a three-speed automatic from ZF.

BMW sold over 1.3 million of these cars. Worldwide, they were a major success, but in the States, the numbers were a lot more humble. It wasn’t until the next generation that these cars would truly catch fire here.