2027 BMW 3 Series First Drive Review: The Biggest Shake-Up Yet

It’s a big deal when BMW releases a new 3 Series, but the new eighth-generation car delivers the biggest shake-up in the model’s history. This is even bigger than when the E90 generation got a V8 engine in the M3. For the first time ever, BMW will offer two distinct vehicles that both fall under the “3 Series” model lineup.

You may remember the i3 as a small city car with a gasoline range extender, but this new model is completely fresh. The 2027 i3 rides on BMW’s latest Neue Klasse architecture, which includes 800-volt technology that delivers incredibly fast charge times and outstanding range. Don’t worry, there is still a gas model, sold with either a turbocharged four-cylinder or six-cylinder engine.

BMW

BMW

BMW

I had a chance to sample the M350 xDrive, the sportiest gas-powered 3 Series, and the i3 50 xDrive, the only electric model that will be available at launch. Both offer a different flavor of BMW’s best-selling compact sedan, but which one should you consider?

One 3 Series, Two Different Cars

Though the 3 Series and i3 look similar on the outside, they are different underneath. The i3 gets BMW’s Neue Klasse platform but the 3 Series uses an updated version of the previous model’s CLAR architecture. If you view them from the side, you can tell the i3 is 0.2 inches shorter but the wheelbase is 1.5 inches longer. That increased wheelbase gives the i3 shorter overhangs and a shorter dash-to-axle ratio, which look more proportional in my opinion. The i3 is also 0.6 inches wider and an inch taller with some other minor differences like the charge door location.

Jared Levenson/Autoblog

Jared Levenson/Autoblog

BMW

I’ve seen all the comparisons online, “it looks like a Pontiac Firebird” or some other car from the past, but in my personal opinion, nothing else quite looks like this in person. The front end design looks just like the Neue Klasse Concept, and the available Iconic Glow package makes it look even cooler at night. The M350 comes with available yellow daytime running lights, like the outgoing M3 CS, and the same lights will be available on the upcoming i3 M60.

The M350 Is An M3 Lite

BMW will offer a base 330 model (with or without xDrive) for buyers who can make due with a 2.0-liter turbo-four making 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. I only had a chance to drive the M350, which uses BMW’s excellent 3.0-liter turbo inline-six. The output has been increased over the M340, now delivering 437 hp and 428 lb-ft of torque. That’s more than the F80 M3, which needed two turbos to spit out 425 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. 0-60 mph in the new car is dispatched in just 3.9 seconds (3.6 with a rollout).

BMW

BMW

BMW

Thanks to its standard M Adaptive Dampers, the M350 rides nicely despite being the sporty 3 Series. Buyers who like the idea of an M3 but can’t stand its harsh suspension for daily driving will love how this M Performance model feels. Though it lacks the sharp edge of a true M car, it gets pretty close. The M350 is composed on a back road, especially thanks to the grip from its standard all-wheel-drive system. There is an option called Drift Moment to deactivate the front axle and go full rear-wheel-drive, but it’s coming later via a software update.

The i3 Is A Long Distance Cruiser

Driving the i3 back-to-back with the M350 reveals how electric cars can feel quicker than their ICE counterparts even if the numbers show otherwise. The i3 50 produces 463 hp 476 lb-ft from its dual electric motors, good for a 4.5-second 0-60 mph time. That’s a bit behind the M350, but when you are zipping through traffic, the i3 would easily keep up with its gas sibling.

On the back roads, the i3’s softer suspension allows far more body roll. If you want an electric canyon carver, it’s best to wait for the i3 M60 with its standard M Adaptive Suspension. I didn’t get to test the i3 50 with its available adaptive dampers, but BMW says they will be tuned more for comfort than the M Performance model.

BMW

BMW

BMW

Though it isn’t an “M3 Lite” like the M350, the i3 is great in other ways. For example, the i3 features a 108.2 kWh battery that enables up to 468 miles of driving range, besting the Lucid Air Pure and matching the Cadillac Escalade IQ with half the battery capacity. There are no more excuses to say an electric car doesn’t go far enough because the i3 should meet or exceed M350’s driving range and go nearly the same distance as the 330 before needing a recharge.

You can’t even complain about charge times either, thanks to the i3’s rapid 400-kW charge speeds. On a 400-kW charger, BMW says it can add 208 miles in 10 minutes to get you back on the road in the time it takes to make a bathroom stop. Add in some great hands-free driving technology, and the i3 instantly becomes one of the best long-distance EVs you can buy.

Controversial But Cool Interior

Of the complaints I have seen about the new 3 Series, the digs at the interior are the only ones I see that have some real validity. Every 3 Series brings BMW’s latest iDrive with Operating System X. It lives on a large 17.9-inch touchscreen that controls nearly everything. Even the air vents, which are now electronically controlled, require interaction with a screen. BMW did include plenty of shortcuts and there is an AI-powered voice command that can quickly dispatch tasks like changing the climate control, but what was wrong with just adjusting a vent?

BMW

BMW

Jared Levenson/Autoblog

Of all the questionable interior choices BMW made, I think the Panoramic Vision Display is arguably the best one. Unlike Cadillac and Lincoln, which put a giant screen on the dash, BMW’s setup is projected from the dash onto the windshield. It seems daunting to use at first, but once you learn where the customization menu lives, it’s easy to configure it to your liking. BMW overwhelms you with choices for widgets, ranging from weather information to car data like the steering angle, tire pressure, trip information, and more. If the car measures it, you can display it on the Panoramic Vision.

Which One Should You Buy?

BMW priced the 2027 3 Series just above the outgoing 2026 model, which makes sense given how much tech comes standard. You will pay $51,250 for the base 330 or $53,250 for the 330 xDrive. There is a large premium for the M350 xDrive, which starts at $67,250. Though it doesn’t come with the M Sport package standard, the i3 50 xDrive seems like the best value of the bunch, priced at $62,850 (all prices include destination).

BMW

BMW

BMW

Though I didn’t get to drive it, the 330 should remain the volume player for buyers who want to replace their 3 Series with the lowest possible monthly payment. The M350 builds upon the already great M340, giving you a more comfortable M3 that’s easier to live with. The i3 is the wild card, proving that electric cars can deliver thrilling performance for the same price as a gas car, now with range and charging speeds that should silence the critics. If it were my money, the i3 is the one I’d put in my driveway.

About the author

Jared Rosenholtz

Senior Editor

Jared Rosenholtz is a Senior Editor and Head of Video at Autoblog with more than a decade of automotive journalism experience. He was editor at large and head of video at CarBuzz, where he created the Buzz Score rating system and Buzz Awards.