2012 BMW 3-Series Sedan: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

2012 BMW 3-Series Sedan: What Is It?

A favorite among the automotive press and shoppers alike, BMW's premium-compact car is also the brand's best seller. This report covers the 3-Series sedan. Also available are the BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible as well as a BMW 3-Series Wagon (see separate reports). We'll get into the differences below.

Among this German-built car's competitiors are the Acura TSX, Audi A4, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

2012 BMW 3-Series Sedan: What's New

As far the sedan is concerned, lots. This body style is redesigned for 2012. It doesn't look a whole lot different than its predecessor, but there's plenty going on under the hood and inside the cabin to talk about. The 3-Series coupe, convertible, and wagon models carry over into 2012 with only minor changes, with the wagon most likely heading to the big parking lot in the sky.

The 3-Series is no longer exclusively a 6-cylinder or V8-powered car. BMW is bringing its new turbocharged 4-cylinder engine to the lineup. Revamped interiors with new connectivity features are also on the agenda.

2012 BMW 3-Series Sedan: Model Lineup, Features, and Options

BMW is doing a gradual rollout of new 3-Series sedans. Model names are the same as last year and include base 328i and uplevel 335i. Rear-wheel-drive versions come first. Due later in calendar 2012 are gas/electric "ActiveHybrid", xDrive all-wheel drive, and performance-themed M Sport variants.

We normally report here about what comes standard, including features that might be unusual. What's bizarre about the 3-Series, though, is that many things you might expect to be standard are, well...not. Want leather upholstery, heated front seats, a USB port, and a Bluetooth wireless cell phone link? Gotta pay extra for those. Even satellite radio and split-folding rear seat backs require additional cash.

The car does offer some cool high-tech features, which naturally cost extra. Those include a head-up instrument display, hands-free parallel parking, and a surround-view camera that projects a birds-eye view around the vehicle when the transmission is in reverse.

Three packages, dubbed Luxury Line, Modern Line, and Sport Line offer unique exterior and interior trim. The latter also includes an increased top-speed limiter and a sport suspension. Opting for the Sport Line Package grants access to an extra-cost adaptive suspension.

2012 BMW 3-Series Sedan: Engines, Transmissions, and Drive Wheels

Standard on the 328i is BMW's new 240-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. The 335i carries over with a 300-horsepower 3.0-liter turbocharged inline 6-cylinder motor. Both engines come standard with a 6-speed manual transmission. One option BMW won't charge you for is an 8-speed automatic transmission.

All 3-Series sedan models are rear-wheel drive, at least to start. The company's xDrive AWD is slated to arrive in the fall of 2012.

2012 BMW 3-Series Sedan: Fuel Economy

With the manual transmission, the 2012 BMW 328i and 335i get an EPA estimated fuel-economy rating of 23 mpg city/34 mpg highway and 20 city/30 highway, respectively. Oddly, both cars get the exact same 23 city/33 highway score when paired with the automatic.

We averaged an excellent 29.5 mpg in an automatic-transmission 328i on the required premium-grade gasoline.

2012 BMW 3-Series Sedan: Safety Features

The 2012 BMW 3-Series Sedan includes a standard complement of expected and federally mandated safety features. Blind-spot alert, front- and rear-obstacle detection, and lane-departure warning are optional.