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BMW 3 Series Posts Astonishing Fuel Economy Numbers

Sep. 06, 2019 10:40 AM ET by Ian Wright / 12 Comments Turns out you don't need a hybrid for the freeway. When it comes to economical gasoline-powered cars, we can rattle off a long list of cars worth investigating to stretch the time between visits to the gas station. Until today, nothing on that list would have had a BMW badge. However, when Car and Driver performed its highway fuel-economy test on the BMW 330i the final number the testers found themselves reading off was jaw-dropping. It had achieved 42 miles per gallon at a consistent speed of 75 mph. That's not just impressive, it's worthy of a cheeky victory dance for BMW as that number bests every other competitor in its class. BMW BMW To give that number perspective, that's also better freeway mpg than cars known for their economy that Car and Driver has tested in the same manner, including the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, and Hyundai Ionic Hybrid. Ironically, the 3-Series' 42 mpg also bests the BMW 530e hybrid's run at 38 mpg. The 330i isn't exactly a slowpoke either, despite being the entry level into the 3-Series world and coming with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Power wise, that little engine delivers 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque in a sprightly manner. Just to raise the ante even more, the test car came with the M Sport options added. It wasn't even wearing rubber geared towards economy with the 330i being shod with sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. BMW BMW BMW BMW While the 330i came in 2 mpg lighter than the current Toyota Camry hybrid, in its class it even outperformed the Jaguar XE with a diesel engine. And if there's still capacity for surprise, the new 330i did all that and improved over last year's model in chassis performance by 10 percent in two tests. Car and Driver recorded it hanging 0.94 g on the skidpad and then stopping from 70 mph in 150 feet. Whatever people's reservation might be about BMW's new generations of cars in terms of feel, this squashes any doubts the engineering is up to scratch. It might even explain why we see so many 3 Series drivers coming up behind other cars on the freeway and sticking themselves to the rear bumper. They're not in a rush, they're just eager to maintain their speed for economy reasons. BMW BMW

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BMW 3 Series Sedan Ian Wright Associate Editor After working his way through several loosely related careers, Ian finally took the hint and became an automotive journalist and photographer. He spent a few years freelancing before joining up with CarBuzz to combine his love of writing, photography, and cars into one neat package. When Ian is not staring down a lens or into a computer screen writing reviews and features, you can find him in Southern California enjoying winding mountain and canyon roads. If you can’t find him, he’s probably off-roading in the desert. Contact Ian @BothHandDrive @BothHandDrive LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top