2027 BMW 3 Series review: Quick drive

BMW is pulling off something of an illusory trick with its eighth-generation 3 Series.

While the petrol-powered model and its all-electric i3 relation look the same on the outside – all Neue Klasse edginess – underneath they’re quite different.

The i3 sits on the NAx EV platform, giving it the development code of ‘NA0’, but the combustion-powered Threes are based on a modified version of the CLAR chassis which underpinned the old Mk7 ‘G20’ 3 Series – hence they’re coded ‘G50’.

Does that make the range-topping M350 xDrive variant a car which promises much, but delivers little?

We drove the 326kW performance version of the new mid-size premium sedan at its international launch in Provence to find out.

How much does the BMW M350 cost?

The BMW M350 xDrive is the most expensive of all the new 3 Series model variants, be they combustion-powered or the electric i3. It costs $128,900 before on-road costs, which is hefty.

At least for fans of combustion power, the 320 at the other end of the petrol scale is the cheapest new 3 Series available, with a starting price of $83,900 plus on-roads.

To see how the BMW 3 Series lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the BMW M350 like on the inside?

The BMW 3 Series has the same show-stopping iDrive Panoramic interface layout as seen in the i3, which is to say it has a huge central infotainment touchscreen, a 3D head-up display for the driver, and then the signature feature of the Mk8 3 Series – that gobsmacking coast-to-coast Panoramic Vision digital instrument panel.

Yes, there are a few features on the 17.9-inch iDrive ‘free-cut’ panel that we’d probably prefer to be operated via physical switchgear on the fascia, such as the climate controls and the heated seats.

But BMW has been perfecting iDrive for decades now, so the menu layouts in the M350’s infotainment display are perfectly intuitive and easy to navigate.

Also, we absolutely love the configurable ‘reduced warnings’ button that is just two taps from the home screen in the BMW. Through this, you can define which bits of the ADAS you want to mute, and then every time you start the M350, it’s a quick and simple process to get them all switched off.

Elsewhere, the standard of the materials used in the new 3 Series cabin is uniformly excellent, and while that steering wheel might not be the prettiest thing ever to see the light of day, it does – at last – have a rim that is mercifully slim to grip. Gone are those stupidly fat BMW M wheels of recent years.

Rear-passenger space is good in the 3 Series, but it isn’t startlingly roomy back there, and a transmission tunnel running the length of the cabin does pretty much restrict the Bimmer to being a four-seater, rather than a full five-seater.

To see how the BMW 3 Series lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What's under the bonnet?

There are two petrol-powered variants of the new 3 Series sedan so far, with a 2.0-litre 320 kicking things off. It's perfectly admirable with its 155kW of power and 7.4-second claimed 0-100km/h time, but for everyone who immediately associates the letters ‘BMW’ with the concept of ‘straight-six engine’, it’s the M350 which will appeal most.

It has a 3.0-litre petrol six-pot with 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance and a single TwinPower dual-scroll turbo fitted. Peak power output is a robust 326kW, allied to 580Nm of maximum torque, and propelling all four wheels through BMW’s xDrive AWD system, complete with an M Sport limited-slip differential. The claimed 0-100km/h time is a searing 4.1 seconds, despite the fact the M350 weighs in at a portly 1935kg at the kerb.

The transmission in the M350 xDrive is an eight-speed Steptronic automatic, with a one-to-one gear ratio in sixth, and two overdrives for both seventh and eighth.

To see how the BMW 3 Series lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the BMW M350 drive?

What a truly wonderful thing the BMW M350 xDrive is. In terms of the angular exterior design and that sci-fi cabin architecture, it’s a huge departure from previous 3 Series models with its future-gazing character.

And yet, in this six-cylinder configuration (and despite it not being rear-wheel drive), it’s as gloriously engaging and edifying as some of the finest Threes of antiquity, proudly carrying their ‘ultimate driving machine’ DNA forward into a new era.

BMW is saying that a new ‘Drift Moment’ function will be coming for the M350 via a 2027 software update, but from our experience of the car, you won’t need it. It doesn’t feel xDrive from behind the wheel – certainly not on mildly damp roundabouts, where even only moderately well-timed throttle inputs get the Beemer’s tail eagerly wagging in stunningly progressive and easily catchable fashion.

This sensation of the car being willing to move around significantly, but oh-so-controllably, on the throttle alone translates into the corners, where its majestic steering, spot-on Adaptive M damping and that sublime six-cylinder drivetrain all combine to make the M350 an absolute hoot. You won’t ever think this car weighs 1.9 tonnes, trust us.

The trick suspension works on the obverse side of the coin, too, so although the ride quality at town speeds is taut and firm, and you can sense the 20-inch alloys at all corners of the car, it’s never actively uncomfortable or leaden in its behaviour.

And once you’ve got the M350 rolling beyond 60-70km/h, it has excellent road manners, with superb rolling refinement only enhancing its case. On the highway at high cruising speeds, it’s little short of imperious.

Both the potent but smoothly modulated M Sport brakes and that silky Steptronic slusher seal the dynamic deal for the BMW M350 xDrive. It’s basically magnificent everywhere, and notably flawed in no single regard we can think of – save for some synthetic augmentation of its exhaust and engine soundtrack through the infotainment system.

But even that is reasonably discreetly enacted, so it’s a major thumbs-up from us after this first drive of the M350.

To see how the BMW 3 Series lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

As the flagship of the petrol arm of the bisected BMW 3 Series family, and indeed the fastest and most-expensive variant we’ve seen so far, there’s a comprehensive standard equipment list for the M350 xDrive which includes, but is by no means limited to, the following items.

2027 BMW 320 equipment highlights:

• 18-inch M aerodynamic alloy wheels, Polygon style 1137 M Bicolour
• Adaptive M suspension
• M Sport brakes with dark-blue metallic calipers
• M Sport package
• LED headlights and tail-lights
• BMW Iconic Glow exterior package
• Panoramic glass roof with climate-comfort glazing
• Sun protection glazing
• Expanded exterior mirror package
• Powered boot lid
• Contemporary Black interior design
• Veganza-trimmed instrument panel
• Electrically adjustable multifunction front seats with memory, heating and ventilation
• Sports steering wheel with gearshift paddles
• Ambient interior lighting
• Three-zone automatic climate control
• 17.9-inch central touchscreen with ‘free-cut’ design
• BMW Panoramic Vision
• BMW 3D head-up display
• BMW Digital Premium — time-limited subscription
• DAB+ digital radio
• Comfort Access keyless entry, including BMW Digital Key Plus
• Wireless Charging Tray Plus
• Driving Assistant Plus, including adaptive cruise control
• Parking Assistant Plus
• Alarm system
• Intelligent Emergency Call
• BMW Teleservices
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Tyre Repair Kit Plus

2027 BMW M350 xDrive adds:

• 20-inch M light-alloy wheels, Trigon style 1141 M, with staggered sport tyres
• M Aerodynamics package
• M door mirrors
• M high-gloss Shadowline exterior trim
• Heated M steering wheel
• Heated rear seats
• BMW Individual CraftedClarity glass interior elements
• Harman Kardon surround-sound system

To see how the BMW 3 Series lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the BMW M350 safe?

No version of the BMW 3 Series has yet been tested by either Euro NCAP nor ANCAP, although the closely related iX3 has and it received a full five-star rating under 2026’s tougher testing regime.

An extensive roster of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) fitted to the M350 as standard includes highlights such as attentiveness assistant with emergency stop, evasion assistant, rear collision warning, and exit warning, among much more – so you can take it as read that the BMW 3 Series is an inherently safe car.

To see how the BMW 3 Series lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the BMW M350 cost to run?

BMW Australia offers a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty for all of its models, and an eight-year/160,000km warranty for its EV batteries (whichever comes first). However, its free roadside assistance offer extends only for three years from purchase.

BMW reckons the M350 xDrive can achieve fuel consumption as parsimonious as 7.5L/100km. We’d draw your attention to the fact that over the course of 150km of (very enjoyable) mixed-roads driving in the 326kW 3 Series, it indicated a rather juicier 13.7L/100km.

To see how the BMW 3 Series lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert's Take on the BMW M350 xDrive

The BMW M350 xDrive is an exquisite blend of the German company’s latest, cutting-edge tech, along with some of its good old-fashioned chassis know-how.

Marrying these two disparate disciplines of a car off so sweetly is not an easy task, and plenty of other automakers have failed at it, but BMW has delivered one of its finest products in years with this new 3 Series.

It continues to set the benchmark in its class, an exalted level which all of its rivals must somehow now hope to attain. They’re unlikely to get there, though. This category remains, emphatically, the 3 Series' domain.

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