BMW3 Series Hybrid

　　

2023 BMW 3 Series Plug-in Hybrid Review

byRonald MontoyaSenior Consumer Advice Editor & Content Strategy

　　Ronald Montoya has worked in the automotive industry since 2008. He has written over a thousand car related articles and bought and sold over 100 vehicles over the course of his career. Ronald is a senior consumer advice editor and content strategy at zzdcar and has also contributed to the Associated Press. He has also been featured on ABC, NBC and NPR on a number of car shopping topics. He got his start in the auto industry by taking a part-time job at a car dealership, where he worked in the service and accounting department.

　　, rating written byRonald MontoyaDirector of Content Strategy

　　Josh Sadlier has worked in the automotive industry since 2008. He has written or edited thousands of expert car reviews and road-tested hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Josh is director of content strategy at zzdcar and has also contributed to Autotrader and Automobile. Under his stewardship, zzdcar' own 1989 Yugo GVL won first place at the Concours d'Lemons, taking home a jar of borscht, a can of beets, a cutting board and a pint of VIP vodka.

　　The seventh-generation BMW 3 Series has been on sale for a few years, which means it was time for BMW to give it a feature refresh to keep it competitive against the recently redesigned Mercedes-Benz C-Class. We knew a styling update would be in the picture for the 2023 BMW 3 Series and feared the beaver-toothed grille from the 4 Series and M3/M4 would transition to the mild-mannered luxury sedan, too. Thankfully, BMW hasn't fussed with the exterior too much — the grille is slightly wider than before, the headlight cluster no longer has the little notch in the middle, and the front and rear bumpers feature sharper angles, giving it a more modern look.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below

　　

BMW 3 Series PHEV Insights

Trim:3 Series 330e

　　330e 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric plug-in hybrid 8A) (Most Popular) - $44,900 MSRP330e xDrive 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric plug-in hybrid 8A) - $46,900 MSRP

　　

All Electric Range

　　22 miles

　　EPA Estimated Electric Range

　　The 3 Series will automatically switch to gas when the electric battery is low.Electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.

　　Estimated range mapThis map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of Rutland, North Dakota. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.Map display generated using: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © Recurrent contributors | Recurrent

　　from 58067

　　

Hybrid Parts Warranty

　　8 yrs or 80,000 milesHybrid batteries are federally mandated to carry at least 8 years or 100,000 miles of warranty coverage from the manufacturer. Batteries that lose capacity more rapidly than expected should be eligible for replacement under warranty. Coverage of additional hybrid components beyond the battery itself will vary by automaker.

　　

Charging at Home

　　3 hours

　　Total Charging Time (240V outlet)

　　

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

　　$400

　　Available Rebates. Restrictions apply.

　　Utility EV Charger Offer

　　$400

　　Restrictions: Otter Tail Power offers EV owners a rebate of up to $400 towards the installation of a Level 2 charging station. To qualify for this rebate, the customer and/or charging station must meet the following requirements: Receive electricity from Otter Tail Power.

　　To learn more, visit Recurrent

　　See All PHEV incentives

　　

Cost to Drive

　　$132/mo

　　3 Series

　　vs

　　$165/mo

　　Car Avg.

　　Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　See All PHEV Insights

　　There are significant changes to the interior, however. For starters, the 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and central touchscreen now share a singular curved housing running BMW's latest iDrive 8 software. The new software makes the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant smarter, with improved natural language voice recognition and additional features, including the ability to open and close the windows or the sunroof through verbal commands. Finally, the central screen is upgraded to measure 14.9 inches — nearly double the size of the previously standard 8.8-inch screen — and once again offers touch functionality.

　　BMW has also streamlined the center stack control layout. There are almost zero dedicated physical controls for the climate system. Instead, these functions are moved to the touchscreen in a climate menu, though the driver and passenger temperatures are always displayed. We're not huge fans of making attention-sapping touchscreens even more convoluted, but at least you can use the car's voice recognition system to change the temperature. The useful set of eight preset buttons, which can be configured for anything from radio stations to navigation destinations and specific menus, also disappears. Lastly, the shift lever has been replaced by a toggle switch.

　　All these changes make for a compelling entrant into the compact luxury sedan segment, but the 3 Series will face stiff competition from the redesigned Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the stylish Audi A4 and the up-and-coming Genesis G70. Read on for our thoughts on how the updated 3 Series fares.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Good

　　7.9

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.0/10

　　How does the 3 Series drive? The turbocharged four-cylinder engine and electric motor work together seamlessly in hybrid mode, and the automatic transmission is a peach. In our testing, the 330e sprinted to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, which is roughly on par with the regular 330i, but the 330e's electric assist adds some pulse-quickening thrust when you give it the beans. In full EV mode, the 330e could only manage a 12.9-second dash to 60 mph, but in the real world there's enough squirt to get around town.

　　The brakes feel strong and consistent, with a solid pedal that helps the 330e feel sure-footed. The regenerative braking system is subtle in operation, never palpably intruding to remind you that you're driving a hybrid. Although the 330e's suspension and tires are not optimized for performance, the bones are good. Driven briskly on a winding road, the 330e feels like a sport sedan that just happens to be a plug-in hybrid.

　　

Comfort

7.5/10

　　How comfortable is the 3 Series? There's a certain expectation when it comes to comfort and refinement in a luxury car, and the 330e mostly meets it. We found the front sport seats to be firmly supportive, with generous adjustments in all directions. The back seat is impressively accommodating for a smaller sedan, proving perfectly pleasant for a 6-footer sitting behind a similarly sized driver.

　　Ride quality has been a concern with this 3 Series generation and the 330e does ride more stiffly than most rivals, but it's not objectionable if you appreciate a taut driving feel. There's also a bit more tire noise at speed than you might expect, but you could similarly chalk that up to the 330e's sporty character.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below