Overview & Reviews
The 3 Series wagon returns, as it has finally received the same redesign the sedan got in 2012. In addition, a new four-cylinder diesel engine joins the 2014 BMW 3 Series lineup and a few more standard features are thrown in. The 3 Series coupe is also new, but has been renamed for 2014 as the 4 Series.
- Upscale interior with straightforward controls and spacious seating.
- Excellent ride/handling balance
- Powerful and fuel-efficient engines
- Automatic stop-start system is intrusive.
- ActiveHybrid3 lacks typical hybrid efficiency
User Reviews:
Showing 1 through 10 of 31.00-
Sportwagon - Child Seat Comments included! - 2014 BMW 3-Series
By Wilson - January 18 - 3:57 pmI spent the better part of a frigid New England (just snowed) morning test driving two cars 1) a 2014 BMW 328xi wagon with luxury package and 2) a new 2015 BMW 328xd wagon with nav and a couple of the basic packages. I had never driven a diesel before so I felt I owed it to myself to try these two head-to-head. While the diesel had a broadly useable torque band, I felt it lacked uphill oomph especially in the 2nd or 3rd gear range (tough to tell because the transmission shifts so smoothly in both models). Granted this was a 25 degree day and we basically started it cold from the dealership, but after having driven a similarly cold gasoline model over the same roads earlier in the morning, the diesel just didn’t compare. In my opinion, the diesel was overpriced even with the 2015 “leftover” discount, about $7k more than the lightly used 2014 with 10k miles. The diesel exhaust note, as many reviews have noted, is coarse and loud at revs. The gasoline exhaust note is fake, pumped in through the sound system. You can actually hear it change its volume if you switch from Comfort to Sport under hard acceleration. Still, I prefer a quiet car with some audio theatrics to one that sounds like an economy car with gravel under the hood. Now for some comments that pertain to both models: 1) Very few reviews ever cover the fit and functionality of child seats. The local used car dealership graciously allowed me to mess around with different configurations after I test drove it. I am 6’0 and need to use a fair amount of front seat track to get comfortable behind the wheel. In the rear-facing position, I found the child seat to be workable, but it took a fair amount of finagling. Both test cars were equipped with power front seats rather than the manual kind found in some of the base models. For 6’0+ drivers, you might have to live with your seatback a little more upright than you’re used to in order to get the child seat to fit correctly in the rear-facing position. I also found it helped to drop the driver’s seat almost to the floor. In the front-facing position, there were no problems at all. Now, I didn’t try one of our newer child seats – a Britax G3 Marathon. Those stay in my wife’s minivan since she does 90% of the child transportation. They are a bit more bulky, mostly laterally, than the regular G3 because they have the extra head protection. With BMW’s new 40-20-40 folding seatbacks, you might be able to utilize your “20” with two regular G3s in the back, but you’d have a much harder time doing the same thing with the wider G3 Marathons. 2) The stock stereo system is middling. Not sure the upgrade would necessarily be worth it, but it could be worth considering. 3) Despite some criticism of the new suspension, I found the Sport mode in both models to be amply stiff for hard corners in slippery conditions. Yes, I did try a couple after dropping off my sales minder at the front door. 4) Visibility out the back is limited and the side mirrors are tiny. Unfortunately, this means springing for blind-spot detection is a must. 5) After half an hour in the standard seats, I wasn’t loving them. The seat bottoms are totally flat with just average padding. They reminded me of the mid-90s Subaru Outback wagon seats. Both my testers had lumbar support, which even for me as a relatively healthy mid-30s guy is a must. I would probably limit my search to models with the sport seats from here out. 6) The new touch-sensitive controller is little too sensitive for the initiated, but I found myself accidentally clicking stuff when I was trying to use the jogger control. 7) Overall, I don’t think either of these models is worth the near $50k price tag, but finding a lightly used CPO at <$40k seems right for the gasoline-powered model. The diesel model really doesn’t warrant a premium, but my commutes most days are fairly short so I’m probably not the target market for it.
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A small "Abrams Tank from BMW - 2014 BMW 3-Series
By Garrett Thurber - January 4 - 11:58 amThis car goes where you point it with the steering wheel. It also has three different transmission settings for you to choose from Eco for the best gas consumption with a little less power, Comfort (the default) for a bit less rigid ride with a little more power than Eco, and Sport for driving the car like a BMW is supposed to be driven full power and absolutely no hesitation.
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Close to the ideal all around car - 2014 BMW 3-Series
By Sam Carter - December 18 - 7:24 pmThis is a great little car! It hugs the road and is a pleasure to drive. It gets great fuel mileage and is very comfortable on long trips. The only downside is that BMW "nickels and dimes" you on packages rather than making everything standard on an automobile in this category.
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Good but not great - 2014 BMW 3-Series
By Jack Kenney - November 24 - 8:32 amMy biggest gripe is value for the money. If all youre looking for in a vehicle is engineering and performance, then BMW is definitely for you. The 2.0L Turbo 4 is a powerful little engine which is smooth as silk and provides sprightly acceleration, especially in Sport mode. Ill even forgive the fact that it sounds like a low-end diesel mill at idle. But BMWs come by their sticker price by virtue of their reputation and position in the luxury segment. Upgrading the technology, luxury and safety components comes at a steep price. To get something as basic as a backup camera (standard equipment in most cars now), you need to tack on a $900 Driver Assistance Package, and active monitoring features come in another $1700 package. Im probably going to trade this car soon for a small SUV and need to try and justify whether I want to fork over another $16 to $18K above my trade-in for an X3 which will have less than half the comfort and safety equipment of many other worthy contenders in the segment at thousands less. Tough call.
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To New York and back 51mpg! - 2014 BMW 3-Series
By Magnus Rundqwist - September 17 - 2:58 pmI love the car. This is my 3rd 3-series, -when my last 328i at 180,000 miles started to show signs of costly repairs I thought is was time to trade in. I was hopping around for fuel efficient cars including hybrids, once used to the driving environment of the BMW its difficult to switch. The car has been 5/5. The mileage I get has been great. I am a bit of a mpg-geek and think its fun to keep track. Most recent was a full-packed 4 people trip to NY from Atlanta, including Labor day traffic jams and driving on Manhattan. Coming home after 1750 miles the trip computer showed 51mpg average. -Im happy with that. Around town (Atlanta traffic 25-30mph average): ~40-45mpg MPG "geek" driving (careful driving smooth acc etc): 55-60 mpg Typical highway at 75mph: ~53mpg
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Fuel sipping fury! - 2014 BMW 3-Series
By Brian - August 17 - 2:29 pmThis is a great car. I get 32 mpg in the city and over 50 on the freeway. I average just above 40 mpg per tank and in Los angeles Diesel fuel is a dollar less than regular gas. The ride is extremely smooth and comfortable. The steering is too light unless its in sport mode. The cabin is a little too loud at highway speed, the engine is quiet but the road noise is too high for a $40k + car. My only other complaint is that features like HID headlights, Bluetooth streaming audio, and backup camera are not standard features. But I am very happy with my purchase and highly recommend the car.
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Twelve thousand miles and in the shop again. - 2014 BMW 3-Series
By bmw_girl2 - April 1 - 12:46 amMy 328d now has roughly 12k miles on it now, and as I type this the car is sitting at the BMW dealer with the techs trying to figure out whats wrong with it. Basically, they dont know for sure and theyve reached out to senior engineers at BMW for answers. To date they have fixed a squeaky dash that was missing a clip from the factory. They have removed a stink bug from inside the right tail light (A common problem with bugs getting in it seems). They gave the car back without repairs for an engine idle problem at stoplights, saying they couldnt reproduce it. The engine acts like it wants to shut off and shakes the whole car. I videod the tach jumping around and gave it back again.
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BEWARE: Engine Malfunctions Rampant - 2014 BMW 3-Series
By tornado542 - March 3 - 7:15 pmJust purchased a 2014 328i with the 4 cyl turbo. After 5000 miles, engine malfunction comes up on the display. After some research, looks like this is a common issue with these newer f30 3series. Usually a transmission failure or VANOS failure. [HTML removed]
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Very comfortable car, but not a sports sedan - 2014 BMW 3-Series
By dandedor - February 15 - 9:26 amPrior to my 2014 320i xDrive, I drove a Mini Countryman, a mini cooper, and a 2011 hyundai sonata. Pros: This BMW is easily one of the best looking cars on the road. It is very quiet inside around town, with a comfortable ride. The transmission is excellent. Shifts are smooth and unintrusive. Turbo lag is absent. The controls are intuitive. Cons: Steering is more similar to the Hyundai than MINI. It is VERY numb on center, though it firms up as you turn. Brakes offer no feeling - like stepping on a cloud instead. Highway wind noise is intrusive. iDrive doesnt sync too well with my iPhone 6+ - it says "transferring data" instead of showing my contacts.
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Great car (with one irritating flaw) - 2014 BMW 3-Series
By bigbaddave - December 26 - 4:43 pmI have been driving this car for a month and just love it. My previous car was a Buick Enclave which although great in many ways just drank too much gas and did rather lumber around. The 328 is a much more complex vehicle and I am still discovering new features. I love the way I can put it into eco-pro mode on the freeways and notch up 35 mpg and better on long drives and then - when I want to leave other drivers well behind - I can slip it into sport mode and boom! I am gone. The one drawback is a lousily small amount of storage space for the driver. The compartment underneath the central arm rest is minute.
