BMW 3-Series Saloon (98-05) - Review

Review by Parkers on
In the closely fought compact executive market, one model stands out from the rest: the BMW 3-Series. It has history stretching back to the 1980s and has built a solid reputation, and is the car of choice for every young middle manager. It's not that 3-Series lacks any serious rivals: the Mercedes-Benz C-Class is as prestigious; the Lexus IS will push it on reliability, while a fully loaded Ford Mondeo is better value. But it’s only the 3-Series, with its purposeful yet conservative styling, which has struck a chord with the British. Its popularity has not weakened residuals; even with plenty of used ones about, prices are remarkably stable.
4 out of 5

Other BMW reviews

3.5 out of 5

Running costs

Belt about in a big petrol unit and you'll guzzle juice and scoff tyres, but specify a small engine or a diesel, drive carefully and you'll get plenty of mpg - manual diesel models return close to 50mpg on the combined cycle. Insurance isn’t cheap, though residuals are good and servicing is variable with use.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,574 - £2,192 *

Diesel

£1,282 - £1,831 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

14,000-16,000 miles.

Warranty

Mechanical three years/60,000 mile, bodywork six years.

Road tax (12 months)

£170.00 - £270.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

2.5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
    151
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
    241
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

3-Series scores reasonably on the eco front. With an average of 192 g/km CO2 across the model line-up, its emissions are fairly standard for a medium-sized saloon. However, it's worth noting that the line up has a high number of diesel models, bringing the average down and giving buyers more choices of low-emission versions. Diesels typically produce less CO2 than petrol engines with similar power outputs. The range is not particularly economical, averaging 37 mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2