BMW 3 Series Sedan 335i M Sport Review: 3 Kings

What we like:

Sublime steering

well-proportioned looks

well-balanced dynamics

strong straight-six performance

more interior space than in its predecessor

What we dislike:

Average perceived quality of the interior

looks like the 5 Series from some angles

high price

Typically BMW, the new model’s interior is very much driver oriented. The overall look of the driving environment up front takes design cues from the recent 1 Series’. Just like the latter, the 3 is available in either Sport or Luxury trim with the 335i only available as a Sport. In Sport trim, the 3’s cabin features splashes of colour to lift cabin ambience a tad. A new feature in the F30 is the power and torque gauges that can be viewed on the wide iDrive screen.

The all-new interior is superior in perceived luxury and build quality over the E90’s but it somehow just doesn’t look or feel premium. Moreover, the cup holders just feel flimsy and dodgy to use. Since the E60, I’ve always lamented about the cup holders in BMW models. The F30’s are no different – the ones up front are hidden a small removable tray fore of the gear selector instead of proper holders while those at the rear are just plain flimsy and look like they can easily be broken. The switchgear are mostly familiar BMW items – they not only look good but work with tactility as well.

The previous E90 3 Series can hardly be described as a very spacious car for rear passengers. With the new F30 though, BMW finally has the opportunity to put things right when it comes to the 3 Series’ rear accommodation. Put things right it certainly did, the F30 offers significantly improved rear accommodation for passengers – both head and legroom have improved noticeably over the E90, so much so that the 3 is now right up there with the class best when it comes to rear accommodation.

In recent times, critics have hailed the F30 3 Series as one of the best cars to have ever come out of BMW’s illustrious stable. To a certain extent, they are not exaggerating – dubious cup holders, average perceived quality of the interior and slightly predictable styling aside, the 3 Series, in straight-six 335i guise is as good as it gets.

Credits: Story and photos by Raymond Lai