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BMW 3 Series vs BMW M5

What's the difference?

VS
BMW 3 Series
BMW 3 Series

$62,988 - $114,990

2023 price

BMW M5
BMW M5

$110,900 - $110,900

2018 price

Summary

2023 BMW 3 Series
2018 BMW M5
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 2.0L

Turbo V8, 4.4L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded Petrol

Premium Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency
6.5L/100km (combined)

10.6L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • Harder ride might bother some people
  • Cosy back seat for child seats
  • Lacklustre lane keeping tech

  • Hefty price hike
  • Design, inside and out, could be more adventurous
  • Still no phone mirroring
2023 BMW 3 Series Summary

Back in the day, the 3 Series sedan was often the entry to the brand for first time BMW owners, and for good reason. They offered practical interior space without compromising on engine performance.

And they simply looked good, no boring nanny design elements. Then the 1 Series came along and price points bumped up, so how does the ‘entry’ BMW 320i M Sport live up to its long-standing reputation?

With an updated dashboard that brings the interior and tech up to market and a sharper exterior design, it more than holds its own at the table of luxury sedans, despite hard competition from the likes of the Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C200 and Jaguar XE.

However, if the Merc is a placid and well-behaved mare… the BMW is the barely-broken-in bronco and it takes a certain kind of ‘rider’ to enjoy what the 320i has to offer.

I’ve been discovering just that this week with my family of three. What did we find out? Read below!

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2018 BMW M5 Summary

Remember back when people were saying the BMW M5 would lose a little something by shifting from its traditional rear-wheel drive set-up to all-wheel drive?

It would drain a little sparkle, maybe. Or some excitement. It would become more predictable, more placid - hell, even boring.

But hindsight is always 20/20, and we know now that switching to AWD has done nothing but allow BMW to funnel even more power into the tarmac, with the German brand upping power outputs and dropping lap times in one fell swoop. 

Consider the M5 Competition, then, BMW’s way of delivering the ultimate 'I told you so'. Because it’s not just the most fun, most potent AWD M5 ever - it’s the best M5 period.

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Deep dive comparison

2023 BMW 3 Series 2018 BMW M5

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