BMW is known for its brilliance in designing high-performing luxury vehicles, and the 2022 BMW 3 Series is no exception. In a world where compact sedans are exiting the automotive scene with rapid decline, the 3 Series continues its ascent into the empty spaces other manufacturers leave behind. With the refreshed features of the 2022 model, the 3 Series continues to inspire the thrill of a curving road with yet another year slated for its lexicon of excellence. Kelley Blue Book calls the 2022 3 Series “absolutely wonderful to drive,” and Motor Trend reminds enthusiasts this sedan is a “standard setter.” And now, the 2022 BMW 3 Series is available at your BMW dealership in Cincinnati, Ohio.
As is appropriate, BMW delivers on performance with three superb engines divided amongst the trims—one of which is a hybrid that diligently provides the refined and precise manners drivers expect from BMW’s traditional gas-powered engines. With its typical attention to detail, BMW manages a spacious, welcoming interior that doesn’t come across as compact despite what its designation would suggest. The technology focuses on blending seamlessly with daily life while also uplifting performance for the kind of driving pleasure everyone expects from a BMW. Of course, the 2022 3 Series boasts the iconic kidney grille we all know and love.
Updates for the 2022 3 Series
Still in the seventh generation that began in 2019, the 2022 3 Series remains classic in its appeal yet edgy in its sporty luxury. New features within the trims include a few tech additions and simple paint color switches. Some features are spread across the trims to broaden the already generous amenities on board the sleek sedan. As such, ambient lighting for the cabin is now standard for all 2022 models, and the Live Cockpit Professional digital instrument display is now fitted into every 3 Series dashboard. Buyers of the 330e hybrid will now benefit from the LED headlights with a cornering feature that lights the road around the bend.
For 2022, BMW updates its Sensatec upholstery with a perforated surface which is more breathable, and new color options are available for the interior. Shifts amongst the package options will affect choices for additional upgrades, such as the M Sport package which gains a rear spoiler but drops the Sensatec material on the dashboard. Other features of the package remain, like the sport-tuned suspension upgrade and unique exterior styling. Two exterior paint colors are removed from the choices available, but Oxide Grey and Aventurin Red take the place of the outgoing Glacier Silver and Blue Ridge Mountain.
Performance in Every Trim
Over the years, the BMW 3 Series has embodied four styles, including a convertible and station wagon option. Today the 3 Series comes dressed as a sedan alone, although this is a very good thing. Sleek as ever, the 2022 3 Series leans into the wind and runs, elk-like on the highway. The long, broad hood arches over the engine, making room for it to get its stride. At the entry, the 330i begins the trim levels with a set of abundant features. BMW always builds a beautiful engine, and four-cylinders do more than we could have imagined even 20 years ago. The output of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder is a respectable 255 hp with 294 lb-ft of torque, enough to get your blood running.
Standard features such as a powered sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, and automatic high beams are part of the offerings in the 330i trim level. As buyers would no doubt expect, BMW fits all its 3 Series models with sport seats for the front passengers, providing excellent support for driving of any kind. Technology is found at the helm of the 3 Series, with the new digital instrument display, an 8.8-inch touchscreen in the center stack, and safety features like Forward Collision Mitigation making time on the road easier and more convenient.
All trims of the 2022 3 Series engage the driver with the road through its precise steering, finely-tuned suspension, and well-honed engines. That is also true of the 330e hybrid, which comes standard as a plug-in variant that pairs its 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine to an electric motor. Power output is an impressive 288 hp with 310 lb-ft of torque, which responds immediately to the accelerator with instant torque so common of electrified vehicles. An eight-speed automatic transmission shifts readily, making smooth work of getting up to speed, just as it does for the 330i. To save on fuel, the 330e can drive up to 23 miles on electrical power before needing to draw on fuel in the gas tank while getting a combined highway and city average of 75 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent).
BMW’s xDrive technology is an option that can be added to any trim, taking performance to a new level with all-wheel drive with improved traction beyond the standard rear-wheel drive. Then again, rear-wheel drive fully satiates with a deep connection to the road when behind the wheel of the M340i. One of BMW’s most inspiring traits is its dedication to intuitive performance. Under the hood of the M430i is the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine, which harnesses 382hp with 368 lb-ft of torque. You might never guess that a 48-volt mild hybrid system assists the traditional gas-powered engine, which exhibits such silky acceleration you could be levitating over the pavement. Utilizing the sport suspension and custom aerodynamics, the sedan carves through the air with the rear spoiler to finish the styling.
As if BMW couldn’t help itself, it bolsters the leonine agility of the M340i by stepping up to the fabled M3. Taking the same 3.0-liter I-6, BMW raises its game by tuning the engine to unleash an astonishing 473 hp with 406 lb-ft of torque. A carbon fiber roof lightens the M3’s load, and a lower center of gravity means this BMW can leap from zero to 60 in only 4.1 seconds. Though critics have remarked on the stiffness of the M3 suspension, with such high-performance capability, the sport tuning requires accuracy for safe handling. Regardless, the sport seats keep you cradled in place as the M3 sprints with ease, and true enthusiasts will delight in the six-speed manual transmission.
Setting Standards for the Rest of the Segment
Compact luxury sedans may be fewer in number today, but BMW continues to set the pace for all other manufacturers. Few sedans can hold the same space as a BMW in terms of class and styling that still delivers the kind of performance that translates easily to the track. Nothing compares to the balanced nature of its handling, nor its luxurious ride quality, which doesn’t suffer for the power under the hood. As it should, BMW also ensures excellent braking power to handle the deceleration without being too sticky, another balancing act that takes serious refinement to master.
For 2022, the BMW 3 Series is many vehicles rolled into one. It is luxurious, compact, and sporty. Technology plays its own part in many ways as well, from electronic nudges to improve a driver’s performance to the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Imminently practical, the 2022 3 Series elegantly glides into the segment as an exemplar of quality others hope to achieve. To drive a BMW is to know the joy of what driving can be when engineering meets design in the most fulfilling way. For the 2022 3 Series, the seventh generation is a high point in the BMW legacy of excellence—a vehicle to admire as much as drive.