BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo Review

All the elements of the cabin's rear side add up to create a pretty handy feeling when you’re out shopping. And once you’ve left the shops behind and enter the city, you don’t quite feel the extra size of the car.

BMW’s 3 Series Gran Turismo feels agile enough on urban roads. Sure, you can’t ignore the added length, but the somewhat lighter steering setup helps reduces its jammed traffic consequences.

As for the height increase we’ve mentioned earlier, this partially comes from a one-inch ride height boost. Enough to give you extra confidence when the neighborhoods treat you with bad roads.

There’s a long, wide left-hander introducing us to the open road part of our test drive. The editor behind the wheel has a pretty straight face and the one in the back is smiling, but only just. We’ll start with the first.

The modifications they’ve brought to the platform do... well, just what you expect them to do. The experience behind the wheel feels like a 3 Series that’s been partially diluted.

The higher center of gravity, the softer steering, everything adds up. You still get a decent time behind the wheel, but nothing more. For example, the 3 Series Touring was closer to the Sedan in terms of handling. You can still pull drifts with the beefier engines and the car doesn’t mind being introduced to corners, but there’s no special feel to it.

As for the straight line performance, the difference between a 3 Series sedan and the Gran Turismo is pretty hard to notice. The GT only adds about 150 lbs (70 KG) and as for the acceleration difference, you can forget about it.

The US market only gets xDrive versions of the BMW 3 Series GT and for good reason. We started our drive in a RWD model and found out that, at the limit, you can end up pushing your family sideways. If you’re reading this in Europe, opt for the all-wheel drive.

Aside from that, the BMW 3 Series GT should shine when it comes to providing safety. Despite the GT not being tested, we can use the results of the Sedan.