BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo Review

BMW has learned its lessons with the 5 Series Gran Turismo, using the feedback to make the 3 Series GT a more refined proposal. On paper, all its assets add up nicely, making it seem like a natural way to go for those who want added comfort.

When you see the car, its fresh lines lure you to take a peek inside. The cabin comes to reinforce the idea that this GT treatment was a brilliant idea. In fact, the concept itself is the best part of the BMW 3 Series GT. Alas, the implementation is a different story. A sad one.

The tarmac of the real world reveals that the actual car isn’t something you want. The BMW 3 Series sedan feels much more balanced, a good recipe that won us over when we drove the car. Well, the 3 Series Gran Turismo simply doesn’t seem to fit any purpose.

Yes, it’s more comfortable than the Sedan, but it still doesn’t manage to make you feel truly spoiled - we are facing the worst part of the car here. And in its quest for delivering coziness, the 3 Series GT loses too much of its BMW-ness. The connection to the driver simply isn’t there.

As far as the pricing is concerned, the GT addition boosts the price by up to $2,000, compared to the 3 Series Sedan - the Gran Turismo starts at $41,450, the MRSP for the 328i xDrive.

In Europe, the gap between the two enlarges. The 3 Series GT starts at EUR36,800 (320i manual), while the homologue 3 Series is EUR3,150 easier to buy. It's safe to say that the EUR3,000+ difference is maintained throught the range. Despite the fact that we didn't see the BMW 3 Series as fit for a certain job, its extra wheelbase does make it more practical than the Sedan. Thus, it gets a five in the value-for-money department.

Some have rushed to compare BMW’s 3 Series Gran Turismo to the Audi A5 Sportback. Well, that’s not accurate, since the latter will go head to head with the upcoming BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, not the 3 GT.

Confused? You shouldn’t be, it’s all simple really - if you want a 3 Series, stick to the Sedan or the Touring.