Plenty of additional premium alternatives are also available and aren’t restricted to the German marques. If you’re a keen driving enthusiast, the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Jaguar XE are worthy candidates thanks to their responsive handling setups. At the other end of the scale, the Lexus IS and Volvo S60 make strong cases if comfort and refinement are your priorities.
If you’re also open to looking at similarly sized saloons from more mainstream car makers, then you may also want to consider the Ford Mondeo, Mazda 6, Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Passat.
In addition to the saloon, the BMW 3 Series Mk6 was offered in a variety of variants. There was a 3 Series Touring estate, two-door 3 Series Coupe and 3 Series Convertible models and a slightly longer fastback-style variant called the 3 Series GT. The saloon, coupe and convertible models were also offered in high-performance M3 versions.
BMW 3 Series vs Jaguar XE vs Alfa Romeo Giulia
In our three-way executive car head-to-head from 2016, we pitted the BMW 3 Series against two similarly sporty rivals: the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Jaguar XE. Overall, we felt the BMW was the better to drive and was more well-rounded than the Alfa Romeo, although the 3 Series’ higher CO2 emissions and limited standard kit spec contributed to it finishing runner-up to the Jaguar. Read the full test…
BMW 3 Series vs Audi A4 vs Jaguar XE
Fresh from its mid-life facelift, the BMW 3 Series went up against the Jaguar XE and the fresh-faced Audi A4 in this group test. Thanks to the car’s good handling, strong performance and its spacious and well-built interior, the 3 Series finished ahead of the Audi A4, but the BMW just lost out overall to the victorious Jaguar. Read the full test…
BMW 3 Series vs Mercedes C-Class
Not long after the BMW 3 Series Mk6 went on sale in 2012, it featured in our head-to-head against the Mercedes C-Class executive saloon in 2013. It was a resounding triumph for the BMW, with the 3 Series having the edge in areas like handling, performance, refinement and practicality. Do bear in mind that generation of C-Class was towards the tail end of its life cycle, though, and was replaced by a brand-new version in 2014. Read the full test…
How much will a used BMW 3 Series Mk6 cost?
Because of its strong brand image, the BMW 3 Series Mk6 has held on to its value well, but there are still some good deals to be had. The diesels will be the ones to go for if you’re a higher-mileage driver and fuel efficiency is a number one priority; all the engines are pretty efficient relative to their respective performance, and overall running costs are on par with some of the 3 Series Mk6’s main rivals.
Prices
Thanks to the premium appeal of the BMW badge, the 3 Series Mk6 has held on to its value fairly well, but the fact even the youngest examples date back to 2018 means they’re generally much more affordable now than they were brand new.