SPECS 2020 BMW 745e xDrive (PHEV)
Base Price/As Tested $96,545/$119,875
Power (SAE net) 280 hp @ 5,000 + 111 hp @ 3,170 (elec); 389 hp comb
Torque (SAE net) 330 lb-ft @ 1,500 + 195 lb-ft @ 3,170 (elec); 442 lb-ft comb
Accel, 0-60 mph 4.8 sec
Quarter Mile 13.3 sec @ 105.2 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 112 ft
Lateral Acceleration 0.84 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 26.1 sec @ 0.73 g (avg)
EPA Comb (gas; gas + elec) 22 mpg; 56 mpg-eBMW 3 Series
COTY I Contenders
Vehicle Layout Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan Engine/Transmission 3.0L turbo DOHC 24-valve I-6 plus AC synchronous elec motor/8-speed
automatic Curb Weight (F/R Dist) 4,956 lb (49/51%) Wheelbase 126.4 in Length x Width x Height 207.4 x 74.9 x 58.2 in Energy Consumption, City/Hwy
153 kW-hr/100 miles CO2 Emissions, Comb 0.88 lb/milePRO Smooth hybrid powertrain • Beautiful interior • Quiet while cruising
CON That grille • Soggy dynamics • Poor brake feelBMW 7 Series
Vehicle Layout 330i xDrive Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan M340i Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan Engine/Transmission 330i xDrive
2.0L turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4/8-speed automatic M340i 3.0L turbo DOHC 24-valve I-6/8-speed automatic Curb Weight (F/R Dist) 330i xDrive 3,702 lb
(53/47%) M340i 3,787 lb (52/48%) Wheelbase 112.2 in Length x Width x Height 330i xDrive 185.7 x 71.9 x 56.8 in M340i 185.7 x 71.9 x 56.4 in Energy Consumption,
City/Hwy 330i xDrive 135/99 kW-hr/100 miles M340i 153/112 kW-hr/100 miles CO2 Emissions, Comb 330i xDrive 0.68 lb/mile M340i 0.78 lb/mileSPECS 2019 330i xDrive 2020 M340i
Base Price/As Tested $43,245/$58,770 $54,995/$67,070
Power (SAE net) 255 hp @ 5,000 rpm 382 hp @ 5,800 rpm
Torque (SAE net) 295 lb-ft @ 1,550 rpm 369 lb-ft @ 1,800 rpm
Accel, 0-60 mph 5.5 sec 4.2 sec
Quarter Mile 14.1 sec @ 98.1 mph 12.7 sec @ 110.4 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 114 ft 111 ft
Lateral Acceleration 0.91 g (avg) 0.93 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 26.6 sec @ 0.66 g (avg) 25.0 sec @ 0.77 g (avg)
EPA City/Hwy/Comb 25/34/28 mpg 22/30/25 mpghorsepower”—saved only by the
well-executed ZF eight-speed
transmission. When mated
to the 340i’s zingy 3.0-liter
turbocharged inline-six, the
eight-speed’s tuning is even more
superb. The higher-horsepower
engine also provides a more
balanced driving feel—like a
3 Series used to.
A couple judges experienced
moments of understeer followed
by a feeling of lightness and
sudden drifty oversteer, and not
in a fun way. Also, the brakes haveA
lthough the new 3 Series
was supposed to show
BMW has its mojo back,
it’s now merely competitive—a
long fall for an icon that once
defined the compact sport sedan
segment.
BMW sent a 330i model with
a jarring, unsettled M Sport
suspension; at least that meant
sharp, precise handling that is
only let down by a slightly over-
boosted, artificial steering feel.
Walton called the BMW’s
2.0-liter mill “all torque and noa distant and unpredictable feel.
At least BMW’s vaunted high-
speed straight-line stability is
still present.
The familiar styling and kidney
grille will let everyone know you’re
driving a BMW. The laser head-
lights are super bright and reach
a good distance.
Inside, designers stuck with the
consistent BMW layout. Quintes-
sential or boring? You pick. The
seats are upright and firm. Some
of the plasticky trim pieces are
off-putting for a luxury car. Plus,BMW charges a fee for CarPlay,
and its phone connectivity
sof tware is buggy. At least the
Harman Kardon audio system is
clear and crisp.
As this iconic Bimmer
moves into its fourth decade
of existence, MacKenzie
summarized: “The 3 Series was
once the benchmark sport sedan
others aspired to emulate. Now
it feels like an aging rock star
desperately trying to stay the
headline act.”
Mark RechtinM340iMBUX interface and Audi’s
dramatic new A8 interior layout.
“Copious engineering effort
has gone into this car,” Markus
said. “Pity so little of it was
directed toward the powertrain
and chassis dynamics. There’s no
‘ultimate driving’ in this machine.
BMW management in the ’90s
would never have stood for it.”
Angus MacKenzieF
or decades, BMW has viewed
its 7 Series flagship luxury
sedan through the prism of
the best-selling Mercedes-Benz
S-Class. The dilemma: Imitate, or
try something different?
The latest 7 Series is the former:
softer and more comfort-oriented
than you’d expect a BMW to be,
laden with tech, and with a big,
glittery grille to let everyone know
you’ve joined the plutocracy.
The xDrive plug-in hybrid
combines a 280-hp 3.0-liter I-6
with a 111-hp motor.It’ll scoot the 4,956-pound
sedan to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds
and over the quarter mile in 13.3
seconds at 105.2 mph. BMW
claims the 12-kW-hr battery gives
the 745e a 16-mile range running
purely on the motor, a 2-mile
increase over its predecessor.
More power and more range.
What’s not to like? A lot, actually.
Yes, the 745e goes farther on
battery power, but the larger
internal combustion engine
means its overall efficiency is
worse, dropping from 64 mpg-eto 56 mpg-e, according to the
EPA. More concerning, though, is
the drive experience, which is soft
and pillowy, with robotic steering
and brake actuation evocative of
an on-off switch.
And although it’s beautifully
put together and laden with tech,
the interior ambiance is oddly old
school, especially in the context
of the current S-Class with thePRO Fantastic transmission • I-6 engine rips • Decent back seat
CON Rough M Sport suspension • Unimaginative interior • Distant steering78 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2020