BMW ActiveHybrid 3
A Lot Of Fun On Slightly Less Fuel. One thing you should know up front: This is not a car for the typical hybrid shopper; the BMW ActiveHybrid 3 is designed to win over people who care about performance.
Think of it as a sport sedan that happens to get good fuel economy. Flooring the throttle quickens the pulse and shoves you firmly into the seat, as the car eagerly accelerates from 0 to 100 km per hour in 5.3 seconds. The twin turbocharged six-cylinder engine’s snarl sounds great too.
One way to consider the BMW 3 Series Hybrid, then, is as a faster, more economical version of the high-performance 335i. BMW is even pitching this car as something that "looks, drives and acts like a sport sedan." That may seem odd when the hybrid label usually triggers thoughts of a Prius, but if you find yourself on an open road at 50 mph with a full five blue bars of battery power confirmed in the infotainment display, nail the throttle and prepare to be surprised.
Not only do you get the full thrust of the 3.0-liter turbo-6 but also the benefit of the electric motor's 155 pound-feet of torque. Together, the pair punches a decisive hole in the horizon as the BMW surges forward with near-startling zeal. It's like having a Formula 1 KERS system kick in as you power past drifters, and it will certainly have you recalibrating your view on hybrids.
Driving like this will also punch a hole in your average fuel consumption, however, which you can observe minute-by-minute on one of the hybrid display screens provided by the iDrive infotainment system. Besides recording your gas mileage, this bar graph display also reveals how much or little the six-cylinder engine has been used, although with so much performance on offer it's tempting simply to sink your right boot and create your own graph of shame.
The BMW's willingness to perform is further heightened by an eight-speed automatic that spends remarkably little time hunting for the right ratio, while making creamy smooth shifts. Their exchanges can be quickened via the Driving Dynamics switch on the center console, which toggles among Eco Pro, Comfort, Sport and Sport+ settings.
The throttle mapping, the transmission's shift strategy and its gearchange times are altered with each switching, and with the optional Dynamic Handling package, the stiffness of the shocks changes, too. We'd strongly recommend this option, not only because it reduces body roll through bends but also because the Comfort setting provides an impressively pillowy ride over broken tarmac. You also get variable-ratio steering with this package, whose weighting is also adjusted by the Driving Dynamics switch, turning meatier in the Sport and Sport+ modes.
It's a pity you can't select the steering effort independently of the shocks, our preference being to combine the lighter steering effort provided in Comfort mode with the firmer suspension setting. Sport+, incidentally, is for the more dynamically ambitious, as it disengages much of the stability control system to allow the rear wheels a small slide before the system intervenes. Such indulgences may sound irrelevant in a hybrid, but believe us, they're not when your dual-motor machine goes this hard.
The ActiveHybrid 3, which is new for 2013, marks the first time the BMW 3 Series is getting a hybrid, and the German automaker does not in any sense allow it to be a slouch. Despite weighing 305 pounds more, the hybrid corners like a typical 3 Series, which is to say almost like a sports car. Tossing it around the narrow and bumpy back roads of was a blast, thanks to its near-perfect weight distribution and superb steering.
No way does this feel like driving a hybrid, especially in its Sport and Sport Plus modes, which optimize the engine, transmission and other systems for spirited driving. Without question, the BMW ActiveHybrid 3 is satisfying enough to lure those who might not be inclined to consider a hybrid otherwise.
There are a couple of big caveats, though. In most countries it 15% more than a similarly equipped BMW 335i, another 3 Series vehicle that has the same twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine as the new hybrid. Rationalizing the extra expense is a challenge, because you won’t get the fuel economy of a typical hybrid. Anyone eager to buy a hybrid for the promise of 50 mpg will have to look elsewhere. This is not the case in Thailand though where the Hybrid is actually almost 50% cheaper than the regular 335i which is therefor not sold here. So there is no problem with the economy of this version here.
The EPA estimate for the BMW ActiveHybrid 3 is 28 mpg in combined city and highway driving. That’s just 2 mpg better than a BMW 335i.
The 2 mpg advantage exists entirely because of city driving, where the EPA estimates 25 mpg for the ActiveHybrid 3 versus 23 for the 335i. The highway driving estimate is 33 mpg for both cars.
3 Series hybrid drivers can get better fuel economy than the EPA numbers indicate for the EPA test cycle does not take into account the fact that on the highway the car can coast, with the internal combustion engine off.
One of the most impressive aspects of the ActiveHybrid 3 - which can run on gasoline or electric power alone, or a combination of both at the same time for added performance - is how smoothly and seamlessly everything works. It’s hard to tell this car is a hybrid when driving it. You have to look at the dashboard to determine when the gas engine was shutting off or powering up, which is a testament to how unobtrusive the switch from gas to electric is and how similar the driving feels regardless of what power source is being used at any given moment.
Coasting down a steep hill, the tachometer needle came to rest at 0 rpm, which actually reads as “off” in the gauge. Once I started accelerating again, the needle sprang up as the engine quietly came back to life. I couldn't feel or hear a thing, though. The rpm readout was the only indication of any change. In other hybrids, you can usually feel a subtle shudder through the steering wheel, seat or gas pedal when the gasoline engine kicks on.
The coasting function works in two of the four driving modes: Comfort and Eco Pro. It operates between 37 and 50 mph in Comfort mode and at any speed up to 100 mph in Eco Pro. There is no coasting to conserve fuel in the Sport and Sport Plus modes.
The BMW ActiveHybrid 3 does not overwhelm drivers with complicated digital readouts showing battery diagrams or sprouting leaves like on other hybrids.
Eco Pro, as the name suggests, makes the most use of the electric motor, compared with the other driving modes. The electric motor, which is located in the transmission housing and powered by a lithium-ion battery, not only boosts fuel economy, but also aids acceleration with its 55 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque. The six-cylinder gas engine generates the remainder of the car’s total output: 335 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque.
All of the electric motor’s torque is available instantly, even from a standstill, which is why the ActiveHybrid 3 is actually 0.2 seconds quicker from 0 to 60 mph than a BMW 335i with a manual transmission, according to the specs that the automaker has posted on its website. However, the hybrid is 0.1 seconds slower than the 335i with an automatic transmission.
The BMW ActiveHybrid 3 can drive solely on electric power under light throttle at speeds up to 37 mph in Comfort mode and up to 47 mph in Eco Pro. The gas engine also shuts down during temporary stops in both of these modes.
At a constant 20 mph, the ActiveHybrid 3 will go 2.5 miles on electric power alone. I got so caught up in how fun the car is that I drove with too much vigor to test this out. But the 3 Series hybrid is not aimed at people looking to drive primarily on electric power anyway, unlike the new plug-in hybrid launched by Honda.
A new eight-speed automatic transmission—which no other manufacturer currently offers in a compact premium vehicle—is a major contributor to the significant gains in fuel efficiency for the new 3 Series. It’s the only transmission offered in the ActiveHybrid 3.
The BMW ActiveHybrid 3 looks almost exactly like a standard 3 Series. Several additional badges adorn the car to help distinguish it as being eco-friendly. Other than that, it’s pretty hard to tell a hybrid from a regular 3 Series. BMW even hid the battery pack under the trunk floor, so cargo space compared to a standard 3 Series sedan is only marginally smaller, unlike on most current hybrids, whose batteries take up more room in the trunk.
Some question BMW’s choice of engine for the ActiveHybrid 3. The automaker has a turbocharged four-cylinder that seems like a better fit, because it might have improved the hybrid’s fuel efficiency. The smaller and lighter four-cylinder gets better mileage than the six-cylinder when the six-cylinder is paired with a manual transmission, according to EPA estimates. But the mileage is the same for both engines when paired with the automatic.
But one reason the ActiveHybrid 3 doesn’t use the four-cylinder is because it wasn't ready when the car was under development, Plus, using the six-cylinder gas engine is part of a larger strategy to apply the hybrid powertrain to various models, including the 5 Series and 7 Series. So far BMW has relied more on diesels than hybrids for improving fuel efficiency.
The BMW ActiveHybrid 3's lithium-ion battery pack is below the trunk, where the spare tire usually goes. (Credit: BMW)
The question is, will buyers interested in a 3 Series be willing to pay the extra premium in other countries for the hybrid model? Here in Thailand the ActiveHybrid 3 and ActiveHybrid 5 are both performance premium sedans with a discount.
Conclusion: It's possible to get some excellent consumption from this car in town where the 335i Hybrid 5.5l/100km compare well to the normal 335i's 10.4l/100km. It features the 335i's 306bhp turbo petrol and 8 speed Auto box, plus an electric motor handing out even more torque. It's smooth and quiet in town. You run on silent e-power alone for some of the crawliest urban crawl, and even when the petrol engine does start it's far quieter than a diesel. When you do get moving, the transmission lets the engine work its best. In Sport, it reads your mind effectively but when you are enjoying this car on the open roads, you won't get better miles that the regular 335i. In most countries the far more advanced and expensive drivetrain can't pay for itself in better fuel economy. But here in Thailand the ActiveHybrid 3 makes a lot of sense if you want the power of the 335i, because here the ActiveHybrid 3 is almost half the price of the 335i because of the tax advantages of hybrids here in Thailand. Here you get all the power of the 335i with the fuel economy of the 320i and at almost half the price of the regular 335i. It is still an expensive car, but a good deal if you want a car this powerful.
Think of it as a sport sedan that happens to get good fuel economy. Flooring the throttle quickens the pulse and shoves you firmly into the seat, as the car eagerly accelerates from 0 to 100 km per hour in 5.3 seconds. The twin turbocharged six-cylinder engine’s snarl sounds great too.
One way to consider the BMW 3 Series Hybrid, then, is as a faster, more economical version of the high-performance 335i. BMW is even pitching this car as something that "looks, drives and acts like a sport sedan." That may seem odd when the hybrid label usually triggers thoughts of a Prius, but if you find yourself on an open road at 50 mph with a full five blue bars of battery power confirmed in the infotainment display, nail the throttle and prepare to be surprised.
Not only do you get the full thrust of the 3.0-liter turbo-6 but also the benefit of the electric motor's 155 pound-feet of torque. Together, the pair punches a decisive hole in the horizon as the BMW surges forward with near-startling zeal. It's like having a Formula 1 KERS system kick in as you power past drifters, and it will certainly have you recalibrating your view on hybrids.
Driving like this will also punch a hole in your average fuel consumption, however, which you can observe minute-by-minute on one of the hybrid display screens provided by the iDrive infotainment system. Besides recording your gas mileage, this bar graph display also reveals how much or little the six-cylinder engine has been used, although with so much performance on offer it's tempting simply to sink your right boot and create your own graph of shame.
The BMW's willingness to perform is further heightened by an eight-speed automatic that spends remarkably little time hunting for the right ratio, while making creamy smooth shifts. Their exchanges can be quickened via the Driving Dynamics switch on the center console, which toggles among Eco Pro, Comfort, Sport and Sport+ settings.
The throttle mapping, the transmission's shift strategy and its gearchange times are altered with each switching, and with the optional Dynamic Handling package, the stiffness of the shocks changes, too. We'd strongly recommend this option, not only because it reduces body roll through bends but also because the Comfort setting provides an impressively pillowy ride over broken tarmac. You also get variable-ratio steering with this package, whose weighting is also adjusted by the Driving Dynamics switch, turning meatier in the Sport and Sport+ modes.
It's a pity you can't select the steering effort independently of the shocks, our preference being to combine the lighter steering effort provided in Comfort mode with the firmer suspension setting. Sport+, incidentally, is for the more dynamically ambitious, as it disengages much of the stability control system to allow the rear wheels a small slide before the system intervenes. Such indulgences may sound irrelevant in a hybrid, but believe us, they're not when your dual-motor machine goes this hard.
The ActiveHybrid 3, which is new for 2013, marks the first time the BMW 3 Series is getting a hybrid, and the German automaker does not in any sense allow it to be a slouch. Despite weighing 305 pounds more, the hybrid corners like a typical 3 Series, which is to say almost like a sports car. Tossing it around the narrow and bumpy back roads of was a blast, thanks to its near-perfect weight distribution and superb steering.
No way does this feel like driving a hybrid, especially in its Sport and Sport Plus modes, which optimize the engine, transmission and other systems for spirited driving. Without question, the BMW ActiveHybrid 3 is satisfying enough to lure those who might not be inclined to consider a hybrid otherwise.
There are a couple of big caveats, though. In most countries it 15% more than a similarly equipped BMW 335i, another 3 Series vehicle that has the same twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine as the new hybrid. Rationalizing the extra expense is a challenge, because you won’t get the fuel economy of a typical hybrid. Anyone eager to buy a hybrid for the promise of 50 mpg will have to look elsewhere. This is not the case in Thailand though where the Hybrid is actually almost 50% cheaper than the regular 335i which is therefor not sold here. So there is no problem with the economy of this version here.
The EPA estimate for the BMW ActiveHybrid 3 is 28 mpg in combined city and highway driving. That’s just 2 mpg better than a BMW 335i.
The 2 mpg advantage exists entirely because of city driving, where the EPA estimates 25 mpg for the ActiveHybrid 3 versus 23 for the 335i. The highway driving estimate is 33 mpg for both cars.
3 Series hybrid drivers can get better fuel economy than the EPA numbers indicate for the EPA test cycle does not take into account the fact that on the highway the car can coast, with the internal combustion engine off.
One of the most impressive aspects of the ActiveHybrid 3 - which can run on gasoline or electric power alone, or a combination of both at the same time for added performance - is how smoothly and seamlessly everything works. It’s hard to tell this car is a hybrid when driving it. You have to look at the dashboard to determine when the gas engine was shutting off or powering up, which is a testament to how unobtrusive the switch from gas to electric is and how similar the driving feels regardless of what power source is being used at any given moment.
Coasting down a steep hill, the tachometer needle came to rest at 0 rpm, which actually reads as “off” in the gauge. Once I started accelerating again, the needle sprang up as the engine quietly came back to life. I couldn't feel or hear a thing, though. The rpm readout was the only indication of any change. In other hybrids, you can usually feel a subtle shudder through the steering wheel, seat or gas pedal when the gasoline engine kicks on.
The coasting function works in two of the four driving modes: Comfort and Eco Pro. It operates between 37 and 50 mph in Comfort mode and at any speed up to 100 mph in Eco Pro. There is no coasting to conserve fuel in the Sport and Sport Plus modes.
The BMW ActiveHybrid 3 does not overwhelm drivers with complicated digital readouts showing battery diagrams or sprouting leaves like on other hybrids.
Eco Pro, as the name suggests, makes the most use of the electric motor, compared with the other driving modes. The electric motor, which is located in the transmission housing and powered by a lithium-ion battery, not only boosts fuel economy, but also aids acceleration with its 55 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque. The six-cylinder gas engine generates the remainder of the car’s total output: 335 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque.
All of the electric motor’s torque is available instantly, even from a standstill, which is why the ActiveHybrid 3 is actually 0.2 seconds quicker from 0 to 60 mph than a BMW 335i with a manual transmission, according to the specs that the automaker has posted on its website. However, the hybrid is 0.1 seconds slower than the 335i with an automatic transmission.
The BMW ActiveHybrid 3 can drive solely on electric power under light throttle at speeds up to 37 mph in Comfort mode and up to 47 mph in Eco Pro. The gas engine also shuts down during temporary stops in both of these modes.
At a constant 20 mph, the ActiveHybrid 3 will go 2.5 miles on electric power alone. I got so caught up in how fun the car is that I drove with too much vigor to test this out. But the 3 Series hybrid is not aimed at people looking to drive primarily on electric power anyway, unlike the new plug-in hybrid launched by Honda.
A new eight-speed automatic transmission—which no other manufacturer currently offers in a compact premium vehicle—is a major contributor to the significant gains in fuel efficiency for the new 3 Series. It’s the only transmission offered in the ActiveHybrid 3.
The BMW ActiveHybrid 3 looks almost exactly like a standard 3 Series. Several additional badges adorn the car to help distinguish it as being eco-friendly. Other than that, it’s pretty hard to tell a hybrid from a regular 3 Series. BMW even hid the battery pack under the trunk floor, so cargo space compared to a standard 3 Series sedan is only marginally smaller, unlike on most current hybrids, whose batteries take up more room in the trunk.
Some question BMW’s choice of engine for the ActiveHybrid 3. The automaker has a turbocharged four-cylinder that seems like a better fit, because it might have improved the hybrid’s fuel efficiency. The smaller and lighter four-cylinder gets better mileage than the six-cylinder when the six-cylinder is paired with a manual transmission, according to EPA estimates. But the mileage is the same for both engines when paired with the automatic.
But one reason the ActiveHybrid 3 doesn’t use the four-cylinder is because it wasn't ready when the car was under development, Plus, using the six-cylinder gas engine is part of a larger strategy to apply the hybrid powertrain to various models, including the 5 Series and 7 Series. So far BMW has relied more on diesels than hybrids for improving fuel efficiency.
The BMW ActiveHybrid 3's lithium-ion battery pack is below the trunk, where the spare tire usually goes. (Credit: BMW)
The question is, will buyers interested in a 3 Series be willing to pay the extra premium in other countries for the hybrid model? Here in Thailand the ActiveHybrid 3 and ActiveHybrid 5 are both performance premium sedans with a discount.
Conclusion: It's possible to get some excellent consumption from this car in town where the 335i Hybrid 5.5l/100km compare well to the normal 335i's 10.4l/100km. It features the 335i's 306bhp turbo petrol and 8 speed Auto box, plus an electric motor handing out even more torque. It's smooth and quiet in town. You run on silent e-power alone for some of the crawliest urban crawl, and even when the petrol engine does start it's far quieter than a diesel. When you do get moving, the transmission lets the engine work its best. In Sport, it reads your mind effectively but when you are enjoying this car on the open roads, you won't get better miles that the regular 335i. In most countries the far more advanced and expensive drivetrain can't pay for itself in better fuel economy. But here in Thailand the ActiveHybrid 3 makes a lot of sense if you want the power of the 335i, because here the ActiveHybrid 3 is almost half the price of the 335i because of the tax advantages of hybrids here in Thailand. Here you get all the power of the 335i with the fuel economy of the 320i and at almost half the price of the regular 335i. It is still an expensive car, but a good deal if you want a car this powerful.