Cars can be equipped with any of six engines, ranging from the economical 4-cylinder for the 316i Sedan (maximum speed 200 km/h), the same 1.8-liter and ending with 6-cylinder 2.0, 2.3 and 2.8-liter, with the Vanos gas distribution system, and a 5-speed manual transmission or AT.
All engines have a longitudinal arrangement in the engine compartment and drive the rear wheels.
Later came the 320d (turbodiesel), accelerating to 100 km / h in 9.9 s. Thanks to the track increased by 60 mm and the wheelbase by 30 mm, the Sedan is very stable, but this entailed the modernization of the suspension. The interior has also been updated, which is equipped with six auxiliary airbags.
A year later, the two-door Coupes 323 Ci and 328 Ci debuted. The designers managed to visually lighten the initially rather massive body, while maintaining "thin" middle stands. Glass doors are decorated in the American style - without frames. The rear side windows do not lower, but only rotate slightly. The rear seats can be folded down to increase trunk space, and the steering wheel and gearshift lever are wrapped in leather. The top of the 3 Series lineup is the M3 Coupe with a 342 hp engine. With.
At the end of 1999, following the Sedan, Universal and Coupe of the third series, the concern prepared a convertible for production. "Treshka" with a soft top is made on the basis of the Coupe, however, the doors, rear fenders and rear body panel have acquired a different plasticity - the convertible looks more impetuous, dynamic. The convertible top is retracted into a special container, and if desired (e.g. in winter) this container can be easily removed and fitted with a hardtop, which is available at an additional cost.
Extended maintenance intervals help reduce operating costs. For example, the oil change interval can be up to 30,000 km, depending on the mode of use of the car.
A variety of electronic systems enhance passenger comfort. Such systems include, for example, the memory of individual equipment settings and the key. Through the first owner of the car, the basic functions of setting up a single lock, interior and exterior lighting, and air conditioning are installed. The key memory allows you to store the settings of up to four drivers of the car who have their own key. Thanks to this, it is possible to automatically adjust the position of the seat when opening a single lock. In addition, a single lock can be programmed in such a way that the doors, after starting off, are automatically blocked.
There is a wide range of other comfort systems available as optional equipment: xenon lamps, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, air conditioning, continuous tire pressure monitoring, rain-sensing wiper, navigation system and TV.
Air conditioning is standard on 6-cylinder models.
Driving safety is enhanced by the presence of ABS. During hard braking on bends, the control system improves the handling and stability of the car. As a special addition, there is the DSC dynamic stability control system, which reacts to the beginning of a skid of the car and counteracts it by braking certain wheels.
On models with all-wheel drive (325xi, 330xi, 330xd) wheel torque is distributed between the front and rear wheels in a constant proportion of 38% and 62% by means of a center differential and ADB automatic differential braking system.