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BMW 3 Series vs Volkswagen Transporter

What's the difference?

VS
BMW 3 Series
BMW 3 Series

$49,990 - $98,990

2023 price

Volkswagen Transporter
Volkswagen Transporter

$32,999 - $59,990

2021 price

Summary

2023 BMW 3 Series
2021 Volkswagen Transporter
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 2.0L

Diesel Turbo 4, 2.0L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded Petrol

Diesel
Fuel Efficiency
6.5L/100km (combined)

7.5L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

3
Dislikes
  • Harder ride might bother some people
  • Cosy back seat for child seats
  • Lacklustre lane keeping tech

  • No ANCAP rating
  • Small kerbside mirror
  • Noise levels at highway speeds
2023 BMW 3 Series Summary

Back in the day, the 3 Series sedan was often the entry to the brand for first time BMW owners, and for good reason. They offered practical interior space without compromising on engine performance.

And they simply looked good, no boring nanny design elements. Then the 1 Series came along and price points bumped up, so how does the ‘entry’ BMW 320i M Sport live up to its long-standing reputation?

With an updated dashboard that brings the interior and tech up to market and a sharper exterior design, it more than holds its own at the table of luxury sedans, despite hard competition from the likes of the Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C200 and Jaguar XE.

However, if the Merc is a placid and well-behaved mare… the BMW is the barely-broken-in bronco and it takes a certain kind of ‘rider’ to enjoy what the 320i has to offer.

I’ve been discovering just that this week with my family of three. What did we find out? Read below!

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Interested in a BMW 3 Series?
2021 Volkswagen Transporter Summary

The VW Transporter has been in production for more than 70 years, as its bloodline can be traced back to the original rear-engine split-window ‘Kombi’ launched in 1950. So, during those seven decades, the German manufacturer has no doubt learned a thing or ten about building light commercial vans.

The current T-series of Transporters was launched in 1990, which was the first of six generations culminating in the current T6 range, that comprises not only work-focused vans but also people-mover, campervan and cab-chassis variants.

VW recently released a 6.1 version of vans and people-movers. That decimal point brings significant upgrades of standard safety equipment, headlined by City Emergency Brake (CEB), plus new variants. We recently put a Transporter 6.1 to work for a week and discovered a very capable mid-sized (2.5 to 3.5-tonne GVM) van with few flaws.

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Interested in a Volkswagen Transporter?

Deep dive comparison

2023 BMW 3 Series 2021 Volkswagen Transporter

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