In this episode of Autoblog Garage, we take a look at the updated 2023 BMW 3 Series. BMW’s iconic compact sport sedan received a mild refresh for the new model year and this M340i takes it a step further by commemorating 50 years of BMW’s M Performance division.
The biggest news for the 2023 BMW 3 Series is the interior. The small sedan’s dash was redesigned to accommodate a new generation of BMW’s iDrive. This eliminated the physical climate control buttons beneath the screen, meaning they’ve now been incorporated into the iDrive infotainment interface for the most part. That’s not our favorite thing in the world, but we’ve born witness to far more egregious examples of the same offense lately, so we’ll take comfort in the fact that it could have been far worse.
The exterior was likewise updated, but not with nearly the same degree of impact. The changes are relegated to the front and rear bumpers for the most part, and this M340i offers a nod to M enthusiasts with its throwback Roundels on the front and rear (plus the wheels, but our tester was on its winter setup with modern center caps).
Check out our video overview and let us know what you think and come back on Wednesdays for more videos from the Autoblog Garage.