[ChiragM]

I can tell you this is a dilemma many 3-Series customers are currently facing!

BMW 3-Series G20 Regular Version vs Long Wheelbase

BMW discontinued the 3GT in India, and instead launched the 3-Series LWB variant. This is the rarest of rare times in India that the same car is available with different wheelbase lengths. Between the regular & LWB cars, which one would you pick and why?



The 3-Series is one of the most fun-to-drive sedans in the Indian market. The suspension offers the perfect combination of ride + handling, and also comes with fantastic engines matched to one of the best gearboxes in the segment. The stiffer, yet lighter chassis, combined with 50:50 weight distribution, ensures that the 3-Series is still the pick for any driving enthusiast.

Review Link



By launching the LWB version of the car, BMW broadened the appeal of the sedan. The LWB gets a 110 mm longer wheelbase (resulting in a 43 mm increase in rear seat legroom), more comfortable seat and redesigned headrests, making it appeal to the chauffeur-driven as well. Despite the increase in wheelbase, the car looks quite proportionate. Not awkward at all. Despite the tad softer suspension that's been tuned for comfort and the longer wheelbase, the Gran Limousine variant is still fun to drive (although regular 3-Series is more fun). However, this has resulted in an increase in the pricing. The already expensive 3-Series is now even dearer in this guise, pushing the prices dangerously close to the 5-Series. Do note that the LWB gets some more features compared to the regular car (16-speaker sound system, 360-degree cam, panoramic sunroof).

Review Link

[GTO]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

Didn't think I'd say this as an enthusiast, but I will choose the 3-Series LWB over the regular car. If I'm going to have a lot of fun on road-trips, might as well keep my family more comfortable on the backseat too. Us Parekhs love our long holiday drives! I've realised the value of rear legroom after living with one that is cramped for 6 years & recently buying another one that's a limousine! Even the LWB is fun to drive and it doesn't look stretched. Can't say the same about the E-Class LWB which I'd never buy for exactly these two reasons.

BMW must be thinking "our target customer pays 75000 for additional legroom on a single business class flight, so he will definitely pay 4 lakhs for more legroom for 10 years". It's totally worth the 4-lakh premium. You get more legroom, a comfier rear seat, more equipment and also a bit cushier ride quality. That said, let me also voice my protest on the overall pricing of the 3-Series, C-Class and gang. They are all currently overpriced IMHO. When the heck did they become 50 - 60 lakh cars? No wonder sales for the German luxury car makers have stagnated (Mercedes, BMW & Audi sales in India from 2010-2020 | Growth numbers are disappointing) over the last 5 years.

[TrackDay]

I voted for the LWB too. With the market moving towards SUV style body shapes, the 3 series sedan might need this extra edge to lure customers. The rear seats of this segment are not exactly comfortable or spacious for what one pays. And like GTO said, this segment has become expensive too. Who wants to get into a crammed rear seat after paying so much ? Best deal is to give the LWB.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSHDs64tNU4

[Turbohead]

Let me stick out my head and say that if I want leg space, I'll pay a bit more and get the 530i. 3 reasons:
1) More bootspace
2) A car from the next segment which invariably means better quality.
3) Getting a car which was designed to be sold world over and not just China and India. This is because I'm assuming the depth of engineering may not be as good as it can be since it's not sold world over, especially Germany. It's an irrational statement since I have no valid reasons to back up. But that feeling will always be there.

[white_vdi]

LWB all the way! for the extra space and additional equipment especially the audio setup and HUD.

In fact I would pick up the LWB for a 5'er as well, for it is a newer car and current 5'er anyways has a new avatar around the corner.

[Abhi_Automobile]

I think the Q is will you pick up the 3 LWB against an equivalent regular 3. We also have to consider that 3 has a el-cheapo Sport variant, which is a good 11 lacs cheaper than the M Sport LWB - for mortals like me I guess

I will:

1. Pick up the cheapo version and save ton of money so 330i Sport. Sacrifice creature comforts in the process
2. Pick up 5 series instead. Superior car to LWB and cheaper than it after discounts!

I know I am against the tide here!

[Kashi053]

Voted for Regular only because for current price difference between the two. The LWB is currently not offered with sport trim and I feel 330i sport is the most value for money in the lot. If LWB sport trim is offered and price difference is not more than 3L, then the choice becomes difficult. I can't justify the 11L difference between the two even though am comparing both cheapest versions available now. (sport vs luxury line)

[Ashish0485]

I will pick the regular version. Over the years, the length has been increasing and owing to the same reason many feel the 3-series has digressed from the heritage of being an out an out fun car. Adding more inches to that car is preposterous.
The lure of getting everything from one car is high but somewhere all cars will start loosing their original DNA in this rat race.

[sachin2612]

Scratching my head over this for a month or so. The difference is more than 8 lacs but the space on offer on long wheelbase is too good to ignore. Already stretched my budget of 35 lacs to buy a 330i sport at 45 OTR but then bmw stopped it production. Now i am in a no mans land. For now have decided to wait for the 330i sport variant production or till the dealer offer good discount on the long wheelbase variant.

Note : After driving the 330i for several times, there is no other car i would buy in this budget. Having a terrific performance and practicality is a trait which a fraction of car offers and this is one of them.

[vb-saan]

Voted for the regular version.
I really like the proportions of the current 3 – not too big and not too small. Being a BMW the drive probably won’t be that compromised in the LWB but it is still a compromise. For that money, I will look at a face-lifted E (regular version, not LWB) or save substantially with a Superb L&K.

[vjbox]

I recently took a test drive of the Li version and was surprised to the see the rear space on offer. The SA who came in was easily a 6 footer and he still had a lot of legroom at the back. The room easily rivals or even beats the 5 Series or Superb. It is easily the practical choice out of there for prospective 3 series buyers.

[vjbox]

Originally Posted by sachin2612

Scratching my head over this for a month or so. The difference is more than 8 lacs but the space on offer on long wheelbase is too good to ignore. Already stretched my budget of 35 lacs to buy a 330i sport at 45 OTR but then bmw stopped it production. Now i am in a no mans land. For now have decided to wait for the 330i sport variant production or till the dealer offer good discount on the long wheelbase variant.

Note : After driving the 330i for several times, there is no other car i would buy in this budget. Having a terrific performance and practicality is a trait which a fraction of car offers and this is one of them.

I am sure. I have been test driving some cars in the market for a potential new car and the 330Li did impress me for its performance and practicality. The SA told me 330Li M Sport First Edition is the best bet as its fully loaded for extra 2 lacs. But its hard for me to resist the VFM proposition of the Superb and its a car that easily impresses the family members seated at the back while still giving you an engaging driving experience.

[lamborghini]

Voted for regular wheelbase.

For me, the 3 series stands for fun, and there is no doubt the 330i is more fun than it's LWB sibling.
The low set rear seats don't do much to convince the elders at home either, something the 3GT mastered.
However, we manage to fit in 4 of us in the F30 3 series, and the G20 didn't feel smaller - with dad & I managing to comfortably sit (ingress & egress aside), one behind the other (both of us being 6'), when we saw the vehicle at the showroom.

The way I see it:
Fun, self drive 90% of the time: regular wheelbase 3 series
Back seat, chauffeur driven 90% of the time: Camry Hybrid / Superb
Mix of both: bargain hard on that Audi A6!

[carthick1000]

Voted for regular wheelbase. 3 series is designed with regular wheelbase in mind and the long wheelbase is something what came up for the Chinese market and later launched in other markets.

The proportions of long wheel base doesn't look right to me and with longer wheelbase, the vehicle dynamics tend to yield more comfort (lethargic feedback) than a sporty (right feedback). For me VFM in BMW lineup is :

Fun : 330i sport
Comfort/Space : 530i sport

We all know how we felt when Maruti came up with that Swift Dzire, the trunk attached to a swift. For a keen eye, 330Li would look like that

[Peaky_blinder]

I would go for the regular wheelbase model as I genuinely feel this is the best looking sedan I have seen in the last decade. The LWB model just seems a bit 'off' geometrically (better than the LWB E-Class though) and its price is too close to the 5 series to be ignored.