The BMW 3 Series seems to be losing the advantage it once had now that the competition is catching up. Road & Track wanted to see if the BMW 340i can compete against its archrival Jaguar XE 35t.
The 340i comes packed with a 3.0-liter turbocharged I6 with 320 horsepower and a six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive. The 3 Series doesn’t get any better than that.
Its opponent, the Jaguar XE 35t AWD R-Sport, uses a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 good for 340 HP and has an eight-speed automatic gear. It’s an all-wheel drive.
When it comes to looks, it’s certain that the 3er looks very handsome, but there’s no denying that the Jaguar model is pure hotness! This might actually work to BMW’s advantage, as the Bavarians focused on performance while the Brits pumped the looks.
So, how did the cars drive? The 340i was the clear winner in the end. Jaguar is exciting and it has better styling, but the BMW’s car has everything else better. In the eye of a professional, it’s obvious that the Bavarian car has a history and experience that the Brit couldn’t easily surpass. It’s a great car, but it needs some more growing up.