BMW 3 series 2001 vs BMW 5 series 2000
| Body: | Coupe | Estate car / wagon | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gearbox: | Manual | Manual | |
| Engine: | 1.8 Petrol | 2.2 Petrol | |
| Camshaft drive: | Timing chain | Timing chain | |
Performance | |||
| Power: | 116 HP | 170 HP | |
| Torque: | 175 NM | 210 NM | |
| Acceleration 0-100 km/h: | 10.9 seconds | 9.5 seconds | |
| 
BMW 5 series is a more dynamic driving. BMW 3 series engine produces 54 HP less power than BMW 5 series, whereas torque is 35 NM less than BMW 5 series. Due to the lower power, BMW 3 series reaches 100 km/h speed 1.4 seconds later.  | |||
Fuel consumption | |||
| Fuel consumption (l/100km): | 7.1 | 9.5 | |
| Real fuel consumption: | 8.2 l/100km | 9.6 l/100km | |
| 
The BMW 3 series is a better choice when it comes to fuel economy. By specification BMW 3 series consumes 2.4 litres less fuel per 100 km than the BMW 5 series, which means that by driving the BMW 3 series over 15,000 km in a year you can save 360 litres of fuel. By comparing actual fuel consumption based on user reports, BMW 3 series consumes 1.4 litres less fuel per 100 km than the BMW 5 series.  | |||
| Fuel tank capacity: | 63 litres | 70 litres | |
| Full fuel tank distance: | 880 km in combined cycle | 730 km in combined cycle | |
| 1140 km on highway | 930 km on highway | ||
| 760 km with real consumption | 720 km with real consumption | ||
| BMW 3 series gets more mileage on one fuel tank. | |||
| Read the article "Fuel Efficiency: How to Reduce Fuel Consumption" to learn more about fuel economy. | |||
Engines | |||
| Average engine lifespan: | 350'000 km | 420'000 km | |
| Engine resource depends largely on regular maintenance and the quality of the oils and fuels used, but under equal conditions the average life of a BMW 5 series engine could be longer. | |||
| Engine production duration: | 6 years | 7 years | |
| Engine spread: | Used only for this car | Installed on at least 3 other car models, including BMW 3 sērija, BMW Z4, BMW Z3 | |
| In general, the longer and for more car models an engine is produced, the better its serviceability and availability of spare parts. BMW 5 series might be a better choice in this respect. | |||
Dimensions | |||
| Length: | 4.49 m | 4.80 m | |
| Width: | 1.76 m | 1.80 m | |
| Height: | 1.37 m | 1.44 m | |
| 
BMW 3 series is smaller. BMW 3 series is 31 cm shorter than the BMW 5 series, 4 cm narrower, while the height of BMW 3 series is 7 cm lower.  | |||
| Trunk capacity: | 410 litres | 410 litres | |
| Trunk max capacity: with rear seats folded down  | 
no data | 1525 litres | |
| Turning diameter: | no data | 11 meters | |
| Gross weight (kg): | 1`810 | 2`195 | |
| Safety: | no data | ||
| Quality: | below average  | average  | |
| BMW 5 series has slightly fewer faults. Deffect rate in annual technical inspection is similar for both cars, it's slightly higher for BMW 3 series, so BMW 5 series quality could be a bit better.  | |||
| Average price (€): | 3200 | 2200 | |
| Rating in user reviews: | 7.7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
| Pros and Cons: | 
BMW 3 sērija has    
    
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BMW 5 sērija has    
    
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