Verdict
The 3 Series is about 5% cheaper. Weigh that against the equipment each side gives you in the table below.
| Price & overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | RM 265,800✓ | RM 280,390 |
| Body type | Sedan | Wagon |
| Segment | Compact Executive | D-Segment |
| Assembly | CKD | CBU |
| Powertrain | ||
| Engine Tech | 16-valve DOHC direct injection with twin-scroll turbocharger, variable valve timing | Direct Fuel Injection, Horizontally Opposed, 4-Cylinder, DOHC 16-Valve, Boxer Engine |
| Capacity | 1,998 cc | 2,498 cc |
| Horsepower | 184 hp | 185 hp✓ |
| Torque | 300 Nm✓ | 245 Nm |
| Cylinder Arrangement | Inline | Boxer |
| Timing Type | Chain | Chain |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Bore | 82 mm | 94 mm |
| Compression Ratio | 11 | 12 |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Transmission | Conventional Automatic | CVT Automatic |
| Transmission Name | Steptronic Sport | Lineartronic CVT |
| Gears | 8 | — |
| Transmission Manufacturer | ZF | Subaru |
| Driveline | Rear Wheel Drive | All Wheel Drive |
| Performance & Efficiency | ||
| 0-100 km/h | 7.4 seconds✓ | 9.6 seconds |
| Top Speed | 235 km/h✓ | 206 km/h |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 4,709 mm | 4,870 mm |
| Width | 1,827 mm | 1,875 mm |
| Height | 1,435 mm | 1,682 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,851 mm | 2,745 mm |
| Weight | 1,590 kg | 1,756 kg |
| Fuel Tank | 59 litres | 63 litres |
| Doors | 4 | 5 |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Boot Space | 480 litres | 522 litres✓ |
| Front Tyre | 225/45R18 | 225/60R18 |
| Rear Tyre | 225/45R18 | 225.60R18 |
| Spare Tyre | — | Space Saver |
| Factory Tyres | Hankook Ventus s1 Evo 3 | Bridgestone Alenza H/L33 |
| Chassis | ||
| Assembly | Malaysia (CKD) | Japan (CBU) |
| Chassis | Unibody | Unibody |
| Front Suspension | Double Wishbones | MacPherson Strut |
| Rear Suspension | Multi-link | Double Wishbones |
| Front Wheels | 18" V-spoke Style 780 Bicolour Alloys | 18" Alloy |
| Rear Wheels | 18" V-spoke Style 780 Bicolour Alloys | 18" Alloy |
| Front Brakes | Ventilated Disc | Ventilated Discs |
| Rear Brakes | Ventilated Disc | Solid Discs |
| Steering | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Assist) |
| Safety | ||
| Airbags | Driver and Passenger, Front Side, Front and Rear Curtain | Driver and Passenger, Driver Knee, Front Side, Front and Rear Curtain |
| ABS/EBD | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stability Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Alarm | ✓ | ✓ |
| Immobilizer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Child Safety Lock | Manual for Rear Doors | Manual for rear doors |
| Seat Belts | 5 Three-point | 5 three-point |
| Blind Spot Info System | ✓ | ✓ |
| ISOFIX | Available on 2 Outer Rear Seats | Available for Two Rear Passenger Seats |
| Autonomous Braking System | Yes, with Pedestrian Detection (5 km/h to 80 km/h) | Yes |
| Lane-keeping Assist | Steering Correction | Steering Correction |
| Collision Warning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Seatbelt Reminder | All Seats | All Seats |
| Lighting | ||
| Headlamps | LED Projectors with High beam Assistant | LED Projector |
| Taillamps | Full LED | LED Combination |
| LED Daytime Running Lights | ✓ | ✓ |
| Front Foglamps | — | ✓ |
| Rear Foglamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wing Mirror Turn Indicators | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cabin | ||
| Front Seats | Power Adjustable Front Seats with Driver's Memory Function | 10-way power adjustable driver with memory, 8-way powered adjustment front passenger |
| Rear Seats | 40:20:40 Split-Folding | 60:40 Split-folding |
| Front Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control |
| Rear Air-con | Single-zone Automatic Climate Control | Rear AC vents |
| Sunroof | — | Front, Tilt and Slide |
| Power Sockets | 1 Front, 1 Centre Armrest, 1 Rear, 1 Boot | — |
| Interior Lighting | Map Lights & Ambient Lighting | Map Lights |
| Cup Holders | 2 Front, 2 Rear | 2 Front, 2 Rear |
| Sun Shade | — | Sunroof Shade |
| Audio | 14.9" BMW Curved Display Live Cockpit Professional, 18-speaker Bowers & Wilkins Sound System | 11.6" HD Touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 11-speaker Harman Kardon Sound System |
| Convenience | ||
| Power Windows | Four Windows, Auto Up and Down with Anti Pinch | Four Windows, Auto Up and Down with Anti-Pinch |
| Engine Start | Keyless Push Button | Keyless Push Button |
| Locks | Keyless Operation with Proximity Lock/Unlock | Keyless Operation and PIN Code Access |
| Auto Start/Stop | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Headlamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Wipers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cruise Control | Passive Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control |
| Tiptronic | — | ✓ |
| Paddle Shift | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Audio Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Tilt | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Telescopic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boot Operation | Remote Control Activation | Powered Boot |
| Parking Sensor Front | 6 Sensors | — |
| Parking Sensor Rear | 6 Sensors | 4 Sensors |
| Reverse Camera | Yes | Yes, 360-degree View Monitor |
| Auto Parking | Yes, for Parallel and Perpendicular Parking, with Reversing Assist | — |
| Folding Wing Mirrors | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bluetooth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Navigation | ✓ | — |
| Head-up Display | ✓ | — |
| Hill Start Assist | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instrument Cluster | Full LCD Monitor | Backlit Analogue |
| Parking Brake | Electronic | Electronic |
| Warranty | ||
| Warranty Mileage Manufacturer | Unlimited✓ | 100,000 km |
| Warranty Mileage Extended | Unlimited | — |
| Warranty Manufacturer | 2 years | 5 years✓ |
| Warranty Extended | 5 years | — |
| Ownership | ||
| Road tax / year | RM 379✓ | RM 878 |
Specs shown for the selected variant of each car. ✓ marks the better figure where lower/higher is objectively better. Road tax: West Malaysia, private registration.