The EPA has finally released fuel economy ratings for the 2012 BMW 3-Series, and the Bavarian sports sedan looks to have captured the fuel economy crown in the hyper-competitive small luxury sedan segment.
With the eight-speed automatic transmission spec’d, the 335i returns 23 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway from its 300 horsepower turbocharged inline-six. Even more frugal is the turbo-four-equipped 328i, which is rated at 24/36 mpg with the auto.
Those numbers compare favorably with the 18/28 mpg rating of the outgoing, six-cylinder-powered 328i as well as the 19/28 mpg rating of the old 335i. They also best the most frugal of the 3-Series’ rivals, which include the Mercedes-Benz C250 (21/31 mpg) and the Audi A4 (22/30 mpg in FWD form).
Three-pedal fans take note: opting for a six-speed manual lowers efficiency to 23/34 mpg and 20/30 mpg for the 328i and 335i, respectively.
For those seeking even more mpgs from their 3-Series, BMW has diesel and hybrid variants on the way.
