BMW 3 series 1998 fuel consumption
Year-to-year deviations of actual owner-reported average fuel consumption from advertised values
| Year | Gasoline cars | Diesel cars | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All carmakers | BMW 3 series | All carmakers | BMW 3 series | |
| 1998 | +3% | +6% | +4% | +11% |
| Show all years | ||||
| 1999 | +3% | +6% | +5% | +5% |
| 2000 | +4% | +7% | +5% | +5% |
| 2001 | +5% | +7% | +6% | +5% |
See below for the actual consumption of generations and versions of BMW 3 series.
BMW 3 series 1998 E46 sedan fuel economy
| Average advertised fuel consumption for petrol engines | 25.3 MPG 9.3 l/100km |
| Average real-world fuel consumption for petrol engines | 23.8 MPG 9.9 l/100km |
| Average real gasoline consumption difference * | +6% |
| Average advertised fuel consumption for diesel engines | 32.4 MPG 7.3 l/100km |
| Average real-world fuel consumption for diesel engines | 31.3 MPG 7.5 l/100km |
| Average real diesel consumption difference * | +4% |
According to advertised fuel consumption, a BMW 3 series 1998 with automatic transmission consumes on average 0.9 liters per 100 km or 11% more fuel than similar versions with manual gearbox. Based on user-reported real-world fuel consumption, this generation BMW 3 series with automatic transmission consumes around 1 litres per 100 km or 12% more fuel than a version with the same engine but a manual gearbox.
Compared to similar cars from other manufacturers, the BMW 3 series fuel economy is significantly above average. The best real fuel economy in its class according to user reviews of all the modifications has modification with 2.8 petrol engine and manual transmission (BMW 328i 193 HP). However, of all modifications the best advertised fuel economy in its class has BMW 3 series with 3.0 petrol engine and manual transmission (BMW 330i 231 HP).
The table below shows the real and claimed fuel consumption and the differences for specific versions.
| Modification | Claimed consumption | Real consumption |
|---|---|---|
| 1.9 liter petrol engine | ||
| BMW 316i 105 HP manual | 29.8 MPG 7.9 l/100km |
28.3 MPG 8.3 l/100km+5% |
| BMW 316i 105 HP automatic | 26.1 MPG 9.0 l/100km |
25.3 MPG 9.3 l/100km+3% |
| BMW 318i 118 HP manual | 29.4 MPG 8.0 l/100km |
28.0 MPG 8.4 l/100km+5% |
| BMW 318i 118 HP automatic | 25.6 MPG 9.2 l/100km |
24.0 MPG 9.8 l/100km+7% |
| 2.0 liter petrol engine | ||
| BMW 320i 150 HP manual | 26.4 MPG 8.9 l/100km |
25.0 MPG 9.4 l/100km+6% |
| BMW 320i 150 HP automatic | 23.5 MPG 10.0 l/100km |
23.5 MPG 10.0 l/100km0% |
| 2.0 liter diesel engine | ||
| BMW 320d 136 HP manual | 41.3 MPG 5.7 l/100km |
37.3 MPG 6.3 l/100km+11% |
| BMW 320d 136 HP automatic | 34.1 MPG 6.9 l/100km |
31.8 MPG 7.4 l/100km+7% |
| 2.2 liter petrol engine | ||
| BMW 320i 170 HP manual | 26.4 MPG 8.9 l/100km |
25.0 MPG 9.4 l/100km+6% |
| BMW 320i 170 HP automatic | 25.0 MPG 9.4 l/100km |
22.8 MPG 10.3 l/100km+10% |
| 2.5 liter petrol engine | ||
| BMW 323i 170 HP manual | 26.1 MPG 9.0 l/100km |
25.3 MPG 9.3 l/100km+3% |
| BMW 323i 170 HP automatic | 23.5 MPG 10.0 l/100km |
23.3 MPG 10.1 l/100km+1% |
| BMW 325i 192 HP manual | 26.1 MPG 9.0 l/100km |
24.0 MPG 9.8 l/100km+9% |
| BMW 325i 192 HP automatic | 24.8 MPG 9.5 l/100km |
23.8 MPG 9.9 l/100km+4% |
| BMW 325xi 192 HP AWD manual | 24.5 MPG 9.6 l/100km |
24.0 MPG 9.8 l/100km+2% |
| BMW 325xi 192 HP AWD automatic | 23.5 MPG 10.0 l/100km |
22.6 MPG 10.4 l/100km+4% |
| 2.8 liter petrol engine | ||
| BMW 328i 193 HP manual | 25.8 MPG 9.1 l/100km |
24.0 MPG 9.8 l/100km+8% |
| BMW 328i 193 HP automatic | 23.5 MPG 10.0 l/100km |
21.0 MPG 11.2 l/100km+12% |
| 2.9 liter diesel engine | ||
| BMW 330d 184 HP manual | 35.1 MPG 6.7 l/100km |
35.6 MPG 6.6 l/100km-1% |
| BMW 330d 184 HP automatic | 29.4 MPG 8.0 l/100km |
27.4 MPG 8.6 l/100km+8% |
| BMW 330xd 184 HP AWD manual | 30.9 MPG 7.6 l/100km |
30.9 MPG 7.6 l/100km0% |
| BMW 330xd 184 HP AWD automatic | 27.0 MPG 8.7 l/100km |
27.4 MPG 8.6 l/100km-1% |
| 3.0 liter petrol engine | ||
| BMW 330i 231 HP manual | 25.8 MPG 9.1 l/100km |
23.3 MPG 10.1 l/100km+11% |
| BMW 330i 231 HP automatic | 24.5 MPG 9.6 l/100km |
21.6 MPG 10.9 l/100km+14% |
| BMW 330xi 231 HP AWD manual | 24.5 MPG 9.6 l/100km |
23.3 MPG 10.1 l/100km+5% |
| BMW 330xi 231 HP AWD automatic | 23.5 MPG 10.0 l/100km |
20.8 MPG 11.3 l/100km+13% |
* - Difference between advertised and user reported fuel economy has been calculated taking into account only those car versions for which information is available both on the fuel consumption specified by the manufacturer and reported by users.