BMW 3 series 2003 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 | |
| 2003 | +6% | +7% | +8% | +10% |
| Show all years | ||||
| 2004 | +7% | +7% | +9% | +11% |
| 2005 | +8% | +7% | +10% | +11% |
| 2006 | +9% | +7% | +11% | - |
| 2007 | +11% | +4% | +12% | - |
See below for the actual consumption of generations and versions of BMW 3 series.
BMW 3 series 2003 E46 coupe fuel economy
| Average advertised fuel consumption for petrol engines | 26.5 MPG 8.9 l/100km |
| Average real-world fuel consumption for petrol engines | 24.1 MPG 9.8 l/100km |
| Average real gasoline consumption difference * | +10% |
| Average advertised fuel consumption for diesel engines | 35.0 MPG 6.7 l/100km |
| Average real-world fuel consumption for diesel engines | 31.8 MPG 7.4 l/100km |
| Average real diesel consumption difference * | +10% |
According to advertised fuel consumption, a BMW 3 series 2003 with automatic transmission consumes on average 0.8 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 1.1 litres per 100 km or 14% more fuel than a version with the same engine but a manual gearbox.
Compared to similar cars of other manufacturers, the BMW 3 series advertised fuel economy is significantly above average, but according to available user reports on actual consumption, real fuel economy is slightly better than average.
The best real fuel economy in its class according to user reviews of all the modifications has modification with 3.0 diesel engine and manual transmission (BMW 330Cd 204 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 330Ci 231 HP).
The table below shows the real and claimed fuel consumption and the differences for specific versions.
| Modification | Claimed consumption | Real consumption |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 liter petrol engine | ||
| BMW 318Ci 143 HP manual | 31.8 MPG 7.4 l/100km |
28.3 MPG 8.3 l/100km+12% |
| BMW 318Ci 143 HP automatic | 29.0 MPG 8.1 l/100km |
24.5 MPG 9.6 l/100km+19% |
| 2.0 liter diesel engine | ||
| BMW 320Cd 150 HP manual | 41.3 MPG 5.7 l/100km |
36.8 MPG 6.4 l/100km+12% |
| BMW 320Cd 150 HP automatic | 34.1 MPG 6.9 l/100km |
30.5 MPG 7.7 l/100km+12% |
| 2.2 liter petrol engine | ||
| BMW 320Ci 170 HP manual | 26.4 MPG 8.9 l/100km |
25.0 MPG 9.4 l/100km+6% |
| BMW 320Ci 170 HP automatic | 25.0 MPG 9.4 l/100km |
23.8 MPG 9.9 l/100km+5% |
| 2.5 liter petrol engine | ||
| BMW 325Ci 192 HP manual | 26.1 MPG 9.0 l/100km |
25.0 MPG 9.4 l/100km+4% |
| BMW 325Ci 192 HP automatic | 24.8 MPG 9.5 l/100km |
22.4 MPG 10.5 l/100km+11% |
| 3.0 liter petrol engine | ||
| BMW 330Ci 231 HP manual | 25.8 MPG 9.1 l/100km |
23.8 MPG 9.9 l/100km+9% |
| BMW 330Ci 231 HP automatic | 24.5 MPG 9.6 l/100km |
21.0 MPG 11.2 l/100km+17% |
| 3.0 liter diesel engine | ||
| BMW 330Cd 204 HP manual | 35.6 MPG 6.6 l/100km |
33.1 MPG 7.1 l/100km+8% |
| BMW 330Cd 204 HP automatic | 30.5 MPG 7.7 l/100km |
28.0 MPG 8.4 l/100km+9% |
BMW 3 series 2003 E46 cabrio fuel economy
| Average advertised fuel consumption for petrol engines | 25.3 MPG 9.3 l/100km |
| Average real-world fuel consumption for petrol engines | 24.2 MPG 9.7 l/100km |
| Average real gasoline consumption difference * | +4% |
| Average advertised fuel consumption for diesel engines | 37.3 MPG 6.3 l/100km |
| Average real-world fuel consumption for diesel engines | 33.6 MPG 7.0 l/100km |
| Average real diesel consumption difference * | +11% |
According to advertised fuel consumption, a BMW 3 series 2003 with automatic transmission consumes on average 0.3 liters per 100 km or 4% 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 1.1 litres per 100 km or 13% 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 slightly better than average. The best real fuel economy in its class according to user reviews of all the modifications has modification with 2.0 petrol engine and manual transmission (BMW 318Ci Cabrio 143 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 330Ci Cabrio 231 HP).
The table below shows the real and claimed fuel consumption and the differences for specific versions.
| Modification | Claimed consumption | Real consumption |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 liter petrol engine | ||
| BMW 318Ci Cabrio 143 HP manual | 30.2 MPG 7.8 l/100km |
28.3 MPG 8.3 l/100km+6% |
| BMW 318Ci Cabrio 143 HP automatic | 28.0 MPG 8.4 l/100km |
24.5 MPG 9.6 l/100km+14% |
| 2.0 liter diesel engine | ||
| BMW 320Cd Cabrio 150 HP manual | 37.3 MPG 6.3 l/100km |
36.8 MPG 6.4 l/100km+2% |
| BMW 320Cd Cabrio 150 HP automatic | 37.3 MPG 6.3 l/100km |
30.9 MPG 7.6 l/100km+21% |
| 2.2 liter petrol engine | ||
| BMW 320Ci Cabrio 170 HP manual | 25.0 MPG 9.4 l/100km |
25.6 MPG 9.2 l/100km-2% |
| BMW 320Ci Cabrio 170 HP automatic | 24.0 MPG 9.8 l/100km |
24.5 MPG 9.6 l/100km-2% |
| 2.5 liter petrol engine | ||
| BMW 325Ci Cabrio 192 HP manual | 24.5 MPG 9.6 l/100km |
25.0 MPG 9.4 l/100km-2% |
| BMW 325Ci Cabrio 192 HP automatic | 23.8 MPG 9.9 l/100km |
22.4 MPG 10.5 l/100km+6% |
| 3.0 liter petrol engine | ||
| BMW 330Ci Cabrio 231 HP manual | 24.5 MPG 9.6 l/100km |
24.0 MPG 9.8 l/100km+2% |
| BMW 330Ci Cabrio 231 HP 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.