Compare the2024 Volkswagen ArteonVS 2024 BMW 3 Series Sedan

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Volkswagen Arteon are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Arteon. But it costs extra on the 3 Series Sedan.

The Arteon’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the 3 Series Sedan.

The Arteon has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the 3 Series Sedan’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Arteon has standard rear cross-path warning, helping the driver avoid collisions. BMW charges extra for Cross Traffic Warning on the 3 Series Sedan.

Both the Arteon and the 3 Series Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Arteon its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 131 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 3 Series Sedan has not been fully tested, yet.

There are over 81 percent more Volkswagen dealers than there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Arteon’s warranty.

The Volkswagen Arteon’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the 3 Series Sedan’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

The Arteon’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 45 more horsepower (300 vs. 255) than the 330i’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Arteon uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The 3 Series Sedan requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Arteon has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the 3 Series Sedan (17.4 vs. 15.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Arteon offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better stopping power the Arteon’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the 3 Series Sedan:

The Arteon stops shorter than the 3 Series Sedan:

For better traction, the Arteon has larger tires than the 3 Series Sedan (245/35R20 vs. 225/45R18). The Arteon’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 3 Series Sedan (245/35R20 vs. 225/40R19).

The Arteon’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 3 Series Sedan’s standard 45 series tires. The Arteon’s tires are lower profile than the 3 Series Sedan’s optional 40 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Arteon has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the 3 Series Sedan. The 3 Series Sedan’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The Arteon SEL Premium has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the 3 Series Sedan; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare or run-flat tires, either of which has mileage and speed limitations.

The Arteon SEL Premium R-Line handles at .90 G’s, while the 330i xDrive pulls only .89 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Arteon has .5 inches more front shoulder room, 5 inches more rear legroom and .1 inches more rear shoulder room than the 3 Series Sedan.

The Arteon has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The 3 Series Sedan has no towing capacity.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Arteon to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Consumer Reports rated the Arteon’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the 3 Series Sedan’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Arteon SEL Premium keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Arteon has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the 3 Series Sedan.

The Arteon SEL Premium has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the 3 Series Sedan.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Volkswagen Arteon and the BMW 3 Series Sedan, based on reliability, safety and performance.