Compare the2022 BMW 3 Series SedanVS 2021 Lexus ES Series

The 3 Series Sedan’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The ES Series doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The 3 Series Sedan has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The ES Series doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the 3 Series Sedan and the ES Series have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The 3 Series Sedan’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the ES Series’ (12 vs. 6 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the 3 Series Sedan for 2 years and 26000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the ES Series (3/36,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 43 percent more BMW dealers than there are Lexus dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the 3 Series Sedan’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the 3 Series Sedan has a standard 720-amp battery. The ES Series’ 603-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

The battery on the 3 Series Sedan is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the 3 Series Sedan’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The ES Series’ battery is in the hot engine compartment.

The 3 Series Sedan has more powerful engines than the ES Series:

As tested in Motor Trend the 330i is faster than the ES 300h:

On the EPA test cycle the 3 Series Sedan gets better mileage than the ES Series:

Regardless of its engine, regenerative brakes improve the 3 Series Sedan’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. Lexus only offers a regenerative brake system on the ES Series Hybrid.

Regardless of its engine, the 3 Series Sedan’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the ES 300h and it doesn’t have a disable feature.

The 3 Series Sedan has 2.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the ES Series Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (15.6 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The 3 Series Sedan’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The ES Series doesn’t offer launch control.

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

The 3 Series Sedan’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the ES Series are solid, not vented.

The 3 Series Sedan stops much shorter than the ES Series:

For better traction, the 3 Series Sedan has larger standard tires than the ES Series (225/45R18 vs. 215/55R17).

The 330i’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the ES Series’ standard 55 series tires. The 3 Series Sedan’s optional 225/35R20 front and 255/30R20 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the ES Series 350 F Sport’s 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 330i has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the ES Series. The 3 Series Sedan’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the ES Series 350 F Sport.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the 3 Series Sedan can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The ES Series doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The 3 Series Sedan has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The ES Series’ suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The 3 Series Sedan’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51.3% to 48.7%) than the ES Series’ (57.4% to 42.6%). This gives the 3 Series Sedan more stable handling and braking.

The 330i handles at .95 G’s, while the ES 300h pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The M340i executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 3.4 seconds quicker than the ES 300h (25 seconds @ .77 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the 3 Series Sedan’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the ES Series’ (37.4 feet vs. 38 feet).

The 3 Series Sedan is 10.2 inches shorter than the ES Series, making the 3 Series Sedan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the BMW 3 Series Sedan amounts to more than styling. The 3 Series Sedan has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .26 Cd. That is lower than the ES Series (.26 to .29) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the 3 Series Sedan get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the 3 Series Sedan uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The ES Series doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The 3 Series Sedan has 1.2 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front shoulder room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the ES Series.

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the 3 Series Sedan’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. Its intrusive beam hinge reduces the ES Series’ useful trunk space.

The 3 Series Sedan’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The ES Series doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

The engine in the 3 Series Sedan is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the ES Series. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

The 3 Series Sedan’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The ES Series’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Both the 3 Series Sedan and the ES Series offer optional heated front seats. The 3 Series Sedan also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the ES Series.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the 3 Series Sedan is less expensive to operate than the ES Series because typical repairs cost much less on the 3 Series Sedan than the ES Series, including $199 less for a fuel pump, $311 less for a timing belt/chain and $512 less for a power steering pump.

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