Compare the2024 Toyota CamryVS 2024 BMW 3 Series Sedan

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Camry have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Camry 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.

The Camry’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.

Both the Camry and 3 Series Sedan offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the Camry XLE/XSE has Parking Support Brake (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The 3 Series Sedan’s Cross Traffic Warning doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Camry 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, 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, available blind spot warning systems and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Camry is safer than the BMW 3 Series Sedan:

	Camry	3 Series Sedan
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	140	145
Neck Injury Risk	20%	23%
Neck Compression	13 lbs.	32 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	33%
Neck Stress	136 lbs.	170 lbs.
Neck Compression	45 lbs.	74 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Camry is safer than the BMW 3 Series Sedan:

	Camry	3 Series Sedan
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	136 lbs.	179 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	289	305
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	164	270
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	39 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Camry its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 67 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 3 Series Sedan has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Camry 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the 3 Series Sedan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the 3 Series Sedan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Camry’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Camry’s reliability 27 points higher than the 3 Series Sedan.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Camry first among midsize cars in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The 3 Series Sedan isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, BMW is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. BMW is ranked 9th.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Camry
	FWD	LE/SE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/39 hwy
		Camry XLE 3.5 DOHC V6	22 city/33 hwy
		XLE/XSE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/38 hwy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/34 hwy
3 Series Sedan
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/34 hwy
		3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/31 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/33 hwy
		3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/31 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Camry uses regular unleaded gasoline. The 3 Series Sedan requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

The Camry stops shorter than the 3 Series Sedan:

	Camry	3 Series Sedan
70 to 0 MPH	156 feet	165 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	129 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	133 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Camry SE/XLE’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 3 Series Sedan (235/45R18 vs. 225/40R19).

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Camry is .1 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the 3 Series Sedan.

The Camry TRD handles at .94 G’s, while the 330i xDrive pulls only .89 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Camry LE’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the 3 Series Sedan’s (37.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet). The Camry AWD SE/XLE/XSE’s turning circle is .1 feet tighter than the 3 Series Sedan’s (39.3 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

Chassis

The Toyota Camry may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 350 pounds less than the BMW 3 Series Sedan.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Camry SE is quieter than the 330i (72 vs. 74 dB).

Passenger Space

The Camry has .1 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom, 2.8 inches more rear legroom and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the 3 Series Sedan.

The front step up height for the Camry is 1.5 inches lower than the 3 Series Sedan (15” vs. 16.5”). The Camry’s rear step up height is 1.8 inches lower than the 3 Series Sedan’s (14.5” vs. 16.3”).

Cargo Capacity

The Camry has a much larger trunk than the 3 Series Sedan (15.1 vs. 13 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Camry XLE/XSE 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.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Camry is less expensive to operate than the 3 Series Sedan because it costs $81 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Camry than the 3 Series Sedan, including $307 less for a water pump, $527 less for a muffler, $67 less for front brake pads, $72 less for a starter, $37 less for fuel injection and $265 less for front struts.

Recommendations

The Toyota Camry has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Camry	3 Series Sedan
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	TRUE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	FALSE

The Toyota Camry outsold the BMW 3 Series by almost 9 to one during 2023.

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