Compare the2025 Toyota CrownVS 2024 BMW 3 Series Sedan

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Crown 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 Crown 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 Crown. But it costs extra on the 3 Series Sedan.

The Crown’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 Crown 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 Crown has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Parking Support Brake on the Limited/Platinum/Nightshade automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. BMW charges extra for Cross Traffic Warning on the 3 Series Sedan and the 3 Series Sedan’s Cross Traffic Warning does not include automatic braking.

Both the Crown 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, 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Toyota Crown achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The 3 Series Sedan has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Crown 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 Crown’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 14 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota second in reliability, above the industry average. With 43 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 9th.

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.

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

As tested in Car and Driver the Crown Platinum 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the 330i 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the Crown gets better mileage than the 3 Series Sedan running its gasoline engine:

The Crown has 3.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the 3 Series Sedan 330e’s standard fuel tank (14.5 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Crown has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Crown has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the 3 Series Sedan. The Crown’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the 3 Series Sedan.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Crown is .9 inches wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the 3 Series Sedan.

For better maneuverability, the Crown Platinum’s turning circle is 4 feet tighter than the 3 Series Sedan’s (35.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet). The Crown’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the 3 Series Sedan’s (38 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Crown Platinum is quieter than the 330i (66 vs. 69 dB).

The Crown has .1 inches more front legroom, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 3.7 inches more rear legroom and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the 3 Series Sedan.

The Crown has a much larger trunk than the 3 Series Sedan (15.2 vs. 13 cubic feet).

The Crown’s optional easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Crown’s standard Smart Key System allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the trunk, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Comfort Go standard on the 3 Series Sedan only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the car.

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

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Crown 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 Crown 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.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota Crown will be $7364 to $13406 less than for the BMW 3 Series Sedan.

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