Car and Driver tests BMW’s 2027 i3 as the electric 3-Series approaches its U.S. launch
Dan Edmunds' first-drive report praises the i3's composure and braking but flags lighter steering feedback and touchscreen-heavy cabin controls; BMW lists 463 hp and an estimated range of up to 468 miles.
Story So Far
Car and Driver's Dan Edmunds published a first-drive report on the 2027 BMW i3 50 xDrive, the first fully electric 3-Series sedan built on BMW's Neue Klasse architecture. The review treats it as a purpose-built electric sedan rather than a gasoline 3-Series converted to battery power: the i3 has a longer wheelbase and a different cabin layout while retaining familiar BMW sports-sedan proportions.
BMW's U.S. newsroom lists a $61,500 starting MSRP before the $1,350 destination and handling charge. It says the dual-motor all-wheel-drive i3 produces 463 horsepower and estimates up to 468 miles of range; the automaker also specifies an 800-volt electrical system and DC charging up to 400 kW. Car and Driver lists a 112-kWh battery and estimates 0–60 mph in 4.2 seconds. The publication separately estimates about 450 miles of range and notes that the EPA has not yet rated the car, so that figure is a reviewer estimate rather than an EPA result.
Edmunds describes the ride as composed and the car as planted through corners, with smooth braking and useful regenerative braking. His reservations are more specific than a simple verdict: he found less steering feedback than in the gasoline M350 and noted that some cabin adjustments, including vent aiming, rely on the 17.9-inch touchscreen. This is an independent first-drive assessment, not a long-term ownership test. BMW says U.S. launch is scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.