There’s no doubt about it: The BMW 3 Series is a great little car, BMW’s best-seller of all time. In the mid-1970s, BMW found itself under the gun to produce a worthy successor to its 2002 model. In 1975, the brand revealed the 3 Series, an evolutionary vehicle that carried over many of the 2002’s merits to a marginally larger platform. It's been improving ever since, and it is widely considered a class leader among compact luxury cars.
The 2018 BMW 3 Series is available in three body styles: a sedan starting at $34,900, a station wagon starting at $44,650, and the five-door Gran Turismo starting at $45,040. The high-performance M3 sedan starts at $66,500. The 3 Series’ popularity and capability have spawned a host of competitive vehicles over the course of its 40-plus years on U.S. roads, and here are 10 of its competitors to consider.