2017 BMW 3 series plug-in hybrid

midsize luxury car / 4-door sedan

Plug-in hybrid

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Headlights (varies by trim/option)
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
Optional system
Advanced
Optional system
Basic

Other available safety features

  • Optional blind spot detection
  • Optional lane departure warning

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Headlights

Ratings are given for 3 different headlight variations available on this vehicle.

Trim level(s)

  • 330e trim equipped with Lighting package
Low-beam headlight typeLED reflector
High-beam headlight typeLED reflector
Curve-adaptive?Yes
High-beam assist?Yes
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:
car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler 0 ft 100 ft 200 ft 300 ft 400 ft 500 ft 600 ft Low beams Optimal low-beam illumination High beams Optimal high-beam illumination High-beam assist credit

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was fair on the right side of the road and inadequate on the left side. On curves, visibility was good on both right curves and inadequate on both left curves.

The low beams never exceeded glare limits.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good on the gradual right and gradual left curves and fair on the sharp right and sharp left curves.

High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the straightaway, on both left curves and on the sharp right curve.

Technical measurements for this test
Trim level(s)
  • 330e trim equipped with Lighting package
Low-beam headlight type LED reflector
High-beam headlight type LED reflector
Curve-adaptive? Yes
High-beam assist? Yes
Overall rating
Applies to 2017-18 models
LOW BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)
Amount glare
exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge 78.1 m None
Straightaway left edge 35.0 m None
250m radius right curve, right edge 75.2 m None
250m radius left curve, left edge 36.6 m None
150m radius right curve, right edge 60.0 m None
150m radius left curve, left edge 37.9 m None
HIGH BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge 175.7 m
Straightaway left edge 151.6 m
250m radius right curve, right edge 88.3 m
250m radius left curve, left edge 77.6 m
150m radius right curve, right edge 64.8 m
150m radius left curve, left edge 60.5 m

Trim level(s)

  • 330e trim equipped with Premium package
Low-beam headlight typeLED reflector
High-beam headlight typeLED reflector
Curve-adaptive?No
High-beam assist?No
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:
car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler 0 ft 100 ft 200 ft 300 ft 400 ft 500 ft 600 ft Low beams Optimal low-beam illumination High beams Optimal high-beam illumination

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was inadequate on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was inadequate in all 4 tests.

The low beams never exceeded glare limits.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was fair on the right side of the road and inadequate on the left side. On curves, visibility was inadequate in all 4 tests.

Technical measurements for this test
Trim level(s)
  • 330e trim equipped with Premium package
Low-beam headlight type LED reflector
High-beam headlight type LED reflector
Curve-adaptive? No
High-beam assist? No
Overall rating
Applies to 2017-18 models
LOW BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)
Amount glare
exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge 73.0 m None
Straightaway left edge 21.0 m None
250m radius right curve, right edge 46.3 m None
250m radius left curve, left edge 32.0 m None
150m radius right curve, right edge 31.8 m None
150m radius left curve, left edge 28.4 m None
HIGH BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge 141.7 m
Straightaway left edge 90.1 m
250m radius right curve, right edge 55.5 m
250m radius left curve, left edge 50.8 m
150m radius right curve, right edge 43.8 m
150m radius left curve, left edge 43.2 m

Trim level(s)

  • 330e trim
Low-beam headlight typeHalogen reflector
High-beam headlight typeHalogen reflector
Curve-adaptive?No
High-beam assist?No
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:
car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler 0 ft 100 ft 200 ft 300 ft 400 ft 500 ft 600 ft Low beams Optimal low-beam illumination High beams Optimal high-beam illumination

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was inadequate on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was inadequate in all 4 tests.

The low beams never exceeded glare limits.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and inadequate on the left side. On curves, visibility was inadequate in all 4 tests.

Technical measurements for this test
Trim level(s)
  • 330e trim
Low-beam headlight type Halogen reflector
High-beam headlight type Halogen reflector
Curve-adaptive? No
High-beam assist? No
Overall rating
Applies to 2017 models
LOW BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)
Amount glare
exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge 53.1 m None
Straightaway left edge 28.1 m None
250m radius right curve, right edge 39.3 m None
250m radius left curve, left edge 29.1 m None
150m radius right curve, right edge 31.5 m None
150m radius left curve, left edge 29.1 m None
HIGH BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge 145.2 m
Straightaway left edge 122.3 m
250m radius right curve, right edge 55.6 m
250m radius left curve, left edge 54.4 m
150m radius right curve, right edge 42.5 m
150m radius left curve, left edge 42.6 m

How headlights are evaluated

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle

Ratings are given for 2 different trim variations available on this vehicle.

System details

  • Optional Frontal Collision Warning with City Collision Mitigation

Package name

  • Optional Driver Assistance Plus

Overall evaluation

Applies to 2017 models

Advanced
Advanced
with optional equipment
  • This system meets the requirements for forward collision warning.
  • In the 12 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 7 mph.
  • In the 25 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 6 mph.

System details

  • Optional Frontal Collision Warning with Extended Collision Mitigation

Package name

  • Optional Active Cruise Control

Overall evaluation

Applies to 2017-18 models

Basic
Basic
with optional equipment
  • This system meets the requirements for forward collision warning.
  • In the 12 mph test, this vehicle failed to slow.
  • In the 25 mph test, this vehicle failed to slow.

How front crash prevention is evaluated