BMW of Florence

Blog Cover Image

All posts

2018 BMW 3 Series vs 4 Series - What Are the Differences?

Published on May 15, 2026 by BMW of Florence

Compare 2018 BMW 3 Series vs 2018 BMW 4 Series

Explore 3 Series Inventory

Explore 4 Series Inventory

Differences Between BMW 3 Series vs 4 Series

Body Styles

The biggest difference between the 2018 BMW 3 and BMW 4 are the body styles that are offered. The 3 Series offers a sports sedan, sports wagon, and Gran Turismo. The Gran Turismo looks like a coupe, but with much more space than the average coupe. The BMW 4 Series comes as a coupe, Gran Coupe, and Convertible model. The Gran Coupe is a four-door coupe, but more powerful than the 3 Series sedan. As you can see, you have many different options when it comes to body styles. The choice all comes down to what type of driving you plan to do.

Performance

Both the BMW 3 and 4 have a 2.0L Turbocharged I-4 engine. The 2018 BMW 3 Series delivers a performance of 180 horsepower. The 4 Series delivers a stronger performance of 248 horsepower. Gas mileage is similar on both the 3 and 4 Series. Both luxury vehicles get 23 mpg city. The 3 Series gets 35 Highway and the 4 Series gets 34 Highway, which is not much different. The 3 Series has an almost perfect 50/50 weight distribution, which gives it the ability to hug tighter around the curves. A 3.0L TwinPower Turbo engine is available for both models that can deliver up to 320 horsepower and can go 0- 60 mph in 4.6 seconds.

Features

The 2018 BMW 3 Series offers a full-color Head-Up display so that you don’t have to take your eyes off the road. This is optional on the 4 Series. The 4 Series comes with a sun/moon roof as standard but it is optional in the 3 Series. A few options are available on the 4 Series that are not even offered on the 3 Series. These include active blind spot detection, active driving assistant, and active cruise control.

Even though they evolved from the same platform, there are many differences between the 2018 BMW 3 Series and 4 Series. If you are still having trouble deciding between the two, stop by BMW of Florence to test drive them both.

By checking here, I direct BMW of Florence to send me text messages to market or advertise products, goods, or services. These text messages may be transmitted through autodialed calls or robotext. By checking the checkbox and clicking submit, I confirm that I am the current owner/subscriber of the mobile number provided or that the current owner/subscribed of this mobile phone number authorized me to provide this number to the dealer. I understand that my consent is not required as a condition of purchase and that I can revoke my consent at any time. My carrier wireless and text message fees may apply. I will contact the dealer directly to provide reasonable notice if I no longer wish to receive automated calls or texts.