It’s hard to not love Volvo at the moment. The plucky Swedish brand’s designs are just beautiful and its new S60 sedan is in contention for the prettiest car in the segment. They also drive well, have lovely cabins and, of course, industry-leading safety tech. However, this new BMW 3 Series is the best it’s been in a long while. So can the quirky new Swede take on the Bavarian stalwart? Auto Express finds out.

In this new comparison test, the BMW 330i takes on the Volvo S60 T5. So both cars are well matched, as they’re both powered by 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines and both have automatic gearboxes. Both the 330i and S6 are also two-wheel drive, with the Bimmer powering its rear wheels and the Volvo its fronts. They both also have their sport packages; M Sport and R-Design, respectively.

So which car is best? Well, we don’t want to spoil the results, as you should check out Auto Express’ test for yourself but we will say that the 3 Series is the sportier car of the two. Though, that’s not really a surprise. Despite being similar in power, the 3er is quite a bit quicker than the S60 and it’s the sharper, more dynamic car to drive. It’s also just as comfortable.

We just recently tested the BMW 330i and came away very impressed with its superb blend of dynamics and comfort. So we’re not surprised that AE was impressed as well. The new BMW 3 Series is a genuinely excellent car and a great addition to the famous model line. Don’t get me wrong, the Volvo S60 is a great car, too. It’s stylish, nice to drive, lovely to spend time in and has some great tech. If it were my money, though personally, it’d be spent on the Bimmer.

[Source: Auto Express]