BMW 3 Series Touring

Estate cars like the BMW 3 Series Touring are losing ground to SUVs and crossovers, which is a shame. Not only because estate cars are better than ever - the 3 Series Touring is such a remarkably competent all-rounder in so many areas it's one of the best cars you can buy full stop - but because a good estate car crosses the comfort and driving experience of a saloon car with the practicality of, essentially, a van.

Now in its seventh generation, the latest BMW 3 Series Touring will appeal to buyers who want a practical family car without compromising on style and performance. It rivals similar executive estates, while also offering a tempting upmarket alternative to mainstream models like the Skoda Superb Estate.

In an attempt to keep the 3 Series Touring looking fresh, BMW has recently given it a mid-life update. Changes to the exterior are barely noticeable (brighter LED headlights mean the front bumper no longer has to accommodate glitzy fog lights), while the interior benefits from a new toggle gear selector and the same curved infotainment display as the BMW i4 and iX.

There's a slightly simplified model line-up, too, although all BMW 3 Series Touring models are sufficiently well-equipped for the money and feel top notch in terms of quality. The interior is spacious enough to accommodate four adults, while its 500-litre boot stacks up well against rivals. If you're regularly travelling with a car full of passengers, you might want to look at the bigger BMW 5 Series Touring, though.

Naturally, the BMW 3 Series Touring's unique selling point is the way it drives. We've driven it back-to-back with the regular BMW 3 Series saloon and you just can't tell the difference - both feel superbly agile, remaining composed during cornering and offering an element of fun you just don't with some rivals.

You'll find an engine to suit every buyer, too. The current UK line-up is slightly simpler than it once was. The key choices now are the 320i petrol, the 330e plug-in hybrid and the M340i xDrive. That means there is a sensible petrol, a company-car-friendly plug-in hybrid and a properly fast M Performance model, but some of the older diesel and lower-powered alternatives are no longer part of the new-car story.

As a premium family estate, though, the basic appeal is unchanged. It is still one of the best cars of its type on sale.

For most buyers, the best BMW 3 Series Touring is the BMW 320i M Sport Touring.

That version makes the strongest all-round case because it captures the 3 Series Touring’s blend of performance, refinement and everyday usability without dragging in the extra price or compromises of the other models. The 184PS 2.0-litre petrol is brisk enough to feel satisfying, refined enough to suit the car’s premium positioning and simple enough to make ownership straightforward.

The BMW 330e Touring is a very smart alternative if your driving pattern suits a plug-in hybrid. Its official electric range is now much more useful than older PHEVs managed, and that will make it especially attractive to company-car users or anyone with easy home charging. The caveat is that it cuts boot space quite noticeably.

The BMW M340i xDrive Touring is the indulgent choice. It is very fast, sounds great and still manages to feel like a usable estate rather than a one-dimensional performance car, but it is also more expensive to buy and run.

In simple terms, the 320i is the smart one, the 330e is the tax-savvy one and the M340i xDrive is the fast one.

The BMW 3 Series Touring currently starts at £44,010 for the BMW 320i M Sport Touring. The BMW 330e M Sport Touring rises to £49,510, while the BMW M340i xDrive Touring tops the regular line-up at £61,765.

That puts the 3 Series Touring firmly into premium territory, and there is no escaping the fact that it is an expensive estate. Still, it is also one of those cars that mostly feels worth it. The cabin quality is strong, the engineering is obvious and the way it drives gives it an edge many rivals struggle to match.

Used prices also remain fairly firm, which is good news for residuals but means there are fewer bargains than you might hope for.

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate remains one of the BMW 3 Series Touring’s key rivals because it offers a similarly premium take on the compact executive estate formula, with a more comfort-led and overtly luxurious flavour.

The Audi A5 Avant is now the most relevant Audi alternative. It effectively takes over the role the old A4 Avant once played in this part of the market, offering a similarly premium estate format with strong technology and a more comfort-led character.

The Volvo V60 is also worth serious consideration if you want something a little more left-field. It majors on comfort, cabin design and a calm Scandinavian feel, and it offers more boot space than the BMW.

Beyond those three, the Skoda Superb Estate remains the value-led alternative if outright space matters more than badge appeal, while the BMW 5 Series Touring is the step up if you want something larger and more lavish.

The 3 Series Touring remains a very practical family estate, though not the class leader for outright luggage volume.

In petrol form, boot space is 500 litres with the rear seats in place, expanding to 1,510 litres with the seats folded. That is a useful, neatly shaped load area and enough to make the BMW feel entirely viable as a family’s only car.

The plug-in hybrid BMW 330e Touring gives away some of that practicality because the battery packaging reduces boot capacity to 410 litres. That is still workable, but it is a meaningful reduction and one worth factoring into the buying decision if boot space is a priority.

Against key rivals, that leaves the BMW in a respectable rather than dominant position. A Volvo V60 offers more luggage room, and a Skoda Superb Estate is more generous still, but the BMW counters with a better blend of driving appeal and premium feel.

Passenger space is strong too. Four adults will fit comfortably, with generous knee and shoulder room in the back. The centre rear seat is less convincing because of the transmission tunnel, but that is normal in this class.

The BMW 3 Series Touring measures 4,709mm long, 1,827mm wide & 1,440mm high.

Those dimensions place it neatly in the executive-estate sweet spot. It is big enough to feel substantial and useful, yet still compact enough to be enjoyable on a narrow road and manageable in tighter urban settings.

That balance is part of what makes the 3 Series Touring so appealing. It never feels cumbersome in the way some larger estates and SUVs can.

If you want the freshest interior, the 2022-onwards updated car is the one to have. That brought BMW’s curved display setup, combining a 12.3-inch driver display with a 14.9-inch central touchscreen, and lifted the whole cabin considerably in terms of visual sophistication.

Crucially, BMW still combines the touchscreen with the iDrive rotary controller, which remains one of the best infotainment interfaces in the business. That makes the system easier to use on the move than many touch-only rivals.

Earlier pre-facelift cars now look a little more dated, but they were still user-friendly and are far from obsolete if you are shopping used.

Wireless smartphone connectivity, crisp graphics and BMW’s generally sensible menu layout all help reinforce the sense that this is a premium system done properly.

Interior quality is very strong. The 3 Series Touring feels rich and well assembled, with soft-touch materials, smart trim finishes and the sort of solidity buyers expect at this price.

It does not go overboard for the sake of visual drama, but it feels expensive in all the right ways. That means it is more likely to impress you six months into ownership than in the first 30 seconds of sitting in it.

This is one of those cabins that manages to feel both premium and durable, which is exactly what you want in a family estate.

The current UK line-up is centred on three main models.

The BMW 320i Touring uses a 2.0-litre petrol engine producing 184PS and 300Nm. It reaches 62mph in 7.6 seconds and drives the rear wheels through BMW’s eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The BMW 330e Touring plug-in hybrid combines a 2.0-litre petrol with electric assistance for a total of 292PS and 420Nm. It is rear-wheel drive, uses the same eight-speed automatic and can cover 62mph in 6.0 seconds. Official electric range is 54 to 61 miles.

At the top sits the BMW M340i xDrive Touring. It uses a 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol with 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance, producing 392PS and 540Nm. With all-wheel drive, it reaches 62mph in 4.6 seconds.

For most buyers, the 320i remains the sweet spot. The 330e is the one for tax-conscious drivers, while the M340i xDrive is the fast estate for people who want one car to do everything.

The 3 Series Touring is still one of the best-driving estates on sale. The steering is nicely weighted, body control is excellent and the rear-drive balance gives it a degree of agility many rivals simply do not match.

One of the cleverest things about it is that the Touring body does not really dilute the driving experience you get in the saloon. BMW has done a very good job of preserving the same sense of accuracy and composure, so the estate never feels like the compromise choice from behind the wheel.

Ride comfort depends a little on specification. Cars on smaller wheels and softer suspension strike the best balance, while M Sport cars on larger wheels can feel firmer than ideal on poor surfaces. Adaptive damping helps, but the BMW 3 Series Touring is generally more of a controlled, taut estate than a soft one.

Refinement is another strength. At motorway speeds the car settles down very well, and the four-cylinder petrols are impressively hushed. The plug-in hybrid is especially quiet around town when running electrically, while the M340i xDrive combines long-distance refinement with a satisfyingly muscular soundtrack when you want it.

The BMW 3 Series earned a full five-star Euro NCAP rating in 2019, with especially strong scores for adult occupant protection. Euro NCAP assessed the 3 Series saloon, but the Touring shares the same core safety structure and systems.

Standard safety equipment includes front-collision warning, lane-departure warning and the usual spread of airbags and driver aids. BMW also offers more advanced assistance systems through option packs, including adaptive cruise and more semi-autonomous motorway support.

The BMW 320i Touring manages up to 42.8mpg officially, which is a respectable figure for a premium rear-drive estate with this sort of performance.

The BMW 330e Touring is the economy headline act if you can charge regularly. Its official electric range of up to 61 miles makes it a much more convincing plug-in hybrid than older PHEVs were, and it carries a combined figure of up to 353.1mpg.

The BMW M340i xDrive Touring is inevitably thirstier, returning up to 33.6mpg officially. That still looks quite respectable given the pace on offer.

BMW covers the 3 Series Touring with a three-year unlimited-mileage warranty. Servicing is managed through BMW’s condition-based system, and buyers can take out service plans if they want more predictable ownership costs.

That is standard enough for the class rather than generous, but the 3 Series Touring benefits from well-proven mechanicals and a strong dealer network.

Insurance groups start at 28 for the BMW 320i Touring, rise to the low 30s for the BMW 330e Touring and reach group 40 for the BMW M340i xDrive Touring.

That is not cheap, but it is entirely in line with expectations for a premium estate with this kind of performance spread.

After year one, the BMW 3 Series Touring pays the standard annual VED rate for petrol and plug-in hybrid cars, which is currently £200. Cars with a list price above £40,000 also attract the Expensive Car Supplement, currently £440 a year in years two to six.

That means every current BMW 3 Series Touring model is likely to be caught by the supplement, given the current list prices. In practical terms, buyers should budget for an annual VED bill of £640 during that five-year period.