BMW 3 Series Touring review

The BMW 3 Series Touring is one of those cars. The cars that do everything, are instantly recommendable, mostly brilliant and have been for generations. See also Porsche 911, VW Golf and Range Rover. In the case of the 3 Touring, why have an SUV or crossover when this is cheaper, more efficient, better to drive and just as practical?

So what’s new? The front half is pretty much identical to the facelifted saloon, and that's no bad thing. Thankfully the 3 Series has avoided BMW’s controversial new design direction so far, still has a modest grille and remains a handsome (if less ostentatious) thing.

We were first shown the updated version in May 2022, which brought slimmer lights, more aggressive bumpers and BMW’s new Curved Display inside, which pairs a 12.3-inch dial display with a 14.9-inch central infotainment screen and merges them into one widescreen unit.

Hang on, what about the back end?

Ah yes – the important end. Towards the rear, the designers of this seventh-gen G21 took on the same mission as with the saloon – don't just clone 'n' shrink a 5 Series, use a different technique. Where previous 3 Series Tourings took the window line and simply extended it level, here the lower line of the glass angles upward behind the door. That makes, in effect, the biggest-ever Hofmeister kink. It also gives the design some forward-aiming dynamism.

In the UK we get the choice of Sport and M Sport trims, with the former getting a clean, body-coloured rear end while the latter gets a fair bit of black plastic designed to look like a diffuser.

The Touring is better, right?

The estate remains the same length as the contemporary saloon. Although of course they both grew for this latest generation – but not by much. At 4.7m long they’ve grown less than the length of a credit card over the previous F30 and F31, but it's more about crash safety than interior space, which hasn't seen much benefit.

The handsome Touring shape encloses 500 litres of boot (or 410 litres if you want a plug-in hybrid where the battery consumes boot space by raising the floor height), which is about par among the style-led premium wagons, but visibly less than, say, the Volkswagen Passat. Still, the 3 Series has some neat mechanisms to ensure your small but perfectly formed cargo is easily loaded and well restrained. And yes, unlike the 5 Touring, it still has the super useful separate opening tailgate glass.

What engines can I have?

Diesel is dead. Gone. Buried. Such a shame – the 320d and 330d from previous generations have been the best of them. No more 700-mile range and 50mpg. Instead you can do 314mpg. Depending how much you plug the 330e hybrid in. But it is genuinely capable of delivering 70mpg if used with a modicum of sense. Good all-round powertrain, but the four cylinder turbo that underpins it is a charisma vacuum compared to the sixes of old.

Speaking of which, only one of those is left. The M340i xDrive Touring is undoubtedly the pick of the range if you can stretch to its £63,880 base price. The single turbo straight six develops 374bhp, has creamy torque delivery and is just endlessly pleasing to use.

At the other end of the scale is the 184bhp 320i powered by a 2.0-litre turbo. It’s fine, does the job and does it better than the powerplants in most rivals. It’s the same engine that underpins the plug-in hybrid, although peak power there stands at 288bhp. But that’s it these days, just three engines, plus a fourth if you count the M3's twin turbo straight six.

Does the 3 Series still sell in the UK?

It really does. You may think everyone wants an X3 these days, but the 3 Series still often tops BMW’s sales charts. The problem is the model range has been drastically reduced, not just the engines but the options you can have. No manual gearbox, 320i is rear-drive only, 340i comes as 4WD. The need to invest in electrification means BMW needed to slim down its regular car range. You see the same across every marque.

How much will it cost me?

BMW 3 Series Touring prices start from £43,930 for a base-spec Sport trim 320i. The step up to M Sport trim is only £1,250, so that’s what almost everyone does, while the car everyone wants, the M340i is considerably more expensive.

If you can't find a 3 Series Touring to suit you, you've got some pretty special automotive needs. For most of us, it's all the car we’d ever need. Unflappable to drive, composed, techy without being baffling to operate and spacious enough to cope with hauling duties. It’s better packaged than the over-sized 5 Series Touring, way more efficient and economical than most of its nearest rivals and still has a tangible desirability that elevates it above them.

Unless you habitually carry very tall rear-seat passengers, or really bulky cargo, or need to go off-road, it'll do you proud. For many buyers it’s a shame diesel has gone and the six cylinder is reduced to a single model, but it’s still the best compact estate there is. And the M340i xDrive Touring must put the fear of God into all other carmakers.