The BMW 3-Series saloon has long been judged the best compact executive saloon on the market. The question is: does this brilliance translate over to the estate version, the BMW 3-Series Touring?
The BMW 3-series Touring faces off against the Mercedes C-Class Estate and the Audi A4 Avant and the cheaper Ford Mondeo Vignale. Can it hold its own and is it worth considering getting one on personal car leasing?
Searching for that extra space
If you are looking at the Touring then you are interested in extra space is a priority. Why else would you look at the estate edition?
Well you be pleased with this model as it offers you 495-litres of boot capacity when you have the seats up. That is an increase over the saloon model that offers 480-litres. However, if you drop those rear seats in the Touring, you increase your boot capacity to 1500-litres, which is similar its rivals when compared to the Mercedes C-Class estate (1510-litres) and the Audi A4 Avant (1510-litres). BMW have also given you a flat load floor, which means it is easy to pack and unpack your boot.
Passengers are gifted with comfortable legroom in both the front and the back. You may expect that the headroom is traded off for the legroom, but BMW have been great and given you plenty of headroom as well. The car is most comfortable when you have four adults. It is more of a struggle when you squeeze in a 5th person, like most cars including its rivals.
The interior in the Touring is well-built with everything made from high-quality materials and fitted well together. The controls are driver-facing and can be easily reached. The BMW does match its rivals with its large colour display in the centre of the dashboard to run its infotainment system, iDrive system, which comes with a control knob so you can use it without having to take your eyes off the road.
The beast under the bonnet
The BMW 3-Series Touring comes with both petrol and diesel engines on offer. The entry level engine is a three-cylinder 1.5-litre petrol engine that produces 136 bhp. From that power, this model accelerates from 0-60 mph in 9.2 seconds and hits a top speed of 130 mph.
Whilst space may have been your priority, fuel economy is also a consideration. For this entry level engine, you get a combined fuel economy of 49.6 mpg, but if you are more of a motorway driver, you get an extra urban fuel economy of 59 mpg. For you mainly city drivers, urban fuel economy comes out at 39 mpg.
If you are looking for a greener, more fuel-efficient engine, consider the 320d EfficientDynamics Plus engine. It is a four-cylinder, 2.0-litre diesel engine producing 163 bhp. It is slightly faster on the top speed than the entry level with a top speed of 138 mph and accelerates from 0-60 mph in 8.1 seconds.
But more importantly, it has a combined fuel economy of 70.6 mpg which is the same as the Audi A4 Avant’s greenest engine. Both are beaten by the Mercedes C350e, which has a combined fuel economy of 134.5 mpg. For you, motorway drivers, this model has an extra urban fuel economy of 81 mpg and for the city drivers, the urban fuel economy is 59 mpg.
For the fastest model, you stick with the diesel engines. The 335d xDrive M-Sport offers a six-cylinder, turbocharged 3.0-litre engine developing 313 bhp. This gives it an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph and an acceleration time from 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds.
Whilst you may be less interested in fuel efficiency if you have chosen the fastest model, you will remain pleasantly surprised. The combined fuel economy of this speed machine is 49.6 mpg. Compare this to its rival, the Audi S4 Quattro, it only does 37.7 mpg and the Mercedes C63 S is even worse with only a combined fuel economy of 33.6 mpg.
Best thing about it
BMW has ensured that the 3-Series Touring drives just as well as the compact saloon edition. In fact, the driving capabilities of this car are the best thing about it. This is where it outstrips its rivals. All models start out with rear-wheel drive, but four-wheel drive is optional.
BMW are the master when it comes to the ride and handling of their vehicles and few other manufacturers can match them. The 3-Series Touring has ample amounts of grip in the corners and combine that with the well balanced and accurate steering that responds perfectly, you are confidently in full control of this car. Other reviewers say that the standard set up for the Touring is the best on offer with the optional variable steering that costs £250 isn’t worth it.
That said, the other optional extra, the £750 adaptive dampers are well worth going for as they offer three unique settings. You can choose from Comfort, that offers one of the comfiest rides offered in an estate car, whilst Sport+ offers the leanest, sportiest drive you will experience. Sports mode is a perfect balance between the two, with a firmer ride than Comfort and a well-controlled, but not as extreme experience as Sport+.
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