Overview

If you’re looking for an all-rounder that does a brilliant job of combining driving performance with added practicality, then the BMW 3 Series Touring could well be the estate car for you. It’s a hugely-admired family car for keen drivers – and one that’s been sharpened up even more in a 2022 facelift.

As usual, it’s up against some very strong opposition from its premium rivals. So, the 3 Series Touring is likely to find itself on the same shopping list as the Audi A4 Avant, Volvo V60 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate. But there are more mainstream (and worse-selling) rivals that are also well worth looking at – the Peugeot 508 SW is an eye-catching alternative, while the Skoda Superb Estate has bags of appeal and acres of space.

These days, a family estate car such as this is as likely to be on your shopping list alongside a bunch of SUVs, including not only the Audi Q5 and Mercedes GLC but also the BMW X3, Porsche Macan and perhaps even more functional alternatives like the Skoda Kodiaq. Car buyers have so much choice. So why should the 3 Series Touring top your list?

UK trim level choices are either Sport or M Sport for normal models, or M Performance models for the most powerful engines. We tend to like our BMWs particularly sporty, though this isn’t to say comfort has been forgotten. The majority of UK buyers – nearly two thirds, in fact – order the M Sport trim level, which has its own style of bumpers front and rear as well as firmer, lower sports suspension as standard.

BMW has recently slimmed down its engine range for the 3 Series, losing the least powerful version, as well as the 330i and 330d – but there’s still a wide choice including the 330e plug-in hybrid. Minimum power output is 184hp from the 320i, rising to 374hp from the M340i xDrive. You’ll also find the popular 320d (190hp) – although we wonder for how much longer. As ever with BMW, ‘i’ indicates a petrol engine, while ‘d’ designates a diesel.

All offer a fine balance between performance and fuel economy – meaning that you’re unlikely to feel short-changed in either department, whichever version of this car you decide you can afford. Almost every model in the range comes with an eight-speed automatic Steptronic transmission as standard; the 318d and 320d come equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox, with the Steptronic optional.

Click through the next few pages to read everything you need to know about the BMW 3 Series Touring including its practicality, its interior, how much it costs to run, what it’s like to drive – and whether we recommend buying one. We’ve also driven one over an extended period, so find out what we think in our long-term test.