Facts and figures
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Touring: 3's a perfect number
05.08.2005 |
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Price start from £24,540
Arrives September 17
What is it? Estate version of the brilliant 3 Series.
A versatile alternative to the saloon, rather than
a capacious load-hauler.
Following the success of the new 3 Series saloon, the Touring adds practicality without sacrificing the fine drive.
As off-roaders and MPVs become increasingly popular, BMW?s new 3 Series Touring is a reminder that there?s another option for those who need more practicality than their prestige saloon can provide.
You?ll find no clever seating options here, no largely unused four-wheel-drive systems and no compromises in driving pleasure. Instead, the Touring is simply a 3 Series with a more family-friendly rear end.
As before, it?s not meant to be a load-lugging workhorse: versatility takes precedence over outright space. Like its key rivals ? the Audi A4 Avant and Mercedes C-Class estate ? it?s more about giving owners the option of carrying kids? bikes or the dogs without diluting the driver appeal of the saloon.
To underline this, the 3 Series Touring isn?t even any longer than the four-door version. The sleek shape, with its sloping roof line and rounded rump, shares exactly the same rear overhang as the saloon.
BMW has freed up plenty of space, though. With the rear seat backs in place, the boot capacity is 460 litres to the window line. That?s a 25-litre improvement over the previous model. The Touring is now among the most spacious cars in its class, even if the Jaguar X-type Estate offers a few extra litres with the seats folded and the Mercedes C-Class?s is fractionally larger with them in place.
Either way, the load bay is larger than an A4 Avant?s, but it?s not as practically shaped. As with the previous car, the wheelarches intrude to leave a rather narrow, compromised boot, while there?s a small lip to load items over.
Despite these foibles, the Touring is very easy to use. Simply pull a handle on the rear seatbacks and they drop forward to leave a long, uninterrupted deck, and you don?t need to remove the headrests first.
As before, the rear window can be opened separately, so you can lift small objects in or out without having to open the whole tailgate. Also, because all models use run-flat tyres, there?s no spare to gobble up space under the boot floor. Instead there?s an extra storage space, ideal for keeping valuables hidden out of sight.
INTERIOR SPACE
These days no estate is complete without a range of ?convenience features?. The Touring obliges with the usual lashing points, straps for securing smaller items and a power supply in the boot.
There?s also a load cover, which automatically slides out of the way when the rear window is opened, and a partition net, which prevents the unwanted invasion of tall loads ? or dogs ? into the back seat.
Options include a reversible boot floor complete with collapsible waterproof folding box, perfect for muddy shoes or wellies.
So, loads are well catered for. Passengers get an equally great deal. As with the saloon, there?s ample legroom for all occupants and generous headroom in the front. One of the saloon?s few weaknesses ? tight rear headroom ? is addressed as the higher ceiling means there?s enough for anyone in the back of the Touring. Access to the rear seat is better, too, although you still have to step over a wide sill to get in. A central rear passenger benefits from the extra headroom, but still sits with their legs splayed each side of a bulky tunnel.
As with the saloon, the quality of materials throughout the cabin is impeccable and there?s a rock-solid feel to everything you touch. From the front door pillar forward the cabin is identical, which means a superb driving position and clear dash layout.
HOW DOES IT DRIVE?
The question is, how big an effect does the Touring?s heavier body have on the 3 Series saloon?s awesome drive? The good news is: very little.
We didn?t have the chance to drive the saloon and Touring back-to-back, which is what you?d need to do to tell them apart. Even then, we suspect, the differences would be hard to detect.
The saloon?s fantastic poise remains, and the way the Touring digs into
corners, grips resolutely and steers with absolute precision, however hard you
push, is nothing short of remarkable. Show it a twisty road and Touring?s
balance and composure bring a smile to your face where many other estate cars
would provoke a grimace.
As with the saloon, the ride is firm but not uncomfortably so. Outstanding body
control means bumps ? however big or small ? never unsettle its
composure and passengers and loads are not e f thrown around through corners.
Also, you rarely hear the suspension working, however poor the surface, and
the rest of the Touring?s refinement is as impressive as the saloon?s.
A little more road noise filters through with no division between the cabin
and the boot, but it?s so well subdued that even coarse Tarmac fails to
resonate through the cabin.
There?s probably a little more wind noise from the roof rails too, but
it?s hard to tell because the cabin remains quieter than most public libraries.
The engine range ? carried over from the saloon ? plays its part, because each is strong, smooth and hushed. We spent most time driving the four-cylinder 320d, which BMW expects to be the biggest seller. There?s a slight gruffness under acceleration to remind you that you?re driving a diesel car, but on the move it?s smooth, quiet and provides effortless progress.
If you still want strong fuel economy but a little more poke, there?s the six-cylinder 330d, which will become available in the saloon range this autumn. With 231bhp rather than 163bhp, and an extra 118lb ft of pulling muscle, it?s going to be one of the quickest estates around.
We also drove the 325i, which sits in the middle of the petrol line-up. The 2.5-litre unit is strong, smooth and refined. If you?re willing to sacrifice some pull for lower running costs, there?s the four-cylinder 320i, which our experience in the saloon tells us is sweet-sounding and flexible.
At the top is the six-cylinder, 3.0-litre 330i, which belts out 258bhp and can crack 62mph in six seconds dead.
CAN I AFFORD ONE?
Prices are high. For most models there?s at least an £1180 price hike over the saloon ? which is already expensive ? although Audi and Jaguar charge a similar premium for the estate versions of the A4 and X-type. Mercedes asks less for upgrading to a C-Class Estate, but then it costs more to buy initally. Carbon dioxide emissions creep up slightly for the Touring, but only push it one bracket higher for company car tax.
There are just two trims to choose from. ES provides most of the basics you?d expect, including air-con, a CD player, alloy wheels, foglights and colour-coded exterior trim. At £1030 more, SE trim buys you cruise control, a multi-function steering wheel, parking sensors and climate control.
All versions have a full array of safety kit, with six airbags and stability control.
