FIRST DRIVES
3 1 JULY 2019 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 31
Estate version of BMW’s five-star saloon arrives in potent diesel form
Price £43,065
Engine 6 cyls in line, 2993cc,
twin-turbo, diesel
Power 261bhp at 4000rpm
Torque 428lb ft at 1750-2750rpm
Gearbox 8-spd automatic
Kerb weight 1745kg
0-62mph 5.4sec
Top speed 155mph (limited)
Economy 50.4-52.3mpg
CO 2 , tax band 140-146g/km, 33%
RIVALS Mercedes-Benz C350 Estate,
A u d i A 4 5 0 T D I Ava n t
BMW 330D XDRIVE M SPORT TOURING
T
ry naming a car with more plates
to spin than the poor 3 Series
Touring. Graceful long-distance
manners, genuine driving
satisfaction, comfort, space: since
1987 it’s needed all these things.T he e s t at e de r i v at i v e of BM W ’s
not-so-junior saloon is also a bit of a
middle-class status symbol, so while
it ne e d s t o b e at le a s t mo de r at e l y
good-looking, it has to match that
with substance. Performance needn’t
be herculean but it can’t ever feel
weak, and yet the engine must not
g lu g f ue l l i k e it ’s goi n g out of f a sh ion.
Here we have the fifth-generation
3 Series Touring, whose direct
predecessor was already regarded
as a phenomenally good all-rounder.
The engine line-up starts with the
148bhp 318d four-cylinder diesel and
culminates with the M340i xDrive,
which uses a twin-turbocharged
369bhp straight-six petrol. Alas, for
now there is still greater chance of
BMW reinventing the i3 as a diesel
pick-up than there is an M3 Touring
coming our way (Alpina’s B3 Touring
w i l l plu g t h at pa r t ic u l a r gap), but
there is for the first time a plug-in
hybrid with an electric range of
mor e t h a n 4 0 m i le s. I n ge ne r a l , t he
more powerful engines come with
an eight-speed automatic and four-
wheel drive, although it is possible to
get certain models with three pedals
and without front driveshafts – not
least the ever-popular 320d.Whichever you buy, the 3 Series
Touring brings a lot to the table.
We awarded the saloon five road-
test stars largely for its exceptional
blend of handling, performance and
frugality, and the estate asks only
that you exchange a small portion
of dynamism for a class-leading
1510-litre load bay with the rear seats
folded f lat (if not perfectly so).
Other than the general effects
of the extra weight, you feel the
difference between the two body
styles most keenly through the
steering. BMW uses softer front
suspension bushes for the Touring
because they temper direction
changes that might otherwise
destabilise the bulky rear end.
Along with stiffer anti-roll bars, the
more leisurely result is nevertheless
well judged, the 330d f lowing very
quickly and easily along almost any
road down which you care to point it.
Strangely, our press car is fitted
not with the 19in wheels that will in
t he U K c ome a s s t a nd a rd w it h t he
adaptive M Sport suspension, but
with 18s, and the result is a car whose
blend of pliancy and body control is
nothing short of superb. We’d swap
out the Pirelli Cinturato P7 tyres,
however. On the straight-aheadthey’re quiet but don’t grip with the
security required by a fast, sweet-
handling estate such as this. This is
especially true given that the new
car – longer, wider and taller before
- no longer feels quite as intuitive to
place within the white lines at speed.
In fact it’s wider than the E39 530d
Touring of the millennium.
Elsewhere, the 3 Series Touring
continues to impress. On the
autobahn the 2993cc engine, in its
smooth but monotone way, propels
the car to 130mph without drama,
where it remains serene enough
for casual conversation. Thank
the improved windscreen glazing
and new foam-filled A-pillars,
which along with the sealed
underbody have made considerable
contributions to rolling refinement.
Blindfolded, you might even mistake
its confines for those of the larger,
more expensive 5 Series, although
that car’s supremely comfy broad-
backed seats still give it a meaningful
edge. The 330d also gets the larger
59 -l it r e f ue l t a n k a s s t a nd a rd , g i v i n g
it a leggy motorway range of around
730 miles. For the even more frugal
320d, reckon on closer to 820 miles
with the same size tank.U lt i m at e l y t he s a lo on i s b e t t e r t o
drive. It’s more precise and agile, in
a way that you notice not after a few
miles but a single corner. The Touring
has its own character, however:
different, but no less likeable. If you
ne e d t he a dd it ion a l s pa c e , it shou ld
b e at t he t op of y ou r shor t l i s t.
RICHARD LANE
BMW 330D TOURING
Top-rung diesel Touring has towering
everyday appeal. Arguably the best
all-rounder sensible money can buy.AAAAB
The Touring is hushed and relaxing even at autobahn speeds; it’s bigger and not as easy to place
@ r l a n e
TESTER’S NOTE
The tailgate window
opens independently
of the tailgate itself.
BMW very nearly
canned this feature
because, apparently,
so few owners know
about it. RL
TESTED 22.7.19, MUNICH, GERMANY ON SALE NOW