Review of the BMW M3 Touring

The BMW M3 Touring is a performance-based estate car that's both fast and practical. With a 0 to 62mph time of under four seconds and a luxurious interior, it'll keep all the family happy. 

Rivals to the M3 Touring include the Audi RS4 Avant, Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate. 

Our BMW M3 Touring review covers:

• Sharp exterior design with aggressive features 
• High-quality interior with two huge displays 
• 500-litre boot 
• 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol engine with 510hp 
• One trim levels 

Pros:

• Rapid performance 
• Practical interior and good boot 
• Comfortable seats 

Cons:

• It's pretty expensive 
• Plenty of road and engine noise at high speeds 
• Poor fuel economy 

The exterior of the M3 Touring is the perfect balance of style and aggression. Compared to the standard 3 Series Touring, it has a few styling tweaks, including a kidney front grille and slim LED headlights. At the rear, it has a boxy design with an aggressive bumper. 

The M3 Touring is perfect for those looking for a performance car with added practicality. It comes with five doors, loads of legroom, and enough headroom for those over six feet tall. 

Boot space comes in at 500 litres for the M3 Touring, which is on par for an estate. Although it's only a 20-litre increase from the M3 Saloon, the opening is square in shape, which makes it much easier to load large items. 

As you'd expect from a BMW, the interior of the M3 Touring is superb. All the materials you touch are high-quality, and the optional carbon bucket seats are ridiculously comfortable. There's also a carbon fibre trim on the dashboard, which adds even more sportiness. 

Sitting atop the dashboard is a huge curved display that houses both the infotainment system and the driver's display. In the middle is the 14.9-inch infotainment system, which features BMW's Operating System 8.5 and includes navigation, music, and other vehicle functions. You also get the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, which helps you with everything concerning the car. 

The M3 Touring is available in just one trim. It comes standard with light alloy wheels, M sport seats, a leather steering wheel, three-zone automatic air conditioning, adaptive M suspension, cruise control, and front and rear park distance control. 

Under the bonnet, the M3 Touring has a three-litre turbocharged petrol engine, four-wheel drive, and an automatic transmission. It returns a whopping 530hp and shoots from 0 to 62mph in 3.6 seconds, which is quicker than the Audi RS4 Avant! 

As expected, with that power, it's not the most economical. You'll be looking at a fuel economy of around 27mpg. 

The reason you're considering an M3 Touring is because of its performance, and trust me, you won't be disappointed. It's great to drive on a twisty road, but is also practical and versatile around town. 

Let's start around town, which is where you'll be operating most of the time. Although coming with a firmer suspension, the M3 Touring does a great job of tackling bumps in the road to ensure a comfortable journey. 

It also has various driving modes, but we recommend remaining in comfort mode around town. It does what it says on the tin and keeps you comfortable. 

On the motorway, the M3 Touring has no issues getting to 70mph. However, once there, engine and road noise are pretty intrusive, which makes for a louder journey than in the Audi RS4 Avant. That being said, everything else is pretty good, and the ridiculously comfortable seats should put you at ease. 

On a country lane is where it stands out. It comes with accurate steering and turns just like a sports car and will certainly put a smile on your face. If you opt for the sport+ mode, the suspension stiffens, which really gives it that performance car vibe. 

Prices for the new BMW M3 Touring start from Price On Request OTR* or to lease from £934.53 per month.

Looking to get behind the wheel of the BMW M3 Touring? Nationwide Vehicle Contracts is one of the UK's largest car leasing brokers and offers a range of leasing deals to suit your every need.

Leasing may be cheaper than an outright purchase, thanks to a low initial deposit and fixed monthly rentals.

*' On the road' price correct at time of publication and includes one year's road fund license, DVLA first registration fee and number plate fee. Prices are subject to change; always check with your nearest retailer.