Although a wider range of engines will be available by the end of the year, the BMW 3-Series Touring goes on sale on September 17 with a choice of just two - a six-cylinder 2.5-litre petrol unit and the four-cylinder two-litre turbo diesel tested here. I recently drove both models at a press event in Aberdeenshire, but I've chosen the diesel because in every respect it seems to me to be the better car.The details of this new estate range were covered by Alan Douglas in his launch report, but here's a quick rundown. While the 3-Series Touring may be marginally lighter than the model it replaces (though with a 25% stiffer bodyshell), it is also significantly larger. This has allowed BMW to increase the amount of room available both for rear passengers - a point of criticism with the previous Touring - and for luggage. Cargo volume is now 460 litres with the 60/40 split rear seats in place, 1385 litres with them down.In addition, the Touring has a lot of standard equipment designed to make it function more effectively as an estate car. Following the example of rival manufacturers, BMW has arranged for the tailgate to open in two ways; you can lift the whole assembly, or just the window section.If you do the latter, and have pulled the retractable luggage cover into place, the cover springs out of the way ("using technology carried over from Ronnie Barker's cash till in Open All Hours," as BMW explains in a rare piece of whimsy). If you open the whole tailgate, it doesn't, so you can load the compartment from behind rather than above unless you want to remove the cover manually. All very neat and useful.Fastening straps, lashing points, a 12v power socket, a range of storage nets and a reversible floor (carpet on one side, washable plastic on the other) are also supplied as part of the basic package. A Luggage Compartment package, which includes a variable-partition system in the spare wheel well, is a £160 option.Years ago there used to be a marked difference in the driving characteristics of any saloon car and its estate equivalent. Manufacturers are better these days at establishing a compromise between handling and load-carrying prowess, but the Touring takes this to a new level. It is a wonderful car to drive, with excellent steering and an apparently limitless ability to accept as much power as you ask the diesel engine to throw at it.The ride quality is superb too, at least in the car tested here. A comparison with the 325i Touring did the petrol car no favours at all - although it felt sharper, it was also troubled to a far greater extent by the bumpier road surfaces on the test route. Perhaps the different spring rates required to carry the heavier diesel engine work to the 320d's advantage, and even if that's not the case there is an obvious contributory cause at each corner of the two cars.Both, you see, were in SE trim, which is the entry level for most 3-Series Tourings but one up from the more basic ES in the case of the cars with two-litre engines. For the extra £1030 above ES, the 320d SE gets an alternative design of 16" alloy wheels, automatic air-conditioning, cruise control, a multifunction steering wheel and rear Park Distance Control.The 325i SE adds a braking function to the cruise control, and more significantly it also uses larger, 17" wheels with lower-profile tyres. Ultimate handling improves (though you might be hard pushed to notice it in normal road conditions); ride quality and, I think, the overall driving experience deteriorate.The 325i is also a lot more powerful (218bhp) and quicker (7.2 seconds rather than 8.6 for the 0-62mph run), but you have to push it very hard in order to notice this. The massively greater mid-range performance of the 320d makes it feel like the faster car on the road. The 325i sounds better, of course, but even here the 320d is impressive, since the interior noise is remarkably well subdued. Different story for anyone standing outside, of course, but that's not your problem when you're behind the wheel.We look forward to driving more 3-Series Tourings as they are introduced, but in the meantime the 320d already looks like a very appealing choice. Engine 1995 cc, 4 cylinders Power 163 bhp @4000 rpm Torque 251 ib/ft @2000 rpm Transmission 6 speed manual Fuel/CO2 47.9 mpg / 158 g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 8.6sec Top speed 139 mph Price From £25681.00 approx Release date 17/09/2005
Our Rating
