BMW M3 Touring Review (2023)

Introduction

BMW enthusiasts have been waiting a long time for this car. The BMW M3 is naturally nothing new – in fact, it’s arguably the definitive performance saloon – but this is the first time the fabled M3 badge has adorned a full-production estate. Of course, BMW has previously dipped its toe in the hot estate market, having briefly sold the V10-powered M5 Touring in the late 2000s, and the existing M340i xDrive Touring is hardly a slow poke, but this is a much more focussed performance car.

The gestation period has been very lengthy indeed. BMW mocked up an M3 Touring in the early 2000s and even built a prototype, but the project was shelved and the German company never even admitted its existence until 15 years later. Now, though, the company has gone all out with the M3 Competition xDrive Touring – a car that takes all the go-faster features of the M3 Competition saloon and adds a little more practicality. But will the long-awaited wagon be worth the wait?

At a Glance

BMW M3 Competition xDrive Touring is a bit of a lengthy name for the new M3 estate, so we’ll just call it the M3 Touring for the sake of brevity. But whatever you call it, it’s a striking thing to look at. BMW has, of course, given it the divisive front grille from the M3 Competition Saloon and the M4 Competition Coupe, as well as the same flared wheel arches and the lower suspension. It’s a mean-looking thing.

Inside, the cabin is much the same as that of the saloon, with the usual 3 Series fare supplemented by a few M-specific upgrades, including the updated gear lever. Bucket seats are available as an option, but they aren’t especially comfortable on longer trips. Stick with conventional seats, though, and the M3 Touring is a very spacious car that can happily take four adults and their luggage on a long trip.

But that’s only part of what the M3 Touring is for. With a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine producing 510hp, then sending it to all four wheels, the M3 Touring is a sports car with some long-distance touring capability. The performance figures are ridiculous, and the way the car drives is little short of sublime. But it’s supple enough for long drives, too, as long as you leave the suspension in its softest setting.

Key Features

Naturally, the big talking point with the M3 Touring – and, to a point, the driving force behind the whole car – is the estate body. Essentially, it’s the same body as you’ll get with a standard BMW 3 Series Touring, and that means you get a chunky 500-litre boot, which will be more than enough for most to be getting on with. It is only 20 litres more than you get from the Saloon, though, which might put some potential customers off, but bear in mind the estate body makes the boot a more useful shape, while the tailgate makes it easier to load.

Similarly, the M3 Touring’s body shape comes with another advantage, and that’s rear cabin space. The M3 Saloon isn’t cramped in the back – leg- and headroom are both adequate – but the M3 Touring has a fraction more headroom that makes it that bit easier to fit four adults inside.

Despite all that, though, the genius of the M3 Touring is its ability to mix that improved practicality with more or less the same level of performance you get from the equivalent M3 Saloon. Yes, it’s a little slower in a straight line, and it isn’t quite as good in the corners but the difference isn’t big enough to notice on the road. It’s an exceptionally good car to drive.

Performance & Drive

In essence, the M3 Competition xDrive Touring is pretty much the all-wheel-drive version of the M3 Competition saloon with the boot from a conventional 3 Series Touring. Of course, that’s an over-simplification – there are numerous differences – but it’s certainly true to say the engine is the same and there’s much the same lowered suspension set-up.

That means the M3 Touring is powered by a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine with two turbochargers, providing a total of 510hp and 650Nm of torque. All that power goes through an eight-speed automatic gearbox before being split between the front and rear wheels by BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system, which is optional on the M3 Saloon but standard on the M3 Touring. That means the car can put down its power more easily, no matter what the weather is doing, and the 0-62mph time is a remarkable 3.6 seconds. To put that in context, a Porsche 911 Carrera S accelerates from a standstill to 62mph in 3.7 seconds.

As is so often the case with BMWs, the top speed is limited to 155mph, but BMW will sell you an optional package that takes the maximum speed up to 180mph. It also includes a BMW driving course to help you learn how to deal with (and get the best from) such a high-performance vehicle.

How the car drives depends largely on the chosen drive modes, and drivers have plenty to choose from. Instead of picking just one mode, the M3 gives you the chance to tune its engine, gearbox, suspension, steering and brakes to individual specifications, then save the set-up to one of the two ‘hotkeys’ on the steering wheel. That means you can have stiff suspension but a more relaxed gearbox setting, or you can go for the softest ride and the most performance-orientated engine mode.

The suspension mode arguably has the greatest effect, with three settings for drivers to choose from. The standard Comfort setting feels a bit solid at low speeds, but the ride improves the faster you go, and body control is still good, if not quite as impressive as in the firmer modes. Opt for Sport or Sport Plus, and the suspension gets really firm, reducing the compliance but improving control of the M3’s body to such an extent that it corners almost completely flat at anything speeds slower than those classed as ‘outrageous’.

Comfort mode is probably best used in everyday situations, therefore, while drivers can switch to Sport mode for B-road blasts. Sport Plus is best reserved for track use. However, we’d recommend leaving the steering and brakes in their sportiest settings all the time, because that gives the car a little more positivity in the way it handles and stops.

Because in that true BMW fashion, the M3 Touring really does handle well. Yes, the bulkier body has an effect, and it doesn’t feel quite as sharp as the M3 Saloon, but it’s very close. It’s 95% of the track car the M3 Saloon is, thanks to its immense power and stability, as well as copious amounts of grip. Few cars eat corners this well.

And few cars sound as good while doing it, with the sporty exhaust setting giving the M3 a slightly flatulent but oh-so-addictive rasp. It sounds angry and mean in an aristocratic kind of way, which also allows it to be smooth and considered when you just want to waft along the motorway.

Running Costs & Emissions

M3 Competitions have never been cheap to run, and the new Touring is no different. That fabulous straight-six engine burns through fuel at pace, but it isn’t as bad as it could be. Officially, BMW says you’ll get something between 27 and 28mpg, which is painful, but not disastrous. A basic Porsche Cayenne can’t achieve that kind of efficiency, and although you’d never call it slow, it doesn’t have anything like the pace of the M3 Touring.

More importantly, the M3 is marginally more efficient than the Audi RS 4 Avant, which is its closest direct competitor. Neither car will be winning awards from Greta Thunberg any time soon, though.

Nor will they be especially appealing to those choosing a company car. The M3 Touring emits more than 230g of carbon dioxide every kilometre, and that quite soundly places it in the highest bracket for company car tax. And with such a chunky RRP, that’s going to cost quite a bit of money every month.

Interior & Technology

As with the M3 Saloon, the M3 Touring essentially uses the same interior as the latest-generation 3 Series, albeit with a few M-specific upgrades. That means you get the same basic design, complete with the Curved Display digital instrument cluster and touchscreen, both of which are integrated into the same curved housing that stretches across roughly half the width of the dash.

The software on show is BMW’s Operating System 8, which is a massive step forward for the company, with sharper displays, clearer menus and a more easily configurable digital instrument cluster. Yet BMW has persisted with the iDrive rotary controller in the centre console, which allows drivers to control the screen without using the touch functionality, reducing distraction for those who have learned their way around the system.

But while the retention of the iDrive controller is most welcome, the removal of the physical climate control switchgear is less of a positive step. Admittedly, the implementation of the touchscreen controls is better than it could be – adjusting the temperature can be done from any display on the main screen – but it’s still more distracting than pushing a button or twisting a dial.

That said, the build quality on display in the M3 Touring’s cabin is exemplary, with every panel fitting perfectly alongside its neighbour. The switchgear that remains is also beautifully engineered, and the materials on show are first-rate. If you want a lesson in how to build an executive car, look no further.

But the M3 Touring is more than just an executive car, and the interior leaves you in no doubt of that. The dashboard is dotted with M-specific upgrades, including a different steering wheel, new graphics on the screens and its own gear lever. As usual, the red-and-blue trademark colours of the M division are on display, too.

What’s more, the M3 comes with sporty seats as standard, and you can always upgrade to the carbon bucket seats. They look dramatic, and they’re more comfortable than they first appear, but getting in and out is purgatory and after two hours on the road they become almost intolerable.

Practicality & Boot Space

Because the M3 Touring is, when all’s said and done, a 3 Series estate, it’s a reasonably practical car. After all, how many other 500hp-plus cars also have 500 litres of luggage space? Admittedly, you might argue that the M3 Saloon already had 480 litres of carrying capacity, and an extra 20 litres doesn’t matter, but that would be missing the point. Where the M3 Saloon has an awkwardly shaped luggage bay, the M3 Touring’s boot is essentially a massive box with easier access and more capacity to carry awkwardly shaped items. It’s a really useful space.

The M3 Touring also has better rear space than its sister car, thanks to its higher roof. Though legroom is adequate in both, the M3 Saloon’s roofline means very tall passengers will find their hair grazing the roof lining – not something that will worry M3 Touring drivers.

Safety

The M3 Touring hasn’t been crash-tested by Euro NCAP, but with all the same basic structure and similar equipment, the M3 Touring is regarded as a derivative of the 3 Series. That’s good news, because the 3 Series achieved a full five-star rating when it was tested in 2019, including an incredible 97% score for adult occupant protection and very respectable scores in other areas. Compact executive cars don’t come much safer.

But perhaps that’s no surprise when the M3 comes with so much standard safety equipment. All the usual stuff – airbags, parking sensors and the like – is taken as read, but the M3 also gets autonomous emergency braking that can slow or stop the car if the driver fails to respond to a hazard and there’s lane-keeping technology, too. Customers can also specify an option pack that comes with loads of extra driver assistance technology to help reduce the workload on longer drives.

Options

The M3 Touring is effectively offered in just one trim level – Competition – so the standard equipment is the same no matter what. All cars come with plenty of standard equipment, including the Curved Display infotainment system and sports seats, as well as three-zone climate control, M suspension and the M exhaust system. Electric front seat adjustment, leather upholstery and heated front seats are all standard, too, and that’s before we get on to the front and rear parking sensors and the standard reversing camera.

You don’t need to add all that much, then, but BMW will still sell you plenty of toys. The main ones are the M Driver’s Pack, which ups the top speed to 180mph and the Technology Plus Pack, which adds some clever driver assistance technology. However, the M Pro Pack might appeal to some customers, combining the M Driver’s Pack with carbon-ceramic brakes with gold callipers. The M Carbon Pack might also tempt some people, with its carbon exterior styling and carbon-shelled bucket seats.

For us, though, the best options are found in the paint shop, where BMW will happily douse your M3 Touring in a number of bright hues, including Tanzanite Blue, Portimao Blue and Isle of Man Green. Aventurine Red III looks good, too. Inside, meanwhile, customers can choose from a range of upholstery options, including the somewhat gaudy Yas Marina Blue and Black colour scheme.

Rival Cars

At present, the BMW M3 Touring doesn’t have too many natural rivals. Estate cars of this size are becoming increasingly rare – Mazda has become the latest to kill off its offering – and performance versions of the cars that survive are rarer still.

That said, the M3 Touring has enough on its plate with the Audi RS 4 Avant, which is the only natural alternative. Although it’s getting long in the tooth, the Audi still has bountiful power to play with and a big boot. Like the BMW, it gets all-wheel drive as standard, and like the BMW, it’s ludicrously fast in a straight line. It sounds good, too.

We should also keep an eye out for the upcoming Mercedes-AMG C 63 S, which is on its way following the launch of the new C-Class. However, rather than keeping the 4.0-litre V8 that powered the old C 63 S to great effect, the newcomer has a four-cylinder petrol engine and a plug-in hybrid system. That means power is set to be boundless, but the noise won’t be quite as striking. In fact, much of the time it’ll be completely silent.

Verdict & Next Steps

The M3 Touring is exactly the car we hoped it would be, taking everything that was good about the M3 Saloon and adding a smattering of extra practicality. Of course, that has come at a cost – it isn’t quite as good to drive and it’s marginally more expensive – but the differences are so small that it doesn’t really matter. After all, those seeking lap records are hardly likely to choose an estate car. But for those of us who just appreciate a car that’s great to drive and capable of dealing with family life, the new M3 Touring is an unqualified triumph. It’s brilliant.

Where to next?

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*Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top five leading independent car website reviews of the BMW M3 Touring.

**Prices include VAT. Credit is Subject to Status, Ts and Cs and Arrangement Fees apply. Excess mileage may apply. Stock levels and prices correct as of 19/05/23.