RE: New 3 Series Touring revealed

[Harry_523]

981C said:

340d will come out eventually, and it will likely have 360PS to best Audi and Merc.

Doubt it in the UK at least, we dont get a 540d touring, so wont get a 340d touring and if we do, it definitely wont be RWD

[simonbamg]

Top tip: just get the X3

[HRCM]

Reduce the grille size by 50%, give it orange or even clear rear indicators and restyle the capable but 'meh' interior and this would be a winner IMHO.

It's a design that's too safe and similar to the previous version - which is not the end of the world.

Overall it looks really spoilt by some bad styling choices.

Sorry BMW.

[981C]

Harry_523 said:

Doubt it in the UK at least, we dont get a 540d touring, so wont get a 340d touring and if we do, it definitely wont be RWD

Good point; wasn't aware about 540d and 550d not being sold in UK.

[981C]

simonbamg said:

Top tip: just get the X3

Barge @ 1895kg even with 326PS.

[cerb4.5lee]

I am really liking the looks of this new 3 series big time, I didn't really like the looks much at all of the previous two generations but this one hits the spot for me.

[cerb4.5lee]

simonbamg said:

Top tip: just get the X3

Estates/Tourings/Wagons always drive better than a SUV though for me. I don't really dislike SUV's and I currently have one, but my old 5 series touring was miles better to drive than my X5 was from a driving enjoyment perspective.

[Burnham]

Turbobanana said:

benjidog said:

Nice rear. Fussy front end.

Came here to say exactly that. Interior a bit meh, as well.

Agree with the design, but Im sure it will grow on us. The interior is OK for what it is, and a step up from the F30/F31. Its cant be too special as it needs to be offered on the whole range...most of them will be sold as 318/320 workhorses Im guessing.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Agree about the driving dynamics vs an X3, we (the wife) love our X1 but a 3 series touring as a better drive by a massive margin.

Can’t wait for the run out deals on the previous model personally...

[99Chimaera]

What a great looking car, Better looking than the saloon. I hope it comes with LED headlights as standard, the halogen lights on my F31 were woeful.
Well done BMW.

Edited by 99Chimaera on Wednesday 12th June 12:58

[The Curn]

cerb4.5lee said:

simonbamg said:

Top tip: just get the X3

Estates/Tourings/Wagons always drive better than a SUV though for me. I don't really dislike SUV's and I currently have one, but my old 5 series touring was miles better to drive than my X5 was from a driving enjoyment perspective.

Agreed. We changed from a Toureg to an A6 Allroad and its so much nicer to live with day to day. Quicker, quieter and more comfortable with all the off road ability you'd need for a family smoker, especially on winter tyres...

[Dale487]

cerb4.5lee said:

simonbamg said:

Top tip: just get the X3

Estates/Tourings/Wagons always drive better than a SUV though for me. I don't really dislike SUV's and I currently have one, but my old 5 series touring was miles better to drive than my X5 was from a driving enjoyment perspective.

CAR Magazine tested the new 320d against all it's similar priced rivals, including SUVs - the top three were; BMW, Alfa & 508.

[moffat]

I think that this looks much better than the saloon which is a good thing. The interior is much nicer in the flesh and in most respects a step up from the F31.

My issues are:

1. PPF robs the M340i of around 10bhp compared to the US car (shame)
2. Fake exhausts on the M340i
3. No leather dash option
4. No RWD M340i option (as they have in the US)
5. Sounds muted compared to a 340i with the MPPSK (again PPF and EU noise restrictions no doubt playing a part)

The Alpina B3 will be epic and Alpina will be happy that there's no 40d coming to the UK. No doubt Audi will be happy with that too given the new S4 is a boring diseasel too.

[Dapster]

moffat said:

1. PPF robs the M340i of around 10bhp compared to the US car (shame)

.

You're not going to miss 10bhp on a 374bhp family estate

[Dale487]

Dapster said:

moffat said:

1. PPF robs the M340i of around 10bhp compared to the US car (shame)

.

You're not going to miss 10bhp on a 374bhp family estate

Or notice it.

[GTEYE]

I have a question...

Where has the Hofmeister kink gone?

It somehow looks less BMW and more Volvo from the side.

[Aids0G]

Really like the look of this,

However I find it so very frustrating that Jaguar seem entirely uninterested in producing an XE estate, one of those would suit me down to the ground like the brand, styling, engine choice, handling etc and size but just cant have a saloon because of the dogs!

Why Jaguar haven't looked at the numbers of 3 Series Touring's on the road and thought 'wow people like them, why don't we build an alternative, we might sell some' baffles me!

Anyway Jag rant over, Ag

[Twoshoe]

Love that green colour. The grey, not so much.

[Fastdruid]

Dale487 said:

Harry_523 said:

Greg the Fish said:

Coming to 2mm from your rear bumper soon

The auto/manual debate is a bit moot in estates, only need to look in the classifieds to see how few people bought. I was a die hard manual fan but stopped caring about a week into big auto estate ownership.

Only offering 4wd on the M340i is much more a shame to me however, lets hope Xdrive + MSport diff still does RWD things. As it stands the most powerful RWD 3 and 5 you can get are the 30d models which is a bit disappointing.

There's no manual petrol option for the saloon either.

It's something I don't get from BMW, their USP is the whole "driving machine" thing...yet no manual.

Anyway, scratch the 3-series touring off my potential next car list as well. Looks like I'm down to the Focus ST Estate...er and that's it.

[findlay_MX]

That's another really good looking 3-er Touring. We had a last-gen 330d X-drive for a while and it chuffin' lovely. Should have taken another one instead of the (Thank God Everything in Life isn't as Unreliable as a) VW Golf GTD Estate.