The estate car body makes up for some of the practicality that has been lost with the introduction of the 330e to the Touring line-up, although the compromises aren’t as large as they are for some of the BMW’s rivals.
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 4,713mm |
| Width | 1,827mm |
| Height | 1,448mm |
| Number of seats | Five |
| Boot space | 500-1,510 litres (330e: 410-1,420 litres) |
Dimensions and size
The 3 Series Touring has two very obvious rivals in the Mercedes C-Class Estate and recently renamed Audi A5 Avant. The BMW has the most luggage space, but sits in between the two rivals at 4,709mm in length – the A5 is 4,829mm and the C-Class 4,702mm. The trio are very similar in terms of width, and not far apart on roof height either.
Driving position, seats & space in the front
A driver-focused cockpit is typical of BMW’s cabin layout, while the 3 Series Touring has an identical set-up to the saloon. That means a relatively low-slung driving position for a sporty feel, while it also means that headroom isn’t an issue. A wide range of wheel and seat adjustment is offered, so it’s easy to get comfortable on board.
Storage is good, with twin cup-holders, a USB-A socket and 12-volt connection under the aluminium-finished panel ahead of the iDrive controller, while the armrest hides another compartment with a USB-C socket. The door bins are reasonable, but there’s a divider between the cup-holder and main pocket, so storing longer items can be fiddly.
Seats & space in the back
If you tick the option to add the £1,425 panoramic sunroof, you’re not going to compromise rear headroom as a result. There’s plenty of space for shoulders when travelling three-up, too, while legroom and foot space are decent. The only issue is middle-seat leg space, because the transmission tunnel is quite wide. The rear door bins are only big enough for bottles, while passengers also benefit from twin USB-C sockets and air vents with their own climate control settings.