After a wait of “decades”, the M3 Touring is finally here – an all-weather, all-powerful family estate car “that just happens to go like a Porsche 911”, said Evo. Available only in xDrive Competition guise, it is all-wheel drive with 503bhp and an automatic gearbox, and a 3-litre twin-turbo straight-six petrol engine. Despite being 1,865kg, it’s remarkably agile. It can do 0-62mph in 3.6s and has a top speed of 174mph.
With extras, you could easily spend more than £100,000 on this “ferocious family wagon”, so it is only going to be for the select few, said Car Magazine. The stiff suspension and beautifully judged damping work well, and the good lateral grip and traction allow you to overcome any weight-induced understeer. On motorways it’s refined and quiet. It is comfy for four adults, and has a very decent 500-litre boot.
A sensational all-rounder, the car is “eye-wateringly, cheek-puffingly good to drive fast”, though with a 59-litre tank and doing about 25mpg, you’ll be refuelling every 320 miles or so, said Top Gear Magazine. The driving position is perfect, and the seats are “phenomenally comfortable”. The only “epic fail” is the 14.9in curved touchscreen, which hides an array of functions such as the heated seats in frustrating sub-menus. Price: from about £87,000.
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In pictures: BMW M3 Touring
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