Second hand Sense: BMW 3-Series TouringEstate cars are usually a compromise. Not alone do they tend to look like a saloon car with a box tacked on to the rear, but they generally do not have any of the better driving characteristics of the saloon version. Nor has the increasingly clever design of MPVs and family cars helped the cause of the estate.
An exception is the BMW 3-Series Touring. It is one of the few cars of its kind to have a very appealing design and to retain the virtues of the excellent 3-Series saloon. It is not a common sight on our roads mainly because of its initial purchase cost, which makes it a very expensive car. You will note the term "Touring" - BMW is rather sniffy about the car even being described as an estate, but that is what it is.
The Touring driver tends to be a person willing to pay a premium for the BMW badge and also needs some extra space, but now BMW is making hugely popular X3 or X5 models four-wheel-drives that fulfil essentially the same function. So the Touring driver is very much in the minority and the choice of second-hand has been significantly reduced. The 3-Series Touring is a car with a lot more character than many on the market. It has excellent ride and handling characteristics and with the rear-wheel-drive system now a bit more controlled, it does not have a tendency to turn around and bite you when the car is being pushed. It has a choice of engines, with 1.6-, 1.8- and 2-litre petrol options.
However, the car that has impressed me most is the 2-litre diesel version. In recent years, BMW has been to the forefront of diesel technology and now has some of the best engines around. The Touring also has an impressive interior with the sculpted practicality of other BMW cars. Dials are large and clear, the dash is uncluttered and everything is as it should be. As a compromise, it has more character and driving appeal than most others. There are niggles. Rear view capacity is limited and you may find it hard to establish exactly where the rear of the car is when parking.
The Touring has not undergone EuroNCAP crash tests but the 3-Series saloon on which it is based has. Testers were very satisfied with the performance of the car and it is strong and solid, and BMW reliability has been excellent in recent years.
A 2005 model with 30,000 kms on the clock, a 316 injection petrol engine, extras such as air conditioning, ABS, traction control and alloys and electrics is on sale for €28,950. A 2-litre diesel sporty M version of the car with 33,000 kms up, is on sale for €44,750, and a 2006 diesel automatic with a host of extras, including things like Bluetooth capacity and leather upholstery, is asking €48,000.
FOR:An estate car with excellent saloon driving characteristics
AGAINST:Price and limited load capacity