Item: BMW Alpina B3 Touring
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

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Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

The BMW Alpina B3 Touring costs more than the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/3-series/estate/review/n108">BMW 3 Series Touring</a>&nbsp;and the cheapest <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/rs4/estate/review/n189">Audi RS4 Avant</a>. You pay extra for the exclusivity, performance and even the sumptuous leather interior upgrade&nbsp;(if you tick that option box). This is a car to buy for personal reasons, not to keep a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/tag/company-car">company car</a> fleet manager happy.

Then there’s the B3 Touring's official 28.5mpg and 228g/km of CO2, which is competitive with the Audi RS4, but also optimistic when it comes to fuel economy if you make full use of the performance. That CO2 places the B3 Touring in the highest <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/company-car-tax-calculator">company car tax band</a>.

You do get a generous amount of kit as standard, but the ease with which you could add another £20,000 worth of options is quite eye-opening, so it's easy to pay more than you would for a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/m3/saloon/review/n135">BMW M3</a>&nbsp;xDrive saloon or even the larger, V8-powered <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/5-series/saloon/review/n63">BMW 5 Series</a>&nbsp;M550i xDrive saloon. At this price point, you’re not far from the larger and quicker <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/rs6/estate/review/n17185">Audi RS6 Avant</a>.

The standard 3 Series achieved the full five-star safety rating when it was tested by <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/the-safest-cars-on-sale-today/n19724">Euro NCAP</a>&nbsp;and standard equipment includes automatic emergency braking <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-is-aeb-and-how-does-it-work/n3283">(AEB)</a>, lane-departure warning and a roster of airbags.

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The BMW Alpina B3 Touring is powered by the 3.0-litre petrol engine in the M340i, with the power output increased by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/bmw-alpina">Alpina</a> from 369bhp&nbsp;to 456bhp. That gives the car a 0.62mph time of 3.9sec, beating the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/rs4/estate/review/n189">Audi RS4 Avant</a> and matching the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/m3/saloon/review/n135">BMW M3</a> saloon.

The B3 hasn’t just been tuned up for the sake of reaching those headline figures, though. The smooth power delivery and the engine’s flexibility allows you to cover ground effortlessly by using the engine’s mid-range muscle. It’ll rev keenly all the way to the redline, accompanied by an exhaust note that’s loud enough without being antisocial.&nbsp;

As with the standard <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/3-series/estate/review/n108">BMW 3 Series Touring</a>&nbsp;the slick-shifting eight speed automatic gearbox is excellent, judging&nbsp;whether to shift down a gear or stick with the selected one very well indeed.&nbsp;Power is sent through all four wheels, for strong traction with little fuss or drama, even in wet conditions.&nbsp;

The effortless approach extends to the way the B3 Touring behaves when cornering, with minimal body lean and plenty of grip. A rear limited-slip differential minimises wheel spin when accelerating out of corners. As a result, the B3 isn’t particularly playful at&nbsp;everyday speeds, but it’s reassuring that it doesn’t struggle to deal with all that extra power.

The brakes are effective at shedding speed, although the initial response from the pedal can be a little too sharp in low-speed traffic. Unless you’re quite delicate with the pedal, it can be a little tricky to stop smoothly.

The B3’s ride is a bit firmer than the M340i it’s based on and tends to bounce occupants around over bigger potholes with sharp ridges, but the sports suspension rounds off most bumps nicely.

There's&nbsp;some vibration through the steering wheel at low speeds and road noise on motorways, but wind noise is minimal and&nbsp;refinement levels are generally high, making the B3 an accomplished long-distance cruiser.

The BMW Alpina B3 Touring&nbsp;looks a lot like the 3 Series estate car it's based on, but that appearance is deceptive – in a good way. Tuning company&nbsp;Alpina has taken the already accomplished 3 Series Touring M340i xDrive and added a spoonful of spice to it.

Or perhaps two heaped spoonfuls of spice. The Alpina B3 Touring has enough punch to step on the toes of more aggressive rivals, from the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/rs4/estate/review/n189">Audi RS4 Avant</a> to BMW’s own M3 Touring, which is due later in 2022.

In short, in terms of pace, the Alpina B3 Touring is currently the closest you’ll get to an M-powered estate car.&nbsp;So why would you choose this over the forthcoming M3 Touring?&nbsp;Well, the B3 is attractive for a few&nbsp;reasons.

First of all, there’s the exclusivity – it’s highly unlikely you’ll find another one in a car park.&nbsp;Then there’s its blend of long-distance comfort and blistering performance. If the hardcore ride of M <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-performance-cars-2022/n23035">performance cars</a>&nbsp;makes you wince, Alpina’s set-up might be a better fit for your commute.&nbsp;

Finally, the B3 Touring conversion is&nbsp;much more understated than an M car. <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/bmw-alpina">Alpina</a> has sprinkled the B3 with a few subtle touches to distinguish it from a&nbsp;standard 3 Series, but the bodywork remains largely the same.

There’s one petrol engine:&nbsp;the 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol unit found in the M340i, but with&nbsp;456bhp, rather than 'just' 369bhp. Alpina also offers the diesel-powered D3 S Touring that trades ultimate performance for lower running costs (both engines are available with a saloon body, too).

There's a single trim level, and you can combine the factory-fitted options available with the regular 3 Series with a wealth of Alpina-specific extras.

Over the next few pages of this review, we’ll tell you how the BMW Alpina B3 Touring stacks up against some of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-estate-cars-2022/n16998">best estate cars</a> in terms of performance, interior quality, practicality and running costs.

If all this talk of performance wagons has got you&nbsp;interested in finding a new car, you can track down&nbsp;the best prices with our free&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">What Car? New Car Buying service</a>. It has plenty of attractive&nbsp;new <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/category/estate">estate car deals</a>.

The interior of the BMW Alpina B3 Touring is almost identical to the standard <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/3-series/estate/review/n108">BMW 3 Series Touring</a>. That means it’s easy to find a comfortable driving position, with electrically-adjustable seats that hold you in place and support you comfortably over long journeys. Unfortunately, it also means electric lumbar support remains an optional extra.

The dashboard layout remains excellent, with the same few foibles limited to the ventilation controls that are not as easy to use as they could be.&nbsp;Visibility remains just as high as in the 3 Series, despite the low seating position, helped by the slim front windscreen pillars. You get a rear-view camera, and&nbsp;front and rear parking sensors as standard to help out.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The dials on the digital cockpit screen could also be easier to read, although the bolder font used by <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/bmw-alpina">Alpina</a> on some of the readouts makes it easier to glance at, and you can opt for a head-up display to keep your eyes on the road. The Alpina logo in the centre of the screen and the blue background colour are neat touches.

Elsewhere, you’ll find Alpina badging on the steering wheel, a numbered plaque on the centre console and logos on the seats. If you find all that too subtle, you can select&nbsp;blue leather upholstery and carbon-fibre dash finishers to lift the interior.&nbsp;

The BMW iDrive rotary infotainment controller remains one of the most intuitive systems to use, allowing you to select and scroll through menus accurately. It is much less distracting than touchscreen-only set-ups.

Estate

BMW ALPINA

B3 TOURING

Fast and comfy estate alternative to the BMW M3&nbsp;is one of the best examples of Alpina working its magic

There’s plenty of space in the front of the BMW Alpina B3 Touring, with a generous amount of length, width and height for tall occupants.

Passengers in the back will find that legroom is tight for anyone sitting behind a tall driver or front passenger. There’s not much space for feet beneath the front seats so it can feel restrictive, and the large transmission tunnel makes life tricky for a third rear passenger. Headroom is adequate, but the optional panoramic roof will reduce what’s available slightly.

The extra boot space over the saloon will be the Touring’s biggest appeal, but the load bay's&nbsp;shape isn’t as uniform as in some <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-estate-cars-2022/n16998">estate cars</a> and wider items might be tricky to accommodate.

The rear window opens independently of the tailgate to makes access easier when space is tight. The back seats split 40/20/40 and fold down, allowing the boot to take longer items and passengers at the same time. Check out our <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/3-series/estate/review/n108">BMW 3 Series Touring review</a>&nbsp;for more on the B3 Touring's practicality.

The BMW Alpina B3 Touring is supremely fast yet combines everyday comfort with understated looks (especially compared with the M3). This is one of the best examples of tuning firm Alpina working its magic.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Entertainingly agile handling</li> <li>Eye-widening acceleration</li> <li>Fruity exhaust note</li> <li>Punchy and characterful engine</li> <li>Great driving position</li> <li>Everyday usability</li></ul>

The best performance cars combine sports car-rivalling acceleration with&nbsp;engaging handling. However, they also retain the&nbsp;impressive everyday usability of the conventional saloons and estates on which they're based.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio currently sets the standard. However, the models from BMW's M division and Mercedes-AMG also tend to impress.

Performance car

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Huge boot and excellent practicality</li> <li>Plenty of interior space so you can carry passengers as well as luggage </li> <li>Strong engines to pull a heavily laden car</li> <li>Comfortable ride, especially on the motorway</li> <li>Low running costs for company car drivers</li></ul>

If you’re after bags of space but you don’t want to commit to the van-like dimensions and styling of an MPV, there are some great estate cars on offer that should do the job.

Tricks to look out for include an electric tailgate&nbsp;that opens automatically when you wave your foot under the rear bumper; this is&nbsp;particularly handy if you’re trying to load in a heavy or&nbsp;bulky item. You should also look for handles in the side of the boot itself that can drop down the rear seats; these are much more convenient than having to walk around the side of the car to do it.

There are some terrific estates at most price ranges. The humble Skoda Fabia Estate offers cavernous space for not much cash at all, for example.

Further up the price range, another of our perennial favourites is the Skoda Superb Estate;&nbsp;it’s great to drive and as practical as most people should ever need. Meanwhile, for serious mile-munching ability and a premium, well-finished interior, it’s hard to look beyond the BMW 5 Series Touring.

BMW Alpina B3 Touring review

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Read review covering BMW Alpina B3 Touring boot space, size and dimensions, front and rear seat comfort by the expert What Car? test team.

There’s plenty of space in the front of the BMW Alpina B3 Touring, with a generous amount of length, width and height for tall occupants.,Passengers in the back will find that legroom is tight for anyone sitting behind a tall driver or front passenger. There’s not much space for feet beneath the front seats so it can feel restrictive, and the large transmission tunnel makes life tricky for a third rear passenger. Headroom is adequate, but the optional panoramic roof will reduce what’s available slightly.,The extra boot space over the saloon will be the Touring’s biggest appeal, but the load bay's shape isn’t as uniform as in some estate cars and wider items might be tricky to accommodate.The rear window opens independently of the tailgate to makes access easier when space is tight. The back seats split 40/20/40 and fold down, allowing the boot to take longer items and passengers at the same time. Check out our BMW 3 Series Touring review for more on the B3 Touring's practicality.

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BMW Alpina B3 Touring review

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