BMW 3 Series Touring review

The driver’s seat in the BMW 3 Series Touring is comfy enough for a long journey, yet has enough bolstering to hold you in place during quick direction changes. It’s a shame, though, that adjustable lumbar support costs extra even on top-spec models; it's not that pricey, though, and definitely worth adding.

Thanks to extensive adjustment in the steering wheel and seat, you’ll find a decent driving position in a matter of seconds. In fact, as you sit there with a large, well-padded armrest for each elbow to rest upon, you might think ‘perfect’ sums up the 3 Series Touring’s driving position, but it's not quite as good as in the Volvo V60 for one key reason: the pedals are offset slightly to the right. It's a problem that also exists in the Audi A4 Avant and Mercedes C-Class Estate, and is not a major blight.

The fact that you sit fairly low in the 3 Series Touring adds to its sporty feel, but thanks to comparatively slim windscreen pillars, forwards visibility is still excellent. By contrast, the rearmost pillars are fairly thick, and restrict your over-the-shoulder view. Not to worry, though, because you get front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and BMW's Parking Assistant system, which can identify a suitable space and steer you into it, all as standard.

There's an optional 360-degree camera that offers multiple views around the car, but the image flits from one camera position to the next as you get closer to obstacles. That's quite distracting when you're but centimetres away from an imposing wall – it would be more helpful if the image stayed consistent.