BMW M3 review

One of the best things about the BMW M3 (or any performance saloon for that matter) is that you get sports car performance and handling in a package that’s as practical as a regular saloon.

To that end, there’s enough space in the back for a couple of six-footers (three at a push). The optional carbon fibre front seats have a hard back so they're not very comfortable to rest your knees against, but that will only be necessary if the person sitting in front of you has long legs.

As with any saloon, the boot opening is small, but there’s enough space inside for up to seven carry-on suitcases. The M3 has 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats for those occasions when you need to carry extra paraphernalia.

As it stands, there’s no estate version of the M3, but one will be joining the line-up in due course. In the meantime, if you want a performance-focused estate car and have this sort of money to spend, consider the Mercedes C63 AMG. The Audi RS4 Avant, which is exclusively estate-bodied, isn’t very good.