[Jason]

BIMMERPOST NEWS

2013 3 Series Touring First Drive Reviews

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The BMW 3 Series Touring first drives are underway. Here are a few of the first reactions to the F31 touring model.

BMW NA has just announced info on the 328i Touring for the US/Canadian market.
See http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=714556.


AUTOCAR

Also new is a 40:20:40 split rear seat – rather than 60:40 – which improves the cabin’s flexibility, as does a 35 litre gain in seats-up boot-space to 495 litres. That’s just best-in-class, while seats down this number rises to 1500 litres, the backrests flopping onto their cushions to form an almost flat deck, although they don’t fold electrically. Nor is there a tumble-fold feature to allow the rear seats to form a protective bulkhead – the deep transmission tunnel prevents that – but you can lock the forward section of the rear seats’ cross-bar assembly onto the ends of the folded backrests to form a luggage-arresting lip. And you can then unfurl a load net that hooks into the ceiling. This assembly is now separate from the luggage blind mechanism, complaints about the weight and unwieldiness of the combined unit used in the previous model prompting their separation.

A further advantage of this arrangement is that the luggage blind assembly - now much lighter - can be stowed under a lid in the boot floor. All of which may sound like tedious detail, but makes a big difference to the car’s usability during the battle to load it at B&Q on a Saturday morning. This latest 3-series also offers more room for occupants, the wheelbase stretch yielding 17mm more knee-room, and there’s a fraction more headspace too.

Mechanically the Touring is identical to the saloon except for stiffer rear springs, which may have been why this 328i presented a ride slightly less accomplished than that of a recently sampled 320d saloon. Sharper bumps are the trouble, this 328i wagon riding them less pliantly. But its quick, precise steering and well-balanced, low-roll cornering remain, making this a genuine sports estate.

Diesel will be what the bulk of British Touring buyers opt for of course, and thus powered the Touring should prove almost as enjoyable a drive as the equivalent saloon, but with a whole lot more classy utility.

Source: http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/...w-328i-touring

AUTOEXPRESS

Rating:

There are now more features designed to make your life that little bit easier. The tailgate, for example, is electrically powered as standard and can be opened when you hands are full by waving your foot under the rear bumper. If you just want to sling some shopping bags in the back though, the rear windscreen opens up separately.

In performance terms it’s an engine [320d] that does everything you ask of it, pulling hard from low revs with only the faintest hint of lag from the twin-scroll turbocharger. The eight-speed auto is as close to perfection as it gets, fading into the background in auto mode and firing through the gears when you used the paddles like a heavier twin-clutch box.

The sound it makes though is a little flat, and when the stop-start system fires it back up, it sends a judder through the chassis. The impressive fuel economy and effortless performance are hard to ignore, but it can’t match Audi’s 2.0 TFSI for smoothness.

The only significant chassis change is firmer dampers at the rear, to account for the extra 70kg of weight. But on a blind test you’d be hard pressed to notice any difference in the way it drives next to the saloon, which is excellent news. It’s no sportier to drive than its predecessor, but high-speed refinement has taken a step up, and so long as you order the optional adaptive dampers (£750) the ride is supple in all but the firmest setting and the body control is superb.

As with all electro-mechanical set ups, the steering is light and loses some feel next to a hydraulic system, but toggle up through the four driving modes (Eco Pro, Comfort, Sport and Sport+) and it weights up nicely without feeling too artificial. Throw it into a few corners and it’s not the last word in agility, but you’ll walk away with a bigger grin than an Audi A4 Avant owner.

Source: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carrevi...#ixzz1zp98rqb5

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Official Catalog for New BMW 3 Series Touring (F31)

[silentassasin]

4 out if 5 is not bad. The stop start seems to be an issue not being smooth. But overall it looks like it got good reviews.

[lukester]

instead of moving forward and making a sterring system which is even better and more crisp than the e9x already had it they're moving 10 steps backwards.
Drive with your e9x to the BMW dealer and jump in to a F30.
you'll directly notice it. In direct comparison it feels more like playing Playstation with a force feedback wheel than driving a real car.
It's really a shame....

[DrivenByE30]

no surprises here ...

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by lukester

instead of moving forward and making a sterring system which is even better and more crisp than the e9x already had it they're moving 10 steps backwards.
Drive with your e9x to the BMW dealer and jump in to a F30.
you'll directly notice it. In direct comparison it feels more like playing Playstation with a force feedback wheel than driving a real car.
It's really a shame....

And I think that the E90's steering is underboosted and unnecessarily heavy, substituting effort for "feel". I much prefer the E39 or E46's steering to the E9X, and I feel the F30 is back in the sweet spot. At least on the cooking versions, as my seat time in an M3 is next to nothing.

To each their own.

[sali]

The estate is on my radar as we need a car with bigger boot (wife wants explorer).
Will the xi version have electric power steering?

But what's up with the stupid electric power steering? They only provide perhaps 2-3% fuel efficiency and they are taking over everywhere. I was looking at the new 911 for next year and they also use stupid eps now. Recently drove my in-laws Ford Edge and found out Edge steering feel is very close to my F10 steering feel.

[uter]

I'm curious to see what features are standard in the US version. That is, will the content on the base F31 be essentially the same as the F30.

[09BlkSapphire]

Originally Posted by uter

I'm curious to see what features are standard in the US version. That is, will the content on the base F31 be essentially the same as the F30.

Isn't the F31 touring configuration already on the bmwusa site?

[Rich@GTBPerformance]

Reviews as expected. Digging the 3 way split seats, its a pretty neat feature for those of us who like to haul crap around.

It might be time to move on from the E39 540i touring

[HighlandPete]

Another UK review from WhatCar?

http://www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/b...eview/26087-6/

Appears from all 3 reviews we need the adaptive damping to refine the rear end. Something I expected to be reading.

HighlandPete

[Alpine F31]

Originally Posted by 09BlkSapphire

Isn't the F31 touring configuration already on the bmwusa site?

No, but it is on the UK site. I've "built" mine a dozen times there.

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by lukester

instead of moving forward and making a sterring system which is even better and more crisp than the e9x already had it they're moving 10 steps backwards.
Drive with your e9x to the BMW dealer and jump in to a F30.
you'll directly notice it. In direct comparison it feels more like playing Playstation with a force feedback wheel than driving a real car.
It's really a shame....

10 steps?
That much huh?

Nope, can't agree.
It's slightly lighter in effort. Put it in "sport" and it's pretty close.

It's certainly not as bad as some say, or sales for the F30 wouldn't be so great.
I'm leaving a 135i and getting a 335i Msport. The steering ain't that far off. As good as my 135i? No.
Still very BMW like? Yes.

[Sgt Beavis]

My understanding is that the US "Sport Wagon" version will not be getting the diesel. There are several improvements that make me like the new car but not offering the diesel over here kinda pisses me off. I want that insane amount of low RPM torque and fuel economy.

I would say that I'm less likely to get one when my current lease expires.

[Alpine F31]

Sgt Beavis, your current car looks sweet!

[Blake P]

Can't wait to give my own review. I want an F31 so damn bad.

[Sgt Beavis]

Originally Posted by Alpine F31

Sgt Beavis, your current car looks sweet!

Thanks, I really like it. You don't see many Montego Blue Sport Wagon's in the US. The dealer told me it was a factory demo and a one of a kind color combination in the US. He was most likly BS'ing me but I don't really care. It is probably a one of a kind in Texas. So I'm good with that..

[fgalanda]

Originally Posted by lukester

instead of moving forward and making a sterring system which is even better and more crisp than the e9x already had it they're moving 10 steps backwards.
Drive with your e9x to the BMW dealer and jump in to a F30.
you'll directly notice it. In direct comparison it feels more like playing Playstation with a force feedback wheel than driving a real car.
It's really a shame....

So true, I have done it last week and I agree with you, but when i took f30 on 300 miles trip on highway the car was acting a lot better than my e90, but i still wont trade it in