BMW 3 Series Touring estate - Practicality & boot space

The BMW 3 Series Touring hasn't grown dramatically but it's still just ahead of the Audi A4 Avant and Mercedes C-Class for space, with the Volvo V60 leading the pack. BMW has paid attention to clever touches, too, making the 3 Series Touring easier to use than ever thanks to features such as an opening rear windscreen.

BMW 3 Series Touring interior space & storage

The days when the 3 Series felt cramped inside are long gone; there's now more legroom for back-seat passengers in the BMW than in several of its rivals. The car’s wheelbase has been lengthened slightly to create extra space, and there's easily enough headroom for all but the tallest of passengers. It's even possible to line up three child seats across the back row, although only the outer two benefit from ISOFIX mounting points. Drivers will find lots of adjustment thanks to new seats, with a memory function available as an option.

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Boot space

Measuring 500 litres up to the retractable parcel shelf, the Touring's boot has grown by a mere five litres, but it's very competitive for the class. BMW has also imbued it with lots of clever touches, including an opening tailgate window that can be activated from the key fob. This should be really handy for throwing a few bags of shopping in the boot in a tight car park or garage. The boot is also powered, revealing a loading sill that's now a bit lower and wider, and it has a higher roofline, allowing awkwardly shaped cargo such as a mountain bike to fit inside more easily.

Another neat feature is optional rubberised anti-slip rails that rise from the boot floor when the tailgate is shut to prevent items from rolling around, before retracting once the engine is off.

Towing

An electrically retractable towing hitch is available, operated from a control panel found in the boot. Every version of the BMW 3 Series Touring can tow a braked trailer of up to 1,800kg, except for the 320i Touring, which is restricted to 1,600kg.