• 320d top choice for performance and efficiency
• Petrol mpg seems to be closing the gap on diesel
• Not the cheapest choice to service or insure

What are the running costs?

BMW may be well known for the performance of its cars, but the brand also places a high value on efficiency – and the BMW 3 Series Touring is no exception. Of the engines currently available, the 320i is most efficient, delivering average fuel economy of up to 41.5mpg according to the official WLTP figures. The bigger wheels fitted to M Sport knock a few miles-per-gallon off but, regardless, our experience suggests the 3 Series is capable of comfortably exceeding the stated figures when driven carefully.

The more powerful M340i is inevitably less efficient, but an average of 34.9mpg is still pretty impressive for such a fast car. CO2 emissions are relatively low as well – as low as 153g/km for the 320i and 182g/km for the M340i. That reduces the heft of the first year VED bill at purchase, though any new 3 Series Touring costs over £40,000 and so incurs an extra VED charge from its first through sixth birthdays.

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As for the remaining 3 Series Touring models, there are too many variations of engine, drivetrain and model to do more than offer a big picture of their fuel economy here. Of the other petrol engines, our experience suggests you can expect the 318i to do 40-45mpg on average in mixed driving, and the 330i should achieve 35-40mpg. The four-cylinder diesels (318d and 320d) can comfortably exceed 50mpg, while the six-cylinder engines (330d and M340d) are capable of 40-45mpg.

You can find the exact fuel economy figures for every 3 Series Touring derivative on our specs pages.

Servicing and warranty

Every BMW including the 3 Series Touring comes with a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty that includes breakdown cover. The unlimited mileage cap is better than the 60,000-mile limit imposed by Audi and Mercedes, but there are other brands such as Kia and MG that offer seven year of coverage, while Toyota and Lexus offer up to 10 years.

Being a premium brand, BMW’s servicing charges aren’t exactly cheap, but they’re not outrageous either. You can spread the cost by taking out on of BMW’s multi-year, fixed-price service plans.

Reliability

• BMW has a good reputation for building reliable cars
• The 3 Series tops the FN50 reliability survey
• The unlimited mileage warranty should ease your worries

Although BMW’s current reputation for reliability varies from model to model, the whole 3 Series range is proving to be very reliable. Indeed, it has topped Parkers sister title Fleet News’ FN50 reliability survey several times. The survey looks at the reliability of the vehicles in company car fleets, which generally do big miles at high motorway speeds, which is a stern test. Our owner reviews suggest people really like their 3 Series Tourings, as well.

There are have been a number of recalls issued for this generation of 3 Series, including the Touring. You can check out the full details on the government’s vehicle recall check website. Affected cars should have had rectification work carried out but make sure its been done on a any used car you’re interested in buying by checking the service history and/or contacting a dealer. Outstanding recalls are also listed on a car’s MOT certificate.