It may be the model that helped BMW's M Division bring back the wagon in the form of the M3 Touring, but the five-door 3 Series isn't that great at performing the challenging evasive maneuver known as the moose test.
Designed to replicate how cars behave when the driver swerves to avoid a hypothetical obstacle in the middle of the road and then tries to get back to the initial lane with another turn of the wheel, this test has proved to be too much for multiple vehicles from many classes. So, how did the latest generation BMW 3 Series Touring do? Not that good, in as few words as possible.
The first attempt was performed at 75 kph (46.6 mph), or 2 kph (1.2 mph) below the norm of Km77, and it was a rather disastrous one. After getting to know the car a little better, they eventually lowered the speed to 71 kph (44.1 mph), the highest one during which it managed to stay away from the cones. Any extra kilometer over that, and it refused to behave accordingly. Understeer kicks in, eventually turning to oversteer during the exit maneuver.
On a more positive note, however, it performed quite well in the slalom test, with the Spanish YouTube channel noting that it behaved “fluidly,” with “very little body roll.” They also said that the traction control tends to kick in rather intrusively and will not disengage until the wheels are straight. According to their measurements, the BMW 3 Series Touring completed the slalom test in 23.7 seconds, identical to the Mercedes-Benz EQE and three-tenths faster than the BMW i4. The Cupra Born, MINI Cooper Countryman, and Audi RS 3 Sportback did it in 23.6, 23.3, and 23.1 seconds respectively. The Polestar 2 and smart #1 by Brabus hold the bronze and silver medals, with 22.8 and 22.5 seconds, respectively. The crown sits on the Alpine A110 S’ head with 21.6 seconds.
As for the tested model, it was in the M340d xDrive configuration. As a result, you are looking at a 3.0-liter straight-six diesel power unit with twin-turbocharging, which develops 340 ps (335 hp/250 kW) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque for a 0-100 kph (0-62 mph) sprint in a little over 4.5 seconds. The BMW M340d Touring in question came with 19-inch wheels on both axles, wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires measuring 225/40 at the front and 255/35 at the rear. A brand-new M340d xDrive Touring is going to set buyers back a minimum of €74,900 (equal to $82,333) in Germany, and it's not available in the US of A for two reasons: first, it's the wagon body style, and second, it packs a diesel engine.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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