Thursday 4th August 2005

BMW 3-Series Touring goes on sale

Fancy estate sells to male managers: survey

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Something to put your dog in

BMW has announced that the new 3 Series Touring goes on sale in the UK from 17 September 2005.

Two 3 Series Touring models will be available at launch, the four-cylinder diesel, 163hp, BMW 320d with ES, SE and M Sport specifications costing from £24,875 to £28,195, and the six-cylinder petrol, 218hp, 325i SE and M Sport priced at £26,905 and £29,435.

In the autumn of this year the range will be extended to include the four-cylinder 320i petrol, and six-cylinder 330i petrol and 330d diesel. The 150hp 320i ES will be priced at £23,040, the 258hp 330i with prices starting at £29,995 and 228hp 330d models priced from £30,560.

The front engine, rear wheel drive 3 Series Touring is faster, more fuel efficient and less expensive to own and run than the competitor models, said BMW. With a longer floorpan rear seat legroom has been increased over the previous 3 Series Touring and the new Saloon. The longer load area offers 460 litres of space with the seats in place and 1,385 litres with the seats folded.

Market stats

The Munich company reckoned that premium compact estate car sales will take around 17 per cent of the sector and demand will continue to grow in 2006. Hatchback sales in the sector are in decline and saloon sales are slowing but they are expected to account for about 45 per cent of all compact executive models sold, down from 50 per cent in 2001.

In Europe, premium estate cars account for a consistent 30 per cent of segment sales and saloons around 40 per cent.

BMW said it expects to sell around 2,500 3 Series Touring models in the UK this year and a record 8,500 plus in 2006. The 320d is expected to account for 30 per cent of all sales and once launched, the 320i around 15 per cent. Diesel engined models will take 55 per cent of all 3 Series Touring UK sales. Fifty-five per cent of customers will be corporate buyers and 45 per cent retail.

BMW UK customer profile figures also show that the majority of Touring owners are between 36 and 55 years of age with over half younger than 50, and 80 per cent of them are expected to be male. Around 17 per cent of owners are self-employed while over 60 per cent are company directors or managers. Golf, rugby and skiing are their favourite sports. PistonHeads membership wasn't surveyed.

BMW said its competitors in this sector are the Audi A4 Avant, Mercedes Benz C-Class Estate and the Jaguar X-Type Estate, although it expects buyers to be previous owners of small 4x4s, MPVs and larger saloons.

For the first six months of this year, BMW’s sales have shown an increase of six per cent over 2004 even though the UK market is down overall by six per cent. Once the July sales figures are announced BMW expects its sales to have increased by eight per cent with the UK market down 10 per cent.

[andrews]

A nice looking car, and given that Im slap bang in the middle of the marketing profile will probably end up buying one to move the kids and dog around.....

[petee]

I'm in the middle of trying to get a highly-specced ex-demo 330i touring. Looking at around 30k from a dealer.
I really like the look of this new one - any opinions on whether I'd be better off buying a new one, bearing in mind that I have to suffer any depreciation myself?

[Dan]

It's always better to by an early car of a new model, rather than a late of an old from a depreciation perspective.

having said that... I'm not that keen on the new 3, I still think the old model has more character

[qt07428]

hi I was fortunate enough to view this car last year and it really is well proportioned and looks very nice. I currently have an E90 (3 saloon)and this dynamically beats my old E46`s hands down. Grip, handling and mostly the steering are fantastic compared to the outgoing version, in fact it drives like a darty hatch rather than a med saloon. My E90 is used by my wife so I got the 16" alloys and it looks a bit undertyred but the handling is A1. Colleagues who have 17" on their cars say they look good but the ride suffers a bit.

[Amizade]

I have spoken to one of the BMW ride & handling engineers, who has done a lot of the test work. He confirmed that the suspension is far better than the E46 & the 330i is a peach

[qt07428]

Sorry missed the point a bit on 1st post. Always go for a later model. The market for these type of cars is a bit fickle and the E46 residuals have plumeted already. I work for BMW (not sales) and have seen a slide in relative residuals over the last 8 months or so. Plus I think the dynamic improvements of the E91 and the age of the E46 has now made the car a bit less desireable.

[daver]

Very close. Male, 38, Skiing/Cycling. Oh, and I'm not the teaboy either.

[GetCarter]

I'm an old git and have placed an order for the M3 touring (there will be one apparently) - a bit lighter than my lardy RS6.

[F355GTS]

Steve

I'm on the verge of ordering one too not that I'm an old git of course

[GetCarter]

F355GTS said:

Steve I'm on the verge of ordering one too not that I'm an old git of course

I've always thought you more git than old Mark

I've plans for an old firm reunion next year - will keep you in the loop.

[gibo993]

I think the new 3 series looks like a Toyota's very bland, old version was much better looking.

[daver]

If there's going to be an M-version, I think I'll forgive the rear light cluster...

This is the first I've heard of that though - and I think I'd like to hear some more.

Are we talking 3.2 six-pot here or proper competition with Audi which would imply...... V8

[chippy17]

they seem to have had a slight issue as to where to put the badge on the back: 'there's nowhere to put it, if we could just squeeze it here perhaps, oh I dunno what do you think...'

[chippy17]

daver said:

If there's going to be an M-version, I think I'll forgive the rear light cluster... This is the first I've heard of that though - and I think I'd like to hear some more. Are we talking 3.2 six-pot here or proper competition with Audi which would imply...... V8

there is indeed going to be an M version with a 4ltr V8 derived from M5 V10 approx 410bhp

[GetCarter]

daver said:

If there's going to be an M-version, I think I'll forgive the rear light cluster... This is the first I've heard of that though - and I think I'd like to hear some more. Are we talking 3.2 six-pot here or proper competition with Audi which would imply...... V8

Indeed- after I read it in Autocar last week I phoned the dealer to put my order in and even he hadn't heard of it. I did the same thing with the E46 M3 in 1999!

I too share the reservations regarding the look. But I'm old enough to have hated every new BM since the 1960s - and I always end up liking them and thinking the old version looks dated... so I've given up hating them as they *almost* always drive better.

...we'll see.

as has been stated above.. V8 410 bhp in a car that should be 350kg lighter than the RS6 and more of a drivers car than the RS4?


>> Edited by GetCarter on Friday 5th August 15:43