BMW 330e Touring: Smooth, Refined, Exceptional

Smooth and refined, the Touring eats up the miles and is a superb drivers' car

By Jack McKeown

May 4 2023, 11:00 am

There’s an old saying that the BMW 3 Series Touring is the only car you’ll ever need.

It has a practical estate shape. It’s roomy. It’s refined. It’s fantastic to drive. And it’s available with four-wheel drive, making it suitable for those who live in rural Scotland and have to contend with harsh winters.

In reality, ‘only car you’ll ever need’ may be a bit of an exaggeration. Other cars have bigger boots, more rear legroom and less expensive price tags.

As an overall package, however, the 3 Series is phenomenally impressive.

As well as petrol and diesel models, the 3 Series is available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. This combines a 2.0 litre, 182bhp petrol engine and a 12kWh battery which powers a 108bhp electric motor.

Exceptional pace

There is an electric-only range of around 32 miles, which translates into 25-30 miles in real world driving.

Together those two power sources provide 288bhp giving the car exceptional pace. The zero to 62mph sprint is completed in less than six seconds.

You can have the 330e in rear-wheel drive or the four-wheel drive Xdrive version I tested, which gives useful extra traction in wet or wintry weather.

BMW refreshed the 3 Series last year, subtly updating the exterior and overhauling the interior with a swooping central display screen.

Prices for the 3 Series start at around £38,000 for a 320i petrol and rise to almost £55,000 for the high performance M340 versions. The 330e sits somewhere in the middle to upper regions of the price list, costing £45,000.

Upgrade packages available

My test car came fully loaded with bags of extra kit, including a panoramic roof, comfort, visibility and technology packs, and a couple of M Sport styling packages. These upgrades pushed the price north of the £55,000 mark.

It’s not cheap, but you don’t buy a BMW expecting a bargain. If you’re a company car driver you do at least benefit from low benefit-in-kind rates on the plug-in hybrid version.

The 330e Touring is an exceptionally good car. Smooth and refined, it eats up long distance journeys, transporting you to your destination in comfort. Wind and road noise are extremely low and the cabin is as quiet as your local library.

BMW has provided enough practicality to satisfy the majority of people

It’s also a terrific driver’s car. The steering is well-weighted and handling is superb. With almost 300bhp on tap, it’s as fast as you could possibly need a road car to be. It also feels very nimble, despite the extra weight of the battery in the PHEV model.

Two screens swoop across the central console and dashboard. The main screen handles the infotainment system while the driver’s display shows speed, range and other key information.

Thankfully BMW has kept its intuitive iDrive system and a volume dial for the stereo. Most controls can be operated by touchscreen (easier and faster when stationary) or by the iDrive dial (easier and much safer when driving).

There’s plenty of space up front and the rear seats are good for average adults, but tall people will feel a little cramped. Similarly, the boot is big but not enormous on the scale of the Skoda Octavia. Essentially, BMW has provided enough practicality to satisfy the majority of people.

Fully electric version planned

A fully electric 3 Series is in the works and should be out in a year or two. For now the plug-in hybrid version offers the greatest electric range in the 3 Series line-up.

It really is an incredible car

You can choose between various drive modes. For the most part the hybrid powertrain goes about its business seamlessly, with the petrol engine springing into life when it’s required.

There’s also a button that will store the battery’s charge, letting you choose when to use it. This came in handy on a trip from Dundee to Stirling and back. I was able to use the petrol engine’s strong motorway economy to cruise through at 70mph, then drive around Stirling on fully electric power.