There are few segments in the automotive industry that could be considered cooler than the performance estate category. There are also few vehicles, which could reasonably claim to be as respected and have the same illustrious history in motorsport as the BMW M3.
Of course, you probably know all of this, given that you’ve clicked on this article. Although, you mightn’t know what happens when you mash the two together, to create the BMW M3 Touring.
I’ll give you a hint – it’s pretty f***ing spectacular.
What We Like and Dislike About The 2025 BMW M3 Touring
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Blistering performance Dynamic capability and grip thresholds Excellent gearbox Impressive M xDrive all-wheel drive system Interior quality Driver tech among the best in the business Practicality Personalisation options | Lacks true mechanical feedback A bit on the heavy side … and I can’t afford one |
What’s In the 2025 BMW M3 Touring Range?
This BMW M3 is known as the G90 generation. There’s two ways you may have your G90 M3 in New Zealand – either as a Sedan or as a Touring.
The M3 Sedan starts from $195,200.
The M3 Touring starts from $199,600.
From a mechanical perspective, both the Sedan and the Touring are offered only as the BMW M3 Competition xDrive. It’s powered by a 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline 6-cylinder engine, outputting 390 kW of power and 650 Nm of torque, providing all-wheel drive through an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Overseas, there is a rear-wheel drive, manual transmission variant of the G90 M3, but it isn’t available in New Zealand.
Through some of BMW’s technological trickery, you can make your all-wheel drive M3 into a two-wheel drive – but more on this later.
The BMW M3 has several colour options available, including:
| Colour | Type | Extra Cost? |
| Brooklyn Grey | Metallic | – |
| Isle Of Man Green | Metallic | – |
| Toronto Red | Metallic | – |
| Black Sapphire | Metallic | – |
| Skyscraper Grey | Metallic | – |
| Aventurine Red III | Metallic | – |
| Portimao Blue | Metallic | – |
| Sao Paulo Yellow | Uni | – |
| Alpine White | Uni | – |
| Tanzanite Blue | Metallic | $2,500 |
| Dravit Grey | Metallic | $2,500 |
| BMW Individual Frozen Brilliant White | Metallic | $7,500 |
| BMW Individual Portimao Blue | Metallic | $7,500 |
| BMW Individual Frozen Pure Grey | Matte | $7,500 |
If this weren’t already enough choice, BMW will also allow you to select a colour from the BMW Individual Special Paints range, providing you with over 100 different BMW colour options for a cost of $8,400.
There are also seven different interior colours, including:
- Full Black
- Silverstone/Black
- Yas Marina Blue/Black + Yellow
- Kyalami Orange/Black
- BMW Individual Tarufo (Dark Tan) (+$1,000)
- BMW Individual Fjord Blue/Black (+$1,000)
- BMW Individual Fiona Red/Black (+$1,000)
- BMW Individual Ivory White (+$1,000)
I could keep going on about all the available options for the M3, but honestly, you’re better off heading over to BMW New Zealand’s website and have play around with their configurator.
It’s certainly a great way to waste an afternoon, that’s for sure.
How Does The 2025 BMW M3 Touring Compare To Its Competition?
The M3 Touring has few natural competitors in this class, with the Audi RS4 being the only performance estate competitor to the M3 Touring.Mercedes offers an estate variant of their C63 AMG, but it’s not available in New Zealand. The table includes the sedan, just for some variety.
One might be inclined to include the Audi RS6, but arguably that competes more directly with the BMW M5.
| Make/Model | Engine | Power/Torque (kW/Nm) | 0-100km/h (seconds) | Fuel (L/100km) | Boot space (Litres) | Price |
| Mercedes C63 AMG e Performance Hybrid Sedan | 2.0-litre turbocharged inline 4-cylinder hybrid | 500/1019 | 3.4 | 6.8 (yeah, nah) | 280 | $189,938 |
| BMW M3 Touring | 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline 6-cylinder petrol | 390/650 | 3.5 | 10.5 | 500 | $199,600 |
| Audi RS4 Avant | 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol | 331/600 | 4.1 | 10.6 | 505 | $169,990 |
First Impressions of The 2025 BMW M3 Touring
It’s only taken BMW around 30 years to decide to create a production Touring variant of their venerable M3, and yet, the idea of a station wagon M3 has endured for several decades.
That’s likely because we have seen some M3 wagons emerge through the years. Many of them were skunkworks-style creations by dedicated enthusiasts, who’d shoehorn the drivetrain of an M3 underneath whatever 3-series estate they could find. More surprisingly, BMW themselves made a one-off E46 M3 Touring as a concept, but for whatever reason, decided to seal it up behind closed doors.
Fortunately, one needn’t go to the lengths of fabrication or breaking into BMW’s secret vault to have an M3 wagon today, with the M3 Touring finally being introduced in 2022.
I must say the timing is slightly curious, as the Touring arrived two years after the G90 Sedan, the latter which probably had the most controversial reception of any M3 ever produced. Heck, I still remember the “butt-face” comments about the grille (amongst many others) back when it launched.
Yet, time has been kind towards the G90 M3. If anything, the nose-job actually seems quite normal now. Although the saloon still has some slightly awkward proportions, particularly when you notice the size of the front doors, along with the bulbous appearance of the wing mirrors.
For me, the M3 Touring fixes many of these transgressions. Its body sculpture makes all features seem better proportioned overall, including those front doors. To me, the M3 Touring just looks right.
The paintwork on our press vehicle was also a highlight. Sure, the grey might seem quite subdued from a distance, but when the sunlight hits it, you’ll notice a gold hue resonates off of it. Details matter on a 6-figure vehicle, and this one that shows you that somebody at BMW has thought about it.
What’s The Interior Like In The 2025 BMW M3 Touring?
Enthusiasts often argue over when certain manufacturers were at their ‘peak’. For BMW, you could make compelling arguments for many of their different generations, and it only gets more entertaining when you ask them to argue about which M3 generation was the best.
Although if we only consider interiors, I would be inclined to argue that we reached peak BMW interior design about eight years ago. This was around the time BMW debuted their seventh generation 3-series and 5-series, along with the fourth-generation X5, among others.
For many (and myself included), the interiors of these vehicles were about as close as BMW came to perfection. From the materials and build quality throughout, to the ergonomics and the integration of its tech, BMW were on top form.
Fast forward to 2025, the BMW 3-series including the M3, still uses the same design, albeit in a modernised form.
‘Modernised’ meaning there’s a new single high-resolution curved display, housing both the 14.9’’ infotainment and 12.3’’ instrument cluster screens. The operating system has been updated to BMW’s iDrive 8, and there’s also a new design for the air vents, the climate control cluster (reducing the number of buttons), along with other minor revisions.
For me, the modernisation leaves me feeling mixed. Sure, the curved display is a fancy bit of tech jewellery, and the overall interior impression is ‘cleaner’. Yet, BMW pretty much had it spot on with the previous design. To me, iDrive 7.5 was friendlier to use and less cluttered than iDrive 8. Also, where are my damn climate control buttons, BMW?
Anyway, I begin by nitpicking, because otherwise the rest of this is going to sound like BMW has paid me (p.s. they haven’t). It’ll sound that way, because this interior is still absolutely fantastic.
Much of what made it so good eight years ago is still there. The materials, build quality, ergonomics and the tech implementation (despite my earlier remark about iDrive 8) are all still great.
Even though BMW has faced some criticism over the build quality in some of its newer models, the M3 exudes a build quality that could only be described as unashamedly Germanic. That’s to say, it’s built like a tank. Sure, it mightn’t be quite as solid as the recently departed Audi RS4, although the M3 still sets an incredibly high bar. Something Mercedes could take note of for the C63 AMG.
However, it’s the ergonomics and tech implementation where the M3 outshines the RS4 and the C63.
From the driving position to the buttons on the steering wheel, this cabin is laid out near perfectly. Even though BMW has ditched their climate controls (boo), they’ve still retained their excellent control cluster around the gearstick, where you’ll also find a control dial for the infotainment along with the start button for the M3’s raucous twin-turbo 6-cylinder – more on this later.
Although, I did say that iDrive 8 seemed like a step back compared with iDrive 7.5 in terms of useability, iDrive 8 is still probably one of the best infotainment systems you’ll find in any car, full stop. The graphics, screen resolution, user interface and the system processing speeds are all top notch. I also appreciate still having the option of using the control wheel, which just makes more sense for when you’re driving.
My only criticism of iDrive 8 is that there is quite a bit of system clutter, mainly because of the number of features programmed into it. Sometimes, finding certain functions can feel like navigating a maze.
The instrument cluster is also excellent, although I wouldn’t praise it quite as highly as iDrive. That said, there’s plenty of configurability along with a few gadgets for your entertainment (even a lap-timer!). Still, I would say I prefer Audi’s virtual cockpit.
However, BMW still reigns supreme when it comes to audio quality. The Harman Kardon surround sound system is superb, with crisp highs and detailed treble and bass. It’s better than the Bang and Olufsen system in the Audi RS4 and the Burmeister in the Mercedes C63.
BMW also seems to appreciate that tech isn’t solely just about screens, having thought through ways to allow tech to make your life easier before you’ve even started the car.
Approaching the M3, the proximity key detects and unlocks the car before you’ve touched any outside surface. You get in, and Bluetooth has already connected before you’ve even grasped the steering wheel. The heated seat also remembers its last setting. Then, if you have a BMW ID set up, the car will position the seat, mirror angles, and even steering wheel to your pre-configured settings.
Essentially, all you need to do is prod the red starter-button to fire that glorious twin-turbo straight-6 into life, as everything is taken care of. Oh, and given how quickly it connects to Bluetooth, it pays to check you aren’t listening to a guilty pleasure song before getting in. Ask me how I know.
On the matter of liveability, the M3 Touring adds another dimension to the M3’s all-round abilities by virtue of the increased boot space.
In other words, you can fit the family and bring your dog along for the ride too. BMW seems to know you’ll do the latter, having designed a parcel tray with an inbuilt cargo net.
The extra utility of the Touring is only partially recognised when you put the rear seats down, which provides a total boot space of 1,510L. If the rear seats are left in place, the Touring only has an extra 20L over the Sedan.
As you can probably tell by now, I really rather like this cabin. Yet, there are some criticisms beyond those I’ve mentioned, such as the loss of the climate control stack and the other physical controls.
In particular, the rear seat passengers aren’t bestowed with many creature comforts compared with those in the front. For example, it’d be nice to have heated seats in the rear, especially with the M3’s base price tag of nearly $200,000.
On the other side of the coin, some might criticize the use of hard plastics in areas. Although I can’t say they lowered my perception of the cabin. Instead, the only issue I encountered which was slightly related was from my water bottle rattling around inside the door card (where the hard plastic is used). BMW could fix this with some felt lining, or other insulating material.
Even though I’ve been full of praise for the M3’s interior so far, I haven’t actually touched on the bit I appreciate the most. That being, the various colours you can personalise this M3 with.
You can have several kinds, from tans to oranges, and reds to zany combinations of teal and fluoro (which looks great in the flesh). This level of customisation had only once been reserved for those with Porsche or Ferrari money, and it is great for making your M3 feel more like your own.
What’s The 2025 BMW M3 Touring Like To Drive?
Sometimes I reckon it’s difficult to be a car enthusiast in 2025. There are many reasons for this, but I wouldn’t necessarily say that it’s due to a lack of options.
In fact, there are some fantastic enthusiast cars on the market today. Among them is plucky and joyful Mazda MX5, Toyota’s raucous GR Yaris, Honda’s scalpel-sharp Civic Type R, Ford’s devilish Mustang Dark Horse, BMW’s own loutish M2, Lotus’ elegant Emira, and at the top of sports-car totem, the Porsche 911.
So yes, there are plenty of aspirational enthusiast cars available. Although, the issues of a modern car enthusiast, more than anything else, are usually economic. Let’s face it, cars are costly to own and maintain. Not to mention that owning a car has other strings attached, such as the cost of insurance, or even having a place to park it.
Also, as incredible as all of the above cars are, many of them have a singular purpose. That’s to say, they’re good for a trip away or a weekend blat, but otherwise they’re all compromised in some way.
For example, it wouldn’t be impossible to use an MX-5 to take your kids to Saturday sports, or to sit in idle traffic in a GR Yaris, but I can’t say that either would be a pleasant experience.
There’s also another matter, which is personal circumstances. One cruel irony is that when you’re of the age where you can likely afford an enthusiast vehicle, your circumstances can make it difficult to justify. Many car enthusiasts have full-time jobs, most have partners, many have children, some have a dog, most will have a mortgage, and probably a few other hobbies too. Between those things, it can be difficult to justify spending so much on a car which you may not have time to enjoy.
So, the issue is not only finding a car that scratches the car enthusiast itch, but also one that can realistically fulfil their needs, and therefore be justifiably purchased.
Enter, the BMW M3 Touring. At nearly $200,000, the M3 Touring is not a bargain. Rather, it’s bloody expensive. But it might be one of the only cars left which can satiate the car enthusiasts desire for a sports car, but also allow you to fit your dog in the back.
And yes, there are other fast wagons available, but few of them possess the athleticism of the M3 Touring.
First off, there’s the engine. Underneath, the M3 packs a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline 6-cylinder, which BMW calls the S58. The straight-six engine has been BMW’s signature dish for decades, and the S58 might just be one of their best.
In the M3 Competition (whether Sedan or Touring), it outputs 390kW of power and 650Nm of torque. Although, BMW has been understating the performance of some of their vehicles lately, and you’d certainly be convinced they’d done the same with the M3.
That’s because the M3 Touring is devastatingly fast. 0-100kph is disposed of in a supercar-squashing 3.6 seconds, and top-speed is a quoted 300kph. But these figures aren’t the impressive part. Rather, it’s the unrelenting nature of the M3’s performance that’ll leave you in wide eyed astonishment.
Beyond 100kph, the M3 doesn’t run out of breath. It just continues to build pace like a freight-train as the engine hauls to its 7,200rpm redline. Finding the limit would require a racetrack, otherwise you’d end up on the evening news.
Of course, the M3 isn’t the only fast wagon that can demonstrate excessive speed. Also, some may fault the M3 for only having a straight-six, which are criticised for having a vulcan-like personality when delivering their performance. In other words, straight-sixes often lack the theatre or throatiness of say, the Audi RS6’s V8 engine.
Although, the M3’s S58 engine does have a surprisingly sprightly character for a turbocharged straight-six. It’s quick-revving, and its high redline (in spite of being turbocharged) provides the M3 with a raspy, motorsport-sounding wail. It’s enjoyable revving it out, while its ruthlessly efficient 8-speed ZF gearbox holds you right on peak power when you’re stretching your right foot.
Sure, I think I’d still prefer the sound of the V8, but a straight-six has other inherent advantages, such as balance, linear performance delivery and a broad torque curve.
When combined with a pair of eager turbochargers and a high redline, most V8s will have a hard time keeping up with the M3.
Fuel economy could also be slightly better with two fewer cylinders, but I won’t write any guarantees of that. The claimed fuel economy of the M3 Touring is 10.5L per 100kms, but I didn’t get anywhere near that.
This was entirely my fault, of course.
On the other hand, Fred did quite well after taking the M3 on a trip to Taupo and back, covering around 800 kilometres while managing an average fuel economy result of 9.4L/100km. Proof that it can be done, I suppose.
On the subject, the excellence of the M3 is not just experienced on the edge of its limits, but also through its day-to-day liveability. It’s an excellent daily driver, with the engine’s broad torque making city driving nigh upon effortless, and when in comfort settings, the steering becomes light and direct, the throttle control blunts and the gearbox settles into smooth, easy-going shifts.
All of the M3’s active driver assistance systems are also superbly calibrated, and there’s even parking assistance software, which makes life just that bit easier. Better still, because this model is a mid-cycle refresh, the M3 doesn’t have any of those asinine driver attention monitoring systems which are making their way into new vehicles.
The only noticeable compromise of daily driving an M3 is in ride quality. The M3’s suspension is stiffly sprung, meaning the ride comfort can be compromised over bumpier sections of tarmac. The low-profile tyres don’t do the ride any favours either.
Although, the ride comfort trade-off isn’t as steep as you might otherwise think. Also, the cabin does a good job isolating you from any harshness and BMW’s engineers have dialled in the dampening superbly. This means that while the ride is stiff, it doesn’t feel juddery.
Of course, once you do escape the urban environment and head towards twistier tarmac, you’ll quickly remember why you were happy with this compromise to begin with. It shouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that any M3 will be dynamically capable. Although, it will surprise you at just how quickly the M3 Touring can obliterate the bends.
The M3 is balanced, has precise inputs and immense levels of grip, even when wet.
Even though the M3 touring carries some weight (tipping the scales at 1,925kg), BMW somehow has managed to disguise it so that the M3 feels nimble and lighter on its feet.
As a result, the M3’s turn-in is sharp, it changes direction quickly and the chassis provides it with excellent cornering composure. This, along with the overall grip, means that you’ll feel confident pushing the envelope from behind the wheel.
The immense grip is undoubtedly owed to the fact that this generation of M3 Competition is the first ever all-wheel drive M3, utilising BMW’s M xDrive. Essentially, M xDrive is a variable all-wheel drive system, using an open-front differential and a clutch-based rear differential. It has the ability to divert 100% of the power to either the front or rear axle, but it is rear-biased by default, providing the M3 with rear-wheel drive dynamics.
That said, M xDrive is also configurable, from having a four-wheel drive mode (with traction control on), through to a rear wheel drive-only “drift mode” (with traction control off). In between, you have modes such as Sport and Race, and a traction control mode known as MDM, which is a ‘light touch’ intervention.
It’s incredibly clever stuff, but on the road (and especially in winter), you aren’t likely to stray out of 4WD-mode all too often.
Anyway, between M xDrive and a set of chunky Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres contacting the tarmac, the M3 Touring grip seems to defy physics. When you look down the speedo, you’ll be shocked by the speeds you can carry through corners. Heck, I’d say that there aren’t many performance cars that would be quicker than this M3 in real-world conditions.
Although the M3 is incredibly capable, you do feel somewhat isolated from the experience. In other words, the M3 lacks the tactility and the mechanical feedback of a true, dedicated sports car.
For example, the steering, while precise, doesn’t provide much feedback to the driver. Also, the chassis, while good at eliminating harshness, also eliminates on-the limit feedback. It also makes it less rewarding to drive hard on the road. Furthering my point, BMW also pumps synthetic noise into the cabin, although you can switch this off.
That said, I can’t expect the M3 to be a handling match for the likes of the Emira or 911. Also, most mortals wouldn’t even scratch the edge of the M3’s capability, meaning its lack of on-the limit feedback probably isn’t an issue unless you intend to push it at the racetrack.
All this is just the obvious compromise of the M3 being a competent daily driver. Sure, you might have more fun on a twisty road or a racetrack in a dedicated sports car, but the M3 is still more than capable of leaving you giggling like an 8-year-old. Once you’re finished, the drive home in the M3 is going to be vastly more enjoyable than any sports car.
In other words, the M3 Touring is the vehicular equivalent of “having your cake, and eating it too”.
2025 BMW M3 Touring – Specifications
| Vehicle Type | 4-door performance estate |
| Starting Price | $199,600 |
| Engine | 3.0-litre twin-turbo 6-cylinder petrol |
| Power, Torque (kW/Nm) | 390/650 |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic |
| Spare Wheel | Repair kit |
| Kerb Weight (Kg) | 1,825 |
| Length x Width x Height (mm) | 4796 x 1918 x 1447 |
| Cargo Capacity (litres) | 500/1,510 |
| Fuel tank capacity (litres) | 59 (95 or higher) |
| Fuel Economy (L/100km) | Advertised Spec – Combined – 10.5 Real-World Test – Combined – Low Usage: 0-6 / Medium Usage 6-12 / High Usage 12+ |
| Towing Capacity (Kg, unbraked/braked) | 750/1,800 |
| Turning circle (metres) | 12.6 Small: 6-10m / Medium 10-12m / Large 12m+ |
| Warranty | 5-year/100,000km manufacturer’s warranty 5-year Roadside Assist |
| Safety information | ANCAP Rating – 5 stars – Unrated (5 Star Euro NCAP Rating) Rightcar.govt.nz – 5 Stars – RAF931 |
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