I know I’m a bit weird. Maybe it’s the pragmatically realistic yet passionately performance oriented DNA passed down from my

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Viennese father or possibly the fact that much of my formative years were spent in the back of a 1960 Pontiac Safari “Strato Chief” wagon that my dad personally spray painted avocado green, a car that for some misguided concept of awesomeness I thought was cool (at the time totally unaware that he’d traded in a ’56 Chevy Belair to get it), but for some deep-rooted emotionally disfigured reason I have a penchant for station wagons. It’s just the way my brain works (or doesn’t). Maybe it was too many loud buzzing mono-speaker AM radio moments of “Hey there Georgy girl…” being thrummed into my basal ganglia, but I’m forever a fan of elongated five-door estates.

Yes, I realize the wagon is the classic mommy mobile, what soccer parents drove even

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before it was politically incorrect to utter the words soccer mom (or mommy mobile for that matter). Yes, wagons preceded the much-maligned minivan too, let alone today’s less useful crossover SUVs that are steeped in the same family-stamped stigma that somehow escapes said soccer parents that believe they’re somehow cooler than minivans. Where do wagons fit in? It’s quite clear that even the carmakers that build them would rather hide their true identities than call them wagons, with only one brave enough to enter the family fray displaying the word “Wagon” proudly on its marketing material, devoid even of the oft-used “Sport” prefix that BMW uses south of our border and a number of others use now or have used in the past, the rest

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of the premium pack giving them catchy marketing monikers like Avant, Allroad, Estate, Shooting Brake, Gran Turismo (ok, while categorized under station wagons by Wikipedia-the end all to be all in factoidal information-it’s more of an elongated five-door hatchback with awe-inspiring roominess and versatility) and yes, Touring. To BMW’s credit, Touring has been its wagon designation since the brand introduced its E30 3 Series wagon in 1986.

We can thank the smallest of BMW skunkworks teams ever assembled for that. About four years prior to the production car, one man, BMW engineer Max Reisböck,

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and his personal practical need for a station wagon to fulfill family requirements, particularly, as the story goes, to carry his daughter’s tricycle along with the family’s luggage on vacation, took up the project. A wrecked 3 Series, the equivalent of $13,000 in deutschmarks (which was a lot of coin back then), and a friend’s garage was the inauspicious beginning of all things BMW Touring/Sport Wagon, and six months later, after creating a design that more or less moved the C-pillar rearward to form a new D-pillar, included the construction of a top-hinged liftgate, extended the roof and then filled in the sides and back with new windows, a process that had Reisböck pre-casting all the new pieces himself, a single one-off custom 3 Series wagon was born. His friends loved it and eventually the powers that be at his workplace saw it and concurrently saw the

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light, the 3 Series Touring soon adding a fourth body style to BMW’s most popular model range.

As much as I love catching sight of a well-maintained E30 in any body style, a first-generation Touring makes me smile all the wider. It’s an ultra rare experience even here in Canada where it was available new (our friends to the south never had the pleasure), as is seeing any Touring model for that matter. Every time BMW comes out with a new 3 Series and its sport wagon variant is included in the mix I breathe a geeky car nerd’s sigh of relief, as its sales might currently be even more “exclusive” than the new GT (BMW doesn’t break down individual body styles when it comes to 3 Series sales totals so we’re left guessing) and therefore something that could eventually get the axe if take-rates fall

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too low. Then again, if Canadian 3 Series Touring sales were only two-percent of total 3 Series deliveries it would be a bigger seller than the Z4, and that lovely little roadster appears to be secure for the time being.

While the sales numbers of all wagons might be lower than four-door sedans I’m glad not to completely alone in my love of this ultimately practical body style, as there are plenty of stylish estate drivers on my city’s roads, some even wacky enough to personalize them with unique rims and rubber, lowered suspensions, and yes, performance tuning. Isn’t it nice that some manufacturers not only continue to produce our beloved wagons, but do the custom tuning from the factory?

While

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an M-tuned Touring model seems like the ultimate family hauler, a much-rumoured M variant of the current F31 Touring was recently ruled out by Carsten Pries, the development chief of BMW’s M division, as it likely wouldn’t sell well enough globally to justify its creation. It would have been odd to see this car materialize after an M version the brand’s much sportier 4 Series Gran Coupe was nixed for the same reason, so I for one wasn’t surprised to hear the news, but then again even this 328i xDrive Touring is tuned for performance.

The “28i” suffix signifies BMW’s impressive direct-injection and turbocharged N20 four-cylinder tuned to make 241 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque from as low as

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1,250 rpm, making this a wonderfully tractable engine made all the better thanks to an equally advanced eight-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode. It zips to 100km/h in a mere 6.3 seconds, which is actually quicker than all but the most powerful E30 M3, I might add, while the abundantly more refined F31 model is also brilliantly fun in the corners. It’s a different kind of fun than the old M3, of course. Not the hang the tail out in recklessly abandoned hooliganism (globally referred to as hooning these days thanks to our fun-loving Australian and New Zealander mates who coined the term), but rather the stuck to its lane like natural caulobacter crescentus secreted glue on velcro kind of mature, responsible fun. Of course the local constabulary will treat you like the worst kind of anti-social felon if caught driving it like it was built to be driven, but anyone who’s been behind the wheel of any 3 Series will attest

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to the fact that it can be driven more safely than the majority of other cars at much higher than posted speeds. That’s one of the key reasons we’re willing to pay the price of entry.

That price, incidentally, is $47,850 for the 328i xDrive Touring or $49,350 for the 328d xDrive Touring, plus $2,095 for freight and pre-delivery prep. BMW Canada, knowing its buyers well, smartly makes its xDrive all-wheel drive standard, active lifestyle buyers appreciating the added all-weather traction along with the convenience of never having to shoe their tires with chains when such are required by park ranger enforcement, or so I’ve experienced on my way up various ski hills. I’m going to guess the clean diesel variant is popular among Touring

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buyers, these being practical folk who enjoy saving money, especially during family road trips like Herr Reisböck’s vacation where the diesel’s otherworldly highway fuel economy will make them glad they paid the extra $1,500, but for urban dwellers who rarely hit the highway the 328i’s efficiency will be good enough.

Helped along by standard automated idle start/stop, regenerative braking and other BMW EfficientDynamics technologies, the numbers read 9.1 L/100km combined city/highway with the 328i and 6.7 for the 328d, a significant selling point

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for those not hell bent on matching (original) M3 performance-the 328d xDrive Touring “sprints” to 100km/h in 8.0 seconds. While my adrenal glands swell for the former, my desire to maintain a driver’s license while minimizing the cost and potential impoundment of crossing the aforementioned constabulary would keep me satisfied with the latter, as would its lower ongoing running costs. Either way, I’m head over heals for the 3 Series Touring.

Just look at it. The 3 Touring’s long, graceful profile and elegantly raked D-pillars melding into familiar rear proportions that are at once sporty yet honestly purposeful are downright gorgeous. This model also gets nice splashes of metal brightwork across the lower front fascia, around the standard fog lamps, surrounding the side windows, down each roof rail and across the back bumper, adding to its upscale appearance. A large near panoramic glass sunroof sits overhead

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of all Touring models, making good use of the long rooftop, while a subtle spoiler caps off the rearmost top section. A lovely set of standard multi-spoke 18-inch alloys round out the design, their choice and the rest of the 328i Touring’s stylings making clear its appeal is towards those who seek understated elegance over overzealous aggressiveness.

My Alpine White 328i xDrive Touring was filled out with an all-black interior, finished to segment’s highest standards. A soft synthetic dash top bends right down to the lower extremities of the instrument panel, only melding into the hard stuff below the knees where it hardly gets noticed, while the glove box lid and every inch of each door panel are soft and pliable. There are some hard plastics on the sides of the lower console and lower B-pillars, but this said you won’t find as much high-quality plastic in any competitor’s cabin.

What’s

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more, gorgeous Burl Walnut hardwood trim was chosen to enhance my test car’s interior, joined by attractive aluminum accents throughout, while BMW’s switchgear is easily best of the best in the compact to mid-size premium sector, its buttons and knobs made from high-grade solid-feeling plastics and metals, tightly fit together and well damped. Why some of its premium competitors feel they can get away with switchgear and plastics quality that would make the folks at Hyundai and Kia cringe is anyone’s guess, but fortunately for those who have leanings towards the blue and white roundel, BMW isn’t simply riding on the merit of its good name.

That quality ambiance even wows when opening the liftgate, a stunning bright metal sill protector immediately catching the eye, and rich high-grade carpeting covering all surfaces throughout. A seriously heavy-duty retractable cargo cover spans

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the backside behind the rear seats, my tester featuring a useful dog/what-have-you safety net above that, that when easily removed and 40/20/40 split-folding rear seatbacks laid flat result in the fully occupied wagon’s 496 litres (17.5 cubic feet) of maximum luggage capacity expanded to 1,500 litres (53.0 cubic feet), figures only bested by the 3 Series GT’s unfathomably accommodating 518 litres (18.3 cubic feet) of gear-toting space behind the rear seats and 1,600 litres (56.5 cubic feet) when fully maximized. The wagon’s more upright rear quarters might make it more useful for taller items, however, so it’s not all cut and dry like the numbers suggest, but either way both BMW models are voluminous D-segment haulers.

As if this wasn’t enough, the Touring incorporates two small but very useful covered bins below its cargo load floor, the forward multi-layered one deeper and more

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capable of hiding away camera gear or laptops that otherwise might be too tempting for lowlife B&Eers to pass by, and the one closest to the liftgate made wider yet shallower, while already partially filled with tire changing tools, etc.

Speaking of equipment, as you may have guessed by the 328i xDrive Touring’s base price, it comes very well equipped right off the rack, with standard Dakota leather in three no-cost colour choices, Black, Veneto Beige or Saddle Brown, all with nicely detailed contrast stitching. Dash, door pull and lower console trim can be done out in my tester’s standard Burl Walnut or a lighter coloured Fineline Pure Wood, darker Fineline Anthracite, or Brushed Aluminum, whereas an extra $500 will buy you Piano Finish Black Wood, White Ash Wood, or Red Brown Dark Sycamore Wood trim. Standard trim highlights include Gloss Black or Chrome, so the

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opportunity to suit up your 3 Series Touring in an exterior and interior treatment that’s near exclusive to you is available and affordable.

The standard features list will seem like its fully loaded until you see what’s available in optional packages and standalone upgrades, the base car getting automatic on/off bi-Xenon HID headlamps with the brand’s signature LED Corona rings, fog lamps, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, door exit lights and handle-area illumination, the aforementioned 18-inch alloy wheels, satin silver roof rails, panoramic sunroof and 40/20/40-split rear seatbacks noted earlier, plus pushbutton start, a tilt and telescopic leather-wrapped multifunction Sport steering wheel, heatable powered front seats with driver-side memory, rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone automatic climate control, an eco-friendly blow-by heater

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that uses residual engine heat to warm the cabin after the engine is shut off, dynamic cruise control, a multi-information display set within the extended primary gauge package, a large high-resolution full-colour infotainment screen sitting atop the centre stack complete with navigation and other handy features, not excluding a hi-fi audio system, USB and Bluetooth hands-free phone and streaming audio connectivity, BMW assist telematics, ConnectedDrive that lets you link to the 3’s internal systems via your smartphone, and more.

Two standard colours include my tester’s Alpine White and Jet Black, whereas any one of the eight optional metallics adds $895 to the tally or alternatively choosing one of five BMW Individual colours gets pricier at $1,450.

My

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tester included the $2,200 Premium package that adds proximity-sensing Comfort Access, auto-dimming side mirrors, a rearview camera with guidelines (yes, extremely odd that a nav system is standard, but you’re forced to pay extra for such an important potentially life-saving safety feature), an alarm system (ditto), a heated steering wheel, front and rear parking sonar, and satellite radio with a one-year subscription.

BMW had also added in the identically priced $2,200 Executive package that includes cornering adaptive headlamps, lower back appreciative powered lumbar support, visually helpful head-up display, a universal garage door opener, and a Harmon/Kardon audio upgrade that made a special moment belting out Semisonic’s Closing Time sound particularly good (the stereo sounded good at least), while the $1,500 Driver Assistance package added automated high beam assist (a road trip favourite), an ultra-useful Surround View monitor, active blind spot

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detection, plus lane departure and collision warning.

A Premium Seating package can be had for $1,250 more, which boasts sport seats up front, heatable outboard seats in back, manual rear window sunshades, and a storage compartment package. Additionally, a $1,500 Performance package includes variable sport steering, active M suspension and a paddle-shift enhanced automatic, while the $1,900 M Performance package includes all of the above except for the paddles (oddly), as well as M Sport brakes.

Lastly, a $500 ConnectedDrive Professional package includes Advanced Real Time Traffic Information (ARTTI) with up-to-the-minute traffic info; Internet access via iDrive with a complimentary one-year subscription; BMW Online & BMW Apps for access

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to weather, news and other info, plus integration of popular smartphone apps via iDrive; Remote Services for connecting your smartphone to your car; Concierge Services that provide a personal assistant via BMW’s Response Centre to help find POIs; and the BMW ConnectedDrive Services Package.

A number of these packaged options can be had as standalone upgrades, while a sweet set of 19-inch V-spoke alloys will dress up your Touring’s exterior for $1,000, and even sweeter Walknappa leather dashboard will make the cabin look downright rich for $1,250.

If something with sportier flare suits your style a $3,300 M Sport line upgrade adds the aforementioned eight-speed automatic with paddle shifters behind a sportier

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M steering wheel, while interior trims include Aluminum Hexagon, Brushed Aluminum and Fineline Anthracite; trim highlights can be upgraded to high-gloss black, chrome or Estoril Blue Matte (a personal favourite that requires Sport Line exclusive Estoril Blue exterior paint); not to mention four hues of Dakota leather covering unique sport seats, while the exterior gets 19-inch M Star twin-spoked or 19-inch M Double Spoke alloys plus plenty of M aero upgrades, the latter of which include a completely redesigned lower front fascia.

That’s about as close to getting an M3 Touring as we’ll likely ever see this side of some crazed tuner displaying a one-off version tucked away in the distant corner of a local auto show (bless his or her tortured soul), and while such a dream sounds plenty fun to experience even we strange wagon fans would almost always go

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and buy a stock 328i or 328d Touring after madly cheering for the oddball creation. We’re just too practical to step up to a supercar slaying wagon, at least en masse. To put fantasy and reality into perspective, the North American numbers are so small that neither Canadian nor US markets make a manual gearbox available.

That’s just ok by me, as the 328i xDrive Touring is pretty much ideal the way it’s packaged, and a car I’d be very happy to own. I’d personally buck up for the clean diesel, as fuel economy, cheaper pump prices and the convenience of extended range matter more than straight-line performance in my books, but it’s nice to have the option. If practicality matters as much to you, you can have your cake and eat it a la mode with the 3 Series Touring. I couldn’t stick my two thumbs up any higher.
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