The first of its kind, the BMW M3 Competition Touring M xDrive M Steptronic (to use its full name) is an, ahem, tour(ing) de force. Yet, thanks to this performance-focused wagon’s all-around usability, it will provide thrills for the whole family. We’ve put it to through its paces on our test strip to find out how it fares in the performance stakes…
The M3 Touring is mechanically identical to its performance-focused midsize-sedan sibling, which we tested — in pre-facelifted, 375 kW/650 N.m, rear-wheel-drive format along with the (331 kW/600 N.m) Audi RS4 Avant quattro — in the October 2021 issue of CAR magazine. (It is worth noting that the M3 Competition sedan and M4 Competition are now exclusively available in South Africa with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system.)
Related: ROAD TEST: BMW M3 Competition vs Audi RS4 Avant
However, for the M3 Competition Touring (and updated M3 Competition sedan and M4 Competition), BMW M turned up the wick on the Bavarian brand’s familiar 3.0-litre inline-six; injecting the twin-turbocharged unit with an additional 15 kW for a peak power output of 390 kW. Torque has remained the same, however. Yet, the full complement of twisting force is now available in a broader swathe of the rev band, from 2 750 r/min to 5 730 r/min (as opposed to the previous model’s 5 500 r/min top end).
So, how did the M3 Touring fare on our test strip? In short, it impressed, with our test equipment recording a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 3.65 seconds; just five-hundredths of a second short of BMW’s claim (3.6 seconds), before completing the 400-metre blast 7.88 seconds later.
Road Test Figures: BMW M3 Touring
Posted April 18, 2025
By: Marius Boonzaier
With our test equipment strapped to the M3 Touring, we headed to our test strip to find out just how capable BMW’s midsize performance-focused family wagon is.
Looking for a new or used BMW? Find it here with CARmag!
The first of its kind, the BMW M3 Competition Touring M xDrive M Steptronic (to use its full name) is an, ahem, tour(ing) de force. Yet, thanks to this performance-focused wagon’s all-around usability, it will provide thrills for the whole family. We’ve put it to through its paces on our test strip to find out how it fares in the performance stakes…
The M3 Touring is mechanically identical to its performance-focused midsize-sedan sibling, which we tested — in pre-facelifted, 375 kW/650 N.m, rear-wheel-drive format along with the (331 kW/600 N.m) Audi RS4 Avant quattro — in the October 2021 issue of CAR magazine. (It is worth noting that the M3 Competition sedan and M4 Competition are now exclusively available in South Africa with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system.)
Related: ROAD TEST: BMW M3 Competition vs Audi RS4 Avant
However, for the M3 Competition Touring (and updated M3 Competition sedan and M4 Competition), BMW M turned up the wick on the Bavarian brand’s familiar 3.0-litre inline-six; injecting the twin-turbocharged unit with an additional 15 kW for a peak power output of 390 kW. Torque has remained the same, however. Yet, the full complement of twisting force is now available in a broader swathe of the rev band, from 2 750 r/min to 5 730 r/min (as opposed to the previous model’s 5 500 r/min top end).
So, how did the M3 Touring fare on our test strip? In short, it impressed, with our test equipment recording a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 3.65 seconds; just five-hundredths of a second short of BMW’s claim (3.6 seconds), before completing the 400-metre blast 7.88 seconds later.
Related: Road Test Figures: BMW X3 M50
The BMW’s in-gear acceleration and 100-0 km/h stopping times were equally impressive (but more on the latter in a few). Thanks to its quick-shifting 8-speed M Steptronic automatic transmission, the M3 Touring recorded 60 to 80, 80 to 100, and 100 to 120 km/h overtaking acceleration times of 0.79, 0.93 and 1.06 seconds, respectively.
In our stringent, 10-stop emergency braking regiment, the M3 Touring’s M Compound braking setup brought the 1 952 kg (tested) performance wagon to a halt in an average time of just 2.61 seconds, garnering it an ‘excellent’ rating by our standards, over a distance of 35.97 metres.
As a reminder, the M3 Touring is priced from R2 218 506. Yet, it’s worth noting that the initial allocation for our market has already been sold out.
