2012 BMW 3 Series Touring (F31) 318d 8AT RWD (143 HP)

Vehicle Overview

BMW waited for half-a-year between the launch of the sixth generation of the 3 Series Sedan and the station wagon, which was traditionally called Touring in Europe, or Sports Wagon in the U.S.

The German automaker wanted to keep its customers on their toes and released the first images of the 2012 BMW 3 Series Touring, known as the F31 in factory coding, in May 2012. However, the official launch date came in the fall of 2012 for the European market and in the spring of 2013 for U.S. customers. While most of the aesthetic and engineering details were already known, the automaker still kept a few aces up its sleeves. For instance, unusually for the German brand, the station wagon had a slightly longer wheelbase and overall length, which allowed the car to provide better legroom. Furthermore, it was available with a panoramic glass roof that could partially open, a feature not offered for the sedan.

At the front, the 2012 BMW 3 Series Touring shared its parts with its sedan sibling. The angry-looking headlights with narrower inner sides created a more aggressive stance for the vehicle. Furthermore, the kidney grille was wider and had a thick chromed rim surrounding it. On the lower side of the bumper, depending on grade and options, the automaker installed a broad air intake or one with a sporty look, part of the M Sport package. This featured a pair of side scoops flanked a mid-section with an egg-crate-styled grille.

From its profile, the 3 Series Touring shared the same parts as its sedan sibling up to the B-pillars. Unlike that, the long roof was extended over the trunk space and was slightly sloped down. It ended in a raked-forward tailgate. The 50 mm (2 inches) longer wheelbase and the redesigned rear doors led to easier ingress and egress for the rear seated passengers. In addition, the rear overhang was extended. As a result, the Touring was 97 mm (3.8 inches) longer than its sedan stablemate. The rear L-shaped taillights followed the carmaker’s design language and were extended on the tailgate from the quarter panels. Like all the previous 3 Series Touring models, the F31 featured an independent opening rear window, allowing customers to drop small items in the trunk without opening the entire tailgate.

Inside, BMW installed a premium cabin with a flat and low dashboard that sported the 8.8-inch control display for the infotainment system placed atop the center stack. It could be easily controlled via a rotary knob available with a touchpad placed between the front seats on the center console. Another novelty for the car was the color head-up display unit that projected essential information directly on the windshield in front of the driver. These parts were shared with the 3 Series Sedan. The most significant difference was in the back. Thanks to the longer wheelbase, BMW added 17 mm (0.7 inches) for the knee room. Still, due to the tall transmission tunnel, putting three adults in the back on the split-folding (40/20/40) bench seat was challenging. Thanks to this system and the extended rear overhang, the 2012 BMW 3 Series Touring storage area could be increased from 495 liters (17.5 cu-ft) to 1,500 liters (53 cu-ft).

BMW understood the need for potent engines in its lineup but knew that some customers were not fast drivers. As a result, besides the most potent turbocharged inline-six powerplant, the automaker also offered fuel-efficient turbodiesel powerplants with four or six cylinders. Some versions were available with an all-wheel drive system. Power went to the rear or in all corners via a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic transmission.