254bhp, 53mpg and a 495-litre boot - from less than £10,000
You can snap one of these up for as little as £2500, but this will tie you to a moon-mileage car with clear signs of hard use. Stretch to around £7000-£10,000 and you will get a much tidier example.
Our top choice, though, would be the brawny and characterful 330d, which gets a punchier six-cylinder oil-burner that makes 254bhp and 413lb ft of torque. It's a crackerjack engine and suits the car well, and it will still do 53mpg on motorway schleps. You will need more than £10,000 for a decent example, though.
There are several petrols to choose from, but we would aim for either the 320i if you're after the best economy or the slightly thirsty, 242bhp 328i if you want potency.
Classified adverts with 'LCI' in the headline refer to the 'Life Cycle Impulse' (which normal people would call a facelift), rolled out to the car in 2015, bringing a new look and LED headlights.
BMW also added the ultra-frugal 320d Efficient Dynamics model to the range – a tempting choice when you consider its real-world 60mpg economy, and it's tax-exempt too.
Also new was the 340i, which feels like a pseudo-M3 to drive. Its 322bhp turbocharged petrol straight six is a smooth, elastic and flexible engine that provides serious pace – and it will still do upwards of 35mpg, whereas the Jaguar XE S, say, will struggle to return 30mpg.
Upgrades were also made to the interior, but whether you opt for an early or late example, all versions of the 3 Series Touring have a suitably upmarket cabin, with a neat dashboard layout and high-quality materials throughout.
It's comfortable, it has excellent ergonomics and rear space is good enough for adults – plus you get a capacious 495-litre boot.
Sure, you will choose this estate for its additional practicality, but you will love owning one more for its impressive economy, engaging drive, elegantly finished interior and, in most cases, outstanding performance.
Page 2
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Top Gear
31 minutes ago
- Top Gear
Skoda Enyaq Review 2025
Skoda's newly facelifted electric family SUV. It's been a rampant success for the Czech firm, with over 250,000 of 'em sold worldwide since it was launched in 2020. Skoda hopes there'll be even more clamour for it now it's had a glow up. And the designers haven't messed about, either. The face has been completely remodelled, with slimmer LED headlights bookending a full-width panel, and the old car's massive 'tache has been shaved off. Advertisement - Page continues below The changes align with the slightly smaller Elroq and follow Skoda's new 'Modern Solid' design language... which seems to be styled on a Stormtrooper's helmet. The upshot is a more contemporary look and less drag. Meanwhile, the rear end is basically unaltered. It's based on the same platform as its Volkswagen ID.4 and Audi Q4 e-tron siblings, while other competitors include the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Tesla Model Y, Renault Scenic and the Volvo EX40. Lots of talent in that crowd. Run me through the range… The Enyaq comes in four broad flavours: 60, 85, 85x and vRS. The Enyaq 60 has a 59kWh battery and the pricier 85-badged models get a 77kWh cell (net). Everything without an x in its name is a single motor, rear-wheel drive car, while the 80x has a dual motor set-up and four-wheel drive. You're looking at between 268 and 359 miles of official WLTP range, which is excellent for the money. More on that in a bit. Advertisement - Page continues below The 60 is good for 201bhp/229lb ft and the 85 belts out 282bhp/402lb ft – 0-62mph takes 8.1 and 6.7 seconds respectively. Top speeds amount to 99 and 111mph. Like you care. You will care about charging speeds: the 60 is capped at 165kW and the 85 at 135kW. Skoda hasn't explained why the bigger battery gets the lower rate, or why it jumps up to 175kW on the 85x... Speaking of, that one develops the same power as the 85 but generates an extra 99lb ft courtesy of the front motor. It'll cost you some range, though. Phew! That's a lot to take in. Hang on, we haven't finished yet! Top of the tree is the flagship vRS, which gets a similar dual motor, four-wheel drive setup to the 85x, but a slightly bigger 79kWh battery (for 344 miles of range and power boosted to 335bhp. 0-62mph takes 5.4s. Ooft. Full details over on the Driving tab. There's also a sleeker Coupe version of the Enyaq for good measure. Cut to the chase: is the Enyaq any good? The Skoda looks and feels conventional, which will please as many people as it disappoints. And there are surely few easier introductions to electric cars than this: civilised to drive, broadly comfortable, and commendably quick whatever spec you go for. READ MORE Skoda Enyaq vRS - long term review Inside there's minimal changes over the pre-facelift Enyaq, but that's no bad thing. It's all logically laid out, and the combo of 5in digital instrument cluster and 13in central touchscreen is far less infuriating than VW Group tech of even a couple of years ago. It's grown in size ever so slightly compared to the pre-facelift version – by a whopping 9mm – and remains slightly longer than an ID.4 (but shorter than Skoda's own Kodiaq, a TG favourite), so it's got a bigger boot. Over 100 litres more with all the seats folded flat. Check out the Interior tab for more. How much does it cost? Prices start from £39,000 for the single motor, smaller batteried version, rising to £44,300 for the bigger battery and £48,750 for the dual motor (4WD). You're looking at £51,660 for the vRS. Head over to the Buying tab for the full lowdown. Want to know what the best electric cars are? Click here for the top 20 Our choice from the range SKODA 210kW 85 Edition 82kWh 5dr Auto £44,245 See prices and specs What's the verdict? ' It's smarter looking than before, goes further than before, and costs around the same as before. Winning ' Skoda nailed the electric family SUV blueprint with the Enyaq, and this facelifted version is even better. It's smarter looking than before, goes further than before, and costs around the same as before. Winning. Kudos, then, to Skoda for not trying to rewrite the rulebook here. It didn't need to, and the result is a car that remains a smarter buy than the equivalent Volkswagen or Audi – it drives just as well, the interior is less annoying and more practical, and the price tag is smaller. Yeah, we're trying to work out what the catch is as well... If you're tempted to finally dip your toe in the water with an electric car, there are few better places to start than this.
Top Gear
31 minutes ago
- Top Gear
An E30 BMW resto powered by a V10? That's Bugatti boss Rimac's 'dream' project
Mate Rimac is a man on a mission. He talks V10 Bimmers and Bugatti's next steps It's a cold day at Paul Ricard. Wrapped in a bomber jacket Mate Rimac is standing on the pitwall, pointing his phone at the Bolide as it comes ripping past at full noise. He grins and looks over, 'pretty cool, huh?' Rimac could have pulled the plug on the Bolide project when he took control of Bugatti three and a half years ago. But he was never going to, was he? He's a car guy. He's on the pitwall with his phone, filming for posterity because his wife is out there in the passenger seat. Rimac, by the way, has yet to drive a Bolide. Given his reputation, his love of driving and drifting, the fact that his dream one day is to do 'a proper, proper E30 restomod, with a V10. Not just the technical stuff, but also design. I don't know when I will get round to that – it might be my retirement project', why hasn't he got into the Bolide yet? Photography: Mark Riccioni 'I'm always super detailed about testing and driving cars, about every detail, and when I drive our cars I come back with a long list of things I want improved or changed. But with this car it's just so far outside my level of competence. It's a racecar, a track car and I'm a road car user. I can't come anywhere near what this car can do.' That's fair enough, it's not like he's short of work elsewhere. He now has three projects, of which Bugatti is only half of one strand – that's the Bugatti-Rimac car division. Then there's Rimac Technology providing solutions to other car companies, and last year he launched Verne, a robotaxi company. 'We showed it in June last year, a few months before Tesla showed theirs – and just three weeks after we introduced the Tourbillon. 'Last June,' he admits, 'almost killed me.' Two weeks ago he was at Nardò driving the Chiron-replacing Tourbillon. He pulls out his phone and shows me a video clip, 'Look how fast it revs, that noise. I was blown away by how good the car is. I'm so, so proud of it. You are in this car, you have this steering wheel with a fixed hub, you have analogue instruments, you have the performance of 800 electric horsepower with 1,000 combustion horsepower. There is nothing like it. 'And you don't need the engine to accelerate fast. That's the advantage. In the Tourbillon if you're lazy and don't want to shift down, or just wanna go ahead, there's so much electric power that you don't have to. Like why else carry around all that weight and complexity?' He has a small dig at other hybrid supercars. 'I have driven them all and I don't get it really. Why would you have a hybrid powertrain with a turbo engine? Like, a turbo engine is a compromise on its own, right? By going from turbo to naturally aspirated we lost 600bhp. I knew we could more than make up for it with the electric powertrain. So the electric powertrain enabled the cool combustion engine. In the Tourbillon, you have 70km of all electric range while others in electric mode are super limited.' Development is progressing well. In total Bugatti is building 35 prototypes before the first customer cars. 'We are basically done with the development and now we do the homologation and testing. The goal is to be lighter than Chiron. It'll be the first hybrid that's lighter than its combustion only variant. We have a big battery – 25kWh – we have three electric motors and we are lighter. Just one example, the suspension is 45 per cent lighter compared with the Chiron because of 3D printing.' There is, by the way, some carry over from Chiron to Tourbillon. 'We have decided to take over one part, which is the switch for the interior lights.' First Tourbillon deliveries are scheduled for 2026, built at Molsheim in a new building alongside the existing factory, known as the Atelier. Hard though it is to believe, Molsheim will have its busiest year ever in 2025, building the remaining Bolides (14 have been delivered so far), plus the 99 Mistrals. Then 250 Tourbillon coupes will be next, and after that a roadster? 'You can assume,' Mate comments with a smile, 'but also there are many things you can do with this hybrid powertrain. You can make a version without hybrid, or with it minimised, or without the [driven] front axle, whatever.' Would he do a non-hybrid Tourbillon? 'Uh, well, it's pretty difficult because the starter is the hybrid motor. So you don't have belt drive. You don't have an alternator, you don't have an air conditioning compressor, but you could do a very reduced system.' Beyond that Rimac won't be drawn on future product. But it's widely rumoured he wants Bugatti to have a second model line. That's nothing new. When we interviewed previous boss Stephan Winkelmann back in 2019, he said the same. But with Rimac at the helm, how about a four door with the V16 in the front? Something that could recreate the appeal of the iconic Royale from 1927, which celebrates its centenary two years from now. And was powered by a straight eight... which is basically half a V16. As yet, no comment. It's noisy in the pit garages, with the Bolide thundering in and out and the rattle of wheel guns, so we walk over to the foyer where Bugatti has positioned a Type 35. Does it give him a sense of legacy when he sees cars like this? 'It's really important. It makes me think about some of the small things, like what Ettore said, 'if it's comparable it's no longer a Bugatti', or when Piëch described the Veyron by saying 'it's a car to do over 400kph and the same day go with your wife to the opera'. It's a little bit of craziness that I have, when you look at where I came from to where I am now "It's just a few words, but there's so much depth and meaning [to those phrases]. We repeat that often to the engineers, telling them this car will still be driving around in a hundred years. How do you make sure this seal will last 50–60 years, how do we make sure these electronics can be serviced in 50, 60 years? 'I won't say much because we haven't decided yet, but I think warranties for these kind of cars need to be very different. I'll give an example. So Chiron is now four years carefree warranty with service included and that's pretty good. Why are people not using the Veyron so much? They would use it more if the tyres and wheels weren't so expensive, so we are trying to make a new set of wheels and tyres. "Look at the LaFerrari and P1 and 918, people get a bad battery and it costs hundreds of thousands to replace. We want to make sure this is never the case with Tourbillon. A Bugatti has to be super reliable and worry free, because that also ensures resale value.' I ask Rimac about future developments – where does he reckon we are with solid state batteries for instance? 'I feel like a fossil in this industry although I'm just 37. But I've been making batteries for 16 years and I've been reading about solid state and breakthroughs in the fundamental technology for 16 years, and it always seems like it's just there, but it's not. What has happened is the price [of conventional batteries] has come down 90 per cent – it used to be €1,500 per kWh, now it's like €100 per kWh.' Elon Musk then. Hero or villain? 'So for me, before this whole thing with the elections and all that stuff, he was the most exciting person in the world. I mean, sending reusable rockets into space, preparing to launch rockets to Mars, send people to Mars. I know how the [auto] industry works and how much Tesla has driven the change in all of these car companies. And I know that the only difference between Tesla and all of the other car companies is just Elon, nothing else. He has really changed the world, really had a huge impact.' And is China a threat or an opportunity? 'Europeans have been shipping cars there and producing cars there for decades and shipping, like, containers of money out, so it seems a bit hypocritical now the Chinese want to do the same here. If they can offer a better product at a more competitive price, why wouldn't they? They seem to have good products and the growth trajectory is crazy. Look where they've come in 10, 15 years.'
Top Gear
31 minutes ago
- Top Gear
The MST Mk2 ‘Ultimate' is a 350bhp Ford Escort rally car for the road
The MST Mk2 'Ultimate' is a 350bhp Ford Escort rally car for the road Downside? It'll cost £161k and take 18 months to build. Upside? Those spot lamps could outshine the sun Skip 11 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. 1 / 11 The good folk at MST are back at it with the souped-up Ford Escorts, this time channelling their efforts toward a rally-themed Mk2. Looks proper. Dubbed the 'Ultimate', it'll get a Millington Diamond 2.7-litre nat-asp four-cylinder putting out 350bhp. Plentiful, considering most MST Escorts weigh under a tonne. Advertisement - Page continues below Customers can also choose engines from Cosworth, Duratec or Honda, but regardless of the powertrain, the transmission is a six-speed sequential with pneumatic paddle shifters. And yes, it'll make those whiney gearbox sounds we all get excited about. The Ultimate rides on four-way adjustable suspension and Reiger coilovers, with stoppers from AP Racing. Each corner gets a four-pot motorsport caliper too, likely distorting your face into weird shapes when called upon. You'll get a choice of 13, 15 or 17in alloys, with other options including those massive spot lamps and a racing livery. There's no limitation on colours either, so feel free to be as specific as your local paint superstore. Inside, you'll spot a welded FIA-grade roll cage and racing bucket seats. See that vertical handbrake? Lug it, and you'll be glad the six-point harness is there. Advertisement - Page continues below The Ultimate - as with all MST cars - will be hand-built here in the UK, and currently has an 18-month waiting list. Plenty of time to source the £161k you'll be forking out, then. Top Gear Newsletter Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Success Your Email*
