This is an estate car to tell the world you're a sporty, active type rather than a typical family man - the sort that needs to lug lots of stuff around. Perhaps they are not the all-out driver's machines that smaller BMWs once were, but the 3-Series Touring is sophisticated, superbly engineered and stylishly subtle. Although it has a strong rival in the shape of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Lexus IS SportCross, it still leaves the competition behind.