BMW

The BMW X6 M Competition is a 625 hp, 4.4-litre V8 super-SUV that makes almost no sense and is monumentally capable anyway. Brilliant engine, staggering grip, firm ride and a small boot. We would still buy the X5 M.

BMW has spent years promising that the Neue Klasse would reset the brand. The 2026 iX3 50 xDrive is the first car to deliver on it, and it largely succeeds: a genuinely intuitive new iDrive, a clever full-width Panoramic display, more than 800 km of claimed range and 400 kW charging that makes range anxiety feel old-fashioned. There are small gripes, but this is the most convincing electric BMW yet.

The BMW M5 Touring is one of those cars that almost feels too absurd to exist. A station wagon with a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, plug-in hybrid technology, 727 hp, 1,000 Nm of torque, all-wheel drive, a usable electric range, a boot large enough for family life and enough performance to make your driving licence feel permanently endangered. On paper, it sounds like the ultimate everything-car. And in many ways, it is.

Many kilometers in an E61 535d have left a nostalgic feeling for what makes a BMW a BMW for me. Mirror that feeling to recent, controversial decisions by the brand, and after reading this review, you’ll see why I ended up relieved.

The 3 Series is a segment benchmark, and the plug-in 320e Touring makes a quietly convincing case for it as a daily driver. A 204 hp plug-in hybrid with 50 to 60 km of EV range, it still averaged under 5 l/100km on longer trips, stays practical and comfortable, and drives with more involvement than its rivals. The C-Class is comfier, but the BMW is the better driver's car.

The long-awaited second-generation BMW M2 arrived to criticism before anyone had driven it. Then you drive it, ideally with the manual gearbox, and it surprises you. Small, rear-driven and endlessly capable, the manual M2 might just be the best compact sports car on sale today.

The 2023 BMW M3 Competition Touring is the fast estate enthusiasts dreamed of for 30 years, and it arrived at the perfect moment. A 510 hp straight-six, M xDrive traction and a 2WD party trick make it thrilling, while the 500-litre boot and comfy long-distance manners make it a two-car garage on its own. Near-perfect, and perfectly timed.