Review
Aside from the badge appeal, build quality and RV benefits of choosing a BMW, there’s something else that marks the 3 Series out as special, and that’s its level of engineering.
The 2.0-litre diesel engine in our 320d is a wonderful unit, blending smooth power delivery with remarkable frugality.
Remember, this is a 177bhp engine emitting just 130g/km of CO2 and combined fuel economy of 57.6mpg.
I still haven’t hit that latter figure yet, although I’m averaging 51.3mpg which includes a fair deal of stop-start commuting.
And this is where the engineering comes in again. Our 320d comes with Stop/Start as standard, meaning the engine is switched off every time I come to a halt and engage neutral.
BMW’s system is amazingly quick and refined – the engine sparks up again as soon as you engage first gear.
It is a great idea, but I would like to see the trip computer updated to show how long the engine has been in ‘standby’ mode during a journey, just to emphasise the value it is providing – in city driving it can be 30% of the driving time.
While they are doing that, another update which is needed is a better system for warning when a tyre’s pressure is too low.
Recently, a red light appeared on the dashboard warning that a tyre was deflated – but it didn’t tell me which one.
So four tyre checks and some very grubby fingers later, I discovered there was no apparent problem.
It’s a small inconvenience and hasn’t marred an otherwise perfect package.
