[msej449]

OK, so I live on the South Coast and have had

BMW320i Touring (left, in the Avatar), BMW 525tds Touring, BMW 528i Touring, BMW 330d xDrive Touring and the current BMW M235i Convertible 2016 plus Audi 100 Avant 2.5, Jeep Grand Cherokee V6, Volvo V70 T3 Estate, Jaguar X-Type V6 Estate, an Audi A3 Sportsback 2.0d and a Lotus Elise 111s Millennium Edition. Our 2nd car for trips to the tip/gym/shops is a 2007 Peugeot 206 1.4L 4-door hatchback, now on 80K miles.

1. Reliability

Above average, I'd say. Perhaps best to do an oil service every 10K if possible. But like Mercedes or Audi, major parts are more expensive when they go wrong, compared to Ford/VW/Vauxhall hot hatches.

2. Which engine?

Well, I love 6-Cyl engines so I've always gone for those (as you can see). But to be honest, a 1.8d or 2.0d would be my preference if I couldn't get the straight-six. One thing I miss from my 330d (6-cyl 3.0L turbodiesel) is the torque, but it wouldn't be an exciting engine.

3. Auto vs Manual

If I was going for a diesel I'd get an auto for sure: it'd be a very comfortable car to drive but not exciting. If I wanted a bit more excitement, and was going for the petrol, then really, it's down to your driving style. I switched to autos a decade ago: with the paddles and the ZF8, manual doesn't appeal by comparison any more.

4. Turbo lag

Never found it an issue. I think people often blame turbo-lag when really, they needed to use the paddles more in their auto or haven't been in the right gear in the manual.

5. Ride

Fine. I have adaptive suspension, which works well for me. But this isn't a lightweight car like a hot hatch. But compared to the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 etc. it's more nimble. The Audi A3 front wheel drive didn't work for me: too prone to dramatic understeer and the SLine suspension I found really harsh (If I wanted 5 doors, I'd go for a Euro BMW 1 Series against an A3 for better ride and handling, even if the A3 looks great from the outside).

6. Likes/Dislikes

+ Good power/weight ratio (well it should be with my 330BHP on tap)
+ ZF8 Auto
+ Relatively small parking footprint
+ I love the convertible: transforms many otherwise mundane drives

- Active sound: I don't need artificial engine sounds
- Steering: Not like my Elise, but then what is?

Overall, this is not a sports car in the Elise/Caterham sense. And it's not a Hot Hatch. It's a modern, mainstream, relatively small/lightweight (note the 'relatively') sporty tourer for 1-2 people. Does the daily commute happily, but offers some fun when you're in the mood.