BMW 123d Coupé: month 2

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Arrived: Dec 2007
List price (including options): £30,835
Average economy: 40.4mpg

The BMW 123d Coupé has been -

In and out of town mostly. I didn't plan to use the little Coupé in this manner, especially with so many great driving roads within relatively easy reach of home, but with a hectic car launch schedule it turns out that the keys to the 123d get picked up more often when there's a short journey to do than a longer or more interesting one. It's a pity, as the car's so much fun to drive, but at the same time, it actually does a great job as a city car, nipping in and out of traffic without need for much revs. Despite this usage, the fuel economy is still impressive.

We're loving the -

Stop-Start feature. On first acquaintance, we didn't think this clever feature could be much use, as it required a change in driving style to make sure the system actually stops the engine. However, with so much city driving, I soon learned that it's well worth the initial effort, as now it's second nature to prime the car to cut out even before coming to a complete stop. Although often traffic moves on quickly, the engine restarting is instantaneous enough and the longer you're stopped at the lights, the more worthwhile the whole process is. I have noticed some pedestrians wonder what I'm doing turning the engine off or restarting, but that's a source of amusement rather than annoyance.

The results speak for themselves. Despite using the 123d in the city more than on the open road this month the average fuel consumption remains at 40.4mpg. This from a car that can deliver performance commensurate with its Coupé styling, remember.

But not so impressed by -

With so much performance on tap, it's all too easy to wish for a rousing engine note to accompany each journey, but sadly the four-cylinder engine sounds little different to the less powerful 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine in the line-up. It's a little gruff on start-up too. The thrum at idle is actually accentuated by the calm-inducing Stop-Start system. Still, it's a small price to pay for such a great blend of performance and fuel economy.

We're looking forward to -

Getting out of the city and onto some more interesting roads. The Coupé loves to be driven hard, yet it also cruises in commendable comfort, so it's time to start enjoying it in other ways.

Shane O' Donoghue

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