BMW 330d M Sport: month 5

Arrived: September 2008
List price (including options): £38,870
Average economy: 43.4mpg

The BMW 330d M Sport has been -

To Land's End and back - literally. We took the 330d on a family holiday that covered three weeks away from home, driving from Dublin (via a ferry obviously) to Kettering to visit some friends, then all the way down to the tiny village of Porthtowan near Truro in Cornwall. The inevitable trip to the tip of the peninsula was undertaken as well and on the return journey we stopped off in South Wales to visit family. In between we day-tripped with the rest of the early season holiday makers and the BMW was a perfect companion for the whole thing.

We're loving the -

All-round capability of the 330d. It really is a fabulous family car - albeit one that isn't over-endowed with space. That's a small sacrifice to make for its other attributes. It cruises quietly with the fuel economy needle often settling close to 50mpg, meaning that its occupants rather than an empty fuel tank usually determine when you stop for breaks. Leaving the motorway network behind, the M Sport's exemplary body control came into its own, allowing a decent average speed to be kept up. It's a rewarding car for the driver to thread down an interesting piece of road too and it's possible to do so without unduly disturbing the other passengers.

But not so impressed by -

We've pretty much run out of things to find wrong with this car, as there are so few. I've touched on the lack of space in comparison to some rival saloons before, though helping the BMW's cause slightly is our discovery of a 'secret' under floor storage space in the boot. Unwittingly, I also discovered that the parking sensors don't actually operate unless reverse gear has first been selected, so edging forwards into a car parking space it's worth remembering that you're on your own...

We're looking forward to -

Another epic trip to the coast. This time it's to the wild west coast of Ireland, where the BMW will not only have to contend with the Atlantic weather system, but infamous potholed Irish roads. Can't wait!

Shane O' Donoghue