Having made a mistake (personally) buying a 320i petrol after always driving turbo diesels I was glad to be back in a diesel.

Performance - for a car with 184bhp it's quite disappointing. It doesn't feel any faster than other 2.0tds in the same class....except maybe the power doesn't tail off quite as early. BMW's claim of 7.3 seconds to 60mph is laughable.

Economy - this is the car's best attribute. Be light on the right foot in the motorway and you get mid 60s mpg. You can get in 70s if you try hard enough.

Refinement - not great. The engine is tractor like but improves under acceleration. The tyre noise is loud at high speeds.

Ride - OK. A bit harsh at times but you get used to it. This car is just Sport and not M Sport. The run flat tyres don't help much.

Handling/Driving - OK. Again disappointing. Probably because it needs M Sport suspension. It's not as precise as my old 320i E91. It feels much better with the stiffer steering in sport mode. The steering is too light in comfort and eco pro mode and the car wanders (run flat tyres probably don't help again). In sport it feels much more solid. The manual gearbox isn't great. It is slightly notchy. The gear stick vibrates at all times (not sure that's normal).

Comfort - Good. I actually loved driving it despite some of the comments above. The driving position for me was absolutely ideal. Some people have moaned about the position of the clutch but it's fine to me. The cloth sports seats are great, sporty but relaxing. The seat doesn't move very high. Shorter drivers beware. My 5'4 wife struggled with seat at max height. Adequate room in the back.

Practicality - OK. The boot size is decent on the saloon. My back seats didn't fold down and it's a pain transporting stuff to the tip, etc.

Equipment - good. I had the basic iDrive with Bluetooth (phone only), usb media but no satnav (real men still use maps). Cruise control was good. Climate control was good (see below).

Costs - I wouldn't call it expensive to run. I used independent BMW garages for servicing. Tyres about £100 each for runflats (online).

Problems - yes. Clutch judder when cold generally in the winter months. Didn't happen when took it in to be looked at! Pulsating feeling through clutch when engaged - garage reckoned there was something badly wrong with the gearbox. It did sometimes grind in third gear....and gear stick vibrates. Headlamp vertical aim failure (what a pain - fixed under warranty - sort of - long story). Noisy wheel bearing. Turbo whine when cold (harmless apparently). Diesel pipe split and leak (see headlight long story). Despite the underlying gearbox/clutch worry - it has been ok.

Conclusion - the motoring press seem to love BMWs. The 320d gets great reviews but to me it was good but not that good. I traded it in for a BMW 330d - it is a different class (however it has sat nav so I lose man points). Also I don't care if diesels are being demonised! Long live the smoke machine!

If you're hell bent on getting a 320d then get M Sport, the updated model (2015-) that has improved steering and one with the 8 speed auto gearbox.