Our cars: BMW 3 Series - May

BMW 320d Sport

Week ending May 17
Mileage 23,650
Driven this week 320 miles

Read the full BMW 3 Series review

We’re not having a huge amount of luck with our BMW 320d Sport at the moment. As I write it’s residing at the local dealer having the noisy heater problem being sorted out.

I’ve just had to get the front tyre replaced, too. The road test team spotted a huge lump in the rubber when they were using it as a benchmark, driving back to back with the new 3-series GT. It was certainly a safety risk so an online shop-around was required.

In the end blackcircles.com were selling a Pirelli 225/45 R18 for £195 so we went with them. They delivered it to the local tyre depot and it was swiftly sorted. Not the cheapest day I’ve ever had though.

By Chas Hallett
Chas.Hallett@whatcar.com

Week ending May 10
Mileage 23,330
Driven this week 30 miles

Drat. I do have to take the BMW 320d Sport into the dealer after all. The excess noise from the air-con and ventilation unit hasn't gone away and now I've got an appointment with our local dealer in Thames Ditton, Surrey booked for next week.

I expect that it will be a control unit that has to be either replaced or reprogrammed, too. What Car? readers Mathew Craggs and Gerry Shurman have contacted me to report similar problems with their cars and they both had to have this warranty work carried out.

If there's an upside, it’s that so far my dealer's been extremely helpful on the phone and I got the impression that the guy on the phone had heard of similar issues before – so there appears to be a pattern emerging. The downside is that if the work has to be carried out, then my car's likely to be out of action for two days.

By Chas Hallett
Chas.Hallett@whatcar.com

Week ending May 3
Mileage 23,300
Driven this week 1236 miles

I was chatting to a senior automotive engineer recently about some of the challenges he faces. He reckoned one of the biggest was maintaining low-speed diesel engine refinement, while carrying on with improvements to economy and emissions.

I mentioned our BMW 320d as a case in point. He hadn't driven one, but he predicted that it would get a lot smoother and less gravelly at around 3000rpm. He was spot on, too – it does.

That said, he also reckoned that I would live with a bit of diesel clatter around town for lower company car tax bills and great economy. Right again. I guess we'll have to wait for the next generation of BMW diesels to please on both counts.

By Chas Hallett
Chas.Hallett@whatcar.com