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If you live in Ireland, you might remember the storms that heralded the arrival of 2007; horizontal rain and gale force winds with accompanying warnings not to travel unless you were tired of life. The weather was horrible the night I travelled to Omagh, County Tyrone to collect the BMW 325d MSport test car. To compound the matter, my own car was filthy due to a combination of my hectic Christmas schedule and the baffling activities of local farmers. It had begun to resemble part of the countryside.

I parked my organic Renault in the customer car park at the supplying showroom and had a welcome cup of coffee with the Sales Manager and following a run-down of the features and equipment in the 325 D M Sport, I was back on the road home and very happy to be in a clean, leather scented BMW. The test car was silver with leather interior and had about 100 miles on the clock. This is a new variant to the 3 series diesel M Sport collection with a larger capacity 3-litre engine, higher output and more mechanical and cosmetic refinements. Dynamic Stability Control is standard. As with all of the current BMW models, Head of Design Chris Bangle inspired the innovative styling of the new 3 series. The car exudes power and refinement.

The weather somehow didn't seem as bad on the journey back; cosseted in the warm fragrant cabin with body hugging sports seats and the distinctive amber glow of the instrument lights. Exterior noise was subdued enough to comfortably listen to the radio at low volume and despite the severe weather I had a fairly pleasant journey. Instruments were highly visible and controls came to hand easily - BMW have honed ergonomics to perfection over many years. M' badges adorn the cabin, reminding the driver that this car is a more than a bit special.

My journey to work in the morning can be a fairly demanding one and generally a fairly good test of the abilities of a car. One of the shortcuts I take is a 2-mile B road section near Drumbo, County Down. The BMW coped with ease; the sports suspension and weighted steering provided terrific handling, grip and communication. There is unbelievable torque from the high performance diesel engine and six-speed gearing. Braking was also superb, thanks to the four large discs. The most impressive aspect of the test was the un-phased' bias of the car, taking the sudden crests and adverse camber bends in its stride.

This car really shifts, and is capable of the sort of dynamic performance comparable to many modern petrol-engine sport saloons. The 0-60 time is an impressive 7.4 and the top speed is 144 Mph. BMW's Diesel engine technology is right at the cutting edge of the industry and is pleasingly apparent in this car. It is a drivers car, not merely a means of transport.

Residual value retention for any BMW is among the highest in the market, driven by demand and well-justified high brand perception. The BMW name is synonymous with build quality, finish and after-sales and luxury and buyers know it.

Learn more about this author, Damian Doyle.
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