Venturing from Oxfordshire into deepest south Wales and back demonstrated our 2.2-litre diesel 3’s long-range cruising refinement and helped nudge the average consumption figure up to 45.3mpg.
Down in the valleys the car’s swoopy, sculpted styling prompted several compliments, while burly Welsh passengers had no complaints about the space and comfort in the back.
Unfortunately, the wet and steamy weather was not so kind, but the heated front screen meant the demisting fan’s use was kept to a minimum.
Logic prevails in most of the ergonomically efficient cabin equipment, even if the glove compartment is not lockable, and curiously there is no seat pouch behind the driver, unlike on the other side.
The computer read-out is well placed in the centre of the fascia but registers average mpg and speed together, instead of range, which is combined with instant mpg for some reason.
Meanwhile, in the back, dark rear privacy glass helped on-board dogs in the hatch compartment keep their summer cool, and the rear seat backs fold fairly flat with minimal effort even if rear squabs do not flip over.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
