[mgarvey]

Balance for me. When buying I basically chose between a 320d SE with (more or less) no options, or a 318d Sport with 18" wheels. Whilst my instincts would normally say get the better engine, the 318d is actually quick enough most of the time, and the sport spec and looks (with the lovely 18" wheels) was enough to convince me to get the 'lesser' model.

I'm with rjberry on the Severn bridge thing. I used to drive it a lot and it was a great test of a car - doing it in my boss's old superchipped Z3 2.8 was great fun - but these days you often only get a few hundred metres before hitting traffic again.

Just as appealing these days is doing a 100mile cross-country run in the 318d, still enjoying it immensely despite the comparative lack of power, and seeing my journey economy figure gradually climbing to nearly 60mpg!