The "still" king of compact: 320d

Having test driven merc 200k, is250 and a4 tdi 2.0 (in that order) in the past week (in conjunction with reading about the fading grace of 320i and 325i in comparos against these competitors in the press), the downside of the now ancient E90 3 series become ecked in my mind: the stiff and almost arm workout-like steering at low speed, the lack of power for 320i, the limited boot and seat space, the dated styling. Before 320d, audi B8 a4 2.0 tdi has been my favourite among the premium compacts: it's easy to maneuver, great torque, and composed at speed when pushed slightly hard (but now i realised nowhere near as hard as i could confidently push in a 320d). Not having test driven 320d, i would've concluded that the best of the current bunch is indeed the a4 2.0 TDI.

but how wrong am i.

the athletic 320D i tested this afternoon shine through with all the qualities you'd expect and love from Beemer and none of the drawbacks. the steering is just a tad heavy but enough to transmit information from the front wheels, and the run flat tyres are a non-issue: it modulates pot holes and bumps just as well. the engine is recently upgraded to squeeze out 10 more kw and Nm, and how bloody well it shows. over the hilly roads of Daisy Hill the 320d ate uphill with a vengeance. corners are handled without the slightest fuss and imbalance, there is simply no mid-corner surpirses or brake fades that present in other marques. exiting out of corners are slightly hesitant given the turbo diesel lag, but once you rev close to 2000 it comes alive again and your back is punched and shoveled again all the way to the next corner or hill top. it's just a wonderful feeling. The steering is light at speed but surprisingly transparent. the chunky steering wheel is my personal preference because thin steering wheels just reminds you of old bus' wheels. and there's no good image associated with bus driving :) although i could be biased here because i have pushed 3 series to absolute limit of its talent before under ESP protection, so i know how much tyre squeal is entirely safe, the 3 series probably benefited greatly from its perfect front-aft balance and not a hint of nose heaviness can be felt throughout. even though the current e90 has been around since 2005 the most recent update to the diesel has again pushed beemer to the top of the crop when economy and driving ability is concerned. in the shadow of the truly talented 320d, the a4 2.0 tdi is dwarfed and the audi engine seemed unwilling, with a heavier nose.