I really did not want to like the BMW 3-series. It is said that the majority of BMW buyers don't bother testing any competitor cars before walking into a BMW showroom and handing over their cash to be part of the club. That club is concerned with the need to have a BMW on the drive or in the reserved management car park - a status symbol and nothing more. Or so I thought. Having spent a week at the wheel of a new BMW 330d I have had to alter my (admittedly judgemental) views.

The 330d turned up in a trailer, so was understandably sparkling. The silver grey paintwork may have looked depressing mid-winter, but in the midst of our summer heat wave in August it managed to look classy and understated. The 3-series shape is a familiar one on our roads, and instantly recognisable thanks to BMW's (until recently) evolutionary approach to design. It strikes the right chord with buyers in that way, and it retains just the right amount of aggression in the design, which is of course a pre-requisite to using the outside lane effectively on our motorways. The 330d is fitted with 17 inch alloys as standard, and they lend the car a sharp, sporty stance, filling out the wheelarches, but without looking like an aftermarket add-on. I was surprised during the week to receive many admiring glances (at the car, not me alas). Perhaps there is more to 3-series ownership than I thought.

BMW have kept the interior of the 3-series pretty simple, though tasteful and understated as with the exterior. I really like the brushed aluminium trim and the steering wheel design. The controls are all to hand and work with pleasing tactility and Germanic efficiency. My only significant criticism is that the armrest gets in the way whether it is raised or not, forcing the driver to either adopt a strange, raised elbow gearchanging position, or bash his elbow on the raised armrest when using the handbrake. I like to have this space free, and it really did not suit me. The pedal spacing is quite good, though the clutch foot rest is a little too close to the clutch pedal in my opinion. The driving controls are good too. There is no slack. The steering feels directly connected to the front wheels for instance, and the brake pedal inspires huge confidence. I don't personally like the spring action in the gearlever, but when driving quickly it is a joy to use.

In fact, this BMW is a joy to drive full-stop, which is where most of my (reluctant) surprise came from. I did expect the chassis to be quite good, thanks to the classic front engine, rear-wheel drive layout, but I could not have predicted just how much fun it really is. Understeer is non existent. The rear of the car can be drifted through corners with ease, especially with the traction control switched off. Those large low profile tyres ensure that there is a surfeit of grip in the dry allowing for higher than average cornering speeds. Even on my favourite tight and twisty B-road the chassis excels, allowing the driver to concentrate on taking a good line, using the throttle to balance the car on exit. I don't usually look forward to rain, but I was curious to see how the 3-series would handle it. I was not disappointed by the British weather, nor by the German chassis. Understeer still resolutely refuses to show its ugly face in the wet. Of course there is less grip in general, but the rear of the car is still the first end to relinquish it in a perfectly controllable drift. This is all amazingly good fun for what is essentially a simple four-door saloon. Now, I know that most drivers do not broach the limits of grip that often on a public road (it is not always appropriate), but it is comforting to know that cars such as the BMW 3-series are more than capable of coping with it if they do. The ride is understandably on the firm side, but never uncomfortable. At speed, this means incredible stability, even in high cross winds.

I assume that the handling comments made so far will apply to most of the 3-series range, though of course there will be detail differences due to different weight distribution and spring and damper rates. The 330d however has an ace up its sleeve - its engine. The straight-six 3.0-litre diesel lump is fed air by a turbocharger and fuel by one of the latest high-pressure common rail injection systems on the market. How does 204 bhp sound to you? Not bad, is it? That figure is completely eclipsed by the peak torque number - 410 Nm. That is no typo. The 330d has more torque than an M3, and it certainly feels that way. Acceleration from a standing start is impressive enough, but in-gear acceleration blows many so-called sports cars away completely. Over 70 mph, the rate at which the 330d acquires speed is just plain silly. I have no doubt that it will hit the claimed top speed of 150 mph. Of course, there are other saloons that will come close to this performance, but I can not think of one that manages to return such high fuel economy figures at the same time. During my week with the car the average fuel economy did not drop below 37 mpg (BMW claim 36.7 mpg for the combined cycle), despite a lot of 'spirited' driving and constant use of the excellent air conditioning.

Incredibly, the 330d engine manages to be refined at all times (though it still sounds like a tractor from the outside when at idle), and even sounds good when being revved. The five-cylinder diesel in Alfa Romeo's 156 sounds more sporty, but sacrifices refinement. At high motorway speeds, the 3-series diesel is inaudible. Wind and road noise are well suppressed too.

I am a changed man. If you are a BMW owner and you have read this far then you can smugly smile in the knowledge that you are driving one of the best all-round cars on the road. If you aspire to owning a BMW, your desires are not entirely illogical (though I would recommend you test other cars as well). There are only two reasons why I personally would shy away from buying a 330d: the price (I don't need four seats so why would I spend the price of an Elise on a 3-series?) and the badge. Call it inverted snobbery if you will, but I don't want to be labelled as 'just another' BMW owner. However, I now have a sort of respect (and maybe some jealousy) for the drivers of the 330d. I can only congratulate them on their choice. If you are in the market, I'm sure you won't be put off by my opinions.