[mowflow]

I always wished i'd ordered my 125d with the auto box.... that was until I drove an auto. The sport mode holds onto gears far too long for a diesel, the normal mode was a bit too subtle for me and changing manually with the paddles is a horrible detached experience.

I've been a long time supporter of autos suiting diesel engines well but I felt in this instance it actually worked better in the petrols. I feel the opposite way about the VAG DSG set up. It works well in the petrols but is an essential option in their diesel cars in my opinion.

In saying all this, the manual box in the 125d is typically BMW i.e. it's a bit of a notchy horrible thing with a heavy clutch. I just wish they could have made it as smooth as the manual in the M135i. The only times I find myself wishing I had the auto are when i'm stuck in traffic but in those instances I could be driving a 250 GTO and still wish it was auto as clutches and stirring boxes just become a pain when you are stop start.

I agree fully about the brakes. I didn't spec the M performance brakes as i suspected they would be overkill on that car. When you are making progress on a twisty road they soon start to show their limit. I can't say how much better the M brakes would be though. As for the performance. Compared to the 120d there is plenty of difference the same as if you go 118d to 120d. You can rev the 120d as much as you want, it won't ever do 0-60 40-60 60-80 (mph) in the times the 125d does so I don't really understand what your salesman was saying. My only gripe with the 125d is that the engine mapping could in fact be a bit more hooligan. I ran a box on mine for a very short time and it opened my eyes to what the engine could do. I'd be happy to trade a bit of fuel economy as the car is way more economical than I ever expected it to be.