How’s life with the 325ti Sport Compact then? It’s made it to journal entry number two, something its madcap French forebear didn’t quite manage, so it must be going swimmingly, right? Well, the car has been delightful and frustrating in equal measure, depending on the state of its fickle mood.

Yes, that’s right – its mood. This BMW seems distinctly bipolar. On form, it displays the well-oiled mechanical precision you’d hope for in Munich’s finest. The straight six purrs, the gearshift slides fluidly, the suspension strokes the tarmac like silk and the steering’ s crisp and sharp.

When it gets out of bed on the wrong side, though, it’s like a sulky teenager. The engine barks into life with a stutter of protesting misfire, the clutch thuds home with an angry jolt, the lever snags unwillingly between ratios and the ride draws far too much attention to itself. Every inch of the interior buzzes and shakes with a cacophony of rattles that send an ear-thudding boom resonating through the hollow rear.

Dynamically, it is still happiest on smooth, grippy tarmac: it doesn’t feel entirely at ease on gnarled, lumpy British blacktop, but a little less air in the rear tyres than recommended makes a world of difference: it feels more balanced, planted and secure – especially through long, fast corners – and traction is greatly improved.

It must be said that on greasy winter roads, traction has not been the 325ti’s strongest suit. On slimy roundabouts and pulling away from rural junctions, the back end can make a bid for freedom, but the oversteer seems controllable and there’s always DSC to tidy things up when my modest abilities let me down.

Inevitably, the wintry conditions did catch out the Compact – and, evidently, me – on a couple of occasions. The first mishap, late afternoon in early January happened when, pressing on down a narrow country lane, the nearside front wheel dropped into the mother of all potholes. It was like driving head-on into a kerb at 60mph. The bang was deafening and the shock reverberated through the shell. I expected a flat tyre and a broken wheel at best; bent suspension and huge bill at worst.

Astonishingly, not only was the wheel intact – and, more importantly, still round – but the tyre was still inflated. I hadn’t got away with it entirely, though: there was a bulge the size of a tennis ball on the sidewall, so I gingerly headed to Kwik Fit for a new Conti the next day. I wasn’t really in a position to bargain but still managed to knock the asking price for a 225/45VR17 SportContact 2 from £140 to £100, just by asking. I’ll be shelling out for more rubber pretty soon too, as the SportContacts on the rear are looking distinctly past their best. For the sake of simplicity, I will go for SportCompact 2s to match those up front. I might have considered four new tyres, but now that I’ve paid for this one I’m determined to have my money’s worth from it. I have submitted a claim for compensation to Oxfordshire County Council.

More recently, a thick layer of snow highlighted the drawbacks of rear wheel drive in adverse weather. With six inches of the white stuff outside, I didn’t fancy tackling the hazardous incline at Edgehill, nor the narrow and undoubtedly untreated country roads that are part of my drive to the office, so I decided to work from home. Given a run unmolested by motoring’s less diligent practitioners, I’d have be able to cope, but my experience the following day made me glad I stayed at home. On my way to catch a train, I turned into the car park, which was still carpeted with virgin snow, I committed the fatal error–I stopped. The car wasn’t going anywhere under its own power. I was obliged to set off in search of a shovel to dig my way into a space. I succeeded on both counts and even made it to my train, glad for once that it was running ten minutes late!

Another foible that has struck a couple of times is the clogging of the windscreen washer jets: another winter hazard. On each occasion the problem has been resolved quickly and efficiently by Nick Whale BMW in Warwick, even without an appointment on a Saturday morning. The service from Nick Whale has been one consistently impressive aspect of my ownership of the 325ti – the staff are friendly and helpful and the dealer’s knowledgeable technical manager is always happy to get his hands dirty if something needs looking at. He re-aimed the car’s headlights for me after its accident repair (the replacement one was set a little low) and also reassured me that an oily seep in the engine bay was nothing more than discharge from a breather pipe on the power steering fluid reservoir. It may not sound like much, but it’s the sort of personal service that many other garages would do well to emulate.

This makes me very happy, and I’m sure the Compact feels the same way.

Photographs: Alex at Alex Roache Photography