My first car was an elderly Rover Mini. But with an offer too good to refuse and a few years' driving now under my belt, its successor has proven... quite different.
In my mind, and my mind only, an Alpina D3 Touring is a very sensible replacement: it is diesel, and therefore economical (I’m seeing 50mpg); it is practical (the dogs are enjoying slobbering on the Oxydbraun leather rear headrests); and it is (hopefully) depreciation-proof.
In other people’s minds – ie my father’s – it is not so sensible.
After all, it’s a 17-year-old BMW – don’t call it that in front of me – with 168,000 miles (quickly rising) and the dreaded ‘5+’ owners.
Plus, I’ve got the comfort of knowing that it has some rare and expensively unique parts on it that will surely be rather less than easy to source, should they need replacing.
A rational purchase? Maybe not, but then the alternatives on my shopping list were hardly Priuses. (Reader, they were all Alfa Romeos.)
I've ended up with a seriously cool manual Alpina wagon, from arguably the peak era of BMW, for not too much cash (£7500, if you must know) – and I couldn’t be happier.
Sure enough, I’ve got some big things planned for this car, and it’s inevitably got some big bills planned for me.
19 February 2025: Alpina goes Alpine
There’s nothing faster than a diesel for travelling long distances, and the D3 proved that last week.
Over an almost 1500-mile round trip to La Toussuire in the French Alps, it averaged 44mpg (with an average speed nudging 80mph). That meant that we only had to fill up twice, and we still got home with leftovers in the tank.
If you’re the kind to do long journeys in one hit, there’s no substitute for it, and it makes me wonder how much longer it would take in an electric car.
It’s obviously feasible: on the French autoroutes, you will see plenty of British Teslas off on their ski trips, but how much longer did it take them than it took me? And before they had their electric car, did they do the journey in one hit, or have they always ambled down?
Beyond the economy and prodigious high-speed cruising ability, the D3 impressed the other three passengers with its low road noise and crisp sound system. It’s hard to think of a car I’d rather do the trip in.
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