BMW 320 M Sport Business Edition auto Petrol

Disappointing, I should have paid more and got the 320D

We were very pleased with our 335i SE Convertible, but only bought it because the 135 M Sport Coupe didn't come in an auto when launched. So maybe our hopes were too high when we chopped in our 135 for a 2500 mile 6 months old 320i Auto.
I have to say the recent styling tweaks made the 320 even more attractive, but there were a number of surprises.
1: Unlike the cabrio you can't fold down the rear seats - how odd.
2: The saloon has horrid plastic doorpockets not the carpet lined versions in the cabrio.
3: The sound system won't allow an easy interface with an i.phone, instead we were advised to load up a memory stick & put into a slot in the glove box (I have, and can't get it to work).
4. Here's the real problem though, we used to get an average between 27-34mpg on the 300bhp auto 335, and 26-32mpg on the 300bhp 135. We get a dreadful 28.5mpg on the 170 bhp 320 auto, which is hopeless, we can't get anywhere near the 41 mpg BMW claim.
5. Ventilation seems poor.
6. Unlike previous cars the 320i doesn't seem to know when to select a high gear. In frustration I frequently have to overide the box & take into 5th or 6th as the engine seems to be revving for no apparent reason.
Do I sound disappointed?
Put it this way, we haven't got the performance or the economy. The end result, I have given up on this car & now my wife uses it & I have just decided to stick with my vastly underrated Cadillac BLS instead.
I regularly beat the manufacturers claims for mpg on the Cadillac, and the engine in the BLS is far more responsive than allegedly superior Germans.
By all means get a 3 series (the dealers are so much more courteous than any other marque), just don't get a 320 petrol auto!

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