Hi Ben, I have an October 2014 35i manual.
In my nearly 2 years of ownership it's been fault free.
Gear changing is silky smooth, but with just over 300 bhp on tap you need to be sweet on your clutch/throttle/rev/change co-ordination or it'll not feel right. You'll drive it of course, but it may be a few trips down the line before you drive it well.
I'm still amazed at how frugal it can be if you choose to drive smoothly. A recent week away (just over 1000 miles) saw 31.7mpg overall, but if you start hoofing it all over the place (as you will at times, because it's intoxicating) you could be down to 27 / 28. But for me, even with a bit of turbo buffoonery thrown in at times the average is 30ish. I have to say it's not my daily driver so I can't help with a real world "Urban" cycle - but I'd imagine you could influence that with your driving style.
Make a written list of EVERY feature on the car and take it with you. Try all of them out several times and don't feel rushed in doing so. Does the roof and the raising of the 4 side windows work smoothly each time? Does everything re-seat itself in the same place each cycle? Physically tick the items off as you go.
You haven't mentioned how many miles the car has done but if you have a doubt about the gearbox spend time going through every gear, both on the power and off. Be nice about it and not abusive, but be thorough. Listen for noises, check for backlash in the drive train. There has to be some (the car wouldn't move otherwise) but if it seems excessive or clunky then it's time to raise a question mark. But unless it's something obvious don't get paranoid about it.
Get the car on an empty car park and drive it slowly in a figure of 8 - trying full lock each time. Listen and feel for untoward noises and clunks from the steering, ball joint area etc.
Look for panel alignment, gaps, flushes and general fit - especially the plastic formed parts. Don't have a general appraisal - scrutinise each individual panel in it's own right. Get down so that your eye is level with or just below the car's waistline and look down the length of it for bodywork ripples etc. Do this standing up and you'll likely miss any misalignment. The worst you should see is maybe a bit of "orange peel" in the paint.
Look for evidence of water leaks. Sounds silly I know but smell the carpets
especially in the boot area and battery well. Check the lights and lenses for water ingress and cracks.
Run your fingertips around the wheel rims and feel for damage / poor repairs. Your fingers will tell you what your eyes will miss.
Be thorough - if this is your final appraisal before you buy then take your time. If you're through in less than an hour you may have been a bit quick. Oh yes - go through all of the paperwork and history.
This is getting a bit long winded - I'll leave it to others to chip in and do the engine bit.
Good luck with it, sounds like you may finish up with a pretty rare car.
Bob
