Drives like a dream. Handles like a dream. Need I say more?

As an added incentive to buy one now, BMW has discounted their Premium Package & Sport Package on post-March 1st production vehicles. The discount is $800 on the Premium Package. They also come with foglamps standard now. See www.kbb.com for a comparison of the new car prices.

Lacks:
-Rear seat cupholders
-Storage spaces
-Had a squeak in the rear left door, but it got fixed.

My experience with this car has been great. In my first two weeks of ownership, I've driven this car 1200 miles. I can't wait to drive it again. The BMW trademark handling, fit & finish, and features for the money make this car an incredible value.

As an experienced car salesperson, I did a lot of research on the car and the local surrounding car dealerships. I bought my car at Irvine BMW in Orange County from Mark Cullinane, the best sales consultant I could have asked for. Irvine BMW gave more for my trade-in, gave me a bigger discount than the San Diego County dealers, and followed through on all their promises. For any So Cal people out there, it's worth the drive to go to Irvine.

I would recommend buying at the bare minimum the following:
-Premium Package
-Leather Interior
-In-dash CD Player
-Metallic Paint (especially their silver, gray, or two shades of blue)
-(& the Steptronic Automatic for those of us in stop & go So Cal freeway traffic)

BMW has a 3 yr/36,000 mi free scheduled maintenance program on all its new cars. Additionally they provide a free 4yr/50,000 mi bumper-to-bumper warranty, which of all things, includes the replacement of windshield wipers if needed. The cost of the car to insure did NOT go up dramatically; my cost only went up by $240 per year over my 1998 Honda Accord 4-dr.

So if you're looking for the Ultimate Driving Machine, you've found it. And if you buy the Premium Package and get the free foglamps, you'll save $1000+ over the pre-March 1st prouduction cars.

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2001 Mercedes C240, C320; Lexus IS300, ES300; Infiniti I30t

The Mercedes is a very nice vehicles. If you like gadgets, the car has a power rear window sunshade and dual climate control standard. However, you are giving up full power seat adjustors (on the C240) and some engine power (168 hp). The C320 is too pricey and largely unavailable. Dealers are only willing to discount the cars by $500 off the MSRP.

The Lexus IS300 has some cheaper qualities to it--like the ecsaine/leather combination interior. It does have a 215hp engine, but I decided not to buy it because the BMW is the same price and has more and better features.
The Lexus ES300 has too much of a Toyota Camry feel to it especially when you compare the dashboards on the two. Ever notice that they are the same? The ES300 also lacks rearseat headroom because of the moonroof. The ceiling is way too low for me and my friends.

The Infiniti I30t is a beautiful car with outstanding build quality. If you're looking for the ultimate freeway cruiser with lots of interior space, you've found your car. Unfortunately, it's also a souped-up Nissan Maxima right down to the windows which are stamped Nissan.

Refinement is top-notch, cabin build quality is excellent. Engine spins all the way to it's redline without stress, as if the red-line was placed on the rev-counter just for the sake of having one. Ride & handling is beyond reproach - compared the 325i to the Volvo S60 and Mercedes C240 (both of which are in a similar price bracket here in Malaysia) - neither one could match the 325i in this department. The 325 was always the more composed, and better insulated the occupants from road imperfections.

Cabin styling starting to look dated, especially when compared to Mercedes' C-class cars. Rear legroom slightly cramped. Steptronic gearbox constantly second-guesses the driver, up-shifting when the accelerator is floored despite being in the "manual" steptronic mode.

Wonderful drivetrain refinement. There's nothing in the world that can compare to the sound of BMW's straight-six engines - refined when cruising, turning into a full hard-edged mechanical wail when pressed. Well built interior, with smooth controls and a driving position that's spot-on for enthusiastic driving.

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Compared to the Audi A4 2.4 V6, which i previously owned, the 325i wins on performance, handling and refinement, but loses out to the Audi for cabin design and interior space. And not to mention the price - my Audi, fully loaded with options, was substantially cheaper than the BMW.

The car is really quick, you will get stuck to the seat. Really confortable and appealing interior. It rides smooth and is very quiet inside. Gets many looks and girlies.

Cant drive it enough. If something breaks it cost a bit to fix.

Best car I have ever owned! Great looks, power, styling, value, and overall a solid car. Will never buy anything but BMW for the rest of my life. Car is easy to upgrade, i have put on a active auto werke stage 3 turbo, Dinan cold air intake, Remus exhaust, Remus Headers, Dinan big bore throtle body, koni/eibach stage 3 race suspension, short shifter, 18 inch millie miglia rims, and a full body kit. PUTS ALL RICE BURNERS TO SHAME:)

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1995 BMW M5- The car was nice but was to big for me.
1998 E55 AMG Mercedes- Nice car but consumes large amounts of fuel

Great style, superior handling and start. Very quiet engine when idled or stopped at a red light. The service department where I purchase my car from is number one. I wish everybody could take their BMW to them for repair.

Confusing controls, limited truck space, over priced for a car in its class. Would rather purchase a VW Passat or a C Class Benz the next time.

For the past 3 years I have enjoyed the 3 series BMW. The performance is excellent, after driving a Ford SUV for 10 years. The comfort of the ride is good and great gas mileage. I have had only had a few problems with my 3 series. They were a turn signal failure, a water leak on the drive side, sunroof top molding fell off after 1 year in service. All problems were fixed on time and my car was ready when I arrived.

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Better pricing on the C Class Benz and much better pricing on the VW Passat. Would not recommend leasing a BMW.

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I was very disappointed with customer service at BMW of Fairfax.
I was decline to test drive 330i, due to the approaching closing time.
Sales people were rude and "very" unfriendly......due to lack of service from BMW of Fairfax,
I ended up purchasing a competing vehicle instead.....(Lexus GS300).

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Smooth engine, good performance, great styling, very solid car, excellent seats.

The wheels look nice, but are impossible to keep clean. The brakes will need to be replaced at around 50K mi and will cost a fortune. Not sure what it's going to cost to have it serviced every 15,000 miles now that the free period is over.

Like the previous reviewer I had a bad experience at Fairfax BMW. Rude, snotty salesman. That's their loss though as I went over to Passport BMW in MD and got great service. I worked out a deal for a car with only the options I wanted and they placed the order to have it built. The wait was 2 months to have it built and shipped over from Germany, but the wait was well worth it. This is the best car by far that I have ever owned. Everything works perfectly and nothing has ever gone wrong with it in over 40K miles. I wouldn't change a thing about it except that the steering wheel is canted slightly to the left. I sat in 323s, 328s, Z3s and all the steering wheels are canted.

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Test drove a Lexus and found it to be nothing but an overpriced Toyota.

Handling, Ride and Power - The 50/50 weight distribution makes this awesome car stick to the roads, no matter how fast you take turns. The ride, even with the sport suspension, is solid, but not too firm. And it feels like there is no end to the power in this car. I love hearing the engine rev!
The 5-speed is silky smooth. BMW brakes are the best. The warranty coverage is very comprehensive. I upped to the 4yr/50,000... it covers the very expensive brakes and rotors, interval maintenance, and windshield wipers!! Thoughtful details... flashlight, tool kit.

Price. BMW will nickel and dime you on the options. But some options are a steal, like xenons for $500 and sport package for $1,000. But leather was $1,450!!
Gas mileage. Poor, even for a stick. Bay Area gas prices are the highest in the US and it needs the premium stuff, so it gets very expensive.

I love this car. Just the feeling behind the wheel is awesome. Everything, from the low-profile tires to the lighting system. I pretty much got everything in it... metallic paint, leather, cd, xenon, sport package, premium package, heated seats and alarm. I had to wait three months for delivery, but it was well worth it. I didn't test drive one cause I knew the wait would kill me, so I just phoned my order in. I've only had the car for about a month and I got a flat tire after 250 miles. Tire was easy to replace, but it cost $200 to replace. I really can't find a fault in this car in the way it drives. I bought this car for it's performance and it hasn't disappointed.

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IS300 - oh, please. It's a modified Toyota. The looks are boy racer. Grow up! And I wanted a coupe with a 5-speed.
Acura CL - I hate loooong cars. Can't park them anywhere here. No stick either.
A4 2.8Q - Changing body styles this year. Not as refined. I want a coupe!
Mercedes C240 - Not sporty enough. I want a coupe.

Handling. Power. Refinement. Safety.

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BMW Killer? Haha. I think you just realized you spent over $30,000 on what's basically a Toyota with an "L" badge. You wish you had the BMW, don't you? Too late now. Hey, the IS300 would be okay, if it cost $18,000. But for 30 grand? I don't think so. You've been ripped off. Should have got the 3 series dude.

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Throttle Response. I've never driven a car that responds so well to the pedal. It's so fast, as my cousin would say about it, "the second you think about switching lanes, it'll do it." I've compared it to the 328 and an older M3 and Mustangs and Corvettes, and am much more pleased with my 330Ci.
Handling:Can't be beaten in its class.
Power:The 328 used to be considered underpowered by some, but the 330 provides plenty of strength in it's Inline 6 cylinder engine.
Seats:I have never been so comfortable driving a car
Beauty:I think it's one of the best looking cars in the world
a delightful surprise was the roomy trunk.

No leg room in the back. It IS pricey and the options hurt it more. Leather should be standard. GPS is 2000! We paid so much for other options, I couldn't get the XENONS. The M-Wheels look and perform great but ARE the hardest wheels to clean and get dirty very very easily. I still haven't found a good wheel cleaner to get into the edges. It always requires a lot of work to clean. It's very difficult to see what's behind you. (I wish I ordered the beeper for when you're in reverse). The stereo disappoints me. I wish I could afford the better sound system with 6 cd changer.

Love it. It's a joy to drive compared to other sports cars like Mustangs, Corvettes, and Eclipses. The handling can't be beaten in it's price range. It sports more power than a Porsche Boxter. Due to the traffic, I ordered the Steptronic. Although I have been dogged on by friends, I am fairly pleased with the results. At first VOB didn't take me seriously because of my age, but the salesman was a gentleman speaking to gentlemen. He threw in the car cover for free and gave me a nice silver key chain as a gift. I've had no problems with the car (except for the accident in which I was side swiped that definitely angered me).

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Ford Mustang Base - This car doesn't even come close
Ford Mustang V8 GT - This car has the power but with out the handling, style, comfort, and engineering of the BMW. Throttle response isn't nearly as good.
Chevy Corvette - Today's corvettes are outdated. Although options are very well priced and have a great value the car's shear power doesn't make up for the handling and fine driving.
Porsche Boxter - My cousin has this and it's the same price. This is a close call...test drive them both and you decide.

Great cornering and road handling abilities, easy and fast automatic top and there's nothing like cruising with the top down and the wind in your hair

a bit pricey

(1998 Model) - If you want an all around fun open air car to drive that fits four, the BMW 328ic is it. It's fast, reliable and the automatic top comes down in about 35 seconds. The only draw back is it is a bit pricey in the $40K plus range.