Styling (though a bit conservative), smooth auto transmission, good dealer service, fun to drive for an automatic--steptronic shifter mode is convenient for passing and downshifting makes it much quicker.

Price, cheap stock stereo, cruise control armrest or fog lights are not standard features on 2000 model, hard seats, small trunk, a bit underpowered. No auto trunk release from inside car.

Pricey, but very smooth car. Great body integrity. It's become an ubiquitious vehicle. I bought it used when it was 2 years old with only 12,000 miles. It was a base model except for the the auto steptronic, moonroof and single CD player. This car is a little underpowered and way to expensive new. Thought it's been replaced by the slightly more powerful 325i, I would never buy it knew. There's too many for sale of the used market and you can get it with low miles 1 or 2 years old for $5-10k less. I don't think I negotiated a good price. I should have paid 23 or maybe $24k. The car has an ultra-smooth auto transmission. It's so solid, it feels like a tank. I'm not sure I really need the sprt suspension, but I wish I had the sport seats, they're way more comfortable. The only problems I had with the car is a door speaker whose molding boke and it fell through the whole, wasted brake pads at 15k miles, one headlight bulb went out, and a broken, offtrack backseat power window, all replaced under warranty. Anyway, having driven it for a year and a half, I just sold it to CarMax for $18,500 with 39,700 miles and bought a completely loaded '97 Saab Convertible 2.0 Turbo stick with 54,000 for $8,500. Though I don't think a Saab as in quite the same league as the BMW, I couldn't justify the cost. I saved $10,000, only added 14,000 miles and got a slightly more powerful car and a convertible to boot.

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2000 Mazda Millenia S (a better deal, but not as fun to drive) 1999 and 2000 Maxima 1997 Saab 900 SE Turbo Convertible

Great handling, comfortable- like being in a cockpit. Better torque at 55mph and up than at lower speeds. Excellent body style, keeps the same classic design as previous model years. I enjoyed dumb things like the light settings- at night you could opt for only the floor lights to come on, not the overhead- being a female and working nights in the downtown area-- that feature was comforting.

The dashboard contained A LOT of buttons which, surprisingly, were easy to figure out quickly as well as use. You will feel every bump, crack, pothole in the road as well as hear it. The HK stereo helps but had to replace the speakers the first year I owned- the car was only 3 years old.

Purchased as a certified pre-owned but was like new- impeccable, not a scratch on it, low miles and came with warranty. Was what I always wanted...

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Honda Civic BMW 330

*Resale Value *Handling *Acceleration *Styling *Unexpected Prestige

Moonroof control sometimes does not engage at first touch.

I sold my '03 Maxima to purchase my '00 328i and I feel like I have made a wise decision! I waited until I could find a Silver w/Black interior 5sp with Performance/Sport package. WOW!! If you are in the market, don't settle for less if you can help it. My 3 only had 26K miles and is pushing 4yrs old. This car is an absolute gem! It makes you want to take special care of it, However when you get on a winding road or in the middle of nowhere it brings out the Kid in you. These cars are built with precision and although the performance tops the scale the gas mileage is Incredible. I like to put the pedal to the floor by nature and I have not had less than 345 miles on a 16 gallon tank in the city at that! I am a huge Honda fan but although their cars last forever, they simply could not touch my 328! I have had many cars in my life but I think that my next will have to be an M3 as anything else just wouldn't do.

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Accord EX, Prelude S, Civic si, Maxima SE, BMW 323i

Strong, well built engine. Corners well. Excellent acceleration. Decent stereo.

Had to replace water pump 3 times thanks to LA traffic? Dealer covered costs. Dealer treatment ok in So Cal. Expensive to maintain. Tires/wheels make a lot of noise and don't wear evenly for some reason. (Maybe due to the bent rim the dealer forgot to replace). Don't look foward to repair costs facing me. Brakes stop on a dime and cost you lots of dimes to repair. Drums wear out almost as fast as the brake pads. Barely passed recent smog inspection, probably replace catalytic converter in 2 yrs. $$$! Electrical not good. Lights on dash and radio gone out. Gas gauge sometimes freaks out. Stop light switch on brake had to be replaced. Brake lights frequently short out.

Car is fast and fun to drive. I have the auto tranny. Bought on pre-owned program in 1999. Dealer put a bent rim in trunk and I found it a week later. He replaced it, but so much for the 100-point inspection! I wanted to buy Japanese, but could not find one that had similar handling and performance. BMW builds well performing cars. I got the sport package, leather and upgraded sound with CD changer. I like the big sun roof.

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Acura Integra Honda Accord Toyota Camry

-overall quality -sport seats -handling -sweet engine, pulls at all rpm's -heated seats - three settings, back and bottom -responsive throttle and steptronic -one-touch open/close windows and sunroof -lighted steering wheel controls -I could go on and on...

-Dealer only so-so -A/C only average -steering lacks connectedness in 2001 -Recurring intermittent problem when a combination of warning lights come on - resulting in reduced power - dealer didn't fix -Sport tires are treacherous in snow - I know not made for that - need snows - not really a weakness -universal garage door opener not available -pricy...you get what you pay for...not for everyone -ummm...

Preminum & Sport packages I've been reading different reviews for a long time and as an insatiable car nut I finally "stretched it" and purchased the 330ci exactly two years ago. Wow! Although it is not perfect, I thoroughly enjoy everytime I drive this car. About six weeks agoI was in the northwest Illinois area near Galena and found a great back road of twisties. A beautiful sunny day, sunroof and windows open, no one else on the road, pushing the car harder and harder - I was in heaven...unbelievable. I never get tired of this car. Since I purchased this car I've driven several others again...G35, A4, S4, A6 2.7T, LS8, etc...All are great cars offering some advantages, but they lack the connection I feel when I drive mine. I might have to break my streak of a new car every 2-3 years, searching for something more satisfying, because I would hate to give this one up (unless it was for an M3, 540, M5)...I'm dreaming...

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Maxima SE, Probe GT, Seveill STS, Eclipse GS-T, many others

Perfomance, Handling, Style, Looks, Acceleration, Joy of Driving, Design of the Seats, the car will never allow you to get bored of it.

Pricy, and maintenance cost. Reliability is within my range of tolerance, but it does hit your pocket when it goes over 100K mileage (Lexus would beat BMW on this one)

I bought my car when it was 6 yrs old. I bought it in Ottawa, the price is in Canadian dollar. It is now almost 12 yrs old. For those shopping for a used BMW, I have an advice: watch out!! and make sure you set aside about 1500 dollars a year for maintenance. But to be fair, I have become addicted to my car. I just love it. To date, I have not sat or driven any other brand of car that has given me the driving pleasure that my BMW has given me. I commute 45 mins every day each way to my work. And I love it!! I have the manual 325, and my wife and I can not imagine driving anything other than BMW, that's why today, I went and bought a brand new 2003 325i. So, in short, if your pocket allows, and you really love driving, this is the car for you. I test drove all kinds of cars in the past few months, and none of them came close to BMW, manual version. The handling, acceleration, the sound, the seat, the angle, everything is perfect in that car. Not the most reliable car out there, but correctly called "The Ultimate Driving Machine" by its manufacturer. And it indeed has been the ultimate. And I have been driving the used and now 12 year old version of it!!

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Lexus SC400, Infiniti G35

fun to drive; incredibly solid feeling, even after 123000 miles; for me, its a strength for it not to be new, a new BMW doesnt fit my style as much at this stage in my life, i dont want to seem like a snob, and i want my friends to be jealous because its just such a classy car, not because its from a haughty taughty manufacturer; its european, so its automatically cooler than any american peices of crap; its worthy of attention, so it gets it

its worthy of attention, so i feel obligated to give it (my taurus was SO low maintanence, as far as the exterior, simply because it couldnt look any worse dirty than clean, it was just SO UGLY) some of the switches are going out, door panels a LITTLE loose, what so you expect in a 10 year old car? it could be much worse; lots of wind noise, probably due to its boxy shape, and perhaps the window seals, as the windows dont have a frame built into the door. does that make sense?

This review may not be entirely valid, as i just aquired the car yesterday. I am a young driver, almost 18, but i have been a car enthuisiast since long before i could drive. BMW's have long been my favorite cars, particularly M3's. I never thought i'd own one until much much later in life, so it is very exciting to have found one that i can afford. it seems to be in GREAT condition, from the looks of it youd NEVER think it was 10 years old. In my opinion, no cars age more gracefully than BMW's, and i believe that BMW knows this, as they havent changed their basic style much, ever. Still rather boxy (except for the new z's and what not), still the two round lights on either side (i find it very interesting that cars still emulate the four round headlight design from old german cars). this is only my second car, my first being a green (ugh) ford (ugh) taurus (UGH). at least it was an SHO. it was indeed faster than this 4 cyl, but nowhere NEAR as fun to drive. everyone is right, this truely is the ultimate driving machine. I do believe that when this one craps out (PLEASE last me through college!) i shall be attempting to get another BMW. perhaps an M3 this time. *drool*. until then, i may put clear driving lights and turn signals on it, to make it even nicer looking. it is exactly what you think of when you think BMW: boxy, 2 door, black, tan leather, lots of spokes alloy wheels. classic. i may never like owning a car more for the rest of my life. i love it. (keep in mind, my stars are for a 4250 dollar car, not a 35000 dollar one, and ive only owned it 1 day

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1995 ford taurus SHO (will NEVER buy american again! i hated them before this car, and even after one day of driving it my hatred grows ever stronger. maybe if people will stop buying american junk ju

ROAD STABILITY, CRAFTSMANSHIP,SERVICE,LOOK,CINTROL PANNEL

PRICE FOR ALL THE EXTRAS...SUCH AS PAINT COLOR, WINDOWS, ETC....IT IS JUST A WAY FOR THEM TO UP THE COST...EVERYBODY WANTS PWR EVERYTHING, IN A HIGH CLASS CAR...BUT YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR...REMEMBER YOU ARE GETING AN ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE, NOT A KIA!

THE CAR IS A DREAM...I MOVED UP FROM A 98 318I..THERE IS NO COMPARING THE TWO. THE CAR HANDELS LIKE A DREAM..IT IS FAST, AND TURNS A LIKE THE CAR IS GLUED TO THE ROAD. I ADDED THE PREMIUM PACKAGE, SPORTS PACKAGE, WINTER PACKAGE, ,AND THE SELF LEVELING LIGHTS.....EVERY PENNY SPENT WAS WELL WORTH IT. IF YOU WANT TO BE THE ENVY OF YOUR FRIENDS, AND SHOW YOUR WILD SIDE THE 3 SERIOUS WILL GIVE YOU ALL THAT AND MORE!

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N/A

1) Acceleration is more than decent. 2) I like the quality of the exterior finish.

1) Understeering: BMW 3-series is not a Ferrari. Don't expect sports car handling. 2) The electrical system has caused problems. 3) Noises here and there.

I bought one of the first E46's built (Oct 98) and have been quite happy with it. Much better than a Mercedes C series ; BMW 3-series is more of a driver's car.

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Mercedes C 180 (1998) Mercedes C 200 Kompressor (2003)

Front end looks, acceleration, extras included in price, many others

I find the front look on this model very attracting as a more of a Sports car. The change from the 2003 was the headlights and the front grill being more of a low town look, not needing any additional sports package. the comfortability is super with just the basic but I have the sports and premium package which is a must to get the basic necessitys. I looked into other SUVs and cars that you had to pay extra for, but in the BMW it was all included in the price. With all the extras that you could do to the car, it totalled only about 2000 dollars extra, that couldnt be done unless you special ordered it. So overall the riding and the comfortability and the looks are A+ to 2003.