Superior responsive steering, acceleration, and braking. Attention to detail is remarkable (interior lighting, visor lighting, functional headrest, 12-way power seats (thigh support for long trips), velcro bottoms on floor mats so they don't move, I could go on for a while) STYLING- I love the short hood with the grille integrated so a horizontal line doesn't go all the way across the front of the car. Gear ratios are excellent in the 5-speed. Access to back seat is easy. Free maintenance for 4yrs/50k miles.

Dealerships don't stock many cars without several options. I had to order mine to get ONLY the things I wanted without having to pay extra for the things I didn't want. They don't haggle on price much. I don't think the leather seats, upgraded stereo, xenon lights, or metallic paint are necessary items that will cost extra. If you can do without some features you can get one at a reasonable price. Nobody has been able to tell the leatherette from real leather.

I never thought of BMW's as a good bang for the buck kind of car but I am changing my mind. This car looks great and has surpassed all my expectations. I looked at cars in this price range ($31k +/- $3k) for about a year before deciding. The Acura CL has a poor weight ratio (62/38) so the steering feel wasn't as good. The Benz C-class is good if you are concerned more about your passengers than yourself. It's also not as performance oriented for the driver. The Lexus IS300 wasn't really in the running after I saw the styling (my opinion). The Infiniti G35 was great except that the coupe has less room in the rear than the BMW. I use the back on a regular basis (small kids). Lastly, the Audi A4 was a very close second choice because it has a good blend of performance, luxury, and build quality. I also noticed that the 3-series' wheel base is deceptively long which makes for a comfortable highway ride. All in all, I plan to keep this coupe until I give it to my daughter for high school which will be in 14 years. Believe me, this car will last. I would recommend this car to people that actually enjoy driving. This car will make you a better driver than you knew you could be. However, I think if you really enjoy "bells and whistles" you'd do better with the Benz C-Class, Acura TL or CL, or the Audi A4.

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VW Jetta, Honda Passport, Daewoo Leganza All vehicles I've used have been good. In my experience, you tend to get what you pay for. The bimmer is extremely nice!!

Engine power, past 2nd gear, you can fly. Interior is very nice, neat. Style, and quality. My ride had a m3 body kit. Sweet bright orange lights on the insides. Acceleration, handling, braking. Stereo is good.

I can't find a thing to say, though its not for the shook ones, its meant to shake. Just look to get shook.

This car flies, and is luxurious at the same time.

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1991 Acura Integra GS 1993, 92 Toyota Corolla 1993 Lexus EX300

Vault solid construction Turbine smooth engine and auto-trans Balanced ride/handling (oooh the handling) Great seats & ergonomics High quality everywhere Visual appeal

I miss my family sometimes when I go for a drive, but I get over it.

A balanced sports sedan with an F1 pulse that just dares you to push harder. Its in the character of this car, it just teases you to have fun. I'm a former Mercedes gentleman who has become a BMW pilot. I think a car is mostly artwork....its exterior design, its mechanical engineering, its ability to capture attention at rest or at best speed. These things generate auto beauty. This car is Rembrandt, Led Zeppelin and Gurney. Please, do not pass up a drive in one of these.

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Mercedes Benz E420 Lexus IS300

Made to swiss watch precision; Feels like a solid tank that is built to last; The most fun you can have with your trouser on; The turbine like power from 2.5lt straight six; The steptronic auto gearbox about the best you will see on passenger cars; Leather sports seats and optional leather steering wheel is just like your designer leather lounge suit; The smooth and effortless power from the engine is a sheer delight; Worth every penny if you appreciate quality, smoothness, realibility, style and a car built to give you maximum pleasure for day to day or coast to coast driving.

Steering slightly to centre-left of the driver's seat; Standard stereo designed for classical and jazz music lovers; Expensive compared to others but then again when was best thing in life was free (please ask Janet Jackson)

This car in Australia cost approx. $US42,000 which is quite expensive when compared to what you guys have to fork out. It is fully optioned with sun-roof, auto, metallic colour, leather, sports seats, sports steering wheels, alarm, top of the range 17" wheels with 225/50 ZR TYRES etc. I have driven latest C-class 2.6lt Merc/Lexus 300 and there was no comparison. BMW just excelled in every department. The car is shaped and built like a sports sedan that has Dr Hyde/Mr Jackle characteristics. This car is an example to all manufaturers in that world what persuit for excellence means.

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Merc C-Class 2.6 Toyota Lexus 300

Engine power, handling, handling, handling, ride comfort, elegant , mature, and a timeless look inside and out, safty features, free maintenance

lack of front armrest as a stand along option,

I believe it would be completely unnecessary for me to repeat how wonderful this car drives. It is indeed a driver’s car. I have a 325i with the automatic, and it is fast, 0-60 in 8 sec. The automatic shifts smoothly and matches very well with the engine. According to various testing, with the stick shift, it can do it about a sec faster, and I don’t believe I can shift that fast anyway. In addition, it emits a sporty exhaust tone as it flies off the line. You can feel the engine, and the road , but just enough such that you fell connected to the car and to the driving experience. The ride is firm but still very comfortable. What amazes me is how well the car handles. I was once driving at 45 m/h during a test drive on a road full of pebbles, and have decided to make a U-turn. The car just turned beautifully without any skidding and understeering. This is absolutely remarkable. The ABS was activated because I felt a little pulsation from the brakes and it was very smooth and not intrusive at all. I am pretty sure that the stability control system was on too to keep the car on track. I applaud BMW to include all of these important safety features, ABS, stability control, 6 air bags as standard equipment. By contrast, the stability control of Lexus IS300 is “optional” and impossible to find. For those who live in an area that snows and rains, it seems foolish to buy a car of this class that is rear-wheel drive without stability control (a $350 option). The BMW is expansive to buy, but only if you allow the dealer to sell you the car that he WANTS to sell. I remind you that the basic price of a 325i is just a little over 27K and it has all the essentials to make it a fun and safe car to drive. 330i is faster but do you really need that extra power and pay nearly 5K more? Basic 325i are hard to find but if you try you will find it. Most dealers have these cars but they don’t show them unless you insist. I paid only 28K for my brand new BMW. The most common option package is the so-called premium package for about $2,800. The package contains the wood trim that I hate because I think it takes away the sporty characters of the car, and the basic titanium is modern and sporty. It also has the 8-way power seat is completely useless for me since I am the only driver—how often do I need to change seat position? I don’t own this car long enough to know how expen

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Lexus IS300, Infinity G35

STRONG, like a bloody German tank! Handling is EXCELLENT and you feel so powerful driving one. Engine is very well built, and will last a lot of miles, but be careful, since these models are antiques now! Car can withstand a LOT of abuse! Very comfortable seats, and lovely driving environment

Sluggish pickup due to all that weight! Get a manual tranny! Very expensive to fix and maintain Electrical system is not up to scratch, and the air conditioner can act up

I bought this car in 1999. My BMW 3 series was a truly excellent car to drive. It was a tad sluggish, due to its weight, but they are built like tanks! and that handling....SWEET. HOWEVER, they are bloody expensive to maintain, and when they finally go south, it's time to get another car. This happened after I hit about 168,000 miles and I decided to rev the engine just for fun. The timing belt slipped off, and destroyed the engine. According to my mechanic, the spark plug got burnt. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you check this car thoroughly by a good mechanic before you buy this wonderful car. They last for ever, but their low prices will be offset by their high maintenance bills! Also, I highly recommend you get a 5 speed. My automatic was S L O W!

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1984 Toyota Camry (Great reliable econobox, until head gasket blew at 98000 miles!) 1982 Jeep CJ 7 (Great fun, but broke down too many times!)

Driveability, smooth engine

Squeaks, rattles, electrical problems, lack of features for the money.

Just another follow-up on the two previous reviews I did on my 325i... I just sold my BMW 325i with a total of 28,000 miles on it after 14 months of use, and bought a new 2003 Infiniti G35. I was driving the car a lot for work, and as you can tell, it shows. During the last 13,000 (of the 28,000 miles), the car was serviced a total of six times. This was quite a deviation from the resounding review from my last review. Three times was for a rattling driver's window, once for the CD player display that went out, once for the standard service, and once for damage to my car done at the dealership. While I enjoyed the driving capability of the car, I would not recommend buying a BMW unless you can look past the minor annoyances like squeaks, rattles, and the occasional electrical problems. If by chance you own a 3-series and do have a rattling driver's window, tell the Service Advisor to look at Technical Service Bulletin 510200 and have the window regulator replaced.

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2003 Infiniti G35 Mercedes Benz C240

-Tremendous handling. -Great looks -Interior quality -Acceleration and ability to maintain speed -Fuel Economy

-Expensive -Soft rims have tendency to bend

The perfect driver's car if you don't use your back seat all that often. When driven properly, this car feels more like an airplane than a car. -This car does NOT compromise handling and performance for space and comfort; Another words, if you want a Mercedes do NOT buy this car. You will NOT be happy. If you enjoy driving you will cherish this car.

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Mazda Miata Land Rover Discovery

Great handling. Fun to drive. Nice interior.

Ultra poor reliability, in ways that can't be fixed. Things start to sqeak and rattle after 20K miles. The dealer had to apply teflon tape around all the doors as a make shift remedy. Very high engine and road noise - to give that sporty feeling. The WORST sound system you could possibly imagine. We had premature failures and/or intermittant problems with: cruise control, brake lights, interior lights, O2 sensor, radiator, computer, CD changer (2 of them), display on radio, electric windows, heated seats, and more that I can't remember. The N.A. rep didn't care at all.

Mechanically perhaps a work of art; electrically a heap of JUNK. We owned a 325 for seven years and had nothing but electrical problems. Worse, everything was intermittant and couldn't be fixed. We fought the problems the best we could while we had a warranty, but got worn out from so many trips and poorly trained mechanics. I say mechanics, not technicians, because they could not handle the electrical failures. We would have gotten rid of it after a year, but couldn't afford to at the time, and after it was paid off, we hung onto it and put up with it. Yes, I'm writing this review for a 1993 car, but it hasn't changed since - read some of the recent reviews for the 5-series. I don't know if our car was a lemon either. We met others that lived at the dealership. We did try to use the lemon law, but failed. You need a hire a lawyer to get you thru it. I'm sure you can tell I'm out to get BMW.

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A $10K Mazda 323 that made it thru 120K miles with only one non-maintenence failure - the oil pressure switch. Explain that to me, BMW.

Looks Acceleration & Handling Fit and Finish of everything Sound System

None so far except Price

Very nice car. I love the acceleration and handling, which is what I bought a BMW for. This car is FAST, probably because I''ve been driving a Saturn. Have yet to test the AWD in the rain or snow, but I haven''t read any negative reviews on that. Love the low growl of the engine, sounds a little like a muscle car. I''m glad I bought the 2002 model since the steering is stiff, which they fixed from the previous year. I ordered the Electric Red, Premium Package w/ Gray Leather, and Auto. Exterior rocks, especially the color, which will turn heads. Too many people have Silver or Black. Interior quality is top notch, fit and finish is perfect. Mine came with the Harmon/Kardon sound system with 12 speakers and it sounds sweet. Sounds better than my aftermarket system in my old Saturn. The leather seats are firm and very comfortable. I''ve only had it for a few days so I can''t give a long term review, but if this car won''t give me problems then I will definitely keep it for a long long time. The only drawback is that it is expensive, but worth the money.