e90 330i sport - WOW
 

Perhaps it was the low expectations (after testing zhps and m3's ad nauseam)...

It is a great car.

Pros:
1. 255hp, it's really there
2. Solid, quiet body structure
3. Good ride (e46 zsp like or better)
4. Good in turns (e46 zhp like). This is the clincher - did not, could not push that hard but I felt little lean and no protest. Grippier chassis.
5. Short travel clutch and smooth shifter (better than stock zhp)
6. Comfy and good seats
7. Xenons and logic7 standard

Cons:
1. Slightly strange steering - not terrible but not as alive as zhp
2. Feels gimmicky at first - like being in a computer (esp. with nav package)
3. Don't love looks though I might warm up with time
4. Guessing but still felt the ghost of cdv

Overall it's clearly a better car than the e46. Those prices I called 'good' yesterday on my other thread, I'll have to rethink. If this car is around 40 new, the 04/05's better take a pay cut. Purely in a financial sense, being out of my e46 lease with little penalty makes even more sense now.

I'm not sure if the zhp or the e90zsp is the better sports car, on say the topgear test track, I might put my money on the e90 although it's slightly less communicative and less go-cart like. The suspension feels better sorted and the power is better. Everyday driving, it is certainly better than zhp or M.

Last night's car is not right one for me. The wood didn't work with black and it didn't have CWP or premium. The nav I don't need as I have a great garmin. However, there are some cool features with the nav... Like seeing your oil/tire and even brake pad information on a display! The chimes are in chords like those of the latest cellphones so yes it's a bit unnecessarily futuristic. Anyway, whether one loves it or not (and there's a lot to love) it is sure killer for e46 values.

I'm even more confused now. Can still go back to zhp for right price but my bids are going to go lower. M? e90? I don't think I have time to do ED though that would be the right way to buy this car.

Interesting. My drive in the E90 330i SP was underwhelming--I didn't think it was any faster than my car (though certainly it has a smoother power curve), I thought the ride was substantially worse over broken pavement, and I didn't think the handling was any better. I also didn't think the body structure felt noticeably stiffer than my car, though I've noticed in general that E46 sedans feel stiffer than E46 coupes.

I went with low/no expectations. Stiffness, that could be a coupe/sedan thing. I had a coupe so that's my baseline. Power, I thought the e90 low-end is better and it doesn't give up anything all the way to redline.

Ride is noticeably better though I know that the zhp is very sensitive to tire choice. The potenza re040's are harsher than the michelins. I'm comparing it to a zhp with potenzas.

Comfort and space are certainly improved. I'm just not in love with the looks of the interior (yet).

The E90 is a bit bigger in most dimensions, though for me the loss of rear headroom was significant--it's the difference between banging my head on the headliner (E90) and not (E46).

Did not notice loss of headroom as I'm coming from the e46 coupe... I'm beginning to notice some fault finding here.

I think the e46 is a great car - I still love it and was close to tears when I dropped mine off on Saturday. I just think the e90 is improved. At this point I don't own either and am cross shopping them so I believe I could be a bit more objective. In fact the last thing I was thinking of when getting out of my lease was to go to an e90.

it's hard to surpass the E46 esp. when power to weight did not significantly increase in the 330 to be noticeable. i like the e90.

I don't. I could live with the exterior, but not with the interior. And from everyone else's review, it is not a revelation compared to my car, so no dice.

i have an aversion to pre-owned cars, esp. BMWs given their high maintenance post-warranty stuff and the V will be turned in right about the 2nd year of the e90 M3 w/ v8.

when i meant e90, i meant the m3 variant.

Ah, well a V8 and an LSD can make up for a lot.:D

My E46 has been so damn good I am pretty confident I can get 6 years/100K miles out of it without ghastly out-of-warranty expenses.

You seem to have two main grumbles.

1) Harshness over broken pavement: fixed by replacing tires
2) Rear seat head room: this one is definitely ridiculous. The car is taller, but has less rear head room. :scratch: Is there a cargo area under the rear seat or something?


I definitely liked the handling, clutch, and shifter feel of the E90 325 SP I drove. I'd have to spend more time in a 330 before making a real decision, but based on my one drive (and good amount of riding while it was being thrashed) I'd seriously consider an E90 330.

Would I pay out the ass to swap cars if I currently had a perfectly functional E46? Nope.