[sierramadre]

I liked it. A lot.

The exterior is understated but very muscular, particularly with the 18" wheels and tires. The fit and finish was classic BMW. High quality with very tight tolerances. However, the doors seemed a little lighter than the previous generation. They closed with the same reasuring bankvault solidness but they lacked the heft of the old doors. The Xenon headlights were stunning and truly looked like jewelry. The Angel Eye treatment is unique and should make the new 3 series highly distinctive going down the road.

The interior, without the IDrive, is very utilitarian and functional, but a little plain for my taste. I prefer the more sophisticated look of the dash with the Navigation system, even though it may be a bit of technology-gone-awry for a 'driver's' car. I loved the combination of the aluminum trim with the black interior. Understated but very rich and its REAL aluminum, not painted plastic like some competitors are offering. Front head room, even with the moonroof, is not an issue. I'm 6'2" and wore a baseball cap and had plenty of clearance.

I believe paint color will make a huge difference on the appearance of this car. Titanium, as usual, looked terrific and highlighted the character lines of the vehicle. The graphite was also very attractive in natural sunlight but aquired a little purplish hue when viewed in indirect light. Not unnatractive, just a little different. In my opinion, basic jet black still works best. It adds a little classic touch to the new generation BMW and I like the way it works with the tasteful chrome accents on the 330i. Also, the 18" wheels looked killer with the black car.

The most dissapointing feature on the car was the lack of wheel choices. To me, they were all fairly forgettable with the exception of the 18" SP wheels on the 330i.

I'm a believer. I ordered my 330i last week.