Our Monaco Blue Metallic 330i four-door arrived at our Hogback Road office on December 20. It stickered at $42,415, including $1600 for the Car and Driver-mandatory Sport package (18-inch wheels, sport suspension, sport seats, and leather sport steering wheel), $1450 for beige leather upholstery, $1000 for the Cold Weather package (seat heaters, headlight washers, and the ski-bag/folding-rear-seat combination), $595 for pay radio (Sirius), and $475 for the metallic paint.

After putting a quick 2135 miles on the 330, we took it to the test track where we measured a 0-to-60 time of 5.6 seconds and a quarter-mile of 14.4 seconds at 98 mph. That's real performance progress, as those figures are quicker even than an E36 M3's. Our 330i's chassis was equally impressive, not giving up in corners until 0.89 g was reached and stopping from 70 mph in the outstandingly short distance of 154 feet. Thanks to the higher-performance tires in the Sport package, the 330i's speed governor was raised from 130 to 148 mph, which our example easily achieved. We'd say this 330i's performance lived up to its sports-sedan rep in every way.

Our impressions from the driver's seat were even more positive. Despite the 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine's 6600-rpm power peak, it produced strong thrust across the rev range, reducing the need to row its smooth and precise gearbox. The steering feel was excellent, and the car responded to inputs eagerly, accurately, and naturally. And the chassis was always eager to be leaned on, delivering its tenacious grip with steady balance and great stability.

None of this surprised us, given the 3-series' legendary sports-sedan status. But what astonished just about everyone who drove the car was its comfort and usability as an everyday driver. "The car absorbs bumps and expansion joints yet never pitches or rolls much," observed former associate technical editor Robin Warner. After a 1300-mile round trip from Ann Arbor to Virginia International Raceway, I noted that the BMW's "uncanny combination of control and compliance takes the fatigue out of driving this car."

Over the years, 3-series sedans have also been excellent examples of packaging efficiency, and this latest version is no exception. "This car proved to be just as comfortable for three adults as it is for two," observed Warner, who also took the car out west for a winter trip and reported that "the folding rear seats made it easy to carry snowboards and equipment in the back."

One unexpected virtue of this latest 330i was its outstanding fuel economy. Our logbook was brimming with comments about the car's highway mileage. Online deputy editor Dave VanderWerp got 33 mpg while averaging more than 80 mph. That's amazing, even allowing for the 330i's optimistic speedometer, which reads 4 mph high at 80 mph.

and VW New Beetle 1.8T , which are considerably smaller and slower. Interestingly, our long-term 1999 BMW 328i -the previous-generation E46-also delivered 25 mpg, but compared with this current E90, it was shy 62 horsepower and almost a full second to 60 mph.

What was not to like? A couple drivers complained that the seats in our $42,415 Bimmer didn't offer any lumbar support. Most of us, however, found the seats to be superbly comfortable. Car wrangler K.C. Colwell raved, "The seats are amazing."

Although we purposely didn't order iDrive on this 330i, many of our other nit-picky complaints centered on automatic features in which the car tries to think for the driver. A couple of us thought the automatic day/night rearview mirror changed modes too slowly. The automatic wipers often chose a speed that wasn't what we wanted. Finally, the dynamic cruise control (unlike adaptive systems) doesn't try to maintain a radar-measured space behind the vehicle in front of the 330i, but it still irritated us by applying the brakes when we'd get more than a couple mph above the set speed, such as down a steep hill. We prefer to do such things for ourselves when we deem them necessary. One nonelectronic complaint involved the tendency of the cup holders to launch empty beverage containers like Polaris missiles.

At least four times, the 330i's air conditioner mysteriously stopped making cold air. Turning off the A/C for about 15 minutes and then switching it back on got it working again, but the problem was too sporadic to attempt a diagnosis.

At about 38,000 miles, the 330i failed to start because the slot for the ignition fob had broken. It was fixed under warranty, although a $204 wheel alignment, motivated by complaints about tramlining, was not. Neither was the replacement of the $284 windshield that broke after a nameless junior staffer accidentally knocked the rearview mirror off and tried to pound it back into position (it was later successfully reattached using less Neanderthal-like techniques, but by then the damage had been done). We also replaced a right-rear Dunlop Winter Sport M3 tire that started leaking air and was missing a big chunk. A new one set us back $319.

All told, these faults were outweighed by the 330i's overall satisfaction. VanderWerp summed it up for all of us: "This is simply the best daily driver on the market-the ideal blend of sport, luxury, practicality, and excitement." And, no, Dave's bank account shows no evidence of any sudden, major, unexplained deposits.

Our maintenance cost for the 330i was zero, owing to the four-year/50,000-mile free-maintenance program standard with the 330i. BMW is the only carmaker to do so, and this benefit pays off, given the $105-an-hour labor rate at our local dealership.

In any case, these services tend to be far between if your miles are on the highway because the BMW employs an algorithm to determine oil-change intervals based on total miles, cold starts, and peak oil temperatures. Our first oil change wasn't required until 19,098 miles, and the second came at 34,740 miles. Oddly enough, the system called for an additional service and inspection at 30,000 miles, although no oil change was required or performed.

We had to make two unscheduled visits to the dealership toward the end of the BMW's time with us. At about 37,000 miles, we noticed a grinding noise from the rear. It turned out that the left-rear wheel bearing had failed. At about the same time, several buttons on the climate-control system had gotten stuck. The dealer replaced the bearing and the control panel under warranty. Unfortunately, while replacing the bearing, the dealer broke a wheel-speed sensor, which required a return visit (not considered an unscheduled stop) a week later.

At least four times, the 330i's air conditioner mysteriously stopped making cold air. Turning off the A/C for about 15 minutes and then switching it back on got it working again, but the problem was too sporadic to attempt a diagnosis.

At about 38,000 miles, the 330i failed to start because the slot for the ignition fob had broken. It was fixed under warranty, although a $204 wheel alignment, motivated by complaints about tramlining, was not. Neither was the replacement of the $284 windshield that broke after a nameless junior staffer accidentally knocked the rearview mirror off and tried to pound it back into position (it was later successfully reattached using less Neanderthal-like techniques, but by then the damage had been done). We also replaced a right-rear Dunlop Winter Sport M3 tire that started leaking air and was missing a big chunk. A new one set us back $319.

All told, these faults were outweighed by the 330i's overall satisfaction. VanderWerp summed it up for all of us: "This is simply the best daily driver on the market-the ideal blend of sport, luxury, practicality, and excitement." And, no, Dave's bank account shows no evidence of any sudden, major, unexplained deposits.

Related Content:
Comparo: 2005 Acura TL v 2005 Audi A4 v 2006 BMW 330i v 2005 Cadillac CTS v 2005 Infiniti G35 v 2006 Lexus IS350 v 2005 Saab 9-3 v 2005 Volvo S60R
Specialty File: Active Autowerke Supercharged BMW 330iA
Road Test: BMW 330i with Performance Package
Comparo: 2002 Audi A4 v 2002 BMW 330i v 2002 Cadillac CTS v 2002 Jaguar X-Type v 2002 Lexus IS300 v 2002 Lincoln LS v 2002 Saab 9-3
Comparo: 2001 BMW 330xi v Subaru WRX v Audi S4
BMW 330i

RANTS AND RAVES

DAVE VANDERWERP
The bolster and thigh adjustments help the BMW's seats strike a perfect balance between support and comfort.

ROBIN WARNER
I especially appreciated the thick steering wheel that communicates to the driver nicely and always feels properly weighted.

TONY SWAN
Plenty of power in sixth gear. The driver doesn't have to touch the shifter in traffic. And here's a car that will reward its owner every day, week, month, and year.

STEVE SPENCE
The overly nerded ignition start is highly irritating. I just can't understand the value of this feature.

K.C. COLWELL
Tranny is smooth like butter. The clutch pickup is right where it should be.

LARRY WEBSTER
I love driving the 330i because it makes me feel like I could use 100 percent of its performance all the time.

BAUBLES AND BOLT-ONS

SHORT-SHIFT KIT: Among the 330i's controls, only the long throws of its six-speed manual gearshift gave some of us pause. Online owners' forums steered us to Rogue Engineering (www.rogueengineering.com), whose short-shift kits are set apart by the addition of a heavier (by about a pound) selector rod-which connects the shifter to the transmission-that the company says is used to offset some of the increased effort that inevitably results from a shorter shift lever. We installed the $295 kit ourselves (step-by-step instructions are provided). It took about an hour, using a hydraulic lift. The Rogue setup provided significantly shorter throws while eliminating any rubbery feel. Effort is increased slightly, and the shifter clicks more positively into gear, at the expense of some of the stock shifter's smoothness. Many staffers thought it felt similar to the shifter on the 2003-05 330i with Performance package-that's a good thing.
-Dave VanderWerp

CELL-PHONE CUP: Yes, we know that making phone calls while driving is distracting. But we all do it to extract some productivity from long highway slogs. One way to minimize the distraction is to program your phone's memory so you aren't trying to drive while balancing an open phone book on your thighs and punching in a 10-digit number. Another is to keep your phone in an easy-to-reach location, so that when it rings, you aren't excavating a jam-packed purse or briefcase at 80 mph. The solution is simply to use a cup holder. A small-size coffee cup will hold a cell phone nicely in a pop-out dash holder such as the one in the 330i. A certain amount of experimentation will reduce the squeaking noises generated by the phone moving around in the cup. We've had good results with cups from Caribou Coffee. Of course, if you're dumb enough to yap while trying to turn left from a side street leading onto a busy six-lane thoroughfare, you need more help than a cell-phone cup.
-CC