2009 BMW 3-Series

My friend has a 2000 328Ci, which is in the shop for maintenance, so she got a 335i Sedan as a loaner. That says a lot about the current sales environment, but it was nice getting the 300HP car as a loaner.

70-100 was way more effortless than it should be, and the car is still very quiet and composed at that speed.

The twin turbo works very well on the highway, with no noticeable turbo lag.

I normally drive stick, but my friend's 328Ci is automatic, and I've gotten used to needing to be gentle with the throttle when taking off from a stop. The new car seems to provide very gentle acceleration off the line when you give it less than 1/3 throttle. When I need a little more speed, and I push the throttle more, I get nothing for a second, then a big rush of speed. If I give it lots of throttle to begin with, I get lots of acceleration immediately, so it's not turbo lag. I have to assume that BMW wanted to moderate the pull off the line, but for me, they've gone too far. It is possible that the Coupe and the Sedan behave differently, being targeted at different markets.

The interior is what you expect from BMW, quality, soberness, and professional. If you're looking for a fun interior from BMW, try the MINI.

If I owned the car, I would have stick, or I would get used to the takeoff characteristics.

This car has amazing power with very good gas mileage, the ride and handling are fantastic.