Like the rest of North America our dealership received our E90 demos today: 2 325s and 2 330s, 2 sticks, 2 manuals, 2 iDrive, 2 without.

I immediately gravitated to the Titanium Silver/Black Leather 330i: Sport, Premium and 6 speed. As soon as my inventory manager wasn't looking I stole away with the key, a black plastic rectangular affair, designed like the 7's key but without the same heft.

I approached her slowly and took her in from all angles. As usual, it doesn't look like the pictures suggest. In person it looks a lot lower and wider, and the greenhouse appears taller in person. It doesn't look much larger than the outgoing E46, but it does make that car look like it's a million years old. Especially with the sport package and 18-inch wheels, the car looks purpose-built. I thought the twin chrome exhaust pipes stuck out a tad too much. Other than that I couldn't find a bad angle.

Inside the car feels only marginally larger. The biggest difference is in back seat legroom, which has improved markedly. It's a bona fide 4 passenger car. 5 if they're friends. The instrumentation is clearly laid out and instantly recognizable if you're a bimmerphile. I tried the non-iDrive flavor and could find few faults with the interior. The front armrest seemed a little low, but other than that it felt like home. A very nice, thick 3-spoke steering wheel begs to be manhandled. Tilt and telescope are still manual, but that didn't bother me. The seats are pure BMW: firm and supportive. I was delighted to find width adjustability. All the other adjusments you'd expect are still there, and once seated you feel one with the vehicle. Nice surprise: power folding mirrors.

I pushed the key, the clutch and the start button, in that order. The engine burbled to life and settled to an imperceptible idle. The clutch is much shorter than the E60s, as are the shifter's throws. Pedal action and shifter feel are good. It's more refined than the E46, but still direct.

The car had 6 miles when I started. I didn't push it to any great degree. I did feel an abundance of midrange torque, starting at about 2300 rpm. I did perform several rev-matched down shifts and can report that the pedals are properly spaced and the DBW throttle is spot-on.

Steering response is direct and immediate. My tester did not have active steering, and I didn't miss it for a second. As it is the steering is already quite damped. It doesn't have as much feel as the E46, but the feedback is there. Just turn down the stereo and concentrate to pick up on the more subtle cues. Turn-in is a little vague at first, but as the steering and suspension load up you know exactly what's going on and what you need to do. A grin-enducer of the worst order, this one.

The ride was firm but comfortable. It certainly felt far more comfortable than 18-inch wheels with performance tires should probably feel. Road and wind noise were low, even at highway speeds. The exhaust note is acceptably rorty, but again I didn't jump on it enough to see what it's full song was like. You don't hear much engine noise, at any speed.

I feel the biggest disappointment is the trunk. I think it may technically be larger than the E46's, but its high liftover height and oddly-shaped opening would make it less practical. It does have a neat little cubby beneath the floor for jumper cables, a compressor and other sundries. With run flats standard, there is no spare.

Overall I'm very excited about this car. It just refined enough. It's just sporty enough. It's just modern enough. It's enough, and at just a hair over $41k (as equipped), I think it's a bargain.