So Friday evening I slide into my e46 330i. I've got two plans. 1. I have an appointment to drive the e90 330i at 5:30 pm and 2. I will leave for Coachella at 7pm and spend the weekend at a friend's extra house in Indio (right by the venue).

Well I turned the key and something didn't sound right. Call me a nervously nelly but when the car is shaking violently, tach's bouncing and the service engine soon light is lit, maybe there's a problem. I turned the car off, tried again. uh-oh. Just drove it the night before and while it's felt like a totally different (slower, less responsive, poor gas mileage) car since my inspection 1 service 2 weeks ago, this was decidely worse. Way worse. Still the past two weeks people have asked, "What happened to you car, it's really rough." I had no answer. I still didn't. But there was now no denying the car was running like absolute garbage.

Drove to the dealer, dropped it off, got a rental and then took out a 330i e90 with sport, premium, 6 mt. 41k msrp. I wouldn't get the premium package though...nothing on it really interests me.

Exterior...ho-hum. Not nearly as nice as the original e46s but a step up from the face-lifted ones. I guess. Car doesn't seem bigger inside or out. Lines are decent but the car's got half the flash of the 5 series. Doesn't matter, I don't buy for looks.

Got in and some things hit me. 1. The wood was cheapo looking garbage, but I expected that as all wood in cars looks downright pimp-like to me. Lack of tilt in the center console toward me I found totally offensive. I'm the driver, and EVERY button is mine, mine, all mine, not yours. It's none of the passenger's business and furthermore the cockpit feel in the car is gone.

Where the heck are the window controls? Oh that's right, they put them on the door. Lame. I like the new door armrest - much more comfy. The center console's better in some ways with a socket in it but I use my cupholders currently to hold me cell. Split on the new center portion. Some good, some bad. Can't see the radio display at all with my Maui Jim's on. Otherwise the interiors like a variation on BMW and it's certainly not any roomier (noticeably) than my e46 in front. Backseat...I don't care. That's the problem for passengers to deal with.

Hit the start button. Argh. This is just stupid. If I pushed a key in, let me twist it and get going. Leave the Knight Industries Two Thousand hokum for S2000 drivers. If the car had the smart key, yeah the button's great. Otherwise, forget this stupid two step process.

They shrinked the side mirrors even more!!!! The e46 had near worthless side mirrors, the e90 might as well not have side mirrors. What were they thinking? Do they honestly think these cars have good visibility? I've gotten used to the poor sight lines in my E46 but this is insane. The oval premium package mirror doesn't help either...driving almost as blind in this as I did in Audi's A3.

Engine's quiet. docile. Clutch pickup is smoother than my e46. Stick shift seems smoother, more targeted too. But the throws are exceptionally long. Uncomfortably long. I think my performance package had a different shifter.

On the road the car's planted. It sticks like crazy and the engine unlike any other e46 I've ever driven has power the whole time. no more peakiness, it's just pulls in one strong, linear fashion. Zipping up the hills of El Cajon the car carves like a surgeon's knife. It's far more sure-footed than my E46 and revs more smoothly. I'm rocking through the twists and the car's not getting at all fidgety and doesn't seem to understeer as much as my car. 30 mph corners flash by at 80. The car holds the line - these are run flats?! How is this car so smooth on 18s? Voodoo. BMW brought a witch doctor to Bavaria to work on the suspension. Wow, almost perfect symmetry between the engine and chassis.

Brakes felt fine. Switchgear is odd at first but overall the driving impressions were nice. Not sure if anything else can match this for 2006. I may dislike some odds and ends but the way the car feels when moving...well it's better than my e46. Get the car a decent muffler - some growl would be nice - and short-shift kit and I'll be a happy camper.

BTW, still no word on my e46 or what's wrong with it.