Hey all,

I've been going back and forth between the outgoing e46 and the e90. I finally test drove an e90 325i today (auto - no zsp). First of all, I have to say that everything was better than I had hoped. It's a very noticeable power increase and the delivery is nice and even, as others have said. The weather conditions were interesting...it downpoured for about 10 minutes when I first got to the dealer, then pretty much stopped altogether. So at first the roads were pretty wet, but they dried quickly, which was cool because I got to test in both wet and dry conditions.

I assume DSC or DTC, whatever it is called, is on by default. Still, I managed to get the back end to step out quite a few times. I didn't see the DSC light come on at all, and I actually eased up and regained control myself. A couple times it felt like I was drifting. The only time I felt the DSC and actually saw the light come on was when I punched it from a stand-still and the roads were still wet. I was taking sharp corners at pretty rediculous speeds, and while the body roll is less I still didn't feel 100% secure. I was by myself so I could pretty much do whatever I wanted.

I drove an 02' CPO 330xi right after because that's kind of what I have always wanted. Again, by myself, I took the same corners at rediculous speeds. I never felt like I was losing grip at all. However, it's not a fair comparison cuz of the AWD and it had the ZSP so I stayed put nice and tight in my seat. It did feel a bit rough around some corners but I never felt any loss of traction.

One thing I was worried about regarding the interior of the e90 was the interior. But to my suprise I really enjoyed it. It had the aluminum trim, which is real aluminum and makes it look REAL nice. Very classy, yet sporty. I like the gauges, steering wheel, and levers more than the e46 too. The new turn signal is nice and takes only a minute or two to get used to. The steering felt very precise. Transmission was smooth and I'm sure that extra gear helps for the better power delivery. The leather was very nice and overall the ride, though more stiff, still felt very smooth. It was very easy to get a comfortable driving position (I'm 6' 1"). Now I have to test out a manual because after driving the 330xi (5 speed), I do feel that the throws and clutch travel are both too long, and even if I shifted quickly, I could feel the delay in getting power back to the wheels (CDV no doubt).

So, anyways, other than the DTC, I have no concerns about the e90. It's more refined and a good improvement over it's predecessor. I just have to see if the looks will grow on me. I love it from the side, but not so sure about the front and back. The one I drove was white, and again to my suprise, seemed like a very nice color.

So now my decision is even more complex. Do I get a CPO 330xi, a current e90, or wait for the e90 xi's to come out and try those?!

The reason for wanting an xi, is because I'm in MN now and I don't want to have to fuss with swapping out for winter tires.

Lease deals are pretty good on the e90 right now. So I'm really in a bind as far as what I should do.

Now, if anyone has read this ultra-lengthy post, care to comment or make suggestions?