E46 test drive...ho hum

[Herman Chan <hermanc2@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Had a chance to test drive a 5-speed E46 328i yesterday...some impressions:

- - car looks better in person than in photos.  the front end is nice and
neat, and the headlights in particular look nifty with no diffusion
patterns in either the reflector or lenses.  the rear end and light cluster
treatment still doesn't do it for me and is reminscent of a honda.
overall, a smooth and clean shape.

- - the quality of the interior is much improved over the E36, but it has
lost the cockpit feel.  more luxurious than driver-oriented; akin to the
E39.  air conditioner could have/should have worked faster (black car on a
day with temps in the 90's).  why is it that americans are the only ones
who can make a decent a/c system?

- - the road manners are very refined; nvh control is good; again, more
luxury than sport.  like the E30 owners did with the E36, current E36
owners may lament the 'softening' of the new model and the move closer to
the mainstream.  on a familiar local road, the car had more roll and felt
larger than my E36.  this car had the premium package with 205/55-16 tires.
the sport package (225/45-17 for 328s, 225/50-16 for 323s) will probably be
a mandatory option for most people on this list.  don't get me wrong, it's
still better than anything else in the class, but the edge is getting
duller.

- - my perception may be skewed because my car is bl/ss'd, but the shifter is
slop-py...

overall, IMHO there's no urgent compelling reason for E36 owners to run out
and buy an E46.  It's just a competent as the E36, if not more so in
certain areas, and is defintely better built, but the 'gotta have it'
factor was missing for me.  Will have to see how the M3 turns out...

Herman

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