I've had my car for about 45000 miles over the last 3 years. I love the way it drives and ride quality it has considering the sport suspension it has. I go maybe a few times a year up the Angeles Crest Hwy to have some fun with the twisties. I usually go in a group of buddies (2-S2000's, another 330i, & a G35 Coupe.) BUT a couple of problems:

1. Electrical - Battery self drains itself.
Dealer reprogrammed car, still happens every other month and leaves me stranded until I get a jump.
2. Coils - Coils went bad
Although it eventually became a recall also left me stranded
3. Power Window regulators, Driver's window broke twice already (once getting interior wet, since I couldn't close it, Passenger window and rear pass window also broke
No permanent fix available
4. Control Arm Bushings - mine went out around 38000 miles.
- No permanent fix either - considered "wear item" >$500 per repair

As much as I love this car it also has some serious issues I've never had to deal with my previous Honda's.
I've driven the IS350 and the power it has is pretty awesome. It's reliability will also probably be top-notch. The lack of a stick and it's so-so steering feel kinda leaves me down. I've also read around these boards about body-roll (On my test drive I wasn't able to "work it" around the corners too much. I wish a dealer would let me take it out on a track hehe) The high price is also a let-down. If you option out a IS350 with HIDS & Navi(which forces you to get expensive packages) leaves it more expensive than a 2006 330i with Navi. (This is due to BMW dealers willing to haggle and Lex dealers unwilling)
This brings me to another point. I've test-driven the 06 330i with 6M and that car is awesome. My beef with that is it might have all the same chronic problems like my 03 330i. Anyone else made the switch and has been happy? The Acura TL has too much FWD bias feel for me and the G35 is a little unrefined.

 

oh so YOU'RE the one that bought a 330i 6 speed...I've never seen a 6 speed 330i before. Nice car I like that body style a lot better than the new one. I think you'll be happy with a hi-quality 100% japanese built car. The lack of steering feel simply makes the car more "tossable". Love mine!

 

I traded my 2002 bmw 330cic, "auto, sports package"
in for my is350 and yes its true you will def miss that
tight feel you get in the steering wheel, but hey wouldn't
you give up 1 thing to get 6 or 7 other better things?

More power, better stereo, more reliable, nicer interior, etc, etc..

 

Huh ?

A short wheel base and light weight make a car feel "tossable".

Lack of steering feel not only doesn't make a car more tossable, it makes it more diffcult to determine when you are nearing the limits of the car. And if you don't know where the handling limits are, you don't know if you are about to toss it into a corner, or toss it into the woods.

 

I would suggest you spend some time with the forum search and browse some of the older threads -- you'll find a lot of great discussions on this topic with some very detailed responses. Here are a few to get you started:

A BMW driver's take on the IS
Test drove IS350 and BMW 330i (yes again!!!)
vs. BMW 330i (yes, again)

From my personal perspective (not as a BMW owner, though, just as a prospective buyer), I was willing to sacrifice the laser-sharp handling of the BMW for the greater power, luxury and comfort found in the IS. (Not to mention the bonus of not driving the McLuxury car every 16 year old gets on his birthday here in the Newport Beach/Irvine area.) What you lose in one measure of performance, you gain back many times over in others.

P.S. The IS350 does great on Angeles Crest. I'm just waiting for them to open up the whole road now so I can go end-to-end...

 

I think that sums it up the best. You give up driving feel and chassis dynamics to get other things that bother you a lot about your current 3-series. As they say, it's all about compromise.

 

Oh so you don't think the super super easy steering [along with the IS's wheelbase, weight etc etc etc etc..] doesn't make the car nice and easy to toss around???????????

I love the steering on the IS!

 

I love certain BMW's and the German engineering - but in this class - the 350 is the leader!

 

No, low steering effort does not mean tossable. One of the most tossable car I've ever driven was my dad's '75 BMW 2002, which he still had when I first got my license. With no power steering, parking that car gave nearly as good an upper body workout as a session on the Nautilus, yet the car felt as tossable as a go-kart.

Among modern cars, the most tossable I've driven are the Mazda Miata and Porsche Boxster. (Never driven the S2000, but I'd bet it's real tossable too)

 

I didn't say lo steering feel meant tossable...TO ME it makes the car feel more tossable....

 

HUH? "...tossable..."?

 

If you like handle I think you should just keep your BMW.

 

If the BMW is out of warranty (and it sounds like it is) dump it. What you replace it with is up to you, but it's next to impossible to end up with a truely horrid car these days.