Faults:

Synchronizer for 3rd gear appears to be failing - redline shifts from 2nd to 3rd need careful, deliberate execution, otherwise it's easy to grind the gear.

Speedometer always seems to read quicker than the car is actually moving - anything over 110 clicks seems to be off by 8 or so km/h.

General Comments:

This was my first car for a couple years after owning a 2007 Tacoma (and a Matrix before that which I had totalled). The first things I noticed, which made me a convert to BMW for life, was the smoothness and metallic wail of the straight six engine, the perfect weight distribution, exceptional power delivery, quick gearing, minimalistic luxury, and the comparatively heavy controls (I later bought an E36 M3 which has even stiffer controls).

This car is very smooth, very quiet, and the 6 speed manual, coupled with more than adequate torque, which happens to peak at less than 3000 rpm, means the car is very quick around town without needing to be pushed hard AT ALL! Throttle response, however, is a little disappointing with the electronic gizmos dialing in some serious lag.

Steering is very heavy and weighted, but this is a welcome touch compared to my experience with Japanese cars, where the controls and steering feel un-necessarily light and "detached".

Highway cruising is exceptional - balance is flawless, wind noise is drastically reduced compared to my Tacoma, and cruising at 140 clicks can only be described as feeling natural (which has gotten me a couple of expensive tickets I might add). The funny thing is that the faster I cruised, the better my fuel economy seemed to get! I could easily get 730 clicks on a 60L tank of gas while cruising at 120 km/h. According to the OBD, I could get up to 40 mpg on any given run. Now, to think that this car outperforms most traffic, packs 230 HP, is plenty quick, and still gets this kind of mileage, is miraculous and a dream come true. The folks over at BMW sure know what they are doing!

Interior is reserved with typical minimalistic BMW luxury. My car was equipped with a lot of generous features such as triple-level seat warmers, MP3 player, automatic climate control, residual heat function (VERY handy in the winter months), dimming rear-view mirrors, etc. Fit and finish is top-grade with tasteful use of high-quality plastics and aluminium accents. The only thing I didn't like was the leatherette upholstery - while supple and durable enough, it simply did not "breathe", and consequently long trips on hot days meant sweat build-up on the seats.

This car made me a convert to BMWs, and I can't imagine being satisfied driving any other type of car as a daily driver. This car is the total package of luxury, sportiness, practicality, reliability and fuel economy. Why oh why are there not more cars like this? :-)

Faults:

Went through 2 high pressure fuel pumps.

General Comments:

Amazing car for the price.

Amazing road feel and handling.

Super fast (not too many vehicles can out gun you at a light).

Faults:

Hydraulic valve adjuster ticking started at about 12,000 miles, and had the cylinder head replaced at about 16,000 miles. The head replacement took care of the issue.

CBS display for oil change kept increasing rather than decreasing. At one point, the CBS indicated 24,000 miles to next oil change after I had driver 6,000 miles since the last oil change (30,000 miles between oil changes per the CBS is ridiculous). Got a software update that took care of the issue.

Flat tire, but the replacement was covered by my wheel and tire package, and I am sticking with run-flats because it helped me get to the dealership on the flat tire!

General Comments:

I love the car, it is quite comfortable and great fun to drive.

BMW's claims that several fluids in the car are "lifetime fill", I think is BS. I plan on keeping the car for a few more years, and to help that I plan on getting most fluids changed more frequently than BMW advises.

The dealership gives me a free loaner almost always, but getting an appointment needs to be done at least 2 - 3 weeks in advance.