Faults:

The air bag light has come on the dash, no reason why.

Quite tappity from a cold start.

Apart from this, no problems to report.

General Comments:

This is the bottom of the range 3 series, but still comes will all the toys, E/W all round, air con, cruise control, parking sensors, CD player; it's very well equipped.

The engine is quite rattly from cold, and is quite slow, it returns 35mpg on average so it's not all bad.

Inside is very well built, very quiet and no engine noise. Seats are comfy and offer a good driving position.

Overall it's a really nice car, and overall it's a BMW for not much money.

Faults:

I have replaced two light bulbs.

General Comments:

This car is a real ultimate driving machine.

Its 136 horsepower engine is magnificent.

It really does handle like it's on rails.

Performance is not earth shattering from the word go, but once you get moving most cars are usually in the way.

Built quality is second to none.

Manual transmission is absolute joy and very user friendly.

After 152200 km it drives like brand new car.

This car will last forever with proper maintenance.

With combination of city and motorway driving, I get about 900 km out of the tank of diesel.

When I take everything into consideration, this really is the ultimate driving machine.

Faults:

Clutch went at 87,000, though that's par for the course I'm told.

Engine mounts gone at 90,000. BMW use the same ones on a two liter diesel.

Wishbone bushings gone twice since purchase, again same ones used across series range of engines.

General Comments:

Solid car for long journeys, step out feeling brand new.

Fairly quick car without guzzling juice, 37mpg for 204bhp ain't bad.

Faults:

Driver's window electric lift mechanism failed.

Power steering fluid leak-replacement of seals.

Rear brake pads replaced.

Headlamp washer on right had to be replaced - leaked out fluid.

Three rims needed replacement due to damage.

Front suspension is now showing worn rocker arms (?) that dealer wanted to replace, but my mechanic thought I could hold off for another couple of years.

General Comments:

I bought this car as a certified lease trade in, and am disappointed with the wear it had considering the low mileage.

Also, I've taken it to dealers in NY state, where I bought it, and Massachusetts, where I work, and find that they are too eager to replace things, and are absurdly expensive. Despite all of this, I would buy another in a heartbeat.

This is an incredibly fun car to drive. I have a Porsche 911 C4S that is slightly more fun, but a lot harder to drive (shift mechanism is tougher, need much higher RPMs to get up to speed). The BMW 330 XI is an effortless sports sedan. The transmission is remarkably easy to shift, it quickly reaches high torque and is a very comfortable ride.

However, I would recommend that anyone considering it make sure they have a good mechanic, and not rely on the dealerships in the US for service after the first 3 years. It doesn't need service often (maybe once or twice a year in addition to oil changes) but repairs can be expensive at the dealerships.