This review is for the BMW 2007 335i coupe.

I placed an order for this vehicle the first month it became available in the US. I had been following it's impending introduction on the internet for months and rread every review I could find. All the reviews that I read were positive. I've had this car for a month now, and it is by far the best handling, most fun vehicle I've ever driven.

The car has a sleek profile. It is longer, lower, and slightly wider than its sedan counterpart. I think it's aesthetically more appealing. I think the best color for the car is either black, which is what I got, or metallic gray.

The 335i coupe (and more recently introduced sedan) uses a twin turbo engine that puts out 300 horsepower and 300 lbs. of torque. The turbo kicks in at about 1500 rpm, which means there is hardly any turbo lag. This translates into great accelerating power without having to rev the engine up to speed. With 300 horsepower and 300 lbs of torque, there is ample accelerating power at virtually any cruising speed. In the "drive-sport" mode, the engine stays down-shifted longer, meaning there is even more accelerating power if you want to push it. The manual clutchless shift is pretty responsive, but I hardly ever use this. The only problem with this type of engine is that because the turbo kicks in so early, it is very tempermental when you need to accelerate slowly, such as when you hit the gas after the light turns green in heavy traffic. I will try to tap the accelerator lightly to drive slow, but because the turbo kicks in so early, the car will lurch forward. I then have to ease up on the accelerator and the car abruptly slows down, making for a jerky ride. The standard 17 inch all season tires are adequate. A sportier 18 inch tire is available, but I did not get those because I will need to drive this car in the winter.

Handling is far superior to anything else I've driven. My previous car was an Audi TT. While I liked the look of that car, it's handling and overall drive feel was disappointing. Turning corners in the 335i feels like the car is on rails, and cornering at high speeds feels secure. Braking is strong, but it always is with new cars. The interior noise is good, and overall visability is OK. The only gripe I have is that the automatic window controls are too far forward.

I got the 335i loaded with almost every option. While I find them to be a pleasant novelty now, I fear that these are all things that can break down, and I've heard not-too-great things about electrical systems in German cars. The iDrive control knob on the center arm rest took me about a week to get fully used to. It's both a pleasure and a pain. The positive apsect of iDrive is that it is very versatile, being able to control virtually every interior feature of the car by just turning, shifting, or pressing the knob. Because so many things can be controlled with just this one knob, the center dash console has a very uncluttered, sleek, minimalist appearance....which I like. The drawback is caused by the very same feature that makes it so powerful. Because the iDrive knob controls almost everything, and because it is done by only one knob, every little thing you need to do requires 2 or 3 steps with the control knob. For example, in most other cars, if you want to manually change the radio station, you just reach out and turn the dial, or push the tuning button. With iDrive, you must first get to the radio function, then navigate to the FM tuner, then select manual tuning, then you can manually tune. A lot of things in the car needs several steps to achieve. I can see how some people do not like this, but I don't mind.

The DVD based navigation system was supposedly updated from prior systems. I have heard that the Japanese cars generally have vastly superior GPS systems. Most of my friends who drive German cars agree. But this new 2007 navigation system works great. It has a good interface, and lot's of features to tailor how you want the information displayed. Points of interest helps you find virtually any business/government/municipal establishment. It even allows you to make a direct phone call to any place it has in its database.

The keyless entry and keyless start is a luxury feature that I will always get from now on. The feature allows you to open the car door and start the car with a push of a button, as long as the electronic key is on your person near, or in, the car. I love not having to fish around for my keys to get into my car. It's a great feature for anyone who has their hands full when they need to get into their car.

The Logic7 sound system is at least as good, and maybe better, than the Bose system I had in my Audi. There are a total of 13 speakers scattered throught the interior. Deep bass remains clear and distortion free at loud volumes and there are a multitude of controls to tweak the system to your liking. I just keep mine at factory default settings. There is a handy Auxillary AV input plug which can used to play any MP3 player or portable device. The in dash CD player is MP3 capable. Integrated iPod and satellite radio are options which I did not get.

The hands-free bluetooth system functions flawlessly with my bluetooth phone. When a call come in, the stereo automatically goes mute and the call gets pumped through my car speakers. Sound quality is good and the person on the other end can hear me fine. There is a voice activated button on the steering wheel which can be used to make phone calls, activate features in the car, control the streo, etc. All good stuff.

Other useful features include adaptive headlights, auto rain sensing wipers, auto headlights, auto side mirror tilt, run flat tires, and the fastest seat warmers I have ever used in a car.

Finally, gas mileage. I was pleasantly surprised that gas mileage was anywhere from 20-23 mpg when driving in local stop and go traffic, without gunning the engine. In sport mode, the mileage decreases.

Overall, this is awesome vehicle. The price tag is kind of steep for an "entry" level car, but nothing beats it in terms of power, handling, driving fun. Hopefully, the build quality will last.