Let me just start by saying that I dont actually own one. After wanting one for ages but never buying one my missus turned round to me and told me she was getting one!!!!! Hallelujah!!!!

Lets start with the facts first before I tell you what it is like owning such a fine piece of machinery.

My girlfriend bought a silver 52 reg with under 25,000 miles and bought from a BMW dealer costing £19,000 approximately a year ago. There were others that were cheaper but not from an actual BMW dealer and to be honest the service we receieved from the dealer was very good (Scothalls of Southampton). Ours came with the M sport pack which means you get full leather interior, m sport gear lever and steering wheel. Externally you get side skirts a boot lip spoiler a more aggresive front grill and 18inch alloys. These really finish the car off well but are a pain in the bottom to clean!!!!!!!!!!

What is it like to drive??? Well everytime you get in it you feel special, it really is luxury. When you first open the door it feels a little heavy but this is what safety is all about...the solid feel. Slip into the hugging full leather interior and take a second to look around. Our model has the wood trim which I feel is more classy than the carbon look. Every control is within easy reach and very clear as to what it does. The stalks have all the necessary normal controls and the steering wheel has radio controls which helps you keep your eyes on the road and also cruise control. Now on British roads cruise control is a bit of a pain due to the amount of traffic on the roads and the varying speeds of the traffic. I think we have used it twice since my girlfriend bought the car and that was only because we wanted to give it a go. So the engine is started and your off. The first thing you notice about the car is that the engine is very quiet but if you listen carefully you can hear it and it has a beautiful sound. The engine is not an advertisement for performance but it definitely lets you know that it is a very capable unit ready and willing to open up whenever you squeeze the right pedal. The car definitely has the ability to swallow up the miles in great comfort and every trip is a joy.

As i said earlier my personal preference is to keep the traction control button switched off. This allows you to play a bit more with the perfect balance of the car, as you enter into a corner gentley squeeze your right foot and the back will gradually step out and this is perfectly measured. You really do feel in controof the car which is what handling and feel is all about. You have to feel conected to the car and understand what its doing and how its doing it. For example, lets say there was a car with unbelievable grip in the bends however the steering lacked feel and you had no feed back when you were throwing the car about. This would not be confidence inspiring and you would never push the car to the limits as you could not read what it was going to do. The 330ci however, lets you know everything and for me that makes it an exquisite car to drive.

The above is my personal opinion of which car I would rather have, now Im going to get all politically correct and give you an unbiased oipinion. (Deep breath....). The difference between the two is not that great for every day. You can only tell the difference when you are on a track or planting your right foot all the time. This isnt an everyday occurance (unless you have a death wish). The extra £10,000ish for an M3 cant be quantified for an everyday person doing an everyday job everyday. the 330ci is a far superior car to the majority of cars on the road anyway. The performance is really useable it is a confidence inspiring car and it is a solid reliable safe machine. Yes it costs a lot more than the majority of its competitors but before you instantly dismiss the car due to cost, just take one for a drive and see for yourself. Oh yes a little bit of advice about the test drive, spend a little time trying everything before you make your decision. the more you drive the better you feel in it.