[mdosu]

Not sure if this post is for real....but here's my take:

OP, you're comparing a people carrier with 235hp to a sports car with 414hp. You're upgrading from the Sopwith Camel to a F-16 Jet. You're going to feel the performance upgrade in straight line speed and handling. You're going to feel like the M3 is powered by a nuclear bomb vs a pop gun. I cannot come up with more dramatic contrasting words to describe the difference!

I went from a 271hp turbo car (Evo 8- that's no slouch by any means) to the M3 and it feels by the seat of my pants 10x faster.

The M3's alum. suspension is also specific to the car and the extra rigidity of the chassis and setup is great for track or sporty driving.

If you're looking for just a bit more reasonable power without the 5-series weight, you should consider the 335i or 335is.

This comparison is just plain silly, the two cars aren't even in the same league! The 330i zhp is more like entry level performance, it's not even faster than a Mazdaspeed 3 or a WRX, you're skipping the 370Z/Evo/STi/335i performance level and going straight for the 400hp range here...you're jumping 1 maybe 1.5 to 2 levels up in performance.