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Either the e46 or e90 for me.
I’ve never owned an e46 but from the times I drove them they seemed to Bridge the gap between old school bmw (e30/e36) and modern 3 series.
But I also love how the e90 was perfect for me. The size was right and it provided the right amount of feedback from the road to make me want to take it out for a drive. The inline 6 N/A engine and 6MT was so satisfying every time I drove and the car felt indestructible and that it would run forever if properly cared for.
Unfortunately it wasn’t as indestructible as I thought and was destroyed when it was rear ended by a box truck. The car did keep me alive and further reinforced my opinion of how well engineered it was.
I have driven the F30/F80/F82 many times and they just don’t do it for me. To me they feel like the worst generation of the 3 series, to the point where I don’t think they should have the BMW or 3 series badge. I know later versions of the f30 were improved but they still sucked so much that I skipped the f30 and went to a G30 when the e90 was totaled. The G30 is certainly a bland car, but you can tell there’s a bmw under there hidden in the excellent chassis somewhere, and the interior quality is what I’d expect of a bmw.
The G20 seems like a step up from the f30, but I haven’t had enough time with one yet to really form a strong opinion. The lack of a 6MT definitely drops it down a bit in my mind compared to 3 series of the past.
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