I've had my 2004 330i for about 50k miles and I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. I was attracted to this particular ZHP model for the four door practicality with the near M3 performance and good looks. After about six years it still looks good, but the maintenance needs keep mounting. Forget about the dealer prices. Even the independent BMW mechanics are not cheap. Seems like more often than not, when something does wrong with the car, it spells big bucks at the shop. Suspension components, tires, electronics, bumper covers, window actuators, sunroof mechanisms. You name it.

As far as this vehicle is concerned with comfort, I definitely enjoyed this vehicle. It was very fun to drive, and a much desired ride when taking long road trips. I drove to northern Wisconsin from Virginia beach less than a year after owning; most people would not like a 26+ hour ride. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is an excellent coupe, perfect for a first ride which still has a lot of power along with safety. The maintenance is very expensive though, each repair was at least double of what it would be for my current vehicle. Being a foreign model, this vehicle is not the easiest to work on if you aren't fluent in mechanics; unless it is something simple such as brakes, oil, or items with little maintenance needed.. once it does break down, it all seems to break down at once... which is a very, very costly time period.. They need a full repair, it seems, every 75 thousand miles.. if not, expect the worst. Also, It is not family friendly, nor friendly to people who are taller than average. But once again... the comfort and luxury of a smooth ride is very outstanding.