Long-Term Road Tests

After a long weekend with the 2002 BMW M3, I can join the chorus of voices praising this car for its stunning capability in any situation. So many aspects of this car are so commonplace now that we almost take them for granted, like a tire pressure monitoring system or a sport button for the throttle, or defeatable stability control, but they were still relatively new at the time, and make this car such a wildly capable machine.

And they serve so many purposes. Feel like canyon-carving? Sport mode, DSC off and away you go, wagging your tail around corners. Wanna ride smoothly but maybe with a little more pep? Hit the S button and feel what seems like extra strength forcing your right leg down on the loud pedal.

And it's so supremely confident. It's gorgeous. It sounds like a dream. And it's got an interior like a Bourbon Street bordello, awash in smooth red leather. And you can carry a couple passengers, play six CDs from the trunk-mounted changer, fill the large trunk with gear, and hit the road for hours of fun. And arrive looking stylish. As the song says, I'm the friendly stranger in the black sedan. Won't you step into my car?

Doug Lloyd, Senior Copy Editor @ 55,364 miles