[KevinC]

I'm familiar with the N52 from the '06 330i, the first year of the E90 3-series, and my first BMW back in the day. Definitely a peach of a motor, and perfect for that car. One year later, they shelved it (stateside anyways) in the 3 and moved "up" to the twin turbo 335i and its rampant HPFS problems that dragged on for years. But I digress.

The M car will always be more exclusive and desirable, has hydraulic steering & LSD, and some different styling queues that I think do a nice job setting it apart. But if you enjoy driving the 3.0si more, then by all means, it could well be the right car for you.

I don't doubt that I'd prefer *some* aspects of the 3.0si experience if I were to ever get to drive one, but for me, I'd still want the M car. But that's just me.

Try this: make a list of the characteristics of both cars, combined into one list. Then go down the list and put a checkmark on one side or the other, indicating which car you prefer or gets the edge for that trait. Then total it up when you're done and see which came out on top. Then analyze some more to be sure that some don't need to be weighted more than others. Might prove helpful. Good luck!