 A month ago my cherished 323Ci had a meltdown.  Living in L.A., I loved taking it through the mountain twisties on the weekend.  With this economy, I decided to be prudent with replacement car.  My ratings are based on expectations of the class, and not comparisons to my previous luxury car.   I'm quite pleased with the handling of this compact.  Though somewhat under-tired, it can stand up to a road like decker canyon blvd (23).  The clutch is light in feel, but gives you a good sense of it's action through your foot, gearbox is excellent.  Had the opportunity to test the brakes in a panic stop in my first week of driving, and they're probably in the top 10 of any car under $100k.