Never mind the hardware; BMW devotees know that the company's engineers rarely put a foot wrong when it comes to engines, transmissions, suspensions, steering systems, and braking components. BMW isn't able to advertise itself as purveyor of the world's "ultimate driving machines" and keep a straight face for nothing. No, fans of the BMW 3-Series want to know if it's been Bangle-ized, a euphemism that has come to be defined within the automotive community as "made to be ugly."

Judge for yourself whether or not the new 2006 BMW 3-Series is as handsome as before. In our opinion, it's not as appealing as the 2002-05 edition, which itself was not as attractive as the 1999-2001 model. However, it's not ugly, as many have feared.

Sanity returns to BMW design with the new 2006 3-Series, which debuted at the 2005 Geneva Auto Show. Aside from a few Bangled details, the new Three is evolutionary, modern, and tasteful.