Head-to-Head Showdown: 2006 BMW 330i vs. 2006 Lexus IS 350

There are two aspects of this test that truly set the BMW and Lexus apart: Convenience and driving. As discussed in later pages, the BMW captures the crown for driving excitement, but it’s the 2006 Lexus IS 350 that takes the stress out of the daily commute. Our BMW tester was hampered by its optional iDrive system, so the Lexus’ mostly logical and intuitive controls were the clear favorite. But convenience is about more than radio controls and navigation systems. The IS pulls ahead with a larger cargo area, more interior storage capacity, and as simple as it may sound, better cupholders.

2nd Place: 2006 BMW 330i

Forget the fact that the 2006 BMW 330i has an optional split folding rear seat. Forget that the trunk is nicely lined with a grab handle in the lid and multiple tie-down points and cargo holds aplenty. Forget it all because it pales in comparison to the damned iDrive controller that comes with the optional navigation system. Some BMW owners and enthusiasts claim that if you take the time to understand this overly complex system, the benefits are real. Maybe so. But when you can get into a car like the Lexus IS 350 and navigate nearly every inch of the interior without ever cracking open the owner’s manual, yet get every bit as much functionality as you would from the BMW, it demonstrates that iDrive has been created for the sole enjoyment of masochists.

From the first twist of the BMW’s key, iDrive starts its cruel game. On the center screen is a message that requires the driver to “accept” before any further action can be taken, though there’s no obvious way of accepting. Either break out the owner’s manual, or better yet, avoid this option all together. Thankfully, the radio and climate control systems can be operated independently.

Needless to say, some buyers will opt to skip the iDrive option, but that doesn’t completely eliminate the 2006 BMW 330i’s interior issues. There are three cupholders – two of which pop out of the passenger side dash, and one small holder in the center armrest. Those dash-mounted cupholders are obviously hard to reach from the driver’s seat, and prove to be a bit intrusive for the passenger. Plus, they aren’t deep, and beverages contained there spill easily when the BMW is driven with verve. Rear seat storage is limited to a couple of seatback pockets and two cupholders that retract into the fold-down center armrest. And then there’s the radio, which totally loses reception when the rear window defroster is activated, a quirk that is sure to infuriate countless drivers on their chilly morning commutes. Last are the turn signals that have been over-engineered. One soft click of the signal stalk gets three blinks, which is great for changing lanes. But when making a turn, the stalk returns to center, an unusual and unnecessary action that is different from every other make of car on the planet. Sure, it’s a minor quibble, but when bundled with the lousy cupholders and frustrating iDrive, one that takes on weighted significance.

But it’s not all bad inside the BMW. The Bimmer has a trunk that offers a comfortable liftover height and is only one cubic foot smaller than the Lexus’s, and places power window and power door lock controls on the door panels where they’re expected to be.

1st Place: 2006 Lexus IS 350

In contrast to the BMW, the 2006 Lexus IS 350 provides convenience more on par with a Swiss Army knife, as evidenced by its intuitive center touch screen, useful cupholders, and handy storage spots. The significance of this accomplishment, which continues to confound BMW engineers, was captured best by one editor’s comment: “Typical for a Lexus, cupholders are well done, and compartments are well designed. To go one further, the IS proves that yes, Gunter, you can have a driving machine and good cupholders. What a concept!” Also unlike an iDrive-equipped BMW, the Lexus features radio and climate control buttons that even a primate of moderate intelligence could master. The sound system can be manipulated using controls on the dash, menus accessed through the center touch screen, or via steering wheel-mounted buttons. Secondary controls, such as the power window and door lock switches, are intuitively planted on the door panel and dash. Adjusting the cabin temperature is a simple task with clearly marked hot and cool buttons, though drivers need to jump into the touch screen menu to increase or decrease fan speed or redirect air flow.

Elsewhere in the cabin, numerous storage compartments include a generous glovebox, a front center armrest that slides back or tilts up to reveal the contents within, and a cubby in the folding rear center armrest. At 13 cubic feet, the 2006 Lexus IS 350’s trunk is one cubic foot larger than the BMW’s, though it matches its German competitor with regard to cargo area cubbies and tie-down points. Unfortunately, that trunk sits behind a rear seat that can’t fold like the BMW’s, leaving IS 350 owners with only the limited versatility of a rear seat pass through. Another complaint focuses on the odd angle of the power switch panels on the front doors that forces the driver and passenger to bend their wrists in an uncomfortable manner.

Awkward angles and fixed rear seat aside, the 2006 Lexus IS 350 is the clear choice when it comes to convenience. However, simply excluding iDrive from the equation would aid the BMW 330i significantly, though not enough to outrank its formidable Japanese counterpart and its superior design of cupholders and interior storage – simple things that become increasingly important over the course of ownership.