An equally equipped e46 weighs roughly the same as the e90, which was surprising to hear, given the growth of the new body. The extra width and length are a noticeable increase, more so with the rear seat legroom. Sitting comfortably at 6 foot 3 inches in the e46, it left very little room for a passenger behind the driver; not the case anymore with the e90. The added length has made rear legroom livable, if not almost comfortable. Traveling long distances might put a cramp on anyone over 5 feet 10 inches, but short of that in both distance and height and the rear passenger legroom is a welcome improvement. However, not the same can be said about the headroom. It seems more cramped if you are over 6 feet tall, so, that guy gets to ride shotgun.
In the e46, I was able to sit in the rear seat without my head touching the top, but with the new body lines, the rear headroom shrunk just enough to make me crouch down in the seat in order to not bounce my head off the roof over every pothole. Some of the more *vertically challenged* folks even agreed they felt a little cramped, but we all welcomed the extra legroom. It is in no way a deal breaker for me, and probably won't be for anyone under 6 feet tall. Besides, they are only your passengers…and this is a driver’s car.
The B pillar has improved the blind spot that has always bugged me in my e46. The e90 B-pillar now seems to be positioned just a little bit more behind the front seats, allowing more visible area when looking back to change lanes. However, the seat belt retractor on the B-pillar is no longer adjustable, so taller drivers/passengers will feel the belt riding their shoulder blade at times. This adjustability provided on the e46 platform could have been removed for safety reasons, but if not, I want it back.
2006 BMW 3-Series, First Drive, Part 4