Owners opinions on E89 30i?

Hello everyone,

I've been toying with the idea of getting an E89 30i for quite some time now. If I do, I definitely want a manual transmission, as that's my imagination of driving pleasure, paired with a BMW six-cylinder and convertible. What do you like or dislike? What should I pay particular attention to, and what features are a must? Perhaps a comparison with the predecessor 30si? Just your first-hand thoughts. Alternatively, the N54 would also be cool, but for purist and reliability reasons, I would prefer the N52.

Thanks!