It's hard to know what, or whom, to believe in when reading these reviews...
For instance here is UK magazine CAR's review of the 435i vs E400 vs S5:
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/...14-CAR-review/
Quote:
How does the BMW fare in this tricky terrain? It briefly struggles for grip, shaking off the ruffling revs by summoning second, then third gear. Moments later, it enters the zone. The 435i is the lightest car in this group by a 125-150kg margin, but on the N92 the silver coupe feels about 300kg less heavy than the competition. This could be due to the slightly quicker steering, the more eager gearing, the sharper chassis or the beefier low-end punch of the straight-six engine.
Whatever the reasons, the result is more involving and more entertaining handling. But the advantage over E400 and S5 remains surprisingly small, and it virtually pales into insignificance whenever the road opens up and the car moves into triple-digit mph territory. As soon as you touch the brakes again though, this subtle tactility returns, and it connects with your palms as the BMW turns in, aims for the apex and begs for the steering to open up again.
.......
Why does almost every BMW launch include a track session? Because these cars shine even when you don your gloves, put on the helmet and lower the visor. The 435i matches this picture and meets our expectations, even though it would further benefit from the beefier 335bhp engine installed in the Z4 35is, if only as the ultimate justification of that 4-series moniker. Once more, the BMW feels lighter, nimbler, more agile and quicker overall than the other two contestants. It’s also more chuckable, more willing to assume emphatic cornering attitudes, and more forgiving should your mind be more ambitious than your body is capable. Despite the wider 19in tyres, the silver coupe makes enough beautiful noises to generate a queue of spectators on a nearby flyover.
.......
So, who wins? The Audi costs most, yet at the end of day two it is the least loved of the three cars. It still looks stunning, its interior still feels special, and it’s still the coupe to beat against the stopwatch in a straight line.
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Having said that, the BMW is more affordable, and although it doesn’t look quite special enough inside and out to justify that trumpeted 4-series badge, number four-three-five is again the pacesetter when it comes to having fun from A to B. And back. And forth again.
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Makes you wonder if C&D and CAR drove the same car???
In this test by Auto Bild the 435i also comes out as the favourite...
http://www.**************.com/commun...s-coupe.49445/
Here's a video of the same test (you can choose subtitles and "translate to English" to get at least a rudimentary subtitling):
EVO also found it to be a fun car to drive on the twisties:
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evoc...and_specs.html