BMW M3

On the highway, and especially over broken pavement, the Vette is a bit louder inside (and harsher riding) than the two Germans, but considering its grip and cornering levels, that's expected. Its fiberglass body still issues a creak and a groan now and again, but it's way better than any previous Corvette in this regard. The interior is quite comfortable, though visibility is limited; you can't see any of the car's four corners without straining, and the rear section of the roof creates a serious blind spot for many drivers. We wish Chevrolet would invest a few development bucks to upgrade the interior; a car with this much performance just deserves better, and we suspect owners could gladly pay another grand for a world-class cockpit. The plastics and materials feel nearly rental-car cheap, the screens covering the Bose speaker dent in when you touch them, and too much road rumble makes its way inside.

Want quality? You can do no better in this price class than the trappings served up inside the M3. Everything snicks, clicks, and snaps with a feeling of utter quality. There's ample room up front for any size passenger, and not only is the M3 the only player here to offer rear seats, they're actually useable and reasonably comfortable. It's quite possible that the M's front sport buckets are the best seats available in a production car today; they're that well-designed, adjust every which way, grip and support you well without being too firm and even offer a pullout lower thigh cushion that tailors the seat to your leg length. The audio and ventilation systems are easy to use (although why did the last-generation M3 have dual-temp controls and this one doesn't?) and visibility is excellent. Ride quality is firm, to be sure, but in spite of its taut suspension and aggressive rolling stock, it's never punishing nor jarring. BMW's aerodynamicists have also done their thing well, as the M3 can travel at hyper-legal speeds with four adults inside, yet maintain considerable quiet and minimal wind noise.

This Porsche's fit, finish, and materials quality is on par with the M3's in just about every sense, and of course the Boxster S is the only convertible of the group. The seating isn't as sophisticated as the M3's, but it keeps occupants firmly in place and is more than comfortable enough for long hauls. There's also more-than-expected trunk space for those weekend trips, as the Boxster has two of them: a flat though somewhat shallow rear trunk and a deep space up front good for several pieces of soft luggage. Porsche has done a world-class job of engineering this top; release one latch, then press the button. The top folds up and away quickly, and even forms its own tonneau cover. The hoops just above the headrests are structural rollbars, and wind noise and buffeting are minimal, thanks to an interior wind-blocker device. A final bonus: The Boxster offers the best ride of this threesome.

ConclusionIt's amazing that the slowest car among this trio runs 0-60 in 5.4 sec, and the machine offering the least grip on the skidpad still sticks to the tune of 0.89 g. So there's no loser in the classic sense. But if there's such a thing as a first-quality third-place player here, it's the Boxster S. It does offer the unique-and to some drivers, preferable-handling characteristics of a mid-engine car. And it's the only convertible of the bunch, at least until the M3 comes out in topless form this fall. Nearly every aspect of the Boxster S is beautifully engineered and nicely built-even its new cupholders. But with the exception of a second-place finish in the skidpad/grip test, the Boxster is just not as thrilling a performer as the others-yet it's the most expensive. This particular tester wasn't equipped with the higher-performance 18-in. wheel/tire package, but we know from experience with our One-Year Test Boxster S that it only furthers the car's handling ability.