Ah, most levels of M Sports are great driver's cars.
Bear in mind in your comparison, the 5ers you were driving are not very current. There are no 525d's in Canada unless privately imported from Europe, so likely was a 525i. The 525i is not my idea of a 5er, nor is it the current 5 in form or engine. I was talking current cars - a 3 to a 5 as they are sold today. No contest for me, but I can see a younger person maybe preferring a 3 Series (not talking M3 either). Current 5ers are 528i and xi, 535i and xi, and 550i, plus of course, the M5, and the 535xiT wagon. The 5 Series was "refreshed" for the 2008 model year and have been on sale since last summer.