There have been successes, though. The recent Ford Mustang Bullitt was a sinister winner, and the Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi is a smart upgrade choice for that muscle car.

I’m happy to report another rollicking exception to the midgrade rule in the BMW 335is. For people who can’t afford an M3 -- and doesn’t that describe most of us? -- but who do want something hotter than an already formidable 335i, the 335is is an honest car at an honest price.

The 335is costs precisely $7,000 more than 335i models, at $50,525 for the 335is coupe and $59,075 for the convertible. Both cost nearly $6,000 less than their V8-powered M3 counterparts, meaning they neatly split the difference in the model range. So what do you get by adding that little lower-case “s”? First, the standard M Sport package, which would have set you back $4,100 on the standard 335i. That includes big, handsome 19-inch wheels and performance tires; a short-throw manual shifter; sleek M body work on the front, back and sides; interior upgrades including an M steering wheel, door sills and dimpled metal trim; and the availability of the M3’s brilliant dual-clutch DCT transmission, which you can’t have on the 335i.

You also get the twin-turbocharged, 3-liter inline six engine that BMW dropped from this year’s 335i, with 320 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque, compared with 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque on the 335i. Importantly, an overboost function can kick that torque level to a fat 370 lb-ft for as long as seven seconds when you floor the gas. By the way, that peak torque is 75 more lb-ft than on the far pricier M3. And, naturally, you get unique suspension tuning that’s noticeably more buttoned-down than on the 335i.

BMW conservatively cites a 5.0 second blast to 60 mph for the 335is -- about two-tenths quicker than the 335i. But that statistic says little about how different the 335is feels. On real-world roads, the 335is is seriously amped-up, compared with its little brother. You can really feel that suspension going to work -- along with that trick overboost function -- during a sweaty workout on twisty roads. The 335is, I’ll venture, handles almost as well as the M3. And while I missed the high-revving howl of the M3’s V8, that brilliant twin-turbo six makes a fine consolation prize -- along with the $6,000 you save. And should you care, the 335is easily bests the M3’s fuel economy at 17 mpg city/24 mpg highway versus 14/20 for the M3, saving you an estimated $450 a year in gasoline. In true Goldilocks fashion, the 335is is the just-right choice in the fairy-tale land of the 3-Series.