i am really happy to see that this thread did not turn into a little flame war by now. usually this question is the kind that creates some heat as the engines are not really comparable on the one hand and on th other hand some enthusiasts tend to react quite aggressive when it comes to this question.
in my opinion this shows how mature this board really is and that the members really know how to discuss and controll their temper. good job everyone
back to the topic, i think that honda is really a top-notch engine builder, in the market segment they want to do business of course. small displacement high reving power plants, go honda. the more torqy and silent engine? go with a bmw.
i like to work with pictures to compare things. the honda is an athlete, a sprinter, that runs real quick. the bimmer´s I6 is more like a suit that fits the car. nice, understatement, not that eye catching but the perfect accesoire to make the car a good one. comparing both would be like comparing george clooney and maurice greene.
it´s up to each on his own to choose what he desires. there is not really a winner in this comparison. to find a winner you need to compare apples and apples.