unfortunately, i have not been able to play it yet, but as i've played all previous titles in the franchise, (can you say 100% completion?) i feel i'm at least a connoisseur, so here's a couple bits of advice:
1. i know it's tedious and time-consuming, but do the busy-work missions that give you bonuses to armor, health, stamina (for running), etc. every little bit helps in the really tough missions
2. analyze the crime. research the escape routes, including alternatives if one seems snagged w/ cops - then practice! it may seem silly to drive the route(s) during a "normal" gta day, but getting it down pat so you know every corner, bump, light pole, etc. helps
3. research vehicles - if certain ones are spawned or parked near where the bank robbery is, or along your escape route, figure out which ones are the fastest/toughest/etc. and experiment your practice runs with each
4. know where the drops are. i'm assuming that this version is carrying forward the pickups like in previous games. know where every star, armor, heart, etc. is in the area. sometimes it'll pay to go the "opposite" direction you need to go just to get that pick-up you need
5. lastly, get creative. the AI might be smart and ruthless, but it's limited. like if you know the cop/fbi car is going to try and ram you, drive as close as you dare to light poles, parked cars, curbs, etc. so they will get slowed down/crash. maybe switch to a different car when it's relatively safe to do so before your current car gets into too much trouble. maybe there's a narrow alley you can run down on foot as a short-cut.

sorry i couldn't be more specific, and i'm sure there are new aspects to this version that some "tried-and-true" methods might not gel with, but hopefully some of that will help.
i can't friggin' wait to get my hands on the game now!

Good tips Josh. The only one that isn't relevant is the first because this installment of the game doesn't have those missions. I guess my best bet is to research the best route to the Pay N' Spray before I start the mission and practice a few times. It's a really great game, for sure.

I finally beat it. I practiced driving for awhile and that helped out a lot. I think my problem was not using the e-brake properly since you can really lose the cops quickly making quick turns with the e-brake.

Do you have Xbox live? What's your gammer tag. Mine is dumb. Piz Nasty81. Cya there.