CTC Review: 2009 BMW 335i xDrive

[Bullet Blue]

I went Auto, first car in my life an auto.

The stick was very nice, but the idea is that it will replace our current family car in the future (we also own a 2004 VW Jetta TDI Sport 5 Speed) and I thought that going forward the auto might be nicer for everyone.

To be honest I don't often miss it, the tranny is so smooth and fast.   The only thing I miss is the ability to down shift quickly.

Again, I'm no track'er, I'm a commuter.  I like the idea of having an increasingly sporty car, but for now this fit the bill so perfectly.

This BMW is the first of 12 I have had that has an auto, all others were manny. And, maybe because I'm older, I don't miss the manny.

I hope I don't have that to look forward to as I grow older 

For me if the 128i was an automatic, it would've been a deal breaker. It love the feel and control of driving a manual, though I must admit, auto trannies have come a very long way, and BMW's auto's are fantastic, I wouldn't blame anyone for opting for one.

[tpl]

My BMW was manual. I test drove an E92 auto at length and did not like it...still a slush box however good a slushbox it might be.
I mmediately went and drove the GTI with the DSG and really liked that.   I saw in the Roundel that the M3 now has a DSG-like transmission instead of the SMG and if that transmission migrates to replace all slushboxes no one would be more pleased than me.... might also please my local BMW dealer.

[williewonka]

I went Auto, first car in my life an auto.

The stick was very nice, but the idea is that it will replace our current family car in the future (we also own a 2004 VW Jetta TDI Sport 5 Speed) and I thought that going forward the auto might be nicer for everyone.

To be honest I don't often miss it, the tranny is so smooth and fast.   The only thing I miss is the ability to down shift quickly.

Again, I'm no track'er, I'm a commuter.  I like the idea of having an increasingly sporty car, but for now this fit the bill so perfectly.

The new auto trannys are so fast and so smooth, one really has to think about it. My 535xi is auto (Steptronic) with a "Drive Sport" option. In DS, that sucker holds the revs, and when it shifts, it sounds and feels just like a manny tranny. In regular Drive, it's more of a cruiser, but still, if you put your foot in it, it is quite aggresive.

This BMW is the first of 12 I have had that has an auto, all others were manny. And, maybe because I'm older, I don't miss the manny. Like I said, you can still have a lot of fun in DS. There is also the issue that a manny tranny equiped 5 Series "might" be a bit tougher on resale. Not sure.

I have read some reviews on the 335 saying that the Step was acually 1/10 of sec faster than the manny equipped car. 

Exactly!   I love the DS mode, but I'm surprised how well the "regular" mode is.  Those 0-60 times are always questionable (to me), I'd bet most times these new auto's would blow away the "average" driver on a stick.   Some people claim that the stick allows more control in an emergency, but I wonder about that too (I'm also an Firefighter and emergency personnel).   Most times in an emergceny, stick or not, people (even the best) lock up the brakes and steer away.   Sorry for the rant, but again, I'm surprised how many people look down upon auto drivers.  

tpl, I too drove the DSG GTI and thought it was great, but it didn't take long before I just didn't use it.   a DSG is better than a slush, but I guess I really think it was that much....but again, I'm just a n00b

[Flinter]

Snowman - Thanks for the welcome.

The lease on my 2008 WRX will run out in 2010 so I will also be back comparing the various AWD/manual transmission offerings. The WRX and BMW 3 series will both be high on my list.

Have you had an opportunity to compare your 2006 WRX with the latest gen. WRX? I'd be interested to hear how you think they compare.

[Flinter]

williewonka - Thanks for passing along your test drive impressions from your recent purchase.

I envy you for getting an opportunity to test drive all those great cars but I also pity you for having to make a decision on which one to buy in the end. As you noted, its all about how much you value price, speed, handling, comfort and luxury.

I think you've made a great choice in the 328xi. It certainly was my top pick of the 3 cars I tested. At the time I personally just couldn't justify the extra $ compared to the WRX.

I hope you continue to enjoy your 328xi.

[williewonka]

williewonka - Thanks for passing along your test drive impressions from your recent purchase.

I envy you for getting an opportunity to test drive all those great cars but I also pity you for having to make a decision on which one to buy in the end. As you noted, its all about how much you value price, speed, handling, comfort and luxury.

I think you've made a great choice in the 328xi. It certainly was my top pick of the 3 cars I tested. At the time I personally just couldn't justify the extra $ compared to the WRX.

I hope you continue to enjoy your 328xi.

I totally understand, that argument is how it all started.   I hated my civic loved our Jetta TDI, drove a GTI and LOVED it but it was 34 optioned, so I said, can I justify that price when I could maybe get an Accord or Maxima, I should drive those....which led to, wow a Maxima Optioned is like 37, maybe I should try the G35, which led to, well if I'm testing the G35 may as well test the 328 and A4......

Its almost a never ending process.  Its so hard to judge.   I am curious about the mileage people are getting with their 335's.   I'm getting 9.9-10.7 with the 328xi in winter, curious how much different the 335 is.

[Snowman]

Snowman - Thanks for the welcome.

The lease on my 2008 WRX will run out in 2010 so I will also be back comparing the various AWD/manual transmission offerings. The WRX and BMW 3 series will both be high on my list.

Have you had an opportunity to compare your 2006 WRX with the latest gen. WRX? I'd be interested to hear how you think they compare.

I absolutely love my 2006 Wagon and within weeks I had a COBB Stage 2 and ProTune installed. I would say my 2006 WRX is slightly faster but the handling improvements and sticky OEM tires are a huge leap forward. Considering the WRX 265 is quicker to 100 kph than the STi it will be an easy decision in a few months.

Aesthetics and interior creature comforts are not a concern for me so I have not compared them.

The big reason I am a WRX believer is I will take the $15k saved vs. buying a BMW and spend a fraction of that in the huge aftermarket available. Combine this with the bullet proof reliability I have experienced and I am a huge fan.

[airbalancer]

Definitely big difference between the Sports mode and regular mode in the auto tranny, I do not think I ever drive in normal mode
My wife just keeps in the regular mode whenever she drives and you noticed the difference even as a passenger

[williewonka]

spend a fraction of that in the huge aftermarket available.

So true....so true

[Spec5]

Curious to hear about your BMW experiences with your cars. I know someone who has a 1.5 year old X5 and it has been horrible. Blew something internally - had to be flat bedded to the dealer - four weeks later they finally got parts - she picks it up and it starts overheating as soon as she gets it on the highway.

I'm just curious because CR has been saying that the german stuff the last little while hasn't been very good at all quality wise. They're about on par with the domestics - except Ford which is just behind the Japanese. (Good job on their part for sure!)

[ovr50]

Curious to hear about your BMW experiences with your cars. I know someone who has a 1.5 year old X5 and it has been horrible. Blew something internally - had to be flat bedded to the dealer - four weeks later they finally got parts - she picks it up and it starts overheating as soon as she gets it on the highway.

I'm just curious because CR has been saying that the german stuff the last little while hasn't been very good at all quality wise. They're about on par with the domestics - except Ford which is just behind the Japanese. (Good job on their part for sure!)

I think these new BMWs (since about 2002 or so) are much more complex than before, and have a lot of electrical gadgets included. Problems with such things can get very frustrating as it's ofter hard to pinpoint exactly what is wrong. Overall, I think BMWs are still relatively reliable, but not on par with the good Japanese (but then BMWs are generally more fun to drive than most Japanese cars). I don't think anyone every bought a BMW because it was the highest rated reliability car. Even my old ones in the 70s had a few problems with them, but it's the price paid for the driving experience.

Having said that, my current 535xi has been flawless since day 1 about 15 1/2 months ago. Touch wood and hope I didn't jinx something.... . The one thing I do is put the car on a Battery Tender when I am not using it for several days, particularly in the cold winter months, as all the electrical stuff seems to haul down the battery. The battery tender was inexpensive and an easy solution to that one problem.

Like any make of vehicle, one particular vehicle can be a problem unit, like the X5 in your post seems to be. As one other "infamous" poster likes to say, "no one is building the perfect car yet". 

[Oz]

Curious to hear about your BMW experiences with your cars. I know someone who has a 1.5 year old X5 and it has been horrible. Blew something internally - had to be flat bedded to the dealer - four weeks later they finally got parts - she picks it up and it starts overheating as soon as she gets it on the highway.

I'm just curious because CR has been saying that the german stuff the last little while hasn't been very good at all quality wise. They're about on par with the domestics - except Ford which is just behind the Japanese. (Good job on their part for sure!)

Had her about 8-9 months, driven around 20k kms - including a few track days. Not a single problem so far.

[Flinter]

The big reason I am a WRX believer is I will take the $15k saved vs. buying a BMW and spend a fraction of that in the huge aftermarket available. Combine this with the bullet proof reliability I have experienced and I am a huge fan.

Snowman - As a fellow WRX owner it is tough to argue with your logic 

For example, the 335xDrive reviewed in this forum was $58,300 as tested. It's a great drivers car. However, for that price I think you could get a new WRX265 AND a decent used (S2000 or a Boxster) to play with in the summer 

Tough Call...

[Snowman]

[jamesbr403]

I had a great experience at BMW Gallery in Calgary. My wife was having a little get together with her girlfriends, so I was pushed out of the house for the afternoon. Was randomly driving around, passed BMW Gallery, and thought cool. Went in wearing shorts and a t-shirt and was walking around. A salesman approached me after he noticed me lusting after a 335i. Told him about my interest in the car to which he responded"take it for spin." After photocopying my driver's license I quickly was shown to the car and got in the drivers seat. The salesman got out after showing me the NAV controls, etc. then said "bring it back in one piece!"

I drove the car west of Calgary towards Cochrane and on some secondary roads around Bearspaw and was amazed at the performance of the car. I literally was not prepared for sheer acceleration and braking it was capable off.

Arrived back at the dealer 10-15 minutes later and put a deposit down. Car arrived 4 months later. Got an Alpine White with Dakota Red Leather 335i and black wood trim coupe with the sports package, premium package, no NAV. Wife wasn't happy... All in it was $64K. Today you can get the machine for maybe $58K I would suspect with dealer incentives.

Love the car and my wife has accepted it now since she can drive it (once in a while) Haven't had a single problem and its fantastic on the highway. So effortless to drive it...

[ovr50]

Great story, jamesbr403, got to make the wife unhappy every so often... I know exactly where you are coming from on that one, believe me. 

Sounds like you got a great machine, and the salesman did right in letting you have the unlimited drive, even dressed as you were (some arrogant salesmen would never let a guy in shorts and a tee shirt take out a car like that, alone).

Love it. The car sold itself. 

[Bullet Blue]

I went Auto, first car in my life an auto.

The stick was very nice, but the idea is that it will replace our current family car in the future (we also own a 2004 VW Jetta TDI Sport 5 Speed) and I thought that going forward the auto might be nicer for everyone.

To be honest I don't often miss it, the tranny is so smooth and fast.   The only thing I miss is the ability to down shift quickly.

Again, I'm no track'er, I'm a commuter.  I like the idea of having an increasingly sporty car, but for now this fit the bill so perfectly.

The new auto trannys are so fast and so smooth, one really has to think about it. My 535xi is auto (Steptronic) with a "Drive Sport" option. In DS, that sucker holds the revs, and when it shifts, it sounds and feels just like a manny tranny. In regular Drive, it's more of a cruiser, but still, if you put your foot in it, it is quite aggresive.

This BMW is the first of 12 I have had that has an auto, all others were manny. And, maybe because I'm older, I don't miss the manny. Like I said, you can still have a lot of fun in DS. There is also the issue that a manny tranny equiped 5 Series "might" be a bit tougher on resale. Not sure.

I have read some reviews on the 335 saying that the Step was acually 1/10 of sec faster than the manny equipped car. 

Exactly!   I love the DS mode, but I'm surprised how well the "regular" mode is.  Those 0-60 times are always questionable (to me), I'd bet most times these new auto's would blow away the "average" driver on a stick.   Some people claim that the stick allows more control in an emergency, but I wonder about that too (I'm also an Firefighter and emergency personnel).   Most times in an emergceny, stick or not, people (even the best) lock up the brakes and steer away.   Sorry for the rant, but again, I'm surprised how many people look down upon auto drivers.  

tpl, I too drove the DSG GTI and thought it was great, but it didn't take long before I just didn't use it.   a DSG is better than a slush, but I guess I really think it was that much....but again, I'm just a n00b

I was in no way putting down your choice, or anyone else's, just stating why I always prefer manual over automatic. To each his own. As I said, the BMW DSG is fantastic and I can definitely understand why someone would opt for it.

But the real question is, where are your pics?! 

I had a great experience at BMW Gallery in Calgary. My wife was having a little get together with her girlfriends, so I was pushed out of the house for the afternoon. Was randomly driving around, passed BMW Gallery, and thought cool. Went in wearing shorts and a t-shirt and was walking around. A salesman approached me after he noticed me lusting after a 335i. Told him about my interest in the car to which he responded"take it for spin." After photocopying my driver's license I quickly was shown to the car and got in the drivers seat. The salesman got out after showing me the NAV controls, etc. then said "bring it back in one piece!"

I drove the car west of Calgary towards Cochrane and on some secondary roads around Bearspaw and was amazed at the performance of the car. I literally was not prepared for sheer acceleration and braking it was capable off.

Arrived back at the dealer 10-15 minutes later and put a deposit down. Car arrived 4 months later. Got an Alpine White with Dakota Red Leather 335i and black wood trim coupe with the sports package, premium package, no NAV. Wife wasn't happy... All in it was $64K. Today you can get the machine for maybe $58K I would suspect with dealer incentives.

Love the car and my wife has accepted it now since she can drive it (once in a while) Haven't had a single problem and its fantastic on the highway. So effortless to drive it...

That is kinda the same way I ended up with my BMW. I actually ended up there because I helping my sister and brother and law look at new cars. They were looking at the Mini. While on their test drive, I did a little test drive of my own When they came back, I was in a room talking numbers. Put a deposit down 3 days later!

I was told that I am never to be left alone at the BMW dealership (or any other ones for that matter) anymore.

[Fleet Admiral]

Its almost a never ending process.  Its so hard to judge.   I am curious about the mileage people are getting with their 335's.   I'm getting 9.9-10.7 with the 328xi in winter, curious how much different the 335 is.

You're going to get lower mileage because

A) The engine is not broken in yet,
B) Winter blend gas sucks.

Another thing to consider is that in the early days these 335 had engine overheating problems. And if you own one of these, you better only put in the best oil. Pentosynth 5w40 or Lurbo Molly 5w40 both from ECS tuning. If they're anything like the Audi 2.7T, any kind of turbo failure will result in needing to drop the engine to repair, and your head will explode out of sheer amazement on the repair quote.

And yes, all the cool people do drive Audi.

[ovr50]

Its almost a never ending process.  Its so hard to judge.   I am curious about the mileage people are getting with their 335's.   I'm getting 9.9-10.7 with the 328xi in winter, curious how much different the 335 is.

You're going to get lower mileage because

A) The engine is not broken in yet,
B) Winter blend gas sucks.

Another thing to consider is that in the early days these 335 had engine overheating problems. And if you own one of these, you better only put in the best oil. Pentosynth 5w40 or Lurbo Molly 5w40 both from ECS tuning. If they're anything like the Audi 2.7T, any kind of turbo failure will result in needing to drop the engine to repair, and your head will explode out of sheer amazement on the repair quote.

And yes, all the cool people do drive Audi.

Since Fleet Admiral is/was only a "guest" he/she may not be back. If he/she were back, I would say that a few of the early N54 engines (the TT 3.0L in the 335, 535, etc) had some overheating problems, but this problem has been long since solved. The car that is the subject of this thread is not going to be in that catagory. Nor is mine, built in Oct 07. Secondly, all these engines come with German Castrol Full Synthetic in them. Also, should an engine have such a problem, the warranty would replace it totally.

And, I would add that I would much rather drive a BMW than an Audi (and yes, I have driven both).

Gotta love the internet which gives a forum to all the geniuses (??) of the world. 

[vdk]

I think he was being sarcastic OVR.

ECS Tuning:rofl2:. You working for them Admiral?

I got LubroMolly in my car  - cheapest 505.00 oil I could get my hands on.