[amnesiac]

ANOTHER 335i test drive thread? Yes, so shut up and listen.

I took my test drive at Long Beach BMW - I had previously reserved at South Bay BMW but apparently they sold their demo car more or less five minutes before I had arrived.

My thoughts on styling: (in person vs. on paper)
It's classy but subdued. In TiAg it's very low-key and almost "plain" looking. The angles reflect well with black, though. This is truly a car that would benefit from a brighter or non-standard color like the Montego Blue or Arctic White. Every time I see the car it seems a hell of a lot smaller in person. This is to be expected, since the wide-angle lenses of BMW's photographers tend to distort the dimensions of the car, and even if you see it in comparison to others in a photograph, it's still difficult to judge. I likened it to meeting a movie star like Dustin Hoffman in person. Big on screen, small in life (he's like 5'6").
I realize that it's very nearly the same dimensions as the 330i but it still feels smaller.

The interior - sans iDrive, is standard BMW, which is a good thing. The instrument panel seems less cluttered than in years past but overall it's still just spartan rows of square amber-lit buttons. Seats are very comfortable. Ride height is very low compared to my Titan (duh) but not prohibitively so; it doesn't feel like your ass is scratching pavement like it does in, say, an RX-7.
At night, the cabin is flush with soft ambient lighting; enough to give it an almost limousine-like feel but not enough to be distracting while driving.


Now, the driving:
Let me preface this with saying the only other BMW I've driven is the 2006 328i sedan (test drive a few months ago). That was a refreshing change from my usual ride, handling was capable, but acceleration was anemic and it really felt like the 6-cylinder engine was protesting lugging 3 people on the highway.

I sat down in the 335i coupe after the SA brought us to a quiet corner of Long Beach outside the jurisdiction of the Signal Hill police. I got in, and tapped the accelerator. The vehicle lunged forward 30 feet before I had the wits to brake at the stop sign.
The 335i likes to go. This car is industrial strength, it's not made for namby-pamby lightfoot driving around town. It needs big tearing curves and long straightaways otherwise it's just not happy.
Start pushing down the gas and you're at 40 before you've even registered you're moving. 60 comes in a blink of an eye afterward. I hit 85 on Bellflower before I even realized I was speeding. Taking 70-degree turns at 45mph was the best I could do with my conservative driving habits (trucks don't like corners) but it could easily do much more.

I hear the same questions asked over and over - Turbo lag? Steptronic shift delay?
Let me put it this way: This car can do everything you want it to do, do it faster, and most likely will have already finished doing whatever it was you wanted done, well before you start thinking about it.

Turbo Lag: ZERO. The car ALWAYS pulls, whether from a standstill or at highway speeds.

Steptronic: This is VERY capable. The throttle blipping is nice. Response is instantaneous, not that fake auto-stick handholding crap you find in Chryslers. I think even diehard 6MT fans will find something to like about the paddle shifters.


Overall: SOLD SOLD SOLD. If you are coming from anything slower, you WILL get tickets driving this thing because it MUST go from point A to B like a cat set on fire. Any less and it growls angrily at you for holding back - which brings me to the exhaust note. It is a full-blown GROWL. It makes no attempt to hide the ridiculous power of the engine nor does it sound any "bigger" than it's supposed to. The in-cockpit sound is perfectly audible for driving feedback but not loud enough to be distracting.

The test drive was free. I would pay for it again, because it was easily as much fun as an amusement park ride, and I've never gotten out of a car with my heart pounding so heavily (except in high school after prom night, but that's for different reasons entirely).

Haven't test driven one yet? Do it. Do it.

[DerekS]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading your impressions.
Thank you for sharing them !

[Zeroday]

these reviews are killing me. i want my car now!!

[danielt]

great review amnesiac!!

[CirrusSR22]

Re: the transmission, the latest issue of Roundel raved over it too.

[Kenny C]

I couldn't tell if you liked the car.

[mj41]

Parked next to my 330i the 335i is quite a bit longer both wheelbase wise as well as interior in my opinon. The one thing that is neat is the length of the hood vs my 330. Quite a bit longer, and a lot sleeker!

[flush01]

i was thinking to lease 328 but damn, everyone reviews 335 and i have 2nd thoughts... i gatta go test them

[visor]

Originally Posted by flush01

i was thinking to lease 328 but damn, everyone reviews 335 and i have 2nd thoughts... i gatta go test them

Don't test drive it!

Because to do so is to fall in love with it!

Seriously, go for the 335i if you can stretch it, because the consensus is that the 328i is not worth it for what BMW is asking for...

[irowharderthanyou]

the thread title says "355"

I'll take one

[abc]

consensus? from where is this tallying up?

[amnesiac]

Originally Posted by abc

consensus? from where is this tallying up?

If you account for the value-added features in the 335 vs. the 328 (i.e. rims, logic7, power seats), the engine upgrade is only like ~$2000 for a MASSIVE performance increase.

Getting a 328i seems really silly in comparison unless you plan on owning it and are just skeptical of the reliability of the TT engine in 5+ years. Gas mileage is identical between the two as well.

[Zirenz2006]

Nice review! Thanks!

[F32Fleet]

You're right about the interior. It is slightly narrower than the E90.

[abc]

Originally Posted by amnesiac

If you account for the value-added features in the 335 vs. the 328 (i.e. rims, logic7, power seats), the engine upgrade is only like ~$2000 for a MASSIVE performance increase.

Getting a 328i seems really silly in comparison unless you plan on owning it and are just skeptical of the reliability of the TT engine in 5+ years. Gas mileage is identical between the two as well.

that's true... why'd they price it like this or option it like this..they want to sell the 335 and not the 328?

anyone recall the msrp of the e46, 325 & 330 vs. e92, 328 & 335?

[MrSilver]

Originally Posted by visor

Seriously, go for the 335i if you can stretch it, because the consensus is that the 328i is not worth it for what BMW is asking for...

Agreed.

Great review

[flush01]

i went today for a test drive.... DAMNNNNNNNNNNN, that thing is nice, gatta build up $ now for it...

[Phil G]

Originally Posted by abc

that's true... why'd they price it like this or option it like this..they want to sell the 335 and not the 328?

anyone recall the msrp of the e46, 325 & 330 vs. e92, 328 & 335?

Can't remember exact numbers, but I'd wanna say that for '06 the 325ci started around $32k and the 330ci around $36k (maybe $37k). I agree with the above post too. I just took a 335i (space grey, coral red int, ZPP, ZSP) for a test drive yesterday, and the last time I felt that pushed back into my seat is when my buddy took me for a ride in his '00 Porsche 911 C2 Cabrio (and the 335i even felt like it had the SLIGHTEST edge!). The 335 slammed me back into my seat no matter what gear or speed when I stomped on the gas. I want one now!!

[OVRSTR]

That review gave me wood! :rocks:

[findtom]

Haha... awesome review. I love the power description.

[NuovoTech]

Gas mileage is identical between the two as well...

Not according to BMW 328i=20/30 vs 335i=19/29mpg, both for MT. Over the long haul I see no reason why the lighter 328i should not get slightly better mileage...especially when you consider that folks are more apt to wind out the turboed 335i.

[stressdoc]

The 335 has DI, hence the comparable gas mileage with the 328.

I agree with the review 1000%. The bi-turbo engine, the new steptronic, and the car overall are really quite amazing.