[6spdTanzM4]

I'm in an E92 335i with Stage 1+ FMIC right now and rented a new 328i (base model/stripper - no options) for a business trip and was thoroughly impressed. I haven't driven the new 335i but I was plenty happy in the 328i with the 4 cylinder turbo. Gas mileage was averaging close to 28-30 mpg city/highway combo and it seemed to have a lot of pep. The auto tranny was quick shifting and there were a lot of upgrades from the E92. If you lean more towards appreciation for a quick enough car with way better MPG vs. all out speed, I'd go 328i.

[mosborn78108]

I came out of a 2013 Frozen Blue M3 and now have a 2013 335i M Sport.

The insurance in Germany (USAA) is $1,200 per year less expensive than the M3.
Normal driving in the 335i Is excellent and long trips on the autobahn at 80+ mph to 155mph
Still returns 30.2 mpg

Is a very comfortable ride and very quick when needed. Next spring I'm taking it to Nurburgring.

[XenaBimmer]

No way! I came from a 997.2 Cayman S PDK and am very happy with the 328; BMS stage 1 has just even further sealed the deal! ;-)

[MrClean]

I, too, came from a Cayman S (no PDK) and am very happy with my 428i, which also has BMS stage 1. Plenty quick and agile.

[shoptb]

328i M-Sport with BMS Stage 1 - no regrets at all...love my MPGs and Performance in the same car

[Vervain]

Wow lots of love for the 328i here!

I'm surprised that this thread is also civilized, especially regarding the topic..

[elistan]

After a bit over 30k miles with my 328i so far, I don't have any desire for a 335i.

[sevalley]

I'm about to hit 1000 miles on my new 428i. I have not once wanted more power from this car, which delivers power so perfectly when gunning it in Sport mode.

[ropaul]

I'd be interested in the inverse question, of 335/435 owners who would go for the turbo 4 instead if they could do it all over again. Should be another thread though (and probably already is somewhere here), don't want to threadjack.

I was impressed by the 328/428s I test drove, but felt I needed to gun it while in Sport most of the time to enjoy the drive. I'm guessing I would have been happy going that route while saving a decent amount on the monthly payments, but ultimately I couldn't resist the pull and smoothness of the inline 6.

[tjh94607]

Originally Posted by sevalley

I'm about to hit 1000 miles on my new 428i. I have not once wanted more power from this car, which delivers power so perfectly when gunning it in Sport mode.

Thanks for the confirmation.

I will be very happy with 428 with 435's dual exhaust and sound. I just don't want to install after-market dual-exhast for 428.

It might sound crazy, if i get 435 is because i just got to have dual-exhaust...

[sevalley]

I agree that I love dual exhaust! I'm leasing or else that would prob be one of my top mods. You may as well go 435. Dual exhaust and dinan tuner on 428 will probably cost as much as the 428-435 price diff.

[Dominican_Me]

I can't talk about the 335 but I drove a 328 for a month and then switch to a 320 and I could tell the difference in power as soon as I put in drive. You can really notice it, specially in sport mode.

[XenaBimmer]

Originally Posted by Dominican_Me

I can't talk about the 335 but I drove a 328 for a month and then switch to a 320 and I could tell the difference in power as soon as I put in drive. You can really notice it, specially in sport mode.

My wife has a 320, and its night and day difference between driving it and my 328. BMS stage 1 is a definite good investment!

[Mahzari]

Hit 37,000 miles in my 328i Sport Line and I love my car. I am a little more than 30 months into my 36 month lease and my car is ridiculously cheap for how much I enjoy it. With that being said, I will most likely lease an M235i or 335i M-Sport when this lease ends. There is no need to have the bigger engine but an equivalently specced 328i M-Sport would be a negligible difference per month, so why not?

Plus you get the inline-6 sound, which is the only real thing missing from the 328i.

[pazzo]

I went from a 335i Sport to 328i M-Sport and prefer the 328i. Plenty of power for real world driving.

[porsche911c4s]

Power is definitely there in the 328, just wish it sounded better. Otherwise, no I don't regret not getting a 335.

[focal]

no regrets on the 328i, the money saved allowed me to add the MPS, MPE, better tires and aftermarket audio. The efficiency over the 335 is noticeable. I calculated the insurance and gas savings in a year to easily be $500. Over the ownership of the car (7-10 years) and that's significant.

I also like to think the 328i saves me a bit more money. I would have wanted to add the MPS/coils, MPE, LSD ($$), audio and power pack. Also, I would have paid more with AWD and spec'd a 335xi 6MT since AWD, 6MT and N20 combination wasn't possible.

in the end it was a calculated value play to go with the N20. Even if money wasn't an issue, the savings are material over the life of the car. I don't throw that much extra money into a depreciating lifestyle asset.

[Professor///M]

Originally Posted by ropaul

I'd be interested in the inverse question, of 335/435 owners who would go for the turbo 4 instead if they could do it all over again. Should be another thread though (and probably already is somewhere here), don't want to threadjack.

I was impressed by the 328/428s I test drove, but felt I needed to gun it while in Sport most of the time to enjoy the drive. I'm guessing I would have been happy going that route while saving a decent amount on the monthly payments, but ultimately I couldn't resist the pull and smoothness of the inline 6.

Having owned 2 N52s, 2 N55s, and 1 N20, I would honestly say the N55 is the winner of them all.

I'd rank N55, N52, N20. While the output of the N20 is greater than the N52, I always feel like the N20 is just going to give up. It doesn't give me reassurance that it's getting the job done. The N55 and N52 feel like unbreakable workhorses, and both are capable of thrusting you back in your seat. The N20 gives you a gentile tug.


I have also found that the build quality of the larger engine vehicles tend to be better, this may be sheer coincidence.


I would rate the N20 as "good enough" and an impressive mix of power and fuel economy.

It, amongst its N52 predecessor, was not able to bring me the driving joy of the other engines.

But that's just me and my experience with them.

[JJS]

The N20 is a gem of an engine, and does a superb job of masking the fact it displaces only two litres with four pots. I was pretty well settled on buying a 328i, but then I made the mistake (genius stroke) of testing a 335i. The midrange surge of the N55 is palpably better than the N20. I'd describe it as effortless compared to the hardworking N20.

With the 8AT, the difference between the N20 and N55 in daily driving is largely academic. But if you prefer the 6MT, I suspect you'll find you need to stir the stick on an N20 a fair bit more often to make the same progress as a 6MT N55.

[sevalley]

I am up to 2500 miles on my 428i coupe and last week I switched cars with my brothers 335i sedan. It may be the difference of coupe vs. sedan, but I really liked my car better. It felt more grounded and balanced, although the 335 had a bit more pickup at higher RPMs, the torque felt the same on the low end, as did the sound when accelerating. It still amazes me the marvelous job BMW has done with this 2turbo 4 engine.

[bill1718]

i dont regret getting my 435i

[ji99lypuff]

I did at first and then when i read about all the limp mode issues i gave a sigh of relief. It seems as though the 4 cylinder may have better reliability than the 6 cylinder. However, having said that when my lease is up i may switch up to the 6 cylinder