[RPM90]

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I drove the 335i today. Sport line with sport auto.
I have also driven the 328i sport line with sport auto.

Both were driven in "sport" mode.
I loved the 328i when I drove it. Very smooth. Engine and trans work smoothly and seamlessly together. Very impressed with the power of the N20.

I wanted/needed to drive the 335i to help me decide which one to get.
Right now I drive a 2009 135i, so I wanted to see the power difference and overall balance, as the 335i has a bit more weight up front.

As per usual, the 335i is a fine automobile. Since it was equally optioned like the 328i sport there is no perceived difference in overall cabin, seating, and look, other than the 335i has dual exhaust.
The 335i I drove had 18's, which is what I plan on ordering.

Braking. Even though the 335i has bigger brakes, there was no difference in pedal feel or stopping power compared to the 328i. This of course was on a test drive, and I wasn't really pushing hard either. On a spirited drive, I would think the larger 335i brakes may offer better cooling and less prone to fade, but I can't really say definitively as I didn't test that. The 335i I drove had good pedal feel. The only odd thing is when I would come off the brake pedal, sometimes there was a noticeable "thunk" as the pedal snapped back up into place. My 135i doesn't do that, and the 328i didn't either, nor more E46 325i. It could just be this particular 335i. Overall, impressive.

Power/Engine. Yes, POWER. As you can guess, or already know, the 335i's N55 is the more powerful engine and it clearly shows itself to be just that, powerful. However, is it immensely more powerful than the N20? I would have to say, no. It's clearly more powerful and that power shows itself more as you approach mid rpm, but off the line the N20 builds and gives it's torque very early in the rev band, as does the N55. For daily driving there really isn't that much noticeable difference. Both engines come off the line strongly. WFO standing start would give the 335i an advantage, and start to show itself as you go past say 40mph and onward.
The engine is very smooth as inline 6's are legendary for that.
Auto stop/start was not active, so at a stop there are no vibes to speak of while sitting still in gear. Same can be said for the 328i's N20, surprisingly as most inline 4's tend to have some vibes especially when idling in gear. Overall smoothness I'll give it to the N55, as it's "smooth" was butter and cream, the N20 is butter and milk.

Handling. This is where it gets fuzzy. The 328i felt more nimble and a bit more responsive to initial turn in. The 335i I drove did have the optional variable sport steering. At parking lot speeds it felt a bit lighter than the 328i without it. Since I didn't do any corner carving on my test drive, I can't speak to the progressive ratio increase at greater steering angle.
Ride quality is very nice in both 328i an 335i with sport suspension.
However, in the 335i I could detect a slight softness in the ride that seem as obvious in the 328i. As others have commented, this sport suspension feel softer than sport suspension in previous 3's like the E90 and E46. My E46 sport suspension was firmer, yet the ride was just as nice. But my E46 felt sportier as it felt nicely firmer. The F30 sport suspension seems to be more of a "luxury sport suspension" rather than a "sport suspension". I wish it were firmer, as that's more to my liking.
The softness felt a bit more obvious in the 335i than the 328i.
Overall, a proper drivers 3 should include the sport suspension.

Sport auto trans:
This is where th 328i outdoes the 335i. The connection between engine and trans felt clearly more symbiotic in the 328 over the 335i I drove.
Perhaps it's due to the 328i have a bit less torque and thus melds better with the 8spd auto. Also, the 328i's sport auto felt very fast and very responsive, and especially very smooth. The 335i's didn't feel as connected. There was a bit more lag in auto mode when pressing on the throttle. Where the 328i would respond with a very quick downshift and GO, the 335i has a hesitation that was obvious to me. Maybe this 335i needs a few more miles, don't know. Both cars were driving in "sport" mode to make the comparison equal.

Little things:
I've complained about this before and of course it's the same in the 335i as it is in the 328i. The seat belt latch is way too far down towards the right hip, and there isn't much room to get your hand in there as the middle dash tunnel is rather wide. For me, I'll have to get an extension and all will be well.
Ingress and egress is very nice in this larger 3 sedan, where as the B pillar in the E90 and E46 was farther forward.

The HK audio package upgrade is nice. There is a lot of volume for driving at 80mph with the windows down. Overall though, it's really NOT worth the $950 asking price. I will be ordering though as the standard audio just isn't quite loud enough for me.
I think the HK audio upgrade should either be a $500 upgrade, or really it should be standard. Take out the silly surround processors, decrease the speaker count, use the same adjustments and amplifier and call it the base stock audio system, and more customers will be happy.

Conclusion:
New F30, excellent automobile. Great style and execution. Roomy where it needs to be, driver oriented where it needs to be. Did it need to grow?
Not in my opinion. The added size really shows in back seat room. Luckily it didn't ruin the driver "cockpit" feel.
The sport seats are beyond reproach and are better in every way to the former sport seats, which were fantastic in their own right. Yet, BMW improved them anyway with great success.

Which one for me?
My initial response without over thinking it, 328i sport line or Msport.
Why? It felt smoother, and the mechanical's felt to be in greater harmony. Plus, the lighter handling feel is a bonus.
The 335i has the distinct power advantage, and that's it really.
For the extra money you're getting more power and not really anything more. Is the added power worth the $4000+, when optioned equally?
That's an individuals call to make, as we each value different things and have different wants and desires for our cars.
For me, I think it will be a 328i Msport if I decide to wait for September delivery. If not, then the 328i sport line.

If I think about it more, I want the 335i, but that's more about the power than anything else, as I didn't feel anything superior in the 335i over the 328i other than the beautiful N55 power.

I'm staying with the 18's, and will be swapping to high performance all seasons in late Oct. or early Nov. and I plan to put on 235's all around, or 245's if they'll fit. I just like the look of wider tires on sport model BMW's. The 225's, though competent, just don't look the part, especially when you look at it from the rear.
The Msport comes with staggered sizing. If I go Msport, then I'll try 235 front and 265 rear, if they fit.

[Maz335i]

+1

Excellent unbiased review!!!

Really enjoyed reading your review and now feel confident on my choice!

[RASHID007]

Thank you for this review.

[Ron Scott]

You said a lot of what I felt too, thanks.

I'm currently considering passing on the F30 altogether given the aenimic 2013 option choices, but I would go with the 335 xDrive if I buy one. Why? 3's have been for years BMW's big money maker, a "volume car". I gotta believe the 328 is THE most popular car in my parking LIRR parking lot on Long Island; everybody from the high-school crowd to your grandma is behind that wheel out here. The 335 separates that thing from the pack, at least for BMW, and offers a bit more punch and feel.

One of our moderators comments from time to time that bimmer 3s are just sporty family cars. I'm starting to believe it...

[G80_Soom]

Good review but the 335i does not only have the power advantage but also the sound and smoothness advantage. Drove the 328 and it does not sound like a BMW at all. Sounds like your average Japanese 4-cylinder in the cabin and a diesel on the outside during idle. Barely heared the engine from the inside. The engine rev sounds terrible as well. The dual exhaust look/sound plus the sound of the N55 alone is worth the price difference over the 328 imo. I will be happily paying the extra 4 grand for my 335i M-Sport for September delivery. Inline-6 FTW!

For those who haven't heard the difference yet, here you go...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=8rmoYAfr0t8

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by Sumithb13

Good review but the 335i does not only have the power advantage but also the sound and smoothness advantage. Drove the 328 and it does not sound like a BMW at all. Sounds like your average Japanese 4-cylinder in the cabin and a diesel on the outside during idle. Barely heared the engine from the inside. The engine rev sounds terrible as well. The dual exhaust look/sound plus the sound of the N55 alone is worth the price difference over the 328 imo. I will be happily paying the extra 4 grand for my 335i M-Sport for September delivery. Inline-6 FTW!

For those who haven't heard the difference yet, here you go...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=8rmoYAfr0t8

Cool.
As I said, we each value different things, and there's not right/wrong in that.
There isn't any need for which one "wins" or which is "better".

For me, there isn't much sound difference as the 3 is so well insulated/isolated from the outside sounds that there really isn't much to hear. I did have the windows down.
Yes, the N55 is a nice sounding engine. My 135i with the N54 also has a nice sound, but in my 1 the engine sound comes through louder even with the windows up.

The N20 sounds good to me though. It's not as deep as a 3.0 liter, but I don't find it bad nor sounding at all like a typical 4 cylinder.
I kinda like that "diesel" sound. The N54 and N55 have it too due to direct injection. I think it's just a bit more subdued as the overall engine and exhaust tend to drown it out on throttle. At idle though, it's there.

Smoothness? As I said, I find the N54/N55 to be smoother than the N20, but the N20 is surprisingly smooth, thanks to BMW building very nice balanced engines.

To me, the best sounding BMW engine is the NA 3.0. None of BMW's turbo engines can hold a candle to the sweet mechanical cacophony of a NA inline 6, especially once it gets past 5K rpm. They sound like shrieking race engines.
Turbo systems dampen that cool sound.

Personally, I've had enough of that debate over the years, 128i vs 135i, 328i vs 335i, etc..
I hope this thread doesn't turn into that.
If you love it, then it's great, excellent choice. No reason to think one "wins" over the other, unless you're actually racing. Speed test, I'll put my money on the 335i.
Please don't take that personally.

[verbs]

A few reviews I've read commented that the optional 19" wheels with staggered setup on the 335i offered better grip than the 328i. They're not a bad deal for only $900 more. I have yet to drive both tire setups so it's hard to tell.

http://www.bmwblog.com/2012/02/05/bm...mw-335i-sport/

Surprisingly, the 19-inch run flats felt very grippy and even with DCT off and a happy right foot. The BMW Style 401 wheels with 19 inch 225/40 R19, 19×8.5, 255/35 R19 optional tire setup for an additional $900 are worth the extra cost on the Sport Line. They will help to visually set the 335i Sport Line apart from the base 328i Sport Line and seem to hold the tarmac with a death grip compared to the non-staggered 18 inch standard wheel setup which had a tendency to relinquish it’s hold of the road well before the 19’s.

Another comment I was going to make is that the $6000 price difference for 2013 between the two cars isn't just the engine.

328i comes with 17" wheels vs. 18" wheels standard on the 335i. And only the 335i can come with 19" wheels as an option from the factory.

In addition, the 335i comes with the following items standard, that the 328i does not:

anti theft alarm ($400 option on 328i)
xenon headlights/adaptive light control ($900 option on 328i)
moonroof ($1050 option on 328i)
dark burl walnut trim ($500 option on 328i)

Another consideration is that all the various line packages (sportline, M-sport, luxury, etc.) cost $600-$800 more on the 328i vs. the 335i.


I'm not sure what price tag you put on the bigger standard wheels and the above options, but I'd say that the options and bigger wheels added onto the BMW make up about $3500 of the $6000 MSRP difference between the 2012-2013 models.

Then you've got to take into consideration the additional costs of the line packages on the 328i, and what other features the 335i has over the 328i such as bigger brakes. It doesn't make that engine upgrade seem so expensive in my opinion when you look at all these other areas.

[Maz335i]

Originally Posted by verbs

A few reviews I've read commented that the optional 19" wheels with staggered setup on the 335i offered better grip than the 328i. They're not a bad deal for only $900 more. I have yet to drive both tire setups so it's hard to tell.

http://www.bmwblog.com/2012/02/05/bm...mw-335i-sport/

Another comment I was going to make is that the $6000 price difference for 2013 between the two cars isn't just the engine.

328i comes with 17" wheels vs. 18" wheels standard on the 335i. And only the 335i can come with 19" wheels as an option from the factory.

In addition, the 335i comes with the following items standard, that the 328i does not:

anti theft alarm ($400 option on 328i)
xenon headlights/adaptive light control ($900 option on 328i)
moonroof ($1050 option on 328i)
dark burl walnut trim ($500 option on 328i)

Another consideration is that all the various line packages (sportline, M-sport, luxury, etc.) cost $600-$800 more on the 328i vs. the 335i.


I'm not sure what price tag you put on the bigger standard wheels and the above options, but I'd say that the options and bigger wheels added onto the BMW make up about $3500 of the $6000 MSRP difference between the 2012-2013 models.

Then you've got to take into consideration the additional costs of the line packages on the 328i, and what other features the 335i has over the 328i such as bigger brakes. It doesn't make that engine upgrade seem so expensive in my opinion when you look at all these other areas.

This stands true for American buyers. Totally different over the border here in Canada.

Xenons are standard on the 328i and we get the 18" wheels standard too... Alarm is included in the premium package.

All in all, the difference is definitely more than $5000 because I spent a lot of time trying to convince myself to go for the 335i. I've done all sorts of calculations and played around with the builds to favor the 335i.

If I wasn't planning on getting the M Sports package or doing the mods I plan to, I'd definitely get the 335i. But because of this, I plan to save the $5000-$6000 by not going for the 335i and get what I want on the 328i.

Plus after my mods and the change in exhaust, my "328i" is gonna be M3 material!!!

I've got a really cool project planned out and have an average budget to work around with... I'll definitely show you guys my final project and why I went with the 328i option...

If I had some extra cash lying around and doing a lease, I'd be going for the 335i...

[verbs]

Originally Posted by Maz335i

This stands true for American buyers. Totally different over the border here in Canada.

Xenons are standard on the 328i and we get the 18" wheels standard too... Alarm is included in the premium package.

All in all, the difference is definitely more than $5000 because I spent a lot of time trying to convince myself to go for the 335i. I've done all sorts of calculations and played around with the builds to favor the 335i.

If I wasn't planning on getting the M Sports package or doing the mods I plan to, I'd definitely get the 335i. But because of this, I plan to save the $5000-$6000 by not going for the 335i and get what I want on the 328i.

Plus after my mods and the change in exhaust, my "328i" is gonna be M3 material!!!

I've got a really cool project planned out and have an average budget to work around with... I'll definitely show you guys my final project and why I went with the 328i option...

If I had some extra cash lying around and doing a lease, I'd be going for the 335i...

Ah, didn't see the Mississauga. I even used to work for a huge company based there.

Yeah, you definitely get shaft on that one.

[Bmwphile]

Originally Posted by RPM90

Braking. The only odd thing is when I would come off the brake pedal, sometimes there was a noticeable "thunk" as the pedal snapped back up into place. My 135i doesn't do that, and the 328i didn't either, nor more E46 325i. It could just be this particular 335i. Overall, impressive.

.

Great review RPM90! Your opinion and views is very similar to those I have been reading to date. Congratulations

Could the brake "thunk" be related to the Brake Energy Regeneration System?

[G80_Soom]

Originally Posted by RPM90

Cool.
As I said, we each value different things, and there's not right/wrong in that.
There isn't any need for which one "wins" or which is "better".

For me, there isn't much sound difference as the 3 is so well insulated/isolated from the outside sounds that there really isn't much to hear. I did have the windows down.
Yes, the N55 is a nice sounding engine. My 135i with the N54 also has a nice sound, but in my 1 the engine sound comes through louder even with the windows up.

The N20 sounds good to me though. It's not as deep as a 3.0 liter, but I don't find it bad nor sounding at all like a typical 4 cylinder.
I kinda like that "diesel" sound. The N54 and N55 have it too due to direct injection. I think it's just a bit more subdued as the overall engine and exhaust tend to drown it out on throttle. At idle though, it's there.

Smoothness? As I said, I find the N54/N55 to be smoother than the N20, but the N20 is surprisingly smooth, thanks to BMW building very nice balanced engines.

To me, the best sounding BMW engine is the NA 3.0. None of BMW's turbo engines can hold a candle to the sweet mechanical cacophony of a NA inline 6, especially once it gets past 5K rpm. They sound like shrieking race engines.
Turbo systems dampen that cool sound.

Personally, I've had enough of that debate over the years, 128i vs 135i, 328i vs 335i, etc..
I hope this thread doesn't turn into that.
If you love it, then it's great, excellent choice. No reason to think one "wins" over the other, unless you're actually racing. Speed test, I'll put my money on the 335i.
Please don't take that personally.

Oh, nothing personal man. I agree with you with the NA I6. Although, I do have to disagree with the best sounding BMW engine. S54 with CSL airbox. If the 328i had a NA I6 no doubt, I would be going with that. The sound and smoothness of the I6 is very important to me. To some it's not a deal breaker. I just felt you were selling the 335 a little short. Which ever one you get/got, it's a fantastic car and you didn't make the wrong choice either way.

[CanadianDriver]

thanks for the great review. it helps clear out some things =)

[grimlock]

What if they made a f30 330i like they still have a f10 530i with the N53 @272hp?
That would be the ultimate. Could they bring it back in 1-2years?
At the f30's weight, that drivetrain would be killer..

[Maz335i]

Originally Posted by grimlock

What if they made a f30 330i like they still have a f10 530i with the N53 @272hp?
That would be the ultimate. Could they bring it back in 1-2years?
At the f30's weight, that drivetrain would be killer..

+1 (we can still dream! )

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by verbs

A few reviews I've read commented that the optional 19" wheels with staggered setup on the 335i offered better grip than the 328i. They're not a bad deal for only $900 more. I have yet to drive both tire setups so it's hard to tell.

http://www.bmwblog.com/2012/02/05/bm...mw-335i-sport/




Another comment I was going to make is that the $6000 price difference for 2013 between the two cars isn't just the engine.

328i comes with 17" wheels vs. 18" wheels standard on the 335i. And only the 335i can come with 19" wheels as an option from the factory.

In addition, the 335i comes with the following items standard, that the 328i does not:

anti theft alarm ($400 option on 328i)
xenon headlights/adaptive light control ($900 option on 328i)
moonroof ($1050 option on 328i)
dark burl walnut trim ($500 option on 328i)

Another consideration is that all the various line packages (sportline, M-sport, luxury, etc.) cost $600-$800 more on the 328i vs. the 335i.


I'm not sure what price tag you put on the bigger standard wheels and the above options, but I'd say that the options and bigger wheels added onto the BMW make up about $3500 of the $6000 MSRP difference between the 2012-2013 models.

Then you've got to take into consideration the additional costs of the line packages on the 328i, and what other features the 335i has over the 328i such as bigger brakes. It doesn't make that engine upgrade seem so expensive in my opinion when you look at all these other areas.

I'm very aware of those things, and have pointed much of the very same information you just did.
In my review above I state the price difference for the configuration I built in 328i and 335i. I want the same things in either car in terms of options and features. So, I took all that in to account. Equally optioned, the 2012 335i sport line will cost me $4100 more than the 328i.
As built the only significant difference is the engine.
A lesser significance is the brakes. There are larger in the 335i. As I stated in my review, overall braking performance is great in both cars with nearly nothing to report in difference in daily driving.
Again, the 3's I'm comparing are as equal as they can be, except for engine and brakes. $4100 more for the N55 and the larger brakes.
Each has to decide for him/her self what they like, and what they want to spend their money on.

I'm still leaning towards a 328i Msport, and it's not about the lower cost.
Either price is well within my budget and what I would pay.
For me, it's about the automobile, in particular how things work and feel when working together, the whole.
I had a better feel and experience driving the 328i sport line. That's what's got me going in that direction.

Thanks for your comments and input, but I think you missed some details when reading my review.
It's all good.

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by Bmwphile

Great review RPM90! Your opinion and views is very similar to those I have been reading to date. Congratulations

Could the brake "thunk" be related to the Brake Energy Regeneration System?

I don't think so.
I think it's just a mechanical thing. The return spring seems plenty strong and pulls the pedal nicely and quickly up. I'll bet it's the stop pad where the pedal hits it. The material is probably a bit harder than it could be.
If my 3 has this sound, it should be easy to fix by putting some foam material where the stop point is.

Also, this doesn't happen on every brake moment. It's more likely when driving a bit faster when you're on the brake and then back to the throttle quickly. Instead of slowly releasing the brake pedal, I moved my foot quickly off it and it snaps up and the "thudnk" sounds. Nothing major, I just happened to notice it.

[Maz335i]

As long as they can offer me the 328i M Sport, that'll be my final choice.

However I did hear a rumor that this might not be offered to the Canadian market. This has gotten me worried and is a deal breaker as far I'm concerned.

Let's see what the next few days bring me...

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by Sumithb13

Oh, nothing personal man. I agree with you with the NA I6. Although, I do have to disagree with the best sounding BMW engine. S54 with CSL airbox. If the 328i had a NA I6 no doubt, I would be going with that. The sound and smoothness of the I6 is very important to me. To some it's not a deal breaker. I just felt you were selling the 335 a little short. Which ever one you get/got, it's a fantastic car and you didn't make the wrong choice either way.

Never intended to sell the 335i short at all. After all, I've got a 135i and must support the cause.
Just giving my impressions of a comparison between the 2.
I have NO complaints about the N55 engine, none.

It's also harder to do a comparison when you have to use memory of one of the cars to compare to the one you're now driving.
I asked if the SA had a 328i sport line we could drive for a back to back to back comparo, but none on the lot.

Yes, I do need to clarify about "best sounding BMW engine".
I meant/should have said, "any of the NA inline 6's", which of course includes the S54 at 3.2 displacement.

In the world of 4 cylinder engines my absolute favorite is a V4. I had a 1994 Honda VFR750 with a V4 engine. WOW. My favorite motorcycle engine of all time. What a great sound it made. One day I took the whole exhaust off, complete after the manifold back. Fired it up in the garage and was SHOCKED at how cool and powerful a .75 liter engine could sound.

2nd place goes to boxer 4's, namely Subaru. Love that funky tune and note.