[BashShah]

Ok I already have a 2007 335i.
4door, auto.

I saw a 2012 335i F30
4dr, Manual. 24k km.

Which would you keep?

My e90, zero issues, fully maintained.... Always.
Turbos hav't failed yet and I am at 90km or 60k miles roughly.

I really want a manual, but heard that the auto is better in the F30 line.

Let's pretend, no warranty on either...., which would you prefer as a daily driver?

DN

[tturedraider]

Either. 60k miles is not many. Does your E90 have the sport package? The F30 has somewhat different characteristics than the E90. The deciding question is probably how much you want a manual tranny.

[BashShah]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Either. 60k miles is not many. Does your E90 have the sport package? The F30 has somewhat different characteristics than the E90. The deciding question is probably how much you want a manual tranny.

I really, Really want the manual tranny.
But not going to performance mod it at all.
Just esthetic mods and possibly suspension mods.

DN

[DrivenByE30]

If your E90 was a manual, i guess we wouldnt have any issue and you can just keep driving it.

But since it is an auto, i would say switch to the F30 8 speed auto or manual (either one makes no difference since they are both so good). The auto on the E90 on the other hand, is just terrible!!!

But Make the switch only on one condition:
Mod the suspension if the F30 you are eyeing is either a modern or luxury line. The stock suspension on those F30 lines are too bouncy compared to the E90... su much so that it doesnt feel pleasant.

The sport or Msport suspension of the F30 should be more acceptable.

The f30 will feel like a bigger car than the E90, so the suspension mod is something i would highly suggest. .. i hate me luxury suspension, but my wife is not ok for me to spend money on the swap...

The auto is really good, and as i Manual die hard, i totally approve of it.
So in case you are still considering sticking with the auto, its nothing like the E90 auto.

But if you are an unconditional for manual like myself, there is just no replacement for the involvment of the manual.
Manual is the familar BM feel, so nothing to worry about here.

[nicknaz]

If you really want the manual, switch the car. Life's too short. F30 is a great daily driver. Interior and in cabin tech is much improved. I daily drove an E90 for 4 years and it was a great car, but I like F30 better

By the way, the best would be to keep the 07 335 and take advantage of the cheap swap to LSD and go to full bolts on to max out the N54. When the turbos fail which to RB turbos

[Dan_335i]

I would keep the e90

[BashShah]

If I start performance modding, .... And when....
I would do full bolt on,.... Or nothing..... Hate done time, when I don't have my car.

I rebuilt BMWs for the 4.5 years.
I have rebuilt 32 bimmers.
All E46, e90, and 2 E60s.
Nothing else.

My car is a 2007 e90 335i.
Only had to replace the left rear quarter panel, rear bumper cover, and the charcoal can under the bumper.

Maintain it fully.
Walnut blast, coils, plugs, OFH gasket...... And reg oil changes.

Love the car.... PS, coming from an 03 M3 SMG. Before that had a 2000 328i 5speed.... Damn I miss that.

If you guys know where I am coming from, then someone from experience tell me, is the shity steering, and water suspension in the F30 as good as a sport package e46 5 speed?

DN

[DrivenByE30]

I wouldnt say i have tons of experience, because i dont.
But i wouldnt say that i dont have any experience working on my cars, i do.

Have had two E30 (both manual)
Have the E36 manual still
Worked on my sister'S E46 sport manual
Havent touch her E90 since its still under warranty.

My poiny is, i think i know better where you are comng from.

The steering on the F30 is not shitty. It works quite well, at least from my point of view. Remember i have driven E30, E36, E46, and E90.
Its softer than any of the previous 3series, but not a deal breaker.
I especially like the E90 steering better than my F30 steering.
But Sport mode makes it closer to the E90 weight.

The suspension again is something i would change and mod on the F30.

Other than that, F30 is a great 3 series.

So in conclusion, if you mod the suspensiin on the f30, it will be better than the sport E46 manual.

[BashShah]

Drivenbye30 thx.
Thank you all.

DN

[Gastoys]

The e90 especially the pre LCI and even more so if equipped with nav feels two generations behind not one. I sold my 2011 e90 because it just felt dated and part of the reason I did not purchase a 2013 M3 and opted for a 2013 335i MSport.

Best of luck in your decision.

My next car will be the 2016 M3 in white unless Audi blows my mind with a RS4.

[Falafel Combo]

Originally Posted by DarkNemesis

Ok I already have a 2007 335i.
4door, auto.

I saw a 2012 335i F30
4dr, Manual. 24k km.

Which would you keep?

My e90, zero issues, fully maintained.... Always.
Turbos hav't failed yet and I am at 90km or 60k miles roughly.

I really want a manual, but heard that the auto is better in the F30 line.

Let's pretend, no warranty on either...., which would you prefer as a daily driver?

DN

I know where you're coming from. It's really hard to give up a low mileage and meticulously maintained car like your e90.


Here are some of my personal observations having owned similar cars to yourself (e46, e90 and now f30), which may help in making your decision:


-The f30 as a DD is quite an improvement over the e90. The interior is nicer and feels more modern. Whether it feels more expensive or not is subjective.

-The ZF8 auto transmission in the f30 will blow your mind. It's incredible. We are talking the best auto on the market today. Not even exaggerating. This transmission rivals much much more expensive DCT ones in $100k+ cars and M cars. It's ridiculous. HOWEVER, it still fails to provide that visceral stimulation and emotional connection which comes with a good ole' fashioned 6MT and 3rd pedal. It's impressive, but still not emotional. Some blame it on the torque converter box. Whatever it is, at the end of the day it still feels like an automatic. Which may be good or bad.

-The 6MT transmission in the f30 cars (335i in my experience) is also a very significant improvement over those MT's in the e90. I loved my e90 MT, but the f30 MT just feels better in every possible way. I am enjoying it a lot. It is not at all tiring for daily driving.

-The 2012 f30 may not be the best year to buy. There were some "issues" with the launch MY and maybe you will be stuck with fixing them. Steering vibration is the most discussed one here.

-The OLD f30 steering software was very light and felt pretty numb. They have since corrected that as well with a new software update for the EPS system, which has made the steering much more pleasant and puts it within arms length of the e90 steering feel. Personally I still prefer the more direct and taught hydraulic systems, but I am sure I can get used to the new EPS just fine.

-Another point for the f30 in terms of daily driving comes from the dynamic modes. The ability to switch between comfort, sport and sport+ modes with the flick of a button is very nice. These modes are not just a gimmick. They very much transform the driving experience.


Hope this helps.

[Falafel Combo]

In regards to the suspension, I have read repeatedly how inferior the base suspension is, and how it should be the first thing upgraded on the f30 cars. You will have this suspension if you bu a no-line car, Luxury line or Sport/M Sport line with xDrive. Now lets get real here. The base suspension is perfectly suitable for daily driving. It's great. I should not have believed most of the opinions I have read here (and to be honest I have been guilty of repeating those same opinions). I have since changed my mind. I really am liking the base suspension a lot in my f30 M Sport xDrive. Is it as good as a Sport/M sport suspension set up? For daily driving I would wager that it is in fact better. It soaks up bumps much better, is more comfortable and more pleasant for daily driving.


Yes it is a bit bouncy. Yes it exhibits more body roll than the Sport suspension. Yes it is softer. Isn't that what you need for daily driving? Now for spirited driving, aggressive cornering and fun driving purposes, of course you may want to look at certain upgrades. But for daily driving, the base suspension is actually a pretty pleasant change from the much more firm Sport setup, which inevitably leads to more rattling in the car.


I was ready to order my coilovers the next day I took delivery of my car. 1000 miles later, I am still not able to justify that upgrade. Maybe later if I get bored or something.


My 2cents.

[DrivenByE30]

Alpinweiss 335i

I applaud you for the great write up! I totally agree with what you said.. pretty much everything is true.

My 335i is a DD, and i only wish my commute is longer so i can enjoy it.
For real, i am not enjoying this car's potential enough with my drive back and forth to work.

My one cent.

[Falafel Combo]

Originally Posted by DrivenByE30

Alpinweiss 335i

I applaud you for the great write up! I totally agree with what you said.. pretty much everything is true.

My 335i is a DD, and i only wish my commute is longer so i can enjoy it.
For real, i am not enjoying this car's potential enough with my drive back and forth to work.

My one cent.

Yup.


I've had the sport suspension, the base suspension, the M3 ZCP suspension and now the base suspension again (xDrive). I have to say that BMW creates a perfect edge for each one of these options.


Base suspension - comfortable (not too soft), progressive firmness upon loading and great for getting around town and lugging the family or friends around. The comfort does not compromise the cars performance by that much either, until you start getting to the limits. And all of a sudden the veil is lifted. The true colors come to life. This is not a sports suspension. BUT ... until you approach those limits, there is no mistake in my mind that I am driving a BMW. It feels like a BMW and I like that. Remember that this is roughly 80% (if not more) of what BMW sells. By far, most f30's sold are equipped with base suspension. It's their bread and butter.

Sport/M Sport suspension - pretty much where it's at. Lower ride, lower center of gravity, more firmness and road feedback. Less body roll, tighter cornering and an overall acceptable ride as far as comfort is concerned. Great balance of both worlds. The problem is when you start hitting pot holes, road imperfections, and adding low profile tires ... it gets a bit testy. And the rattles come to life. Your occupants will also notice right away that "something sounds like its broken in your car".

M suspension (competition package) - all out performance. It is still liveable for a daily driver, but not something I would prefer. It's a significant compromise for a daily driver, but doable. You can literally take the car in it's stock form to the track and have a riot! Flat cornering, EDC gives you the option to firm up the ride even more and just really explore the cars limits. Daily driving is not it's strength.


Choose your weapon wisely.