Checkmate: Andrew’s BMW 335i Coupe | A Forward Motion

Originally when the e90 M3 was announced it was my "realistic" DD, until these 335s started being developed. I couldn't justify the price difference now.

 

What will you do with ALL THAT POWER?

 

gofas n suff

 

I don't think you can get Xidas for the Bimmer, so....

 

A few months ago I was thinking about selling all of my cars (Miata, Civic, Forester XT) and getting a 2007-2008 335i sedan.

A really pretty decent one can be had for $18-19k, and I can't think of more car for that kind of money. Would be a perfect DD for me, with the second kid on the way. The awful NVH in the Subaru kills me, and it's a big part of the reason I would like a 335.

 

While that would probably still hold true, I don't think you could accurately say until you drove the M3. They are pretty distinctly different in terms of overall behavior. Not that one is objectively better than the other; they are each relatively better than the other in different ways to different people.

I do think the 335i is probably the better value, especially bought used. I think you could buy two of them (with moderate to higher miles) for what my car would go for right now. Or one 335i and about 300 extra WHP/TQ worth of upgrades.

 

If those were remotely reliable, I'd have one.

 

The guys I work with that have them haven't had any reliability problems. It seems BMW has figured out the HP Fuel Pump issues, and almost all of the '07s have had them replaced.

Other than the fuel pump issues, what other reliability issues have you heard of?

 

Basically every person I know who has an E90 has severe electrical problems. I've seen more than one with less than 1000 miles with every warning light on. They're just constantly fucked and constantly in for service from people at my office.

A bone stock one also burned at ECR one weekend when I was at the track.

 

That sh*t terrifies me, I don't take well to electrical.

Honestly, I haven't done much research on them.

But $19k for a clean, modern, sport luxury sedan, with 350/350 at the wheels with simple downpipe and reflash pushes all the buttons for me.

 

E9x is probably one of the most uncomfortable cars I've sat in.
No leg room and stiff suspension, awkward placement of driver's cup holder, if that means anything.

 

mmmmmmmmm

 

Didnt stein say these have horrible sludge problems, when following the manufacturers oil intervals.

 

No. I just posted pics of a guy's engine that went 80K and never had an oil change. It was pudding.

I haven't seen any electrical problems at all in 76K. I actually haven't seen any problems on mine save the water pump going out at 27K. I keep saying I'm selling it before warranty is up but it has been flawless in the 50K miles that I've had it. I'm kind of debating on keeping it even out of warranty. It's just that good. I have no idea what I would replace it with that is even close to being on par with this car overall. I have until April or 100K to decide.

 

My wife has a 07 335i Sedan manual with 115k on it now, we bought it 3.5 years ago with 35k on it.

- Dealer replaced HPF
- Upgraded the front control arms to M3 (the stocks have fluid filled bushings that suck)
- Eibach springs with BMW perfomance shocks (shocks were 89 dollars shipped on sale, for the whole set with a ton of new hardware to replace them)
- Better intercooler
- 3 inch DP's
- All fluids changed
- Cobb Tunner running stage 2 agressive map
- Squirel cage started making noise at 51k, replaced (bearing was bad) easy and cheap.

Just did:
- Spark plugs ( Tunned its a good thing to just change them every 20k)
- COPS (one was bad but replaced all of them just for the heck of it)
- Injectors ( Didn't need to but ours were original that many people have issues with)

To do:

-Water pump and t-stat (don't need to but again preventive maintanance)

Other then that it has been a good car and I am told that she ran down a dude in a v10 m5...so she's happy.

 

I've been tempted by the thought of a 6spd coupe, but I have a completely arbitrary $15,000 cap on any car I buy. Plus I feel like a C5 would be more reliable, cheaper, and just as quick.

 

And why can't the damn German engineers at Merc, Audi, and BMW figure this out?

Look at the modern full-size domestic trucks, even the rear seats have heaters and they don't seem to have all these electrical problems.

 

Why spin the tires all the way to the end of the main straight, of course!