[Bimmer-Mac]

Hey guys,

As promised, a review of my 335i xDrive after a few days of ownership. For me, the main reason for this post is to help prospective buyers make a more educated decision about their next vehicle. I know reading reviews on here really helped me further consider a 3er, and eventually test drive one. I will break this down into sections, so a few things might be a little random, but they are all just my personal thoughts.

To start, just a quick comment that this is the first BMW I have owned, and really the first I have really driven (Mom purchased a 135i vert a month ago which I have driven a few times). I am coming from a 2010 VW CC 2.0T Lux, which had quite a lot of equipment for the cost.

Engine:
I really like the N55. I had read MANY times about how great it is, etc., but I always thought it was just the fanboys yammering on about how their ride is the best. I actually have a lot of respect for the engineers behind this engine because it really is quite smooth, and very linear in power delivery. The throttle calibration is also quite good; even the smallest input yields a reaction. That all being said, I don't think its quite as AMAZING as people seem to act. When I first test drove a 3 it was a 328xi. I was very impressed by the N20, and thought that the power it produced was pretty good. For me, what sold me on the 335i was the more linear, silky smooth power delivery and...,

Exhaust:
SO much better than the 328i. Nothing against 328i owners, but the 335i just sounds so much better. I have not had the pleasure of hearing a 335i with the performance exhaust, but I imagine it to be pretty awesome.

Transmission:
8 speed seems incredibly smooth so far. I am used to a DSG in my last car, which was kind of herky/jerky coming to and leaving a stop. Besides that, I find the instantaneous shifts of the DSG to be absolutely amazing. Full throttle in a DSG equipped car is something everyone who is used to a regular slush box should experience.

My mom's 135i with DCT is also quite nice. I love the little fart noise it makes, and wish my 335i did the same.

Exterior:
I am one of those people who believe style is in the eye of the beholder. That said, I think the F30 is a good looking car. I think it is both sporty and elegant at the same time. For me, the Glacier Silver makes the lines of the car really pop. Also, the M-Sport makes the car look much more dynamic in my eyes. The twin exhaust pipes also add a nice touch; coming from a VW with two pipes on one side, I much prefer this setup (symmetrical seems nicer). Another part of the exterior that is of note are the xenon headlamps. Although I wanted them anyway (for visibility purposes), I think they add a touch of class to the front of the car, and help it to look like a "BMW".

Interior:
My boss drives an E90 328xi, and I think the F30 is years ahead both aesthetically and functionally. Everything seems to be where I would want it to be. I am coming from a vehicle with nappa leather, so the Dakota seems a little "cheap". I know its just a different texture, but it doesn't say high quality.
-M-Sport steering wheel. Those who don't have this, I don't know how you drive

Technology:
On my build I added both the tech package and the driver assist package. I am a huge fan of the HUD and the larger screen that comes with NAV. iDrive seems to be pretty good, but I haven't used it enough to make a fully qualified opinion. I have been using MMI on my mom's Q7 for many years, and find it to be a bit easier to use. For me, I had zero learning curve, and the much maligned opposite scrolling thing never bothered me. I also LOVE the placement of the volume knob in Audis. Every car I get it, I instinctively reach down to find the volume and am disappointed when I find nothing there...

I need to re-read the manual about the media, but I find it difficult to navigate my music. This may just be user error, so I won't say this is a fault.

In regards to the driver assistance package, I must say it was worth the money. I love the 360 cameras, they help out a lot when parallel parking, or just making sure you are parked perfectly centered in a parking space. The blind spot monitor is decent too. I don't like that it only works above 30mph, and it seems like it was programed for a wider range of heights. My mom has the side assist option in her Q7 and I find that it is far superior. It seems perfectly calibrated, and I like that the lights are LED. The bulbs seem muted and cheap in the BMW triangle.

Another piece of tech I spec'd was the Harmon Kardon sound system, which seems great so far. I need to spend some more time fine tuning the system, but because I listen to a wide variety of music it is hard to find the perfect settings.

ASS:
While somewhat annoying (especially with other people in the car), I really don't have much of a problem with leaving ASS on. I like that if you come to a stop, the car shuts off, and you inch forward a little, it won't re-shut off because it knows you aren't interested in staying still so to speak. In addition, I noticed that it seems a little smoother with the 6 cylinder vs. the 4 cylinder.

Other things I noticed:
-Gap between the window trim and the body of the car is annoying...washed the car for the first time and found it difficult to dry the water that accumulated there.
-My old car had headlamps that would illuminate the area to the side of the car that either the steering was pointed towards or the signal was to under 25mph. It was a very useful feature, that I feel the BMW should have. I know on non-M-Sports the fog lamps illuminate in the same fashion, but it is far less effective at illuminating the side area.
-LOVE comfort access. Wish the beep/chirp when locking was a bit louder, and the mirrors folded when locked.
-Although I haven't really pushed the car yet, I notice a big difference between the driving modes with the Dynamic Handling Package and VSS. I wish there was a way to have ecopro on the highway with sport steering feel (curvy Connecticut highways)
-Love the LED lighting in the door handles, underside doors, and licensee plate area.
-Wish the light strips in the doors were brighter. Speaking of the strips covering the lights, they are no where near as cheap feeling as I expected them to be.
-Wish the airbag covers in the B pillar were illuminated like non-sport/m-sport are.
-The OCD in me wants there to be a sync feature for the 2 zone climate control.
-Liking the M sport pedals that I had the dealer install

Also, I highly recommend BMW of Greenwich for a really professional and easy leasing/ordering process. My CA, Andrew Millar, was top-notch. I recommend with zero reservations.


Overall, I really am enjoying this car so far. I think it blends luxury, sport, and sophistication quite nicely. I will say that I am not quite sure it is 25k nicer than my CC was, but I really do like it.

[34.50]

Nice looking car, and congrats. The CC is just a poor man's CLS/A7/6 GC (no offense) - it's decent, but it's still a VW. You can't really compare CC to the 3 series...apples to oranges. Just enjoy the car!

[Bimmer-Mac]

Originally Posted by 34.50

Nice looking car, and congrats. The CC is just a poor man's CLS/A7/6 GC (no offense) - it's decent, but it's still a VW. You can't really compare CC to the 3 series...apples to oranges. Just enjoy the car!

No offense taken, I wasn't really trying to compare my new 335 to the CC anyway. I would agree that the CC copied the CLS for a MUCH lower cost, but it did come before both the A7 and 6 GC, and also Hyundai Sonata, were even dreamed about.

I do consider myself someone who enjoys driving and cars in general, but I think many buyers of the 3er will compare it with many other cars. Although the 3er is more practical in terms of interior space, and smaller exterior dimensions, the CC does put up a decent fight for those who won't push their car to the limits, and won't fully option out their car. Like I said, $25k more for my car over the previous one...I don't regret it, and I LOVE the 335, just saying not sure there is 25k worth of tech/luxury over the CC.

[BmwF30alpine]

Awesome read. Enjoy her.

[Dan_335i]

nice car, u can code the car so mirrors fold in when locked

[LT Coastie]

Great review. Have my 335 on a boat, should be unloading in just a couple days. Did you get the windows tinted? If so did the dealership do it for you did you have to take it somewhere to get it done?

[300hp]

If you think you love the N55 now, wait till you PPK it.

[Jamesons Viggen]

I too came from a CC, but it was a tuned 6spd manual Sport.

The CC got a lot of compliments, it was a great looking car with a great looking interior. I got mine with a $30k sticker for $23,500-nothing could touch the car for the price.

It drove well for a FWD car, but it was no BMW. The leatherette in it was more soft and convincing than BMW's Dakota leather.