Picture Gallery: 2007 BMW 335i Coupé
Day 1:
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Straying from BMW’s tradition of naturally aspirated inline six cylinder engines, the new 335i is powered by a biturbo, double overhead cam 3.0Litre inline six cylinder, which produces a walloping 300 lb-ft of torque at a measly 1400rpm and an equal amount of horsepower at 5800rpm. This makes the 335i the talk of the town and an absolute performance bargain in BMW’s lineup.
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Standard features are too many to list but a few notables include adaptive headlights and taillights, bi-Xenon headlights (low and high-beam), Dual-Zone climate control, eight-way power adjustable front seats, electrically adjustable glass sunroof, side thorax airbags and advanced head protection system, traction control and stability control, 10-speaker sound system including two subwoofers and, of course, an auxiliary input.
My test model includes the sport package ($2000) which includes 18ďż˝? star spoke alloy wheels, performance run flat tires and sport seats. This car also has a few stand alone options: dakota leather, which adds $ 2,400, metallic paint ($800) and burled walnut wood trim at no charge extra.
All of these extras bring the grand total, before taxes, to $56,800. When compared to the price of a base ‘06 M3, which offers similar performance, it becomes clear why this vehicle has become big news from the company known for the blue-and-white roundel.
2007 BMW 335i Coupé
MSRP as tested: $56,800
For more information on BMW and the 3-Series visit BMW Canada
Day 2:
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I don’t think I have ever felt a steering wheel as meaty as the one in the 335i. It gives you that perfect driving feel when coupled with the car’s quick steering ratio and firm response. But it does not stop there: nearly all switches, buttons and levers feel of ultra-quality and the Dakota leather sport seats finish off the interior perfectly.
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These bucket seats have an unbelievable amount of support for hard driving, and if you really need a hug, the power adjustability of the bolsters can be used to squeeze the air right out of your lungs. The seats also come with manual adjustable thigh support; for taller drivers this is a “god send,” so I’ve been told. For me, too much thigh support and the clutch becomes a little difficult to reach.
Firm seems to be the theme here. The clutch is the same but with a slightly rubbery feel to it, but still offers enough feedback to ensure clean shifts. The six-speed shifter is no lightweight object either, with a good solid change required to engage the next gear.
That next gear comes up quick too, with a rated 0-100km/h time of 5.6seconds and a perceived 100 - 160km/h of 3 seconds; the sheer power from this 3.0 liter in-line six can be breathtaking. My right foot seems to have acquired a few pounds of additional weight over the past day or so, resulting in sudden bursts of acceleration beyond my control.
But back to that interior: the orange lighting at night is becoming a little tired and the buttons and controls for the radio and trip computer are a tad more complicated than they need to be. Besides those items the interior is near-perfect, especially if you are the driver.
Mechanical arms extend to hand the driver and front seat passenger their seat belts as you start the vehicle, which is a little longer of a process than usual with the electronic key and push button start. BMW has also managed to eliminate typical mechanical sounds which you might deem normal when driving, such as the signal light switch, which is yet another computer-controlled device. This brings me to my only real worry about this vehicle: perhaps it puts a little too much emphasis on electronics to get the job done.
Day 3:
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This car is just pure pleasure to drive and is something I would be proud to call my own. This job has its perks, and when I realize I am able to drive a vehicle such as the 335i for a week, as if it were my own, but without the worry of maintenance and repair costs, it becomes clear how much I should value these perks.
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The trunk is difficult to open and close, though I suppose this an attempt at projecting a sense of solid build quality. On the other hand, when I’ve gotten my hands dirty trying to open a trunk with caked-on salt-scum, I would rather a trunk that pops all the way open with the remote and closes with a handle on the inside without fuss.
There is this wonderful little button on the dash that says “DTC.” Press this and the Dynamic Traction Control system is turned off, but the Dynamic Stability Control stays active. Doing this allows you to spin the tires a bit to get out of a slippery situation in the winter. BMW’s stability system is comparable to that of the excellent Porsche and Mercedes systems which I have also had the chance to test.
Push the car a little too hard for the conditions and this system can save you some embarrassment. It quickly intervenes to reduce power output and correct any slide you may have got yourself into. Obviously the system can be defeated — if you really have gotten yourself into deep trouble, such as going too fast for the amount of grip available, physics will take over… be careful out there.
Where the system really excels, though, is at reducing throttle oversteer, which happens when you push the gas pedal just a wee bit too much around a corner and the back of the vehicle tries to pass the front. But if you feel confident in your abilities or you have access to a track on which to really test the 335i, push and hold this little button for approximately six seconds and the real fun begins.
Day 4:
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The sport seats are pretty comfy on a long journey, but dimming the dash lights is a little complicated; what ever happened to a simple little knob on the dash or something? The active xenon headlights were wonderful on dark highways, however.
The 335i’s gas mileage truly surprised me. I averaged 12.2L/100km around the city during the week; before heading out on the highway I filled up the tank and reset the trip meter and fuel consumption calculators. Once I hit the open road I set the cruise at 120km/h and to my amazement the computer readout displayed 8.1L/100km.
Checking the instantaneous consumption it was fluctuating between 7.5L/100km and 8.5L/100km which, with a full tank, would give you close to 800km of highway range… impressive! On the highway the vehicle is ultra quiet as well, with no wind noise, no squeaks, no rattles… nothing.
The 335i really is a great bargain, though I think for myself I would get a four-door model rather than the coupe to save a few pennies, and I would probably opt for the “base” model, which comes fairly loaded to begin with.
*Rating out of 5:
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*Rating based on vehicle’s classification
2007 BMW 335i Coupé
MSRP as tested: $56,800
For more information on BMW and the 3-Series visit BMW Canada
to our site.
March 22, 2007, 01:32:36 pm Also remember, the top models (335, 330) in coupe form often have almost all the fancy features standard. Looking at BMW.ca the options for a 335 coupe are:
- Dakota leather
- Metallic Paint
- Sport pkg ($2k) - wheels and seats (sport suspension in std on coupes)
- Prem pkg ($4.2k) - homelink, auto diming and folding side mirrors, lumbar, compass mirror, upgraded sound, dakota leather
- Nav pkg
- Steptronic
- Steptronic with paddles ($100 more)
- Active steering
- Comfort Access
- Park control
- Telephone prep
- 6 disc changer
- Upgraded sound
Only thing stingy here is the 6-disc changer (but who cares in an iPod world
The top 3-series models are not strippers the way they used to be.
Oh and Space Grey over Crimson leather or Montego Blue over Saddle leather for me.
March 22, 2007, 01:40:40 pm
- Dakota leather
- Metallic Paint
- Sport pkg ($2k) - wheels and seats (sport suspension in std on coupes)
- Prem pkg ($4.2k) - homelink, auto diming and folding side mirrors, lumbar, compass mirror, upgraded sound, dakota leather
- Nav pkg
- Steptronic
- Steptronic with paddles ($100 more)
- Active steering
- Comfort Access
- Park control
- Telephone prep
- 6 disc changer
- Upgraded sound
Only thing stingy here is the 6-disc changer (but who cares in an iPod world
The top 3-series models are not strippers the way they used to be.
Oh and Space Grey over Crimson leather or Montego Blue over Saddle leather for me.
and ... Steptronic with paddles, No?
March 22, 2007, 01:41:10 pm I added all the options on a 335i sedan to compare it to my fully optioned IS350. The 335i was 65K and the Lexus is 60K. Still more expensive than the competition if you ask me. But for anyone buying this car it would be worth it.
If this car would of been out last summer when I got the IS350 it would of been a very difficult (but fun) decision to make.
March 22, 2007, 01:42:07 pm
Oh and Space Grey over Crimson leather or Montego Blue over Saddle leather for me.
and ... Steptronic with paddles, No?
Yes yes. Ugh, the reminders ... As I posted elsewhere, anyone know where I can get a replacement hand/wrist and shoulder? Only need the right side. Anyone parting out a relative ...
March 22, 2007, 01:44:47 pm PHAT_boy ya lose if ya weight.......ya gain if ya don't.....dang Buyin'a KAR is worse than a new COMPOOTAAH...a new iteration every 4 Months....
March 22, 2007, 01:50:47 pm
What is the point of buying any new car, they all depreciate over time
That is probably why I will try to look at used cars now
How much is 649/749 up to this weekend
March 22, 2007, 01:53:00 pm UP ta 849 last I looked................................
March 23, 2007, 08:11:54 am G37 Coupe vs 335i articles are already out there, and this excerpt is from Insideline :
It happens on lap 4. That's when the difference between Infiniti's 2008 G37 Coupe and BMW's 2007 335i Coupe crystallizes.
All at once the BMW coupe that we've considered the leader in its class finally decides it's had enough. With its oil temperature pinned at 300 degrees F and its coolant temperature climbing rapidly, the turbocharged Bavarian wonder engages its limp-home mode and we crawl pathetically back to the pits.
This all-too-dramatic demonstration of Japanese-versus-German engineering occurred at Nissan's Arizona Test Center, where Infiniti invited a select group of journalists to drive the 2008 Infiniti G37 Coupe back-to-back with Germany's best. The limp-home part, well, that wasn't part of the plan.
In fairness, both cars had experienced a relentless pounding by journalists with a profound absence of mechanical sympathy before the BMW finally succumbed to the desert heat. But the flogging had been similarly abusive to both cars, and the Infiniti G37 never showed any signs of weakness.
March 23, 2007, 08:44:27 am This has been reported a lot online lately.
March 23, 2007, 09:10:41 am Wow….not good news for BMW. Not that this will impact the majority of the 3 series buyers. However.....I know where my money would be going if these two cars were on my radar.
March 23, 2007, 09:16:51 am
COuld have someone missed a shift, causing the problem?
March 23, 2007, 09:21:14 am No there is an issue with these vehicles overheating.
March 23, 2007, 09:21:46 am I would want to know why the "limp home" setting was engaged. An oil temp of 300deg in a turbo engine and it would be a full synthetic oil seems high but not out of line after a hard day. Now the coolant temp... hmmmm cheap BMW water pump impeller? Actually I think that the new BMWs have an on-demand waterpump which may have broken.
Anyway... I would still have the BMW
"No there is an issue with these vehicles overheating" It will be fixed by the time I get mine
March 23, 2007, 09:58:37 am A second oil cooler would solve it.
March 23, 2007, 10:06:04 am Guys, I was trying to do some homework on BMW data but I can't get anything else than a blank screen at www.bmw.ca. Firewall issue on my part, or
March 23, 2007, 10:09:05 am
Like Mazda's site, the content changes but the URL does not
March 23, 2007, 10:11:45 am
I haven't read about it (yet) in "hardcopy" car mags, but since that overheating happened at the press launch of the G37 Coupe...every auto scribe will have witnessed it. Looks like BMW's F1 squad is not alone with drivetrain woes
Being budget-minded, as always, I'd like to read here about the upgraded, Canada-only 323i. Now with 200 hp, it makes for an interesting buy at 35k$ (if one can live without cruise control).
March 23, 2007, 10:12:36 am bmw.ca works for me brings me to this specifically which does not change based on which car I pick. http://www.bmw.ca/com/en/index_highend.html
March 23, 2007, 10:13:01 am
Like Mazda's site, the content changes but the URL does not
Does the BMW homepage load up at your end ?
March 23, 2007, 10:16:39 am
Still blank, but thanks for checking ! The logos flash for a second in the top right corner, and I can see that the main page / page bottom are "active controls" (as in "click here to activate control").
The office firewall blocks out some pages like youtube, but most flash sites work...oh well, I'll have to check the specs of the 323i on my home dial-up
edit...the US site works, but no 323i there of course
March 23, 2007, 11:30:09 am Was Albert GORE involved in the engine design phase.....
March 25, 2007, 09:19:01 pm WHAT! a 1 STAR on the Interior give me a break! I hope it's some kind of error!
March 25, 2007, 09:48:31 pm Thanks for bring that to my attention John, it has been fixed.
March 26, 2007, 04:17:42 pm
Like Mazda's site, the content changes but the URL does not
Does the BMW homepage load up at your end ?
Yes.
April 05, 2007, 07:52:49 pm Thank you! Great work, i have added it in bookmarks.