Picture Gallery: 2009 BMW 335i xDrive Sedan | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Discuss
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The ability to accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in just 5.6 seconds makes this car enthusiast’s right foot tremble as it anticipates the power beneath it.
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The base MSRP of the 335i xDrive is $51,500, while my tester is optioned out with the Executive Package which, at $2,200, includes such features as: a heated steering wheel, alarm system, auto-dimming exterior mirrors, compass and park distance control. On top of this, the Sport Package, at $1,800, adds 18-inch alloy wheels, sport seats, and an anthracite roof liner. But it doesn’t end there, with the optional Audiophile sound package ($2,000) adding Sirius satellite radio and USB audio integration (including ipod connector).
Add on metallic paint for $800 and the total creeps up there, getting close to the $60,000 barrier.
2009 BMW 335i xDrive Sedan
MSRP as tested (including destination): $58,300
For more information on BMW and the 335i xDrive visit BMW Canada
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In the non-luxury segment, anyone suggesting to someone to buy a compact over a mid-sized based on “handling” feel and features would be shunned, but somehow in the luxury segment (more specifically when talking BMWs), this is typical. I’m actually fairly surprised at the number of these vehicles you see on the road when you consider its small size. But I suppose what the 335i lacks in size it gains in “feel,” with a shorter wheelbase and nimbler handling than a larger vehicle. At $60,000, though, you wonder how many customers are considering a 5 Series.
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The remainder of the interior is all business, with typical German solidity. The signal and wiper switches require a good amount of force to engage (especially the signal lights). The amount of force to get the shifter into reverse is a little excessive, but one gets used to it. In fact, all the driver controls, including the steering and clutch, are quite heavy.
The weighty feeling of the controls gives you a sense of solidity and build quality; however, whether it is perceived rather than actual is a topic for a long term or used car review. The 335i is filled with small touches that make you feel special, like the heated steering wheel on a cold day or the lighting systems that illuminate the footwells as well as the door handles and mirrors to aid entry at night. It’s the little touches and attention to detail that you expect for this amount of coin.
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I was asked by a co-worker today how it compared to his Mazda3. He asked “Does it handle better than a Mazda3?” Well, my first inclination was to say yes, of course, although I can only go by what others have written on the matter and specifications. The Mazda3 is a great car with great handling but the 3 Series BMW is quite the machine in terms of agility and balance.
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The 335i certainly delivers in the smiles-for-miles category. With 300hp, it pulls with authority at pretty much any speed, in any gear and the gear changes are accomplished with a very precise six-speed transmission, which offers great feedback. You really feel connected to the 335i’s drivetrain: as the gears snap into place and the clutch engages you can feel the power transfer beneath your left foot as you lift off the clutch — you feel one with the car.
But what about that handling? Grant mentioned in his article “Bring it on Part 2″ that he was able to put the 335i in a drift without DSC intervention. I thought perhaps he was mistaken but found out today that it is possible! It was a little rainy today and sure enough: brake, turn in and four-wheel drift! The DSC system did intrude for me, though after a few moments, so it lets you have your fun and then takes it away if things get a little too out of hand.
The ride quality, although fairly firm, is not excessively so. If it wasn’t for the comments about a stiff ride, I would have never mentioned it. My tester is equipped with 17-inch rims and Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22 winter tires.
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On the gas mileage front, even if you take my consumption with a grain of salt, here is a rather interesting observation. When I tested the 335i Coupe back in 2007 — oddly enough, nearly two years to the day — I averaged 12.2L/100km over the course of my week of driving. This year, add the xDrive factor and my average was 12.7L/100km over the course of the week.
I certainly enjoyed the 335i with xDrive — who wouldn’t? I rate it fairly high in all categories in my wheelie-bin, only marked down for audio because of the radio glitch… which was odd, to say the least.
*Rating out of 5:
| 2009 BMW 335xi Sedan | |
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*Rating based on vehicle’s classification
2009 BMW 335xi Sedan
MSRP as tested (including destination): $58,300
For more information on BMW and the 335xi visit BMW Canada
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March 13, 2009, 09:23:52 pm I had a great experience at BMW Gallery in Calgary. My wife was having a little get together with her girlfriends, so I was pushed out of the house for the afternoon. Was randomly driving around, passed BMW Gallery, and thought cool. Went in wearing shorts and a t-shirt and was walking around. A salesman approached me after he noticed me lusting after a 335i. Told him about my interest in the car to which he responded"take it for spin." After photocopying my driver's license I quickly was shown to the car and got in the drivers seat. The salesman got out after showing me the NAV controls, etc. then said "bring it back in one piece!"
I drove the car west of Calgary towards Cochrane and on some secondary roads around Bearspaw and was amazed at the performance of the car. I literally was not prepared for sheer acceleration and braking it was capable off.
Arrived back at the dealer 10-15 minutes later and put a deposit down. Car arrived 4 months later. Got an Alpine White with Dakota Red Leather 335i and black wood trim coupe with the sports package, premium package, no NAV. Wife wasn't happy... All in it was $64K. Today you can get the machine for maybe $58K I would suspect with dealer incentives.
Love the car and my wife has accepted it now since she can drive it (once in a while)
March 13, 2009, 10:36:16 pm Great story, jamesbr403, got to make the wife unhappy every so often...
Sounds like you got a great machine, and the salesman did right in letting you have the unlimited drive, even dressed as you were (some arrogant salesmen would never let a guy in shorts and a tee shirt take out a car like that, alone).
Love it. The car sold itself.
March 14, 2009, 08:47:24 am
The stick was very nice, but the idea is that it will replace our current family car in the future (we also own a 2004 VW Jetta TDI Sport 5 Speed) and I thought that going forward the auto might be nicer for everyone.
To be honest I don't often miss it, the tranny is so smooth and fast. The only thing I miss is the ability to down shift quickly.
Again, I'm no track'er, I'm a commuter. I like the idea of having an increasingly sporty car, but for now this fit the bill so perfectly.
The new auto trannys are so fast and so smooth, one really has to think about it. My 535xi is auto (Steptronic) with a "Drive Sport" option. In DS, that sucker holds the revs, and when it shifts, it sounds and feels just like a manny tranny. In regular Drive, it's more of a cruiser, but still, if you put your foot in it, it is quite aggresive.
This BMW is the first of 12 I have had that has an auto, all others were manny. And, maybe because I'm older, I don't miss the manny. Like I said, you can still have a lot of fun in DS. There is also the issue that a manny tranny equiped 5 Series "might" be a bit tougher on resale. Not sure.
I have read some reviews on the 335 saying that the Step was acually 1/10 of sec faster than the manny equipped car.
Exactly! I love the DS mode, but I'm surprised how well the "regular" mode is. Those 0-60 times are always questionable (to me), I'd bet most times these new auto's would blow away the "average" driver on a stick. Some people claim that the stick allows more control in an emergency, but I wonder about that too (I'm also an Firefighter and emergency personnel). Most times in an emergceny, stick or not, people (even the best) lock up the brakes and steer away. Sorry for the rant, but again, I'm surprised how many people look down upon auto drivers.
tpl, I too drove the DSG GTI and thought it was great, but it didn't take long before I just didn't use it. a DSG is better than a slush, but I guess I really think it was that much....but again, I'm just a n00b
I was in no way putting down your choice, or anyone else's, just stating why I always prefer manual over automatic. To each his own. As I said, the BMW DSG is fantastic and I can definitely understand why someone would opt for it.
But the real question is, where are your pics?!
I drove the car west of Calgary towards Cochrane and on some secondary roads around Bearspaw and was amazed at the performance of the car. I literally was not prepared for sheer acceleration and braking it was capable off.
Arrived back at the dealer 10-15 minutes later and put a deposit down. Car arrived 4 months later. Got an Alpine White with Dakota Red Leather 335i and black wood trim coupe with the sports package, premium package, no NAV. Wife wasn't happy... All in it was $64K. Today you can get the machine for maybe $58K I would suspect with dealer incentives.
Love the car and my wife has accepted it now since she can drive it (once in a while)
That is kinda the same way I ended up with my BMW. I actually ended up there because I helping my sister and brother and law look at new cars. They were looking at the Mini. While on their test drive, I did a little test drive of my own
I was told that I am never to be left alone at the BMW dealership (or any other ones for that matter) anymore.
March 14, 2009, 05:23:41 pm
You're going to get lower mileage because
A) The engine is not broken in yet,
B) Winter blend gas sucks.
Another thing to consider is that in the early days these 335 had engine overheating problems. And if you own one of these, you better only put in the best oil. Pentosynth 5w40 or Lurbo Molly 5w40 both from ECS tuning. If they're anything like the Audi 2.7T, any kind of turbo failure will result in needing to drop the engine to repair, and your head will explode out of sheer amazement on the repair quote.
And yes, all the cool people do drive Audi.
March 14, 2009, 07:24:25 pm
You're going to get lower mileage because
A) The engine is not broken in yet,
B) Winter blend gas sucks.
Another thing to consider is that in the early days these 335 had engine overheating problems. And if you own one of these, you better only put in the best oil. Pentosynth 5w40 or Lurbo Molly 5w40 both from ECS tuning. If they're anything like the Audi 2.7T, any kind of turbo failure will result in needing to drop the engine to repair, and your head will explode out of sheer amazement on the repair quote.
And yes, all the cool people do drive Audi.
Since Fleet Admiral is/was only a "guest" he/she may not be back. If he/she were back, I would say that a few of the early N54 engines (the TT 3.0L in the 335, 535, etc) had some overheating problems, but this problem has been long since solved. The car that is the subject of this thread is not going to be in that catagory. Nor is mine, built in Oct 07. Secondly, all these engines come with German Castrol Full Synthetic in them. Also, should an engine have such a problem, the warranty would replace it totally.
And, I would add that I would much rather drive a BMW than an Audi (and yes, I have driven both).
Gotta love the internet which gives a forum to all the geniuses (??) of the world.
March 15, 2009, 03:00:46 am I think he was being sarcastic OVR.
ECS Tuning:rofl2:. You working for them Admiral?
I got LubroMolly in my car - cheapest 505.00 oil I could get my hands on.
March 15, 2009, 04:19:01 pm
I drove the car west of Calgary towards Cochrane and on some secondary roads around Bearspaw and was amazed at the performance of the car. I literally was not prepared for sheer acceleration and braking it was capable off.
Arrived back at the dealer 10-15 minutes later and put a deposit down. Car arrived 4 months later. Got an Alpine White with Dakota Red Leather 335i and black wood trim coupe with the sports package, premium package, no NAV. Wife wasn't happy... All in it was $64K. Today you can get the machine for maybe $58K I would suspect with dealer incentives.
Love the car and my wife has accepted it now since she can drive it (once in a while)
Fantastic story. Great choice on the interior (I have the same
Ps. you need to sign up and post pics for all of us to drool over.
March 15, 2009, 10:34:54 pm I saw this car i m so excited beacuse this car is different than other car's.It has nice quality,average,speed,engine power,headlight,sitting facility etc as compered to 128i.
March 15, 2009, 10:58:52 pm I'd love another BMW, even though I had a few electrical gremlins on my Z4, I'm willing to forgive it.
Although it would:
Not have run-flats
Be Manual Transmission
Be RWD.
I'm not knocking anyone else's purchase but this would be my choice.
March 16, 2009, 09:25:28 am I am willing to better all my Nortel stocks that in 5-10 years 90% of car will have run flat tires
I wonder what people said about tires when they stop putting inner tubes in tires, could Over50 or TPL fill us in
March 16, 2009, 09:27:52 am
Although it would:
Not have run-flats
Be Manual Transmission
Be RWD.
I'm not knocking anyone else's purchase but this would be my choice.
Sigh, in a perfect world I would too, but I'm married and live near winnipeg, it hurts to remember driving the 335i Man.....
(working on pics, always at work, surprised people care, its just a black 328)
March 16, 2009, 10:11:51 am
I wonder what people said about tires when they stop putting inner tubes in tires, could Over50 or TPL fill us in
As for runflats. One of several things that stopped me buying a new BMW last year was runflats. ( Lack of a dipstick was another.)
March 18, 2009, 03:14:54 pm
And no to the other poster, I am not a shill for ECS tuning. They just have the proper parts for GERMAN cars, like EURO code headlights - which I'm having to learn you students of teutonics about - a higher standard of lighting which Europe has. And they have the best prices I have found for FULL SYNTH group IV motor oil, and they also have MOTUL now(my suggestion), 3 different German oil brands. None of this fake full synth bull from mobil. Oh, and they also cater to the BMW crowd now, not just VW/Audi.
March 18, 2009, 06:36:46 pm
March 18, 2009, 09:37:23 pm It is just X5, X6 in NA, I believe the X3 is coming to NA
http://www.bmwusfactory.com/#/manufacturing/284/
March 19, 2009, 09:59:16 am
I know mine came off a boat through a VIN check.
April 19, 2009, 10:07:39 pm With respect to the AWD systems do you think there is a difference between the xi and the xDrive?
I currently own a 2003 330xi and it is interesting to see the difference between it and my 2004 Subaru WRX. Both have AWD but both handle quite differently in snow.
I'm curious how the xDrive might be different or the same as my currently 330xi.
April 19, 2009, 11:15:35 pm
I currently own a 2003 330xi and it is interesting to see the difference between it and my 2004 Subaru WRX. Both have AWD but both handle quite differently in snow.
I'm curious how the xDrive might be different or the same as my currently 330xi.
I think the xDrive and xi are the same system, except for any annual model year improvements.
April 19, 2009, 11:17:46 pm
At present, all 3 Series cars are made in Germany.
April 20, 2009, 02:52:58 am
I currently own a 2003 330xi and it is interesting to see the difference between it and my 2004 Subaru WRX. Both have AWD but both handle quite differently in snow.
I'm curious how the xDrive might be different or the same as my currently 330xi.
Here is an article that explains the current 2nd generation xDrive. The 2003 330Xi is the 1st generation xDrive.
http://www.canadiandriver.com/2006/04/06/winter-driving-test-bmw-xdrive.htm
The AWD system in a WRX is pure reactive mechanical, as to the semi-active electronic system in the BMW. The heart of the Subie system is a viscous coupling center differential splitting the torque between the front and rear axle (at about 50%-50%), and the rear axle also have a viscous coupling diff as the limit slip device for the two rear wheels. This system works great in snowy conditions, the driver can control the power output and wheel spins with the gas pedal. In stock setup, this awd system does dull the steering feedback on dry roads a bit.
April 23, 2009, 01:18:13 pm Thanks for the that.
It sounds like the new xDrive is better and sportier than the previous generation xDrive.
What I have noticed is that the Subaru WRX is better at drifting around corners in the snow. The BMW 330xi will cut out engine power in the same circumstance and at times you will come to a near complete stop before you get any torque in your wheels again. I found the Subaru more predictable in the snow.
Looking forward to the new xDrive.
June 02, 2009, 10:21:35 pm We recently purchased the BMW 335i and are having the same problem with the radio cutting off and not turning back on for a period of time. Dealership says it is a known problem, but that they do not know how to fix. Any ideas?
June 02, 2009, 10:25:06 pm
No ideas, as I have never heard of it before.
June 03, 2009, 03:28:25 pm Wind down the windows and listen to the engine instead!
June 03, 2009, 06:33:55 pm rb2010... which radio do you have in your car? The standard one or upgrade?
The radio in my e90 (albeit an older one than yours) works fine.