[CRW41]

Dailey driver year round - including snow.

Current car an E46 (not Xi) used with snow tires and was OK.

I am looking for a coupe with a manual gearbox - I keep my cars 10 years

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Looking to get a few questions answered:

Xi or no Xi - worth it, I drive in the snow

Things on the 335 to watch out for - problems?

Is the TT durable as the base 328i engine?

Must haves?

[BTM]

The N54 (twin turbo in the 335) is not as reliable as the base engine. Common problems are well documented on this site so spend some time researching and reading up on things to get a better understanding.

As for the i/xi debate, the short answer is drive both because it depends. We get pretty bad winters but driving an E90 330i on snow tires last winter was no problem at all so I did not hesitate to got RWD in my 335. My decision was further reaffirmed when I received an xDrive loaner and was reminded that for me, I would rather have the better steering feel 8-9months out of the year and give up some potential traction during the occasional snowstorm otherwise. Keep in mind that out of the entire winter - the amount you are actually driving during a snowstorm or on unplowed roads is actually pretty small.

For me the must have packages was Sport. I also got Premium and Cold, as that's what the car with the color combo I wanted had, and while I don't use heated seats even in winter, the auto dimming mirrors, built in garage door opener, and auto sensing wipers are very nice amenities and are easy to get used to

[bkrM3]

+1 on the reliability comment. Get a CPO and milk every second of that 6-year/100,000 mile warranty.

335i is really very capable in the snow with a set of snow tires. last winter i ran blizzak RFTs on my OEM 18'' rims and they were just fine. actually, better than just fine - here in philly we had 2 (unusual) legit blizzards and i drove through the first one with literally a foot of snow on the road. i had to stop periodically and make sure my intercooler was clear haha.

if you have a wife or kids who could benefit from the confident footing of the xi, that might be a consideration...otherwise, the handling of the 335i will probably win you over. drive both!

[CRW41]

With regard to 335 engines:

- all are turbos?

- if so, are all twin turbos?

[golf4501]

Originally Posted by CRW41

With regard to 335 engines:

- all are turbos?

- if so, are all twin turbos?

All 335 engines are turbocharged. 2007-2010 use the N54 (twin turbo engine). In 2011 335i use the new N55 single turbo engine, while 335is use the old N54 engine.

[BTM]

Originally Posted by CRW41

With regard to 335 engines:

- all are turbos?

- if so, are all twin turbos?

MY 2007-2010 are all N54 engines, which are twin turbo. MY 2011 (excluding the 335is) are single turbo N55 engines. The 335is retains the N54 twin turbo.

[anerbe]

remember that XI only really helps mainly in accelerating/maintaining speed. Turning and stopping, which are the main factors to avoid accidents, depend mainly on your tires. I would rather drive a RWD car with snow tires vs. AWD car with all seasons, any day of the week.

Of course AWD with snow tires will be the best for all scenarios, but the characteristics do change during the nice months.

[GRLLA]

Alpine 335i's are the fastest.