[iknowitsfast]

Hello, as you can see by my post count and by the title, I am a true BMW noob. For my first post I contemplated asking about which mods would void a warranty, which intake is the best or even what the difference between an E90 and E92 was.....buuuuut I decided against it
Anyway, I have decided to sell/trade my beloved Nissan 350Z 6 speed manual for a 335xi E90. I have never driven a BMW before and last night at the dealership was my first time. I drove a midnight blue 335xi and I gotta say this car is not what I thought. I thought it would be a car that I'd want to modify thoroughly with intake, bov, tune, etc etc. but damn this car is so silky smooth when it accelerates, it handles beautiful and is just so so clean. I might feel bad for changing things lol. I did not pull the trigger because I'm now debating whether to purchase a 328xi instead. Either way, I'll find a nice 328xi to test drive too and lurk the bimmerforums and search for more topics to read up on. I will be purchasing this month though and no matter what I buy, even though I'll miss the sweet exhast note of my Z, I cant wait to join the BMW family.

[smallseafishie]

Forget the 328. You'll be kicking yourself.

[straightcashhomie]

Originally Posted by smallseafishie

Forget the 328. You'll be kicking yourself.

this. especially if you're looking for power.

[wwc310]

driving the 335i first ruined any chance of you ever enjoying the 328. i drove a 328i first and it would have definitely been enough to get by. Went with the 335i at the end of the day and got stuck with a 328i as a loaner the other day....needless to say, it was lacking.

[MrPig]

Alternatively, try the 335d for some kickinyourteeth torquiness.

[SHEEDI]

Originally Posted by MrPig

Alternatively, try the 335d for some kickinyourteeth torquiness.

is 335d better than 335i? and how they are different?

[thenewrick]

335d is the diesel fuel burning version

If you're happy with the way the 335xi felt then I recommend a newer 320xi and some light modding. You'll save 1000s and get similar performance.

[MrPig]

Originally Posted by SHEEDI

is 335d better than 335i? and how they are different?

Stock? Less HP, more torque at the wheels. Better fuel economy (naturally), slightly heavier, (probably) more reliable. No exhaust note though, no 6MT option

[ken1137]

Congrats on your test drive. First, keep in mind, there are a number of posts where people complain a lot about the reliability of BMWs. These are members that were unfortunate enough to have problematic cars. Are they as reliable as Nissan's ? Maybe not. Second, if you consider the 328 it must be manual, and try to find one that has Sport suspension (also with 335). I agree with the others, the 335i is better for performance. Third, if you buy a 335 you will end up modding it if that has been your MO with Nissan's. GL

[SHEEDI]

Originally Posted by MrPig

Stock? Less HP, more torque at the wheels. Better fuel economy (naturally), slightly heavier, (probably) more reliable. No exhaust note though, no 6MT option

so 335i is betetr interms of acceleration?

[MrPig]

Originally Posted by SHEEDI

so 335i is betetr interms of acceleration?

Overall? Yeah, simply because it's a gas engine. Better overall in car terms? Debatable. The D offers good power (can hit 300/500 hp/tq with JBD), incredible torque and you can't argue with the fuel economy. It'll come down to preference, and whether you're willing to shell an extra couple of G's for the diesel.

[ashmostro]

Are you only looking at awd models?

[JS82]

Originally Posted by iknowitsfast

I will be purchasing this month though and no matter what I buy, even though I'll miss the sweet exhast note of my Z, I cant wait to join the BMW family.

First mod suggestion: BMW Performance Exhaust
You will be happy with it.

[LuisBoston]

Of course the 335 guys will tell you it's better, but you do run into the possibility of turbo problems which is why their resale values are not much higher than the 328s.

In my opinion, the silky smoothness of the naturally aspirated I6 can't be beat and that's why I've purchased a 2013 128i. Most of us who have a 328 with a manual transmission are very happy and it's a bulletproof engine. That being said, I wouldn't get a 328 with the auto if you paid me. The auto just sucks the life out of the engine.

If you're looking for neck-snapping 0-60 time, which it sounds like you are, the 335 will win all day.

Are you looking at automatics or manuals?

[krhodes1]

Originally Posted by lem144

Of course the 335 guys will tell you it's better, but you do run into the possibility of turbo problems which is why their resale values are not much higher than the 328s.

In my opinion, the silky smoothness of the naturally aspirated I6 can't be beat and that's why I've purchased a 2013 128i. Most of us who have a 328 with a manual transmission are very happy and it's a bulletproof engine. That being said, I wouldn't get a 328 with the auto if you paid me. The auto just sucks the life out of the engine.

If you're looking for neck-snapping 0-60 time, which it sounds like you are, the 335 will win all day.

Are you looking at automatics or manuals?

This, a thousand times this. A manual transmission six cylinder non-turbo in either a 128i or an e9x 328i is a thing of joy. While not as fast as a 335i, it is not that much slower either. Add the BMW Performance Exhaust and it will sound utterly delightful. I have the Performance Intake too, which is a total rip-off price wise, but causes no warranty issues and adds that much extra to the sound. It certainly sounds fast, even though it is really just rapid.

If I was looking for JUST a fun to drive car and needed neither cargo nor much back seat space, I would have bought a 128i. Awesomely fun to drive car.

[Dylanize]

Originally Posted by iknowitsfast

I'll miss the sweet exhast note of my Z

You'll forget about it once you install a Performance Exhaust.

[Thrakos]

Originally Posted by lem144

That being said, I wouldn't get a 328 with the auto if you paid me. The auto just sucks the life out of the engine.

Gotta know - why? I have a 328xi auto and am quite happy with it - what are the issues?

[kdbryce]

good luck convincing yourself the 328 is a better choice after already driving the 335 haha

the 328 is a great car... I had two and loved them. however, I felt like I would have loved them even more if they were RWD and 6mt. They were quick enough and fun to drive, but once I got into a 335, I never looked back. I guess that's mainly because I just like to race between the lights, though haha

the 328 is a fine car (especially with an exhaust and intake), but coming from a 350z, you'll probably want the 335

[LuisBoston]

Originally Posted by Thrakos

Gotta know - why? I have a 328xi auto and am quite happy with it - what are the issues?

If you're happy, we're happy

There are plenty of other threads on here that go into the shortcomings of the 328 autobox.

[Mavus]

Originally Posted by iknowitsfast

Hello, as you can see by my post count and by the title, I am a true BMW noob. For my first post I contemplated asking about which mods would void a warranty, which intake is the best or even what the difference between an E90 and E92 was.....buuuuut I decided against it
Anyway, I have decided to sell/trade my beloved Nissan 350Z 6 speed manual for a 335xi E90. I have never driven a BMW before and last night at the dealership was my first time. I drove a midnight blue 335xi and I gotta say this car is not what I thought. I thought it would be a car that I'd want to modify thoroughly with intake, bov, tune, etc etc. but damn this car is so silky smooth when it accelerates, it handles beautiful and is just so so clean. I might feel bad for changing things lol. I did not pull the trigger because I'm now debating whether to purchase a 328xi instead. Either way, I'll find a nice 328xi to test drive too and lurk the bimmerforums and search for more topics to read up on. I will be purchasing this month though and no matter what I buy, even though I'll miss the sweet exhast note of my Z, I cant wait to join the BMW family.

If you are considering 328 the only one would be 328i. Xi does nothing really except adds 200lbs. Also, xi models have softer suspension and some mods do not fit due to awd system. Manual is the best.

335d has a ton of tq but you must service it with urea also every 15K or so, I believe. I am not sure of the depreciation but it is a beast.

The 335 is a great car as long as you are covered by warranty. The LCI models (09+) seem more reliable.

The best values are 328i M-sport and 330i. Bullet proof, smooth machines and light weight.

At the end, 335i has strong engine but can't put power on the ground without LSD. The 330i couldn't either.

GL

[dkexige]

Here is a cheatsheet for the major differences:

6MT vs Auto - self explainatory
335 vs 328 - NA vs turbo, self explainatory
N54 (2007-2010) vs N55 (2011+) - twin vs single turbo, tunability vs reliability (335 only, model years are for coupes, not sure for sedans)
RWD vs xDrive - more power to rear wheels, better suspension vs more traction and better driveability in snow
e92 vs e90 - weight/looks vs practicality
pre-LCI vs LCI - more aftermarket options vs less age on car and updated electronics

There is a 6MT N54 335i RWD e92 following here that are sort of like the kind of people that overclock their computers. Thats the most tunable version of our cars and anything different to them is a compromise. The majority of us enjoy our cars as they are and very very rarely would any of the power differences make us wish we didn't have the practicality of what we have. Find the car you love and tune out the elitists. Good luck!

[iknowitsfast]

Originally Posted by ashmostro

Are you only looking at awd models?

yes, since I'm in Chicago, I figured I wanted to drive a car that i can drive ALL year instead of just 3 months. I'm aware you can purchase winter tires but since my wife will probably want to drive it, I'd rather have a little bit more security with the AWD.

Originally Posted by lem144

Are you looking at automatics or manuals?

Unfourtunatley I am limited to automatic this time. I want the manual but honestly since I purchased my Z a few years ago with a 6MT without even telling the missus I'm pretty much screwed from making solo car purchases for a while lol. (She cant drive stick)