[Johnny1987]

Hey guys,

I will be going to view a car later today bmw 335i (N55). Is their anything in particular i should look out for or should be asking the dealer. I dont have much experience with 335i's as i have never driven or owned 1. And also for the spec and mileage do you think the price is reasonable?

Link to the webpage : http://www.davefoxcars.co.uk/used-BM...rdshire-478328

Any help would be much appreciated as i am a bit clueless about the engine.

Also i understand by reading through numerous threads that alot of members prefer the n54 engine, is this a more reliable engine? Or is it because of tuning potential? Out of the two engines which would you guys advise to consider?

Thanks

[Rudz]

I've got the exact same car mate

The 335i is a great car, will bring a smile on ur face as soon as u drive it, it's got DCT, best auto box, gear changes are silky smooth and lightning quick, this is no exaggeration

Re the N54 vs N55 debate, there are hundreds of threads about this so I won't go over it in great detail, but it is generally accepted for performance tuners the N54 is the holy grail, it has great tuning potential, that comes at a cost though, it is a bit unreliable

The N55 on the other hand is very reliable and in stock form slightly better than the n54 as it produces more torque at lower revs, so easier to drive, sounds a lot better than the N54 in stock form, currently it can't be tuned to the same levels as an N54 but it's only a matter of time and we'll get there. The failings of the N54 have been addressed so it is a lot more reliable

Overall a great choice, congrats on the purchase

I couldn't see how many miles it had done ? I believe the car is still under manufacturers warranty, check when that is coming to an end, get BMW warranty as soon as....it is important u do as it's an excellent warranty and will save u from expensive bills should anything go wrong

[SO8]

It has 65,000 miles according to their main stock page.

[makkan00]

I'd go for N54 due to the flexibility in tuning.
I felt N55 with DCT has severe lag in auto mode unless you drive it in Sports mode.

Where as stock N54 with AT felt more aggressive.

[Johnny1987]

Thanks for the reply mate. The car has done 67k miles at present, seems a bit high so i think this will put a bmw warranty upto the £1000 mark?

Do you think the car is slightly overpriced for the mileage that its covered?

Thanks for the info on the car, have not purchased it yet but hopefully it drives well and is in good condition as i will be trading in the car i have now. Is their a noticeable difference between the dct and the regular auto?

Thanks again

[MrPogle]

I could well be wrong but it looks like it might have Business Nav rather than Pro. If that matters to you.

[makkan00]

Originally Posted by MrPogle

I could well be wrong but it looks like it might have Business Nav rather than Pro. If that matters to you.

Correct.

[Johnny1987]

Originally Posted by makkan00

I'd go for N54 due to the flexibility in tuning.
I felt N55 with DCT has severe lag in auto mode unless you drive it in Sports mode.

Where as stock N54 with AT felt more aggressive.

Thanks Makkan for the info, how noticeable was the lag? I sold a 320d for this reason and bought a 325i n53 which was naturally aspirated to avoid going through that again. I felt at times the turbo lag was kind of dangerous when trying to pull off roundabouts and the car wouldnt react and move. Would you say the torque off an n55 will avoid me experiencing the same issue?

Thanks mate

[Johnny1987]

Originally Posted by MrPogle

I could well be wrong but it looks like it might have Business Nav rather than Pro. If that matters to you.

What is the difference between the two mate? And is it upgradeable?

Cheers

[makkan00]

Originally Posted by Johnny1987

Thanks Makkan for the info, how noticeable was the lag? I sold a 320d for this reason and bought a 325i n53 which was naturally aspirated to avoid going through that again. I felt at times the turbo lag was kind of dangerous when trying to pull off roundabouts and the car wouldnt react and move. Would you say the torque off an n55 will avoid me experiencing the same issue?

Thanks mate

Quite noticeable from putting the foot down and seeing the car responding to it. Would say at least 1 second. In some cases I found the car getting confused.

However in S mode, it was aggressive. I do not think its down to DCT.

I think it is down to twin scroll turbo (N55) though its supposed to have less lag. And second reason is stock map.


I am no expert but on N54 modification options are more. Stock map seems more agile. And once you map it and throw Alpina transmission, its unbelievable.

[Rudz]

Originally Posted by makkan00

I'd go for N54 due to the flexibility in tuning.
I felt N55 with DCT has severe lag in auto mode unless you drive it in Sports mode.

Where as stock N54 with AT felt more aggressive.

Mate I don't agree with u at all on this, it is a little peppier in sports but there is no lag in auto, u get instant power at the push of the rude pedal

Severe lag on a DCT lol, I don't know what car u've been driving mate

There is better torque at lower rpm so will pull off quicker, couldn't quite understand how u thought a stock n54 with stock auto was stronger

[MUFASA1]

The price seems high but since am in the US I could be biased haggle well and if possible have an independent bmw mechanic look at it. In terms of the N55 its up to personality. How many times do u plan on tracking the car. The car is fast enough for me, I reach speeds of 120mph so fast before I realize it, getting a COBB Ap soon so that I am not as scared when I see Mustang 5.0's or Audi S4's Goodluck

[makkan00]

Originally Posted by Rudz

Mate I don't agree with u at all on this, it is a little peppier in sports but there is no lag in auto, u get instant power at the push of the rude pedal

Severe lag on a DCT lol, I don't know what car u've been driving mate

There is better torque at lower rpm so will pull off quicker, couldn't quite understand how u thought a stock n54 with stock auto was stronger

Rudz
Drive a stock n54 with AT and see what I mean. Less lag and defo feels quick.
I have already mentioned that its nothing to do with DCT but perhaps engine and to be more specific
- stock maps
- differences in turbos

Not going to argue but that is my personal opinion based on driving both cars for approx 2 hours on all sort of roads.

[AWBimmer]

What I love about this forum is OP posted at 9.06am... there are 10 posts by 10.30am which have all addressed OP's questions and then some...

GL for the viewing today OP Pics of it never happened

Sorry can't help much I'm not a petrol head... yet!

[Johnny1987]

Originally Posted by makkan00

Quite noticeable from putting the foot down and seeing the car responding to it. Would say at least 1 second. In some cases I found the car getting confused.

However in S mode, it was aggressive. I do not think its down to DCT.

I think it is down to twin scroll turbo (N55) though its supposed to have less lag. And second reason is stock map.


I am no expert but on N54 modification options are more. Stock map seems more agile. And once you map it and throw Alpina transmission, its unbelievable.

Cheers for info Makkan, just another quick question in regards to the Navigation. I tend not to use the SatNav thats supplied as i didn't have the 7digit postcode search and at times found that it took around 5minutes just too sort out a location.

Another member commented saying that the car has business nav over professional, i generally only use the iDrive to select songs off the iPod, check service schedule etc. I understand that the screen may be slightly smaller and the maps are in 2D, is this correct? based on the way i use it do you think i will be ok with the Nav in this car then? and from what i understand you are the go to guy for things like this, would it be possible at some point for myself to upgrade the system if i ever wanted to?

Cheers

[Johnny1987]

Originally Posted by MUFASA1

The price seems high but since am in the US I could be biased haggle well and if possible have an independent bmw mechanic look at it. In terms of the N55 its up to personality. How many times do u plan on tracking the car. The car is fast enough for me, I reach speeds of 120mph so fast before I realize it, getting a COBB Ap soon so that I am not as scared when I see Mustang 5.0's or Audi S4's Goodluck

I never track the car at all mate, I'm too scared of crashing and generally don't even drive that fast to be fair. I just like the smooth power delivery, and only ever use it if someone is trying to race from traffic lights or if its late night and streets are empty. How tuneable is the engine at the moment? i don't wish to tune too high in future, i just want the power to be around the M3 range as i love them but cannot afford one lol.

Thanks

[Johnny1987]

Originally Posted by AWBimmer

What I love about this forum is OP posted at 9.06am... there are 10 posts by 10.30am which have all addressed OP's questions and then some...

GL for the viewing today OP Pics of it never happened

Sorry can't help much I'm not a petrol head... yet!

Thanks for wishing me luck mate, i hope the car is in good nick as i have been after one for a very long time. I want to settle on one car and try and keep it for a long time.

Nice car btw, i always have a quick look when I'm on here. The lights that Josh done on them and wheels finish it off nicely.

Thanks again

[makkan00]

Originally Posted by Johnny1987

Cheers for info Makkan, just another quick question in regards to the Navigation. I tend not to use the SatNav thats supplied as i didn't have the 7digit postcode search and at times found that it took around 5minutes just too sort out a location.

Another member commented saying that the car has business nav over professional, i generally only use the iDrive to select songs off the iPod, check service schedule etc. I understand that the screen may be slightly smaller and the maps are in 2D, is this correct? based on the way i use it do you think i will be ok with the Nav in this car then? and from what i understand you are the go to guy for things like this, would it be possible at some point for myself to upgrade the system if i ever wanted to?

Cheers

I have never personally used business navigation so I may not be able to give you comprehensive difference. IanS100 is the best person to answer this as he has used both.

I believe that on business sat nav, there is no split screen mode (maps + ipod songs displayed). On business sat nav, maps are not comprehensive. Also, I guess you cannot save music on the hard drive of business sat nav.


TBH, if I was in the market to buy 335i, then I'd make sure to go for one with proper sat nav (professional). Unless you are getting the car 1-2K cheaper compared to a car with same specs but professional sat nav.

Again, it is not difficult to upgrade but if you have a choice, then go for the one with professional sat nav.

[Rudz]

U get a lot of subjective opinions here rather than fact based

The car is 302bhp in stock (near 280 I'd say), it can currently be tuned to 450+ but that is a stage 4 tune with new turbos etc

The car is plenty fast in stock and u'll experience no issues pulling out of roundabouts lol

It's priced high for such a high mileage car, worth about £17k I'd say, try and haggle them down

Problem with part exchange is u r on the backfoot already, they will offer u trade price and will sell at retail , so u'd be losing out twice

Just take it for a nice long drive, see how it feels, if they don't offer u a good price then atleast u'd have a bench mark to compare against

If u r not planning on tracking it or using it at excessive speeds then I would recommend u get an N55 as it is a lot more reliable than the N54 and will not burn ur pocket during ur ownership, it is a rocket ship in stock form, u'll love it

[Josh1a1h]

+1

Originally Posted by AWBimmer

What I love about this forum is OP posted at 9.06am... there are 10 posts by 10.30am which have all addressed OP's questions and then some...

GL for the viewing today OP Pics of it never happened

Sorry can't help much I'm not a petrol head... yet!

[makkan00]

Originally Posted by Rudz

U get a lot of subjective opinions here rather than fact based

The car is 302bhp in stock (near 280 I'd say), it can currently be tuned to 450+ but that is a stage 4 tune with new turbos etc

The car is plenty fast in stock and u'll experience no issues pulling out of roundabouts lol

It's priced high for such a high mileage car, worth about £17k I'd say, try and haggle them down

Problem with part exchange is u r on the backfoot already, they will offer u trade price and will sell at retail , so u'd be losing out twice

Just take it for a nice long drive, see how it feels, if they don't offer u a good price then atleast u'd have a bench mark to compare against

If u r not planning on tracking it or using it at excessive speeds then I would recommend u get an N55 as it is a lot more reliable than the N54 and will not burn ur pocket during ur ownership, it is a rocket ship in stock form, u'll love it

N54 or N55, both of them are 306 BHP according to AT.
N55 is better on emission and classify for J tax band.

When I refer to lag, I am referring to lag b/w 4-5-6-7 and when you are driving b.w 40-50MPH.

There is not much significant difference b/w two engines when you are pulling out of the round about / junctions as Rudz mentioned.


I guess Rudz has summed up how to deal with them.

[blues n twos]

Nice car but price seems a bit high with that mileage and the fact it has 18" not 19" wheels plus business nav not pro.

I think you could get one with half that mileage and top spec for that sort of money and then you can get the BMW warranty for about £600.

My advice would be to keep looking a bit longer.

Jon