[Ali Shiralian]

Ok so I've had my car for almost two months and yet to see another one similar. I travel back and forth to Toronto and London but all I see are 328i and mostly 320s. I test drove both models before settled on the 335. In my opinion neither gave me any reason to purchase them as they seemed under powered and noisy. What's the matter with people? Why don't they take the superior engine over the BMW four banger? Any thoughts???

[tuned2ride]

The difference in price is much higher than in the US unfortunately. It is like 8000$ more vs 3-4000$ in the US with some equipment taken in consideration.

[Dan_335i]

Price, gas, insurance

[nicholas1520]

Where I live, the 328i would cost about 92-100k US. Nobody really owns a 335i here, there are a couple tho. The naturally aspirated ones. You'd would spend upwards 125k US for 335i more than likely so obviously money is better spent on an M3.

[Ali Shiralian]

Originally Posted by nicholas1520

Where I live, the 328i would cost about 92-100k US. Nobody really owns a 335i here, there are a couple tho. The naturally aspirated ones. You'd would spend upwards 125k US for 335i more than likely so obviously money is better spent on an M3.

Wow, that's highway robbery for a 328. Maybe they're considering your nice climate for the extra charge

[nicknaz]

There is the F80 M3 so, What's the matter with people? Why don't they take the superior engine over the 335 with 125 less hp ? Any thoughts???

[rjpeaks]

b/c they bought B8.5 S4's

[nick1212]

I agree. I only see 320 and 328. Not complaining though. At least it's not as common as mine then.

[Ali Shiralian]

Originally Posted by nicknaz

There is the F80 M3 so, What's the matter with people? Why don't they take the superior engine over the 335 with 125 less hp ? Any thoughts???

You can also say why people don't buy Ferraris or Mclarens , M3 is different body and dynamics as opposed to F30s which are sedans and suited for every day living. My point was if you like the body, why not get the best engine to go with it. I also know most buy it for the name only. Most people cant differentiate between them anyways. Not all are enthusiasts I guess.....

[Ali Shiralian]

Originally Posted by nick1212

I agree. I only see 320 and 328. Not complaining though. At least it's not as common as mine then.

[openwheelracing]

Mainly because 328i and especially 320i is enough for every day fun. These N20 makes more power than V6 engines from 15 years ago...just to give you some perspective. Just because I have extra $5000, doesn't mean I wouldn't rather spend it on something else.

[JamesMA]

Plenty are showing up in Boston. I did not see to many F30s of any type when I bought mine, but after a few years of leae turn over, they are all over the place in general. See a lot of Audis too though.

[DrivenByE30]

Different markets, different environments, different settings, different mentality, different needs.

Your own logic cannot necessarily be applied to everyone else's...
Otherwise bmw would just be selling only M3s
Simple as that...

[///MZ]

Originally Posted by Ali Shiralian

You can also say why people don't buy Ferraris or Mclarens , M3 is different body and dynamics as opposed to F30s which are sedans and suited for every day living. My point was if you like the body, why not get the best engine to go with it. I also know most buy it for the name only. Most people cant differentiate between them anyways. Not all are enthusiasts I guess.....

At 72k, a full loaded 335 with 4.9% over 5 years ends up costing you 91k. No thanks, I'll stick to my 328 for half that price. It's perfect for what I need.

[kent11202]

Originally Posted by nicholas1520

Where I live, the 328i would cost about 92-100k US. Nobody really owns a 335i here, there are a couple tho. The naturally aspirated ones. You'd would spend upwards 125k US for 335i more than likely so obviously money is better spent on an M3.

$93K - $100K for a 328i? Good grief! I'd be more than happy to let mine go at a 50% discount from that price.

[Ali Shiralian]

Ok, I think people misunderstanding my question. A similarly optioned 328 in my area would cost between 4-6000 less than a 335i. I mean people spend more than that modifying their 328s, different wheels, sport options etc... So why not buy a 335 which already gives you a better performance. I understand the argument that most people don't need the extra hp and opt for the 328 or 320. But to those who spend extra to get more hp or have better wheels and so on..why not go for the 335? I mean the engine noise alone is worth the extra cash to me

[Ali Shiralian]

I also like to get my hands on stat that shows what percentage of f30s that people buy are 335s. Would be interesting to know that.....

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by Ali Shiralian

Ok so I've had my car for almost two months and yet to see another one similar. I travel back and forth to Toronto and London but all I see are 328i and mostly 320s. I test drove both models before settled on the 335. In my opinion neither gave me any reason to purchase them as they seemed under powered and noisy. What's the matter with people? Why don't they take the superior engine over the BMW four banger? Any thoughts???

You asked for thoughts. Here's my thought. If I were to answer in the same tone as your post, I would say that the 335 is an overweight, over-priced, nose-heavy, gas guzzling pig with ancient engine technology that is left over from the E90 days. Its like paying extra to have a car that handles like a person is strapped to your front bumper. That is why you are the only one in Canada that has a 335i. I can't believe that you bought it. Everybody else knows better and bought the superior 328i or 320i instead.

Now here is how I really feel: The N55 is a great engine. When I researched extensively before happily purchasing 328i, I was torn between the legendary I-6 and the newer, noisier, N20 engine. The price difference in the US was marginal since my 328i is loaded. The price difference was not a factor for me at all. To be honest, 2014 328i is not that noisy. Yes, you can hear it when it starts up because (I'm told) direct injection. But, that does not bother me and the performance of the 328i with the N20 engine is outstanding. Is it as fast as the 335i? No. Is it fast enough? Absolutely. And with the handling advantage of the 328i due to the better balance and lighter weight, the speed advantage of the 335i is offset somewhat.

So, after a lot of research, including this forum, I choose the 328i over the 335i because it weighs less by 100+ pounds, it is better balanced (all the cylinders are behind the front axle, it is more fuel efficient, and it is cheaper in the United States by anywhere between $2,900 and $5,000, depending on the build of the two cars.

Would I have been happy with the 335i if I had bought it instead? Absolutely. There is not a bad choice to be made between these two outstanding cars.

So, be happy with your choice and brag at parties that you have the only 335i in your neck of the woods.

[nicknaz]

Originally Posted by Ali Shiralian

You can also say why people don't buy Ferraris or Mclarens , M3 is different body and dynamics as opposed to F30s which are sedans and suited for every day living. My point was if you like the body, why not get the best engine to go with it. I also know most buy it for the name only. Most people cant differentiate between them anyways. Not all are enthusiasts I guess.....

F80 M3 is a sedan that has a decent number of similarities to the F30 335, not a 2 seater exotic.

People didn't get 335 for the same reason you didn't get the M3... COST!

(at the end of the day... this is always the answer to this question right? It is definitely why I have a Z435 and not a Cayman R, and why I took a pass on some options for my 335)

[nick1212]

I would disagree with the 335 being a pig on gas. I think its pretty decent, maybe not as good as the 328 but definitely a lot better than the previous gen engines. In terms of weight its not a factor when you take into account the power so it hardly matters when you are driving it.
The noise is something that could be better but it still sounds amazing especially in sport mode.

On a side note mine is a sport line 335 and am happy that mine is definitely not common as most opt to get the M sport. Once again not complaining about this at all.

[Ali Shiralian]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

You asked for thoughts. Here's my thought. If I were to answer in the same tone as your post, I would say that the 335 is an overweight, over-priced, nose-heavy, gas guzzling pig with ancient engine technology that is left over from the E90 days. Its like paying extra to have a car that handles like a person is strapped to your front bumper. That is why you are the only one in Canada that has a 335i. I can't believe that you bought it. Everybody else knows better and bought the superior 328i or 320i instead.

Now here is how I really feel: The N55 is a great engine. When I researched extensively before happily purchasing 328i, I was torn between the legendary I-6 and the newer, noisier, N20 engine. The price difference in the US was marginal since my 328i is loaded. The price difference was not a factor for me at all. To be honest, 2014 328i is not that noisy. Yes, you can hear it when it starts up because (I'm told) direct injection. But, that does not bother me and the performance of the 328i with the N20 engine is outstanding. Is it as fast as the 335i? No. Is it fast enough? Absolutely. And with the handling advantage of the 328i due to the better balance and lighter weight, the speed advantage of the 335i is offset somewhat.

So, after a lot of research, including this forum, I choose the 328i over the 335i because it weighs less by 100+ pounds, it is better balanced (all the cylinders are behind the front axle, it is more fuel efficient, and it is cheaper in the United States by anywhere between $2,900 and $5,000, depending on the build of the two cars.

Would I have been happy with the 335i if I had bought it instead? Absolutely. There is not a bad choice to be made between these two outstanding cars.

So, be happy with your choice and brag at parties that you have the only 335i in your neck of the woods.

I agree with everything you said. My situation is different than most people and I am a car enthusiast. Although savings is important for me too, I absolutely adore the in line six. I've had it before and couldn't settle for the four. I respect people choice of 328 however. My confusion was how come there aren't more people like me! I mean not even one in two months?

[RoundelM3]

I recently drove my 2013 335i from San Antonio, TX to Wilmington, NC, a distance of over 1400 miles. I hit peak mileage of 36 MPG and averaged 34 MPG for the entire trip, driving an average of 72 MPH, usually cruising at 75. How does that qualify as a "pig" on mileage? That's the best mileage I've ever seen on any of my BMWs. By comparison, the best we've been able to get on my wife's 2011 128i Convertible is 26 on the highway. My personal opinion is that if it's not an inline-6, it's just not a proper BMW. I've driven the 4-cylinder model and it has great performance, but nothing beats the smoothness and quiet of the inline-6, turbocharged or not.