2008 BMW 335i review

By Paul Maric | April 12th, 2008

BMW 335i Review

Model tested: BMW 335i Coupe

Recommended Retail Price: $111,700; as tested $117,050.

Options fitted: Electric sunroof – glass ($2,750), M Sport Package ($2,600).

Styling, brilliant handling, rear room, technology.

Run-flat tyres, sound system.

CarAdvice rating: (4.5)

– Photographs and review by Paul Maric

As a closet BMW fan, I was quietly hoping that BMW’s new 335i Coupe would make Audi’s S5 – which I test drove a couple of weeks back – watch its back a bit more closely, in anticipation of a heated duel. A duel was the least of my worries though, before even moving out of park I was given a 15-minute i-Drive introduction by BMW’s PR chief.

Pfft…I thought. I know my iPod back-to-front, surely some car computer wouldn’t outdo me. But, rightfully so, I was outdone. In fact, some of the features of this ingenious i-Drive had me intrigued. Favourite functions, followed by television and even a bit of voice recognition thrown in for fun, it’s a very impressive system that is easy to master with a bit of time.

Anyway, as fun as i-Drive is, the BMW 335i Coupe’s main draw card is the engine under the bonnet. BMW has reserved the V8 for the M3 and instead uses a twin-turbocharged inline 6-cylinder motor. The 3.0-litre motor produces 225kW and an impressive 400Nm of torque. Calling this engine a masterpiece would be a dreadful understatement. It’s not often you come across a motor which literally knows what to do before you even consider doing it.

Ease on the throttle or slam down the throttle, the engine is always ready to respond, and the noise…oh the noise. At full flight, the twin-turbo’ed unit sounds like its ready to sacrifice anything in its path. It literally sounds like a fighter jet in the midst of mid-air combat. The noise can he heard quite clearly both inside and outside the cabin, lending to BMW’s commitment to driver satisfaction.

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In 2007, BMW won the coveted Engine of the Year award for this motor – the twin-turbocharged, inline six-cylinder. BMW’s dedication to building technically advanced, fuel efficient engines is impressive and the unit under the bonnet of the BMW 335i Coupe is a perfect example of why people are willing to pay a price premium to receive what can only be described as a near perfect engine/gearbox combination.

The noise is nothing in comparison to the drive though. The steering features pinpoint accuracy, while the brakes offer sublime stopping power. One thing that got up my nose though was the tyres. BMW’s obsession with run-flat tyres sacrifices the vehicle’s performance. Instead of rolling over the edge of the rim, the run-flat tyre causes the car to feel stiff and somewhat unnatural through bends.

You can fit aftermarket non-run-flat tyres to the BMW 335i Coupe, but you will sacrifice any form of backup if a tyre blows – which probably won’t be so much of an issue if you live in suburbia.

I continuously had the feeling that the BMW 335i didn’t have the surety and confidence of Audi’s S5, due to the tyres. But, fit the 335i Coupe with a decent set of treads and I’m confident it would keep up with the S5 through corners. The BMW quite simply delivers an awe inspiring feel through the chassis that can’t be matched by Audi’s offering.

Inside the cabin, an endless set of features grace the driver and passengers. I had a short stint in the back seat and I must say, it’s not a bad place to be. I had decent head room and as it’s a dedicated 4-seater, there was no feeling of being squashed by other passengers. Build quality and materials are –of course – superb, which is what you would expect of a vehicle of this calibre.

The 335i Coupe comes standard with a feature BMW call high-beam assist. The system is designed to automatically engage and disengage the high-beam lights without the need for driver input. The system can detect tail lights, along with oncoming headlights. The system worked relatively flawlessly during testing, but it seemed to get confused at times with reflective roadside signs and the red lights from parallel railway signals. It’s certainly a useful feature that takes the onus off the driver when it comes to dipping their lights.

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Luggage space in the boot isn’t all that shabby. Rated at 430-litres, the 335i Coupe can carry its fair share of luggage. The run-flat tyres ensure a maximum load carrying capacity in the boot as there is no need for a full-sized or space-saver spare tyre.

BMW’s Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) contains three modes. The first mode (fully active) ensures that the car catches any oversteer or understeer before it becomes an issue. The second mode (single press of the DTC button) disables part of the stability control. This second mode allows the car to get out of shape – up to a point where it can still be saved if worst comes to worst. This mode makes any driver look impressive and gives you a good indication of the levels of grip available before it all lets go.

The third and final mode – DSC off – disables all the electronic nannies. This mode allows the 335i Coupe to get as sideways as the path allows. During testing on a private circuit, I got a feel for the vehicle’s capabilities and got a true sense of the chassis. At full boot, you can hold the 335i Coupe out sideways all day long. Along with pinpoint steering feel, the rapid engine response allows tremendous levels of control over the car’s direction.

BMW claims a 0-100km/h time of 5.5-seconds for the automatic 335i Coupe. After a couple of timed runs with the G-Tech, this figure was easily achieved. I believe the figure may be slightly understated, as it felt quicker than the stipulated time BMW has provided and this was backed up by the G-Tech’s readings of around 5.3-seconds.

I was somewhat disappointed with the standard sound system that comes with the 335i Coupe. It lacks bass and begins distorting far before it should. There are two other sound systems which can be optioned with the 335i Coupe, they include the Hi-Fi Logic7 sound system ($1,250) and the Individual high-end audio system ($3,150). I would recommend optioning these if you’re purchasing the car, as they would be a worthy investment.

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Standard features include: Cruise control with brake function; DataDot technology; 18” alloy wheels with 225/40 (front) and 255/35 (rear) rubber; central locking; automatic windscreen wipers; automatic headlights; front fog lights; adaptive bi-xenon headlights; high-beam assist; front and rear parking sensors (including visual display on interior LCD screen); dual zone climate control; 6-stack CD player with in-dash CD player, including MP3 player; automatic dimming rear vision mirror; leather interior; control display with 8.8” colour LCD screen, including satellite navigation, television and voice recognition; Bluetooth compatibility; driver and passenger electric seats and BMW sport seats.

Safety features include: ABS brakes with EBD, BA; Dynamic Brake Control (DBC); Cornering Brake Control (CBC); Automatic Stability and Traction Control (ASC+T); Dynamic Stability Control, including Dynamic Traction Control (DSC and DTC); driver and front passenger front airbags; front side airbags; head airbags for front and rear occupants and engine immobiliser.

The 3-series Coupe is available in three guises, the 323i, 325i and the most popular, the 335i. The 323i begins at $70,200, while the 325i can be had for $81,900. Finally, the 335i comes in at $108,900. A 6-speed ZF automatic gearbox can be optioned for an additional $2,800.

It’s very hard to say no to this proposition. Not only is the 335i Coupe some $23,000 cheaper than its main rival – the Audi S5 – it looks stunning and drives like you wouldn’t believe. Maybe it’s bad on fuel then? Ah, no, try 9.5-litres/100km. The only question you have to ask is which brand you prefer, BMW for the 335i Coupe, or Audi for the S5 – there’s no way you could be disappointed with either choice.

Click through to read our Audi S5 review.

CarAdvice overall rating:

How does it drive:

How does it look:

How does it go:

2008 BMW 335i Coupe Specifications

Engine: 3.0-litre
Power: 225kW
Torque: 400Nm
Top speed: 250km/h
Safety: Electronic stability control- front air bags – side airbags – curtain airbags – front seatbelt pre-tensioners and load limiters.
0-100km/h: 5.5-seconds
EuroNCAP rating: N/A
Turning circle: 11m
Fuel tank: 63 litres
Fuel consumption : 9.5-litres/100km
Fuel type: 98RON premium unleaded

Duck

Naaaaaaaaaaaaahh! Audi A5 instead.

audis are fat and slow

Are you kidding?? An A5 over a BMW 335i coupe? You all must be from the South where fatter and slower things are better. You didn’t even say an S5 for God’s sake, which would be much more comparable to a 335i than an A5. All you who like the A5 more probably are those guys who spends five grand on body upgrades and none on the powertrain in order to make a 2.0L piece of shit look like it actually has an engine in it. You’re all a disgrace to cars.
Jake

deco

I prefer the look of the A5 to the 335i, and I have driven the 2.0TFSI engine(In the A4), and it has plenty of go, makes the car feel well balanced and costs 30k less.
Elmo

And your a disgrace to Humans…Jake…

Jimmy

Having driven both the A5 and the 335i coupe, I can say without reservation that you would be a fool to choose the Audi. I haven’t driven the S5 so I can’t comment in that regard. But I can say the 335i is an absolute machine, it is a pleasure to drive and the engine is something else altogether. With the top down, the sound that comes from the exhaust is spine tingling.

Benjie

Awesome car, looks absolutely stunning.
Myke

Naaaaaaaaaaahh, I’d easily have this over the A5. It’s definitely a car that is better in the flesh.
anthony C

yeah its a cool car. they have always been cool cars. but bmw 3 series is fast becoming “meh”
plus thats some serious coin for a 2 door coupe runabout. im just glad in 10 years those will be 20 grand.

i think id prefer the mondeo over this……..to many people are going for 3 series these days
Captain Mainwaring

This is a fabulous car, S5 (not A5) runs it close but is too expensive. Such volcanic torque from under 2000rpm with a petrol engine is addictive, and the chassis is amazing, without the complexity and weight of AWD. Too bad the instrument panel looks so downmarket. And yes, I’ve driven both this and the S5.
Benjie

Anthony C:

The Mondeo isn’t even in the same league as this car…!
Andrew M

BMW exterior styling = no body does it better
anthony C

you missed my point benjie… i wasnt saying were in the same leauge.. im just saying that the 3 series has become such a common car now they are gona need to do some unique or radicalness to make it “THE! medium sized car”

like clarkson said “the mondeo man has become 3 series man” more 3 series were sold in 03-04-05-06 than mondeos wich were in the UK at least the king of mid size
Captain Mainwaring

Benjie, that was a fairly miraculous observation. Are you now going to tell us that a Barina isn’t in the same league as a Golf GTi?
Duck

Ah…….yeah! I meant S5.
http://deleted Alex

I would have and Audi A/S5 over this and pay the premium. They are starting to appear around London and its just so much more special than the BMW. They look soooo much better and less boring in the flesh but then again so does the BMW. The BMWs will be bought by business men who don’t care about cars and they will be everywhere but the Audi will always be in smaller numbers by people who love to drive – not that the BMW isn’t a great drivers car, I just don’t want that image.
http://realcarsbigpond.com realcars

buy one of these in 10 years when I retire yipeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!
Duck

Anti-Spam word Holden! Holden should make something as special as this. Oh! Yeah! The Holden Coupe60!

^^^^^How old are u Realcars if u are going to retire in 10 years time? Are u 60, 55?
B///M3

Fantastic Car!
http://www.caradvice.com.au Anthonia

Sounds like you are sitting on the fence Car Advice? M3 or S5? Rear wheel drive or quattro? I guess the additional $23K would be a relatively easy choice for most unless you were Audi die hard, as both these cars look the business.
http://www.caradvice.com.au Anthonia

Ford’s F6 Typhoon used to get 270k from a single turbo Six. Now I’m just a county bloke from Warren but shouldn’t BMW get a whole lot more than 225kW with a twin turbo set up on a straight six? It is a straight six right?
http://realcarsbigpond.com realcars

Too old Duck!

If this stock market picks up again hopefully “early” retirement and a sea change with some acres and a big shed for some “toys”.

we can all dream can’t we?
Jase

The M Sports Package looks sweeet!
anthony C

anthonia. the twin tubro on the bmw are very small inboard turbos. that spool very very quickly.. no noticable lag.. so its like free power will no loss to drivability or reliablity.. smart move really

cookie
G

Anthonia, there is a reason that it won best engine. The setup is completely different from Ford’s. 2 small turbos vs 1 larger one. 1 turbo each for 3 cyl, vs 1 for 6. Virtually no turbo lag, vs some turbo lag. 3L capacity vs 4L capacity. IMO the I6 turbo in the F6/FG XR6T is still the best engine you can get in an aussie built car, but it is not even close to a BMW performance engine like the V10 and V8 in the M5/6 and M3 or even the 3L TT in the 335.
Dlr1

Why must BMW persist with the iDrive? My experiences with it have been far more distracting than using a mobile phone while driving. Sure it looks good on paper, but in reality anything that can confuse or distract the driver so easily shouldn’t be used when behind the wheel. Where’s the safety in that?
o

hmmmm im 16 and love idrive same with most teens who use it BMWs age is slowly getting older and they wnt more young people hemce tech featuers like idrive its actually remarkably easy to use the people who complain obviously havnt used it yet its the same as buying a new computer yuor not gonna know how to use it at first but you get the hang of it after a couple of weeks
Dlr1

How many 16 year olds in this country own a bmw? Lucky teenagers are all such gifted drivers that they can use their ipod, mobile and drive at the same time with such safety.
popeclement

So why won’t BMW offer the 6spd manual gearbox in the 335i sedan? You can get it in the UK with the 6spd manual. I thought they were once the Ultimate Driving Machine.

I am absolutely fed up with the lack of manual gearboxes – ask these guys & they quote homologation c**p. I think they just couldn’t be bothered.
Phill

Awesome cars these 335i.In the bathurst 12hr,over the last 2 years,2 335i’s ran each year,both finished in the top 4 both years.Both times,no more then 6 laps off the lead.And the 130i another BMW winner both times finishing as high as 6th and both times only 10 laps behind the leaders at the end.Also not 1 out of 10 BMW starters in the last 2 12hrs has had a DNF,while Mitsubishi,Subaru,Ford and Holden have had plenty.Auto only for the road car sux,aussies getting ripped off again(The one’s in the 12hr had manual gearboxs in them)
Phill

Forgot to say 07 it won outright and 3rd in 08
Norman

Popeclement:

They do offer a 6-speed manual…did you even read the article, which states the ZF is an extra $2,800?
Duck

Thats right Realcars, we can all dream!
http://- Crouchy

i am not a fan of the norm 3 series but there is no denying that the coupe is one of the more classy (and sporty) looking cars around. id take one in an instant.

Am i right to assume this would hold its value better than the audi?
John of Perth

I was referring to the sedan, not the coupe.
Eureka

Having driven the 335i, I also agree that it is an awesome car…however, I believe that BMW offer an even better (and cheaper) alternative in their 135i coupe. This car is going to be released locally in May for $71k (RRP) and has the same 3 litre twin turbo engine as the 335i – albeit in a lighter and more nimble package. Independent tests of the car in the U.S. are quoting 0-60mph in 4.7 secs!
Char

The S5 is made to look like a BMW coupe, in other words, it’s a pretender.

BMW is the reason Audi make cars.

Popeclement, you asked a question and answered it. BMW offers manual trannies like you said, it’s BMW Australia not BMW.
jbot

Eureka, check the weights of the 135i and the 335i.. Surprisingly they aren’t much different, so performance isn’t that much better either. Straight-line performance anyway.
Bavarian Missile

Thanks Paul good to see you got a press car from BMW finally……….yippy!

Well it was my choice on the Audi S5 then and still is. What else can I say except that I am disapointed that the sound system was a bit “how ya going”!

Good to see some positve feed back n no bagging for once on a thread too.

Anthony C I thought JC was talking more along the lines of the poverty pac 3 series, Mondeo or 318, yep Mondeo . I wouldn’t own anything base model though .

I do agree though on the more manuals needed ,my opinion is too experience a sports car it has to be manual! We all turning into lazy drivers?

Hey Andrew you trying to make up for the ash try comment in the bonnet of the M3 babe, what you after ? hahaha
John of Perth

Yes I did mean BMW Australia.
Eureka

JBot, the weight difference between a 135i and 335i is 120kg (according to redbook). I appreciate the 135i is no Lotus Elise…but I would also say that a 120kg weight saving is going to be ‘felt’ when the 2 cars are driven back-to-back (again, this is confirmed by US reviews). Whether you agree with him or not, even Jeremy Clarkson likes the 135i…he gave it 5 stars out of 5 and declared it to be “the best car BMW makes”!
http://www.in2events.com Albie Abiog

Drove this car last year and I have to say that this car blew me away. When the computers are all on and taking care of you, it feels like you have some sort of driving nanny telling you what you can and can’t do. Thats great for daily driving.

However, the real shine comes when you turn all these fandangle computers off, spool the turbos and hit warp speed. You feel like you are on the Starship Enterprise on this thing when it does. Give it a few corners (if you are running proper tyres) and there are loads mechanical grip to hold you to the point of crazyness. If you feel like you want to push then envelope and get it sideways, this thing will do it to no end!

This is one of the cars that I can truly say that has a personality akin to Dr Jekell and Mr Hyde.
Fred

If you watched the Fifth Gear episode wherein they compared the 335i and S5, the BMW was actually .6 second quicker around the test track, despite having less power than the Audi, which only beats it on the straights. The BMW coupe, for me, looks more attractive than the Audi, which seems flabby in the front end. True enough, it’s heavier, which partly explains the slower lap time.

Perhaps the only things Audi has better than BMW are the R8 (well, Bimmer haven’t made a rival, but if they do, it will kill it) and the TT (though a new Z4 is just around the corner).

ffewefwwef gfefewefw

Shut up moron, before you get your face bashed in

LA_335

The BMW 3 has been #1 for over 15 years in a row. I have 335 Coupe and it always put a smile on face when I floor it and drive it hard. The S5 is nice but it looks like a BMW. Sorry Audi nice try but still not a BMW.
Neo Utopia

I would have the Audi S5 just because it is the underdog, Australians still like underdogs don’t they? But I wouldn’t go as far as a Ford though. Also more people respect Audi drivers than BMW drivers, thats just how it is. But I think this beamer is a brilliant car!
http://petepigott.com petepigottcom

very nice !
Jafar

Actually all BMWs come with a manual transmission. Believe it or not but its the first time the BMW 3 Series came with an option to have automatic for another 2 grand.
Jim

Has anyone did any research on the reliability on this car before they waste money? I have not heard anything good in the BMW posts. Just a bunch of complaining of faulty fuel injectors, pumps and software issues. I am not talking about just the 2007 cars; I mean 2007-2010 in any 35i N54 model. I think the S5 is the safer choice; the 335i seems like a tuner car soaks up money and valuable time.
http://Audi.com Terril

Of course the Audi is more awesome,but this comes close in line!
Michael

the BMW is better in all the senses, better look, precicion engine, better interior desing and has more history in the market.