So the 530d went back in December. A fast, comfortable, well handling and quiet autobahn cruiser which, for some reason, I never really liked. Maybe it was the bread van styling, so for its replacement I wanted something a bit more attractive. I looked at various alternatives, including the Passat CC. I really like the styling, the interior and the feel good factor and it would have been a real contender were it not for the rather lacklustre diesel engines which don’t really fit to its premium aspirations (and price).
So, in the end, and despite my best efforts, I picked another BMW, my fourth. This time a 335d Coupe. My wife decided I was suffering a midlife crisis. Just to reinforce the effect I ordered it with the M-Sport bodykit which I think looks ridiculous on a saloon, but nicely enhances the 2 door styling, oh and in Le Mans blue instead of the usual black or silver. It has alcantara seats instead of the dodgy leather BMW insist on using and lots of ticks on the options list including but, as a lawyer would say, not limited to, adaptive cruise control, adaptive xenons, SatNav with iPhone integration, ambient lighting and keyless entry.
I’ve now covered around 5,000km in the last 6 weeks. Impressions? Jesus it’s fast. Very fast. I’ve had the privilege of driving and owning some high performance stuff, normally big capacity/ high revving petrol engined machines that would empty the petrol tank at such a rate you would think there was a leak somewhere. This one is real world mile eating high performance. It’s the first diesel I’ve driven that genuinely has no turbo lag. Foot to the floor at any speed results in an instantaneous shove in the back reminiscent of my M3, except this one will also do over 40mpg. Torque (580Nm!) is what Top Gear would describe as “Stump Pulling” and there is a total lack of drama, unfortunately also a lack of audible drama. It will accelerate like a bat out of hell 70km/h to 250km/h in 6th gear, which rather leaves you wondering what the other 5 gears are for, other than to mess about with the flappy paddle gear change. The new 335d will have 8 gears apparently.
Handling is BMW at its best. The 5 Series is agile, the 3 Coupe is in a different league with precise, perfectly weighted steering and absolutely neutral handling with that “turning around the driver” feeling that smaller BMWs do so well. The one thing I was a bit apprehensive about was the ride quality with the M-Sport kit. At the moment I have 17” run flat winter tyres and the ride is edgier than the 5 Series on its 17” non runflat winter tyres. My wife actually thinks the ride is better in the 3. It’s certainly impressive on the well maintained roads around Munich but it doesn’t like the broken surfaces I encountered last week in the North of Germany. We’ll have to wait for Spring and the 18” summer tyres before the jury makes a final decision.
The adaptive cruise control is a great gadget but a bit of a mixed blessing. It’s good in heavy autobahn traffic where the speed varies quite a lot, but it’s clearly been programmed by a pathological late braker because at higher speed it waits quite a long time before slowing down for traffic in front, which alarms passengers no end.
Fuel economy? As mentioned above, 40mpg or higher is easily achievable with a bit of restraint. A lack of restraint empties the tank at the rate of 9.5 litres per 100km or 30mpg in old money.
So, very happy with the decision. What are the downsides? Well the interior can’t hold a candle to the new 3 Series in terms of visual appeal, even if I think the foldaway SatNav screen on the new one is the wrong way of doing it. The frameless windows generate more wind noise than proper frames, but I happen to like frameless windows.
Also, and this is not really the car’s fault, whilst expecting a smaller boot in the 3, I misjudged just how much smaller. Having transferred all the crap from the many nooks and crannies of the old car into the new one, all of a sudden the boot was full. I pulled up the surprisingly cheap looking floor mat to find – nothing. No hidden cubby hole or space for an imaginary spare wheel. A glance underneath shows why. Under the boot floor there are 2 enormous exhaust silencers crammed in. On the other hand, the 3 is usefully shorter and narrower than the 5 externally, which makes parking considerably easier.
A further minor irritation for someone who lives on the road – no grab handles in the back. Where do I hang my suits and shirts? Another point I hadn’t thought of – the fuel tank is is only 60 litres instead of the 70 litres of the 5 Series, restricting the range between fill ups to around 850km instead of 1,000km or so.
Despite these irritations, I guess my enthusiasm is easy to see. We’ll see whether the enthusisasm survives the next 3 years and 150,000km of pounding the German autobahns.
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Sounds fantastic. I shudder to think what it would cost as a chunk of ones own money though.
30mpg while having all the fun, really?
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Excellent choice Bagpuss, apart from its delightful performance and driving credentials its also one of the most handsome cars of recent years, possibly even nicer looking than E46 coupe which is just about perfect to my eyes.
There is something just so right about a proper 6 pot engine coupled to a real auto gearbox, the perfect combination for relaxed pottering about enjoying seamless gearchanges, and with the simple pressure of the right foot the car transformed into a storming road rocket, effortless.
BMW must be doing something right, despite all others offering apparently better this that and the other you keep returning.
Looking forward to your thoughts when you get those lovely 18" wheels on, that'll stop the wallowing over potholes you are probably experiencing at the moment..:-)
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>> its also one of the most handsome cars of recent years, possibly even nicer looking than E46 coupe
It's grown on me. Wasn't keen on the styling to begin with compared to the E46. Maybe it's an age thing. I discovered the car has become something of icon among our apprentices.
>>There is something just so right about a proper 6 pot engine coupled to a real auto gearbox
Sad to see BMW starting to distance themselves from 6 pot engines with the new cars.
>> BMW must be doing something right, despite all others offering apparently better this that and
>> the other you keep returning.
If you're an enthusiastic driver it's difficult to find an alternative. I don't know about in the UK, but in Germany the high mileage leasing prices for BMWs are pretty unbeatable. Audi, Mercedes, Jaguar are all more expensive.
>> Looking forward to your thoughts when you get those lovely 18" wheels on, that'll stop
>> the wallowing over potholes you are probably experiencing at the moment..:-)
I'm sure the 18" wheels will take the last bit of slop out of the suspension ;-)
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>> 30mpg while having all the fun, really?
Averaging around 8litres/ 100km (35mpg) consumption at the moment. I think this is helped by the high torque and very high gearing. 6th gear pulls around 65kmh/ 1000rpm or 41mph/ 1000rpm.
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What'll it do Mister ?
I remember being passed last September by a 535d. Don't remember ever seeing a car accelerate so quickly. Seeing really is believing with that engine.
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Cracking cars. A friend of mine is on his fourth...previously petrol 330/335's but increasing annual mileage steered him towards the 335d coupe.
For fun he has a Cobra with a blueprinted engine.
Now that is fast.And very loud. And thirsty.
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I'm glad you like it, I ran a more prosaic E91 330d 245PS as a company car and I'm saddened that BMW is moving to 4 pots (at least initially) with no high powered (>200PS) diesels at all in the new 3 series.
UK BIK rules made the 335d a lot more expensive than the 330d despite a similar lease cost for me at the time - I tried one anyhow and everything you say about the engine rings true. On paper the 330d wasn't too much slower in 2009 but I suspect the 335d engine has been updated now ?
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>> On paper the 330d wasn't too much slower in 2009 but I suspect the 335d engine has been updated now ?
I would say the main difference to the 330d is the total lack of turbo lag. Even at idle, foot to the floor and the thing accelerates without any hesitation.
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>> I would say the main difference to the 330d is the total lack of turbo
>> lag. Even at idle, foot to the floor and the thing accelerates without any hesitation.
>>
Can't say I recall an awful lot of turbo lag in my 330d - I think it has a twin-scroll turbo or such-like ? I came from a 170PD A4 to the 330d so I was used to awful turbo lag and a dreadful 'on/off' power delivery so the 330d felt sublime.... I reckoned I could pull away in 4th if I was careful, meant the car was surprisingly 'ok' in snow & ice on 17" rims despite the popular belief that they're all dreadful when a snow-flake appears.
I've seen some very interesting posts elsewhere about the benefits of re-mapping the 335d, can turn an already fast car into a real M3 botherer I believe ?
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>> I've seen some very interesting posts elsewhere about the benefits of re-mapping the 335d, can
>> turn an already fast car into a real M3 botherer I believe ?
Yes, figures of 350 bhp and 500 lb/ft seem quite common. Those kind of figures in a 1500-odd kg car must be hilarious. They certainly look impressive. :-)
www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=SY9oioGMLyI
EDIT: This one's better
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Psu0ZXbSXuY&feature=related
Last edited by: DP on Fri 3 Feb 12 at 11:56
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I had an 535d touring in '05 - fantastic car and, in SE trim, remarkably discrete. Stunning performance, but the early engines were not that economical. The later, more powerful, unit seems to be a lot better. I can inly imagine how it feels in a smaller, lighter car. Enjoy!!
Peter
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Cor, sounds great Bagpuss ! Hope you enjoy it.
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No turbo lag in my 330 either.
Quite remarkable really.
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BMW 3-Series E92 Coupe - New company car - 335d Coupe - ToMoCo
