I dont think price is going to be a major issue. Most people talk about how 'expensive' the BMW is; but reality is, most BMW customers lease their cars. Judging by the lease rate going on right now, it's not too difficult to have a 335i on your driveway.

 

And those nice lease rates are due at least partly to the car's relatively low depreciation, high residual value, and strong demand as a used car.

 

Nice review Marshall. This is one car you did not want to get out of eh?

I have the coupe not the sedan, but the drive & controls are similar between the two. There is only a 23 pound difference in weight between coupe and sedan believe it or not. IMO,the logic 7 system imo has more clarity than the Nak system in my GS and more thump than the ML. The logic 7 system has 13speakers total (two subs) not sure about ML but my Nak has one sub. Pop in the AC/DC cd & turn up the volume Marshall lol... How are the turn signal stalks cheap ? The turn signals on the 335 will take some getting use to since it does not have the conventional audible click when one signals. I guess BMW designed it this way for the driver to signal faster during those quick lane changes on the hwy. Took some time for me to get it (My x3 has the conventional stalk), but I like its intuitveness. The stalks (turn signal and cruise control) are thicker and use a stronger grade of plastic than Lexus imo. Heck, I had to replace the stalk on my GS back in 2002. Night and day difference in material and feel based on my Lexus/BMW ownership experience. The dakota leather in the 335 is indeed a thicker grade than that found in Lexus. I do prefer the thicker grade leather due to its durability factor (less prone to cracks and tears), and also its ability to hold the driver in place during spirited driving. As far as turbo lag, this car does not have it.. What you experienced was typical BMW throttle response. BMW's feel a bit lethargic once you give them a bit of gas compared to their Japanese counterparts. You must give these cars a bit more throttle to get them going. The throttle response will improve a smidge after the 1400 mile break in period though. This is just a great car to drive period and one will appreciate it day in and day out. I know I do

 

I'm sure you know the car well, but I have to disagree on the stalks. I see and drive a lot of new cars, both at auto shows and on the road. and I am not impressed with any the stalks on VWs, BMWs, or Audis that I have seen recently...they all appear to be the same lightweight flat-black plastic with rollers and buttons in them. That is not to pan German interiors in general, though.....quality materials ARE used in a number of areas.

It is possible that you are correct on the leather thickness....obviously, I didn't (and couldn't) measure it. But I wasn't impressed with its look or feel.....having grown up decades ago with a lot of American vinyl car interiors (cloth, in American cars, back then, was mostly on upscale models, and leather was rare), the leather that BMW currently uses, to my senses, looks and feels like the grainy vinyl that was used on a lot of cars decades ago. Is it more durable than the smoother, softer leather found on Lexus and Jaguar vehicles? Perhaps....you can fill us in on that better than I can, having owned one....and you seem to have had good luck with it. But I myself just didn't care for BMW's grade of leather.....IMO it did not look or feel very pleasant. Same with the paint job....I didn't think it was up to its 40-50K price tag, and the extra charge for metallic paint is absurd.

However, the 335 is indeed a superb vehicle in many ways. If you can look past the paint finish and seat leather, its driving dynamics in good weather, dry curvy roads, and light traffic are outstanding.....even mildly addicting. Although the ride is a little stiffer than I like, I don't think I've ever seen a car with a better combination of ride and handling from the same suspension, with the possible exception of BMW's own 550i....a much more expensive car. Unfortunately, the kind of traffic and weather conditions I have to deal with in the DC area regularly don't lend itself to this kind of driving much.....that is why I have an Outback, and love it.

As to the "lag" in throttle response, once road speed was up, it was virtually unnoticeable...the twin turbos do a good job of overlapping one another to eliminate most of it, but, starting up from rest, it sometimes felt like the tranny was trying to lug and start the car in second gear. This car, though, easily has the power to handle it....the abundant 300 ft-lbs. of torque, however, at only 1400 RPM, prevented any real lugging....this car is certainly no Honda VTEC.

And AC/DC on this stereo? Fine......no problem, but you have GOT to hear them on a Lexus Mark Levinson.

 

nice, mmarshall
, we finally see pic in your review now!
I always love the look at the pic of the car while reading the review.

 

liked the review...


but that's not a real 2008 335i.... it's a 335i coupe front frankensteined to a sedan back...

 

i've had the chance of driving my bro's 335i coupe before the break in and just based on handling, it's a really nice car and I can see why the 3 Series is among the top in handling..

my bro recently broke in the mileage and i haven't really stepped on it, but performance wise, there's not as much as a lag in the low-end RPM compared to my IS350.. it feels great especially with the 300lb tq..

navi wise, i perfer Lexus Navi > iDrive.. better map and easier to use with the touchscreen, but i've heard mixed reviews so i probably just have to get used to the iDrive.. backseat, i feel that his coupe actually has more rear space room than the IS.. may be a little tight, but more room than my car..

nice write-up mmarshall..

 

When it comes down to it, would you pick it over say, an IS350? I'm contemplating trading mine in for one.

 

Excellent review.. Props to you!

By the way that car looks loooong in those pics.

 

MMarshall, review request... Infiniti EX35? I don't know if you've looked at this yet. I'd like to see your thoughts on it!

 

Thanks.

I know that is not the best picture of it....but it closely approxomates the color I had.

This was my first attempt at posting pictures with a review, and the effort may not have been perfect. I don't have a digital camera, and have to rely on transfering Internet pictures.

 

OK...you got it. It's next in line behind the Toyota Sequoia...a previous request.
I have to fit them in, of course, when I have time.

I quickly looked at the EX35 at the D.C. Auto Show, but, of course, couldn't drive it there. It's quite nice inside....,IMO, much better-looking overall than the awkward FX series. Though Nissan says otherwise, it strongly appears to be built off the same platform and body shell as the more mundane Nissan Rogue.


And I also plan to do the Smart for Two and the Chinese Chery cars when they become available here (the Smarts are just coming in now). They will be quite interesting, but probably not well-suited for American roads. I'm also curious about the quality level of entry-level Chinese-made vehicles.....something I've never seen before (and, like the first Korean vehicles in the U.S. market 22 years ago, I'm not expecting much).

 

Thanks.

As you note, the twin turbos do a nice job of minimizing turbo lag. I drove an IS350 in December, and its larger but normally aspirated V6 definitely felt more sluggish than the 335.

You're right that the 335 is not quite as sardine-like in the rear as the IS350 (I noted that in the review), but neither car is a back-seat limo by any means.

And, as for the I-Drive you bring up, my feeling is that it's probably best for the person in the back seat to actually USE it......that way the driver can keep his/her eyes on the road.

 

Thanks. I take car reviews seriously, and don't skimp on them.
I know that picture is not the best....see my reply above to whoster.

 

The IS350 is a little more plush inside, especially in the look and feel of the leather, has a noticeably better paint job, and better-quality electronics, but it has a lot of plasticky trim/hardware parts and is extremely tight in the rear seat. Don't get one if you regularly carry larger people in back. The 335's twin-turbo in-line 6, to some extent, also outruns the larger but normally-aspirated V6 in the IS350. And the IS350 doesn't quite have the superb steering and suspension characteristics of the 335's Sport package....BMW's truly excel in that department. But, with the Sport package 35-series tires you don't have much pothole protection for the rims either....though the stiff, run-flat sidewalls help.
Lexus dealer service (depending on the specific shop) is traditionally better than BMW, and the warranty is longer.....but BMW's of course, have the free maintenance for the first 4 years. Neither car is a good bet for do-it-yourselfers...underhood component access is poor in both.

So, in a nutshell, if you want a drivers' car, get the Bimmer. If you want something a little more polished and refined, get the Lexus. If you want a Lexus that may trump even the 335 in some performance areas, wait and look at the upcoming IS-F (1SICKLEX has already driven one), but, like the M3, the IS-F will be EXPENSIVE, hard to get, likely command additional dealer markups as well, and may yet not equal the BMW's superb tactile steering feel. I've already stated, several times, that I think the 335 is a good, lower-priced, alternative to the M3.

And, last, of course, the obvious choice.......if you regularly drive on wet or slick roads, the 335 has an Xi All-Wheel-Drive option; the IS350 doesn't. With Lexus, you either have to drop down to the IS250 AWD, which, like automatic non-turbo 2.5L Subarus, can be sluggish, or go up to the GS350 AWD, which is not cheap, and not as much of a sport sedan either....it is more of a cruiser.