DASHOCKER

iTrader: (2)

Well, we do have a vid of the 335i versus the more powerful 340hp Audi S5 on a track..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHj0zbhjLZI

mmarshall

Thanks.

I didn't test any of them at 100% full-max acceleration, as, of course, they were brand-new cars with engines that were not broken in. But, IMO, given the conditons I had, the RWD 335, with its twin-turbo boost at low speeds, felt the quickest from lower speeds by a small margin. Next, also by a small margin, would be the manual-transmission S4, as it has slightly more torque, but the AWD eats up some of the power (Audi, BTW, quotes the same 4.9 second 0-60 time with manual or S-Tronic gearboxes). The IS-F, with its 416 HP, takes off like a rocket after 3600 RPM, when the fuel-injection boost cuts in....but low-RPM response does not seem very strong. The IS350, likewise, did not seem as strong at low RPM as I expected.....and, of course, it does not have the IS-F's high-RPM HP and injection boost.
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The one big problem with the IS-F is not the power level, but its ultra-stiff suspension, which seems unsuitable for most street use with bumps/potholes, and is at home only on a track or on glass-smooth roads.

mmarshall

The 335i, even with the optional Sport Package (the way I reviewed it) has, IMO, a superb ride-handling combination. BMW engineers are extremely talented in the chassis-tuning department....among the world's best. I've said before, many times, for street use, I'd rather have a 335 than an M3.

The IS-F has better overall build quality than the 335 (or any other BMW), but I tell anyone who asks my advice on it, or is interested in buying or leasing one, to find a moderately rough road and check out the ride (with the tire pressures correctly set) and make sure they can tolerate it before signing on the dotted line. This car, as you noted, will beat you up on many road surfaces.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

I agree with everything except the 335 over an M3 for ride and handling.The M3 has a optional Electronic Damping Control with sport and comfort settings and a bit more sidewall height with the 18's or 19s and non run flats..
I went to non run flats and ride with two lbs less pressure of the door numbers to help the ride a bit.

mmarshall

I ws comparing the 335 and M3 for street use, not necessarily a track, where the M3 is definitely more suited. I've driven both on regular streets and personally found the 335 more agreeable for normal driving, even with the M3's comfort setting. But, hey, that's why opinions vary....and I respect yours.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

I've never driven a M3 with the suspension settings and just assumed with the comfort setting and more sidewall,the M3 would be a more comfortable street ride over a 335.

DASHOCKER

iTrader: (2)

The secret behind BMW's sperb ride & handeling is the use of [B]forged[/B** aluminum suspension components instead of steel or stamped aluminum.. It is amazing what lies beneath the shell of these cars.

mmarshall

With the M3, from what I remember, there's a way to adjust steering and damping through the I-Drive, but, like everything else with the I-Drive, it's complex.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

I'm not very good with things like idrive but I do pretty well with the '09 version and the 335 is pleasure vehicle that is driven on nice weather weekends so it's easy to forget how to operate it.I've read the older idrive was a PITA to operate but the new version seems pretty easy.

Speaking of idrive...
I found some options and checked the triple blinker feature which is great for lane changing.

CDNROCKIES

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I'm sorry Mike, but this is so totally wrong.

You obviously drove the F without using the manual "sport" mode. The engine doesn't roar until after 3600 rpms, but it gets there ridiculously fast if you want it to.

Just look at the stock 0-60 mph times of each vehicle:

S4 = 5.1s
IS350 = 4.9s
335i = 4.8s
IS F = 4.4s

0.4 seconds difference is an eternity. If you're talking stock the reality is that the F will accelerate significantly faster than any of the other three. The comparison is actually ridiculous as the C63, M3 and F all reach 60 in the low 4's.

mmarshall

Not on the car I had......see my response below.

I did drive the IS-F in manual with shift paddles (that's one way I check out the transmission's characteristics), but you are correct that I didn't accelerate full-force with it......I never do with a brand-new car. I had an early-production model from the spring of 2008, and that is simply the way my car ran....low-speed/RPM response was OK but not super; then, right around 3600 on the tach (I was watching for that, because 1SICKLEX had mentioned roughly the same thing in his review, and some car-mag reviews had also noticed it) the torque just opened up like a rocket. I leveled off just before 5000, as I mentioned, because the engine wasn't yet broken in. Whether this was a characteristic on the IS-F's you drove, I can't say: it was on mine. This is something we can respectfully disagree on; I don't see any need to keep arguing the point on either side.

CDNROCKIES

Mike, this isn't my opinion on the acceleration. The fact of the matter is that numbers don't lie. The 0-60 times clearly show that the acceleration of the F is in a different league than the other 3 cars mentioned. I am more than aware of the characteristics of the F, as I actually own one.

mmarshall

I don't think we really are disagreeing. This whole line of conversation started because I was simply responding to an inquiry from a CL member as to which car, I felt, was the quickest in day-to-day driving.. I simply described the seat-of-the-pants characteristics I encountered of each car I drove. I don't test cars on a track or drag strip (and I assume you don't either). That's why I tell people to check publications like Car and Driver, Road and Track, etc......for by-the-clock, max-performance figures.

Now, let's give someone else a chance to get a word in, OK?

FKL

BMW build quality is among the best of any manufacture in existence. The 3-series has that tank feeling that the IS or S5 for that matter just don't have.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

A friend of mine owns a bodyshop and told me that German cars are much better built body wise than other manufacturers but have poor electronics.Electronics goes to the Japanese.