dkaplan435

congrats! my friend has one and it's a hot car!

kenjimaru

congrats! 335i is a sweet car!

Weedo

MrLexIS350 - I'm in Chandler near the 101/Ray rd.

It's a hard apples/apples comparison. In all reality the 335i and the IS350 are VERY similar on paper and in the real world. But when you throw cost into (right now at least) its a different story. We bought our '06 IS350 at invoice ($33,940 with no Nav, etc). The 335i was a different story. I was lucky to get $1,000 off MSRP. Total there is $44,720 with the $1,000 off. So roughly $11,000 more!!! Which is the "better deal"? The IS350, no question. Which is the better car? Well, if I was given the choice to have either one for free I'd take the 335i. But that's usually the case with a more expensive car.

As far as the mods go, the 335i is going to be a monster! With a piggyback to the ECU and an exhaust, they're putting down around 335hp/351tq at the wheels. Same dyno, same shop put down 277hp/288tq stock (which is similar to the IS350 in hp but more on tq). The IS has quicker gearing (4.08 compared to, what was it, 3.27 or so for the 335i). Stock for stock the cars are pretty close in the 0-60 times. The crazy torque numbers really help the 335i during normal driving since it peaks from 1300rpm-5000rpm.

How do I think they compare driving? Not sure yet. We owned an '06 330i which I liked the drive of better than the IS350 but definitely love the power of the IS compared to the 330. Now, I'm talking about a 9.5 on the driving scale for the 330i and, say, a 9.0 for the IS350. As close as you can get but still picking one over the other. The power of the IS350, for me, outweighs the benefits of the 330i. The 335i will be a different story since the power is MUCH better than the 330i.

The 335i should be here in 7-10 days. It's "in transit" and I should know more in the next couple of days.

Here's a link showing when Automibile dyno'd the 335i and compares the numbers to the 330i and some performance numbers with the M3. Good stuff for all us car nuts!
http://www.automobilemag.com/feature...ter/index.html

combfilter

iTrader: (3)

I have drove both. I am getting the is350 because I just don't want to be a bmw guy. I live in dallas and bmw's are a dime a dozen here. Total yuppie car. However, I can say this, the 335i hauls major *** and handles like a sob. I drove one 2 weeks ago and was blown away. Great engine.

I would only lease a 335i though. for two reasons. 1. bmw are expensive to repair. I would lease it for the length of the warranty. 2. it's the first year for the turbo on the bmw. I am sure they will have issues.

The positive thing. There are many many reports that people are getting over 340hp just tweaking the turbo a little. Pretty funny that bmw makes a 3 series faster then the m3. granted this years m3 is going to have a v8 and I am sure is going to be ridiculous.

I think on the inside the 350 is a better car. The interior of the bmw didn't really do anything for me.

tazdevl

Congrats on the new ride. I was torn between the 335i and IS350 but remembered my 328is convertible that cost $1000 every 2 months once it fell out of the warranty. Given that experience, warranty issues before it expired and the fact that the 335 has a somewhat new powertrain, IS350 just made more sense. Also, the Lexus dealer didn't have a bug up their a$$ like the BMW dealer in Santa Barbara does.

BMWs do have good road feel though and the engines are nice.

0-60 in 4.8 seconds...
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/26/t...n-4-8-seconds/

gsrthomas

iTrader: (1)

Congrats!

How did you get your IS350 at invoice?

I can only afford an IS250 but I WILL be able to afford a IS350 if I got it at invoice like you did, if not then IS250 it is.

Lexustom

Yup, and then the C6 owner will do some "bolt-ons". Then back to doing MORE bolt-ons and then the C6 guy will show up will even MORE. And so it goes. Which will be fastest?

Mirror, mirror on the wall, which bolt-ons should I do to give me the FASTEST CAR IN THE WHOLE WORLD?

SilverLexo

Not sure what part of cali you are from but I got my 350 for just UNDER invoice. It was an 06, so if you can find them laying around you can peel one off for a smokin deal.

STIG

Congrats man! 335i is such a sweet car! I have been itching for twin turbos but I will have to wait for a while.

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

You guys are smoking crack if you think a 3571 lb sedan will keep up with a 3179 lb sports car. 400 lbs is HUGE, especially when talking about lateral acceleration.

Another interesting side note: I was talking to a guy who tunes race car chassis professionally. He made an interesting comment - it doesn't matter if the car feels good to the driver or not. The driver's job is to get the most out of the car. Very often the setup the driver likes is not the fastest, and the driver's preference is secondary to fast lap times.

I have pretty much the same opinion about BMW's legendary feel. It might feel good, but it by no means indicates the car is set up to drive really fast. And I have the same opinion about engine torque. It might feel good, but it doesn't mean it's fast.

Irishfan

Nope, just straight-line. I'm purely basing it off my experiences with B5 S4's, where it took no more than a $700 ECU flash, $1200 turbo-back exhaust, and $300 intake to give it 350+ hp at the wheels. It's not too hard to imagine the 335 surpassing this, given its bigger displacement and larger turbos.

And no need to tell me about the merits of saving weight, you're talking to the guy w/ a one-ton, 190hp car.

GreyHound

iTrader: (1)

Did BMW ever get the electronics thing worked out? I couldn't get a BMW. Around here you can't swing a dead cat without hitting one, even the 540 that looks like a Pontiac outside my window here at work, here in SWVA. To each his own. I think the nearest IS to me is in Bristol, 114 miles, that Casey owns.
I like normally aspirated for a home car, longevity, reliability. Turbos are for diesels(that longevity thing again) and race cars, owners with deep pockets and my GT4 cars .

what Kind of oil can you use for turbo? I guess the shell rotella synthetic 5w-40 I use in my Dodge Ram. That reliability thing again. would be good. It says diesel approved.

Weedo

The reliability thing is not a concern for me. We've had, what, 7 BMW's and 2 Lexus. The only BMW we ever had any issues with was our '92 325, and that was after it had about 80,000 miles on it. And the issues were very small. I've since owned 2 M3's, an '01 330CiC, and an '06 330i of which never had one issue. The 4yr/50k maintenance plan covers everything under the sun for free including oil changes & wiper blades. I've never kept any car for over 4 years anyway so the long term reliability isn't an issue.

But I will agree with on thing: leasing it. The residual is so high on the car, and the money factor is so good from BMW that the lease comes in FAR less than a "buy" price, which hasn't been the norm for other cars I've inquired about (including our IS350).

As for getting the IS350 at invoice? It's because the '07's started hitting the lots and the dealers just want to dump the '06's.

I won't get too far into the argument of the 335i vs. a Vette, but I can tell you I've also owned 3 Lightnings and 3 Vettes. My Lightning with just a chip and exhaust was quicker in the 1/4 mile than my stock Vette. And yes, the Lightning is about 2,000lbs heavier than the Vette! Torque is king when it comes to getting a heavier car to win races.

LexFather

COngrats, glad u also keep the IS!

Buds

I hear ya man, I'm in dallas too and I see a 3 series on every corner. The BMW dealer told me that 70% of their cars are leased.