I'm looking for advice on a 3 series. I'm new to BMW; 2008 535xi for about 4 months now. Love the car! I am considering buying a 3 series for my son, 2008 or 2009 xi (northeast winters). Other than more HP in the 335xi and its higher cost, what else should I be considering? Is one more reliable than the other? Any other considerations? Sorry, but I also posted on the 3 series forum, too.
Can I be your son? I promise I won't move back in with you when times are tough. I prefer the 335. Seriously though, there isn't a whole lot of difference other than trim and power. I'm on schedule to get my first BMW around April of 2010 (335i hard top conv) and I figure if I've had to scrimp and save this long to get my dream car, I'm getting what I really want.
Well, look at it this way: The 335i is just that much more complicated than the 328i. You've got turbos in the equation, and sooner or later, those things are going to die and need replacement, which can be costly. Is the car going to be kept beyond the warranty? If so, I suggest the 328. But, if he likes performance (who doesn't), then the 335i might be worth having. Usually, people who enjoy performance are willing to put up with the extra maintenance. Besides, he's getting a brand new BMW, why should he have a choice? lol
Since you are going to buy a new BMW for your son (what a dad!) then pull out all the stops and get the 335xi. Case closed .
Well, I supposed the only real question has to do with how much you trust your son. Do you trust him w/ 300hp (which by all accounts is probably more like 330hp), or do you trust him with 230hp. Essentially, would you have bought your son a M3 two years ago, because a 335 is every bit the car that my 2002 M3 was. My friend just purchased a 328xi 4-door (auto, sport pack, paddles) and I was surprised at how well it performed. I've driven my sister's 335i 2door, and it is a beast of a car. Like AZ stated, if you are going to keep it past warranty, then go for the 328xi, just try not to laugh when he gets blown off the line at a light by my sister in her 335.....
Thanks, guys. Reef, there's a waiting list. We decided on 328xi coupe, CPO,monaco blue/gray, nicely equipped (premium, nav, cold weather, Sat, comfort access, few other add ons), 2007 with 4K miles.
Depending on production date, your CPO warranty should expire around 2013 or 100K.. You have about 96K of warranty left. Make sure your son burns the warranty on miles and not on time, just like Mike Miller always says.
08 335xi Owner As an owner of a 2008 335xi I cannot say enough great things about our 3-series beast! We were looking at both the 328xi and the 335xi and there just wasn't a comparison in performance! Now that being said would I buy one for one of my sons? Hell NO! Not unless they were over 25 years of age for sure and/or had some seasoned driving discipline! A 335xi is 300+ hp and 300 ft lbs of torque. Just think about passing someone on the road and POW yer by em! Or all 4 of em in one fell swoop!! Again I cannot say enough great things about our 335xi! The ONLY real nit we have with it is the audio input for our iPod is a bit loose and sometimes needs to be jiggled while out on the road to get it to work on both sides right-left. When it goes in for it's first service we'll get that fixed. To be honest I'd feel better if "I" were to take some high performance driving lessons!!! My wife too!! LOL!!
Thanks for the advice; We took the 328xi, blue, gray interior, MANUAL, nav, premium, winter, coupe, sat radio, comfort access, reat seat fold down, sun shade, etc..... 4K miles (BMW exec demo), CPO. The only one I could find that was manual.
335i Why don't you want to keep a 335i past it's warranty? I'm seriously considering buying an 09 335xi coupe.
The N54 to my knowledge is BMW's first turbo engine to go in a 3 series. We all know that BMW inline-sixes are bulletproof, but add a couple of turbos to the mix and reliability may be affected. Turbos put extra strain on the engine, but I don't know if the turbos in the 335i would be powerful enough to strain it. In essence, it's a first for BMW to do this; it is a complicated engine and electronics system, and who knows how that will be in 10 years time. The more electronics you've got the more there is to go wrong, and the same goes for any mechanical or physical component such as the turbos and extra things that go along with it. All in all, we know that the non-turbo sixes are bulletproof, but is the N54 bulletproof as well? Only time will tell, and if it turns out that it won't last very long, then you've got an expensive problem on your hands. This is how I see it and is why I said what I said.
Are you high? A new BMW for your son? How about buy him an old car and see if he is responsible enough not to stuff it. In fact, go halvsies and make him pay for half of whatever he buys. In my experience, 99% of the cars that were given to college students that I have worked on were mistreated, trashed, not maintained, etc.
328 vs 335xi Great choice. Yes, the turbos add complexity to the equation. There is also the issue of the fuel pumps, ECU software, engine cooling issues (although I think this has been addressed- I had a 335 without an oil cooler- only got it to overheat once but I was driving in 110 degree/ 60% humidity and manually shifting it). For the most part, it was a reliable car- a few electronic/sensor related issues. It never overheated with routine in-town/on-highway driving. As for keeping a 335 past warranty- you may consider getting the extended warranty/service plan. However, since the purchase has already been made. Just my five cents worth. I don't know your son, but the 328xi has a great chasis with a great safety margin.
328 xi Coupe I just purchase a 2009 328xi Coupe and love it! The M3 Coupe would be my 1st choice if was was going to spend another 20K.
