bmw 335i as dd,probably '09 or 2010

[robbiedawg]

hi,thinking seriously about replacing my gsr as a dd.it's fun,but noisy and bumpy,looking for something more comfortable,but still quick with great handling.always wanted a 3-series. always wanted an nsx ,too (only took 18 years)

would get manual 6-speed,sport and premium packages,probably sedan
would avoid active steering and i-drive
understand it costs more to maintain than the gsr

anyone have experience with these?

thanks in advance,robbie

 

[BATMANs]

Breaks
More than
Works

My co worker lemon lawed her new 335 after 50k miles and turbo related issues.

My buddy that sold me the NSX went to the 335 and regrets it.

little electrical gremlins he says.

 

[RYU]

Robbie - I was in the market for a 335d (Yes, Diesel) with M Sport package and 2010 has the paddle shifter. I've now put that on hold since the Toyobaru BRZ/FRS looks a bit more promising for daily driver duty. I don't care about prestige and all that. I posted here asking about the 335d but no real responses with commentary.

I would recommend taking a look at the 335d. It's an insanely good motor. Great MPG and torque that could pull out the Costa Concordia. One of the hidden secrets of 2009/2010 imho.

Maintenance will be an issue. It's just part of the deal with any BMW.

EDIT TO ADD: I love modern diesels http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/25/bmw-m-goes-diesel-introduces-m550d-x5-m50d-x6-m50d/ I wish Toyota would bring over some of their offerings. The platform just makes sense for heavy daily driver vehicles.

 

[BATMANs]

.....Maintenance will be an issue. It's just part of the deal with any BMW.......

More like repairs from design flaws and QA control.


Maintenance would fall under belt, hoses, brakes, fluid change.

 

[Hapa88]

The 335s were notorious for faulty fuel pumps. My friend also got his lemon lawed.. since it was leased, he got back all the payments... he basically got a year and a half of free use out of it... Turned around and bought a Infiniti G37 instead.

http://www.insideline.com/bmw/bmw-recalls-150800-2007-10-vehicles-for-defective-fuel-pumps.html
http://www.lemonlaw.com/wordpress/defect-alert-fuel-pump-failure-in-bmw-335i-model/

If you can find one, buy one that you'll be able to lemon law later. That way you don't loose anything in the end. :tongue:

 

[Moses]

Breaks
More than
Works

My co worker lemon lawed her new 335 after 50k miles and turbo related issues.

My buddy that sold me the NSX went to the 335 and regrets it.

little electrical gremlins he says.

My sister in law did the same thing.

Just buy one under warranty still.

 

[AndyH]

I used to have 08 335i 4-door sedan. It went thru 3 fuel pumps. I have quite a few problems with radio, bluetooth system, fuses, memory seat and mirror. I just sold it to carmax last month for $20K with 35K miles.

 

[Hapa88]

I used to have 08 335i 4-door sedan. It went thru 3 fuel pumps. I have quite a few problems with radio, bluetooth system, fuses, memory seat and mirror. I just sold it to carmax last month for $20K with 35K miles.

3 times!?!? That's has Lemon Law written all over it!!!

 

[JohnJW]

Man I loved my BMW, although I had a E46. I thought it was bullet proof. Owned it for 5 years and only had a window switch break ($18) and the intake hose tear ($93). Other than maintenance stuff I loved it. Perfect fair weather DD in my opinion. Plan on owning a E46 M3 someday.

 

[PerformanceOne]

I suggest you stick with the reliability of Honda. My DD is a 2004 CR-V. If you want a 6spd, there are many 6spd Hondas/Acuras to choose from. I agree about the GSR DC2 being uncomfortable, especially if you mod it. I had the same experience with a 95' Civic B-Series coupe on TEIN coil overs. My DD project is a 91' CRX HF with an EF8 JDM front end ;O) That D15B6 engine will save me a lot on gas and it's not a Hybrid. Stick with Honda ;O)

 

[robbiedawg]

thanks for the responses.what attracts me to the 335 for a dd is the good handling and strong motor.i think they finally fixed the fuel pump. i'll always keep the nsx for my fun car.

i'd love to get a honda or acura for a dd,but they don't make a decent sports sedan. the tl is hideous,the tsx is less ugly,but you can only get a 6-speed with the 4 cylinder,the civic si looks fun,but just seems a bit off.i wish they'd make a serious sports sedan without that ugly acura grill.i'd be all over it.

 

[ALau99]

Man I loved my BMW, although I had a E46. I thought it was bullet proof. Owned it for 5 years and only had a window switch break ($18) and the intake hose tear ($93). Other than maintenance stuff I loved it. Perfect fair weather DD in my opinion. Plan on owning a E46 M3 someday.

I agree, my e46 as a DD is great!!! :biggrin:

 

[Sumeronthechain]

I think everyone knows someone who has lemon lawed just about every make/model of vehicle.

People on here are most strongly biased towards Japanese cars because the values of them align most with the values of this forum's population.

The guy comes in asking about advice on a BMW and people recommend him buying a Honda? Honda offers 0 cars that offer what the 3 Series offers.

He is aware of the increased costs of maintenance over his Acura. He is OK with the increased cost of maintenance.

I say go for it. The 3 series has terrific driving dynamics. I think the new Idrive is much better than past models, so be sure to check it out before avoiding it.

I would avoid the X drive models if you can as it sort of ruins the handling, IMO, unless you do a lot of snow driving.

 

[NSXclear]

Unless you maintain your own car and have access to cheap parts, I would stay away from BMW as a DD. Pelicanparts.com is a good online part dealer, but I have a local shop here that gives me better prices than pelican.

These cars have the same exact problems year after year. BMW doesn't bother to fix them because they know that their consumers are buying them only for the prestige and will get rid of them after 50,000. Original consumers are not buying them for long term reliablity, so BMW doesn't care to make them last.

Everything on this car is plastic, especially underneath the hood. The car runs efficiently, but creates a incredible amount of heat that eventually makes the pastic and gaskets brittle.

Common problems include:
- window control regulators (expect to go through them ever 30k miles)
- the coolant system is a very weak design.
- Front control arm bushings go bad often
- the electrical system constantly has problems
- rear tail lights have problems
- fuel pump problems
- coil pack problems
- Vanos seal problems
- alternator problems, because of weak coolant system leaking on alternator
- oil filter housing gasket oil leaks
- valve cover oil leak
- power steering problems and hose leaks
- plastic oil seperator (CCV) hoses brittle and leaking