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2012 BMW 335i (F30), thoughts?

S

sundev

Golden Member
I took one for a test drive today, it was amazing. I am thinking of getting the sedan, I love the new look. I just wanted to hear any thoughts or opinions from other BMW owners on their experiences so far.

Thanks!
 
I have a 2011 335i sedan with the JB4 stage 1 upgrade on it. I love love love love love this thing more than you could ever imagine.

Just about any part of my hard/stressful days are wiped away clean as soon as I put my foot down 🙂

Getting about 22ish mixed with 60% city, 40% highway, I do drive with a leadfoot though, and I have the chip so it doesn't make it any easier.
 
With the 2012 model, there's not so big a difference between the 335i and 328i anymore. Both are turbo+direct injection now, and nearly the same 0-60 times. But the 328i is lighter, and more fuel efficient, and at 240hp it's definitely "good enough" unless you must a 6 cylinder engine.
 
I've put quite a bit of time in the 08+ 335, 328, and the older dated e46 bodystyle.


I feel like the current gen steering is just weird. I flat out can't get used to the ratio changing, and it has an odd feeling of being disconnected from the road yet has good feel when pushing through corners.

They are big cars. The current 3 is closer to the previous 5 in size and weight.


I think you have it right.. The 4 door version is the way to go. It has a ton of power, and there really isn't anything that compares well to it.
 
Thanks for the input guys.

Hyp I was looking at the 328s first but then I realized the 335 is just 5k more when I take into account how I want it configured.

Pho I know what you mean, I took it for a 30 min test drive and it felt amazing. I'd love to drive this thing every day. If you have any issues or annoyances with the car I'd love to hear them

Spatial, any other input on the current model vs the older ones?
 
I own an E46 M3 and an E90 330i. Both are awesome cars. I haven't driven the F30 yet but I would expect it to be a positive evolution in most respects. It's interesting - in many ways I like the handling of my E90 (which has the sport package and a 6MT) better than my M3. The M3, though, is a beast - mine has some Dinan upgrades and should be putting out about 350 BHP at the crank. My E90 had a number of reliability issues early on but has been pretty stable for the last couple of years. I bought it as a CPO car and the CPO warranty is about to expire - I will be keeping the car for the time being.
 
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I sat in a new 328i at the car show last weekend. I prefer it over the last generation now, at least for the interior. The back seat is now large enough that an actual human could fit behind me while I'm driving. There are now cupholders that look like they wouldn't collapse from a strong breeze like the old ones. Everything looks and feels good on the inside, except maybe the iPad thing on the dash, not really a big deal. I wasn't even bothered by the red stripe across the dash when I saw it in person.

They had the hood open on the car, which was nice to see the new engine, but I was interested to see the front of the car with the hood closed. The front edge of the hood bothers me a bit in pictures, not enough that it would prevent me from buying it though.

Now 335 vs. 328, I'm not sure about that one. The lower price, lighter weight and better fuel economy or slightly better acceleration. They are pretty close now so it's a tough call. I'm waiting to find one used off lease, so I haven't really checked the price difference, but if you're saying it's around $5k, I don't know it depends on what you want I guess. I would be happy with either one. Maybe a little more happy with the 335 except at gas stations.
 
Yeah, the cupholders on the E90 are just stupid. They are relatively fragile and inclined to get sticky if stuff spills on them, which it does (for whatever reason I can't make it a block without some coffee spilling out of a to-go cup - they seem to shake the cup more than conventional cupholders).

The front end of the F30 does look odd to me, particularly the straight-line leading edge of the hood. My understanding is that this is necessitated by new passenger-safety regulations. Personally I think the front end of the E46 (where the kidney grills are part of the hood rather than the body) looks a lot better than either the E90 or the F30, both of which are a little odd.
 
I love the E90 body style and I think the F30 body style is a nice evolution. I also like the look of the new interiers except the navigation screen that looks like an afterthought (like the cupholders, an afterthought).

As to the 328 vs 335, the 328 is plenty enough for normal and spirited driving. Like someone mentioned, it is lighter, better mileage and sacrifices a little performance. This wasn't like the old 328 vs 335 where the performance was very noticeable.

The 335 also has the new single turbo engine, which is supposedly less powerful and less modifiable (juice box) than the twin turbo variant.

All in all, if you are looking for a small, entry level luxury, sport sedan, the F30 328/335 is tough to beat.

I'm getting old. My next car will be an F10.
 
SpatiallyAware said:
Don I highly recommend the klean kanteen insulated mug with the cafe top.

http://www.kleankanteen.com/products/insulated/klean-kanteen-insulated-16oz.php

I looked far and wide for the perfect coffee mug that fits my e86 cupholders.. Like yours, they buzz and will cause coffee to splash - unacceptable. My car also will only hold a cup about 10" tall so I had limitations there as well.
Click to expand...

Hahaha this is the exact same coffee mug and water bottle I use, they fit perfectly. My only gripe is that in the Florida heat the condensation from the cold bottle drips onto the console, but I usually keep a towel in the glove compartment for it.
 
KIAman said:
I love the E90 body style and I think the F30 body style is a nice evolution. I also like the look of the new interiers except the navigation screen that looks like an afterthought (like the cupholders, an afterthought).

As to the 328 vs 335, the 328 is plenty enough for normal and spirited driving. Like someone mentioned, it is lighter, better mileage and sacrifices a little performance. This wasn't like the old 328 vs 335 where the performance was very noticeable.

The 335 also has the new single turbo engine, which is supposedly less powerful and less modifiable (juice box) than the twin turbo variant.

All in all, if you are looking for a small, entry level luxury, sport sedan, the F30 328/335 is tough to beat.

I'm getting old. My next car will be an F10.
Click to expand...

The N55 (Twinpower Turbo) is still very potent, not as much so as the N54, but my Stage 1 will still throw me back into the seat if I want to🙂

The new 4 cyl looks like a total winner, though I dunno if I would have gone that route had I had the option
 
PhoKingGuy said:
Hahaha this is the exact same coffee mug and water bottle I use, they fit perfectly. My only gripe is that in the Florida heat the condensation from the cold bottle drips onto the console, but I usually keep a towel in the glove compartment for it.
Click to expand...


Yeah... I know exactly what you mean and actually switched to this for water:

http://www.amazon.com/NALGENE-Tritan.../dp/B001NCDE70

It fits the cupholders perfectly and is easy to drink out of (I don't like sports bottle 'spouts'). The only downside is that it can leak if tipped over, and it's sort of a thin bottle.

FWIW I have like 8 klean kanteens... The 40oz is my favorite but it won't fit in any cupholder :awe:
 
does it still have the lag upon acceleration after making a slow-down turn? Not even turbos... the NAs had the problem. E90 M3s reported it too.
 
PhoKingGuy said:
The N55 (Twinpower Turbo) is still very potent, not as much so as the N54, but my Stage 1 will still throw me back into the seat if I want to🙂

The new 4 cyl looks like a total winner, though I dunno if I would have gone that route had I had the option
Click to expand...

I still want to test drive the new N20.

hvae heard its not super smooth, but it doest get good power (and weighing 130 pounds less than the N55 helps a lot with balance).

The new F30 front clip, I don't hate, but it doesnt seem to match up with the rest of the car. I've sat in it, but still want to test drive just to see how it drives. Sadly i'm 31 and still look like a "punk kid" so this is more annoying to get a test drive than it should be and they'll think im not a serious buyer.

To the OP , how does it drive? And what car did you go from?
 
rh71 said:
does it still have the lag upon acceleration after making a slow-down turn? Not even turbos... the NAs had the problem. E90 M3s reported it too.
Click to expand...

That particular lag, speaking of the M3's, was caused by software issues on cars with the DCT (dual clutch) and only a very small, but vocal, minority.

The issue has been dead/addressed for a long while now, but I'm sure it was a huge pain for the folks that experienced it.

My 2011 M3 (E90) with DCT has been flawless in the 11 months I've had it (as it should be).
 
I sure wish the new 1-series wasn't so damned fugly. I would love to see this new turbo 4 is a slightly smaller, lighter coupe. Maybe that's why the 1 is so fugly. Otherwise, it would be M3 competition.
 
Too bad they didn't build this concept with the turbo-4. RWD of course.

BMW-Serie1-F20-2012.1-560x350.jpg


BMWSerie1F202012.2.jpg
 
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