535i / 550i / 335i tough pick ..

Just thinking of getting one of them more into 535 and 550 since 335 is kind of too small looking to spend about $ 30.000 like years 2007 and up around 35k .. what should i know about them before i buy anything ..... Thanks

5 series is a lot more expensive to maintain than 3 series. So if you are happy with the 335i, it will save you money. I like BMW sixes better than 8s, but the 35 sixes are trouble prone. Once they get the bugs out of it, it should be better than the V8.

For that price range you should be getting something low mileage and probably CPO'ed so not too much to worry about. If you go for the 335, try '08 or newer as I believe they fitted those with an extra oil cooler. The high pressure fuel pumps have been an ongoing issue with the turbo engines but if you find one that has been replaced by the dealer already it will be beneficial, but like I said you are probably going to grab a CPO vehicle anyway so it shouldn't be too much of an issue.

ok well made my pick going with 535 now i or xi what you guys think ??? pos and neg about them ?? thank you very much

I have an 09 535xi and I love it. I have done a few performance mods. (BMS DCI, RPI scoop, and jb3) The car is fantastic IMO. The AWD was great last week. GL with your decision.

xi burns a lot more gas than i. it is also heavier.

i got to drive a 535i for about a week as loaner and i personally thought it was too big? 3's get the bad rep for being the "entry level" bimmer but am i crazy to think it's the perfect size for a sedan? and money is not an issue... i just prefer the 3 over the 5.

get the 5's for a bigger space

Originally Posted by 328I99E46

Just thinking of getting one of them more into 535 and 550 since 335 is kind of too small looking to spend about $ 30.000 like years 2007 and up around 35k .. what should i know about them before i buy anything ..... Thanks

I've been looking hard at all these cars since last year summer:

550i vs 535iThe E60 550i is a waste of money compared to the E60 535i.
With the 550i you get worse MPGs and only 60 more HP than a comparable 535i. A 535i with the M Sport Areo kit and M5 rims look like a 550i. In fact, most reviews on the E60 550i pretty much said to skip it's 360 HP engine and either get the just as sporty 535i at 300 HP or the M5 at 500 HP.
CONCLUSION: Your BEST bet is to land a 2008 535i Sport Package (don't get the xi unless you really really need it). You can still find these cars fully loaded with under 50k on the odometer for around $28,000 to $30,000.












E90 335i vs E46 330i
BMW has made the 335i, and all 3 series since 11/2009, more spartan than before. The average E90 335i will be more technologically advanced to an E46 330i but gone are lots of luxury features like proper padded seats, HK surround sound option, ashtray, proper cup holders, seat pockets, foot well lamps, glove box flashlight and charger, etc... The 2008 335i still has the horribly effeminate daily-driver Bangle design and the 2010 - 2011 335i have recall issues with the fuel pump and engine fuel line failure - even if you get one that is trouble free it will in the long term put a dent in resale value and a HUGE cloud over the car's post-warranty reliabilty (see under E46 subframe issue for a great historical example).

CONCLUSION: Your BEST bet is to land a 2009 335i (stay away from the xi and the d models unless you really need it). You can get one with less than 30k on the odometer for around $30,000.

Originally Posted by delmarco

I've been looking hard at all these cars since last year summer:

550i vs 535iThe E60 550i is a waste of money compared to the E60 535i.
With the 550i you get worse MPGs and only 60 more HP than a comparable 535i. A 535i with the M Sport Areo kit and M5 rims look like a 550i. In fact, most reviews on the E60 550i pretty much said to skip it's 360 HP engine and either get the just as sporty 535i at 300 HP or the M5 at 500 HP.
CONCLUSION: Your BEST bet is to land a 2008 535i Sport Package (don't get the xi unless you really really need it). You can still find these cars fully loaded with under 50k on the odometer for around $28,000 to $30,000.












E90 335i vs E46 330i
BMW has made the 335i, and all 3 series since 11/2009, more spartan than before. The average E90 335i will be more technologically advanced to an E46 330i but gone are lots of luxury features like proper padded seats, HK surround sound option, ashtray, proper cup holders, seat pockets, foot well lamps, glove box flashlight and charger, etc... The 2008 335i still has the horribly effeminate daily-driver Bangle design and the 2010 - 2011 335i have recall issues with the fuel pump and engine fuel line failure - even if you get one that is trouble free it will in the long term put a dent in resale value and a HUGE cloud over the car's post-warranty reliabilty (see under E46 subframe issue for a great historical example).

CONCLUSION: Your BEST bet is to land a 2009 335i (stay away from the xi and the d models unless you really need it). You can get one with less than 30k on the odometer for around $30,000.

i must ask, what makes you so opposed to x-drive?

Originally Posted by Tate325xi

i must ask, what makes you so opposed to x-drive?

I own two cars one is the 2001 330i the other is a 2010 C300 4matic and between the two cars 4matic guzzles gas needlessly and takes away from the sporty-ness (especially trying to launch off from a red light-all wheel drives seems to want to spent a few seconds thinking about what it wants to do after you floor the pedal - rear wheel drive just launches)

We live on the bottom of a hill facing the Hudson river so to drive anywhere involves going up and down steep hills (google Yonkers). In the winters because we are on the river the weather is really bad and can get icey and snowy really quick.
Over the last 4 years of living and driving under these conditions I've come to find that all wheel drive car is not really any advantageous over a well maintained rear wheel drive (or even front wheel drive) car with good all season or winter tires.

Unless I move to Saskatchewan or Calgary I doubt I will ever buy an All Wheel Drive car for urban or suburban driving.

That said I have not driven a BMW X drive car but I can only imagine the experience to be similar to the 4matic.

Like I said unless you are 100% sure you need an all wheel drive car don't go out of your way to buy one and I doubt most people buy BMW sedans to drive them over on mounds of snow or across frozen lakes of black ice.

you definitely have some valid points. i originally bought an xi for driving in the colorado snow, but have really come to appreciate it for summer driving too. the torque is a front/rear 38/62 split, so it really feels like an rwd car. i have a feeling your Mercedes sends most of its power to the front wheels, so i understand your frustration with it. you should try driving an E46 xi sometime. i think you'd be surprised.

Originally Posted by Tate325xi

you definitely have some valid points. i originally bought an xi for driving in the colorado snow, but have really come to appreciate it for summer driving too. the torque is a front/rear 38/62 split, so it really feels like an rwd car. i have a feeling your Mercedes sends most of its power to the front wheels, so i understand your frustration with it. you should try driving an E46 xi sometime. i think you'd be surprised.

I spent a summer in Leadville Colorado and the drive alone from Denver to Leadville in the middle of June would make me WANT to buy an XI car if I lived there year round.

I mean when a place has snow on the ground in the middle of summer you can imagine what winter will be like.

Yeah I have also heard from the Benz fanatic crowd that the Mercedes Benz 4matic tend to remove all sportiness from the Benz cars which is why the AMG and the 350 and 550 models do not have 4matic.

Originally Posted by Tate325xi

you definitely have some valid points. i originally bought an xi for driving in the colorado snow, but have really come to appreciate it for summer driving too. the torque is a front/rear 38/62 split, so it really feels like an rwd car. i have a feeling your Mercedes sends most of its power to the front wheels, so i understand your frustration with it. you should try driving an E46 xi sometime. i think you'd be surprised.

I've driven several xi cars... E46 325xi, E46 330xi, X5 3.0i, X3 3.0si, E60 525xi, and E60 535xi. I really do not like the feel of the cars compared to their RWD equivalents - especially when comparing to a ZSP RWD model. BMW does RWD really well... only thing missing is the LSD on the non-Ms.

About 550i vs 535i... If you're not a fan of the turbocharged feel, then I'd say go with the 550i (ideally the M-sport). The N54 is a great engine, but there definitely is a slight lag before the turbo spools up completely. If you don't mind the slight turbo lag, definitely go with the 535 and then chip it. I've seen mildly tuned 535s keep up w/ E39 M5s...

i've driven the newer turbo 5-series, the power is definately there, and the car feels pretty torquey, i don't see the need to upgrade to a 550, when the lower models will suffice.

What you also have to take in mind are the JB and Dinan upgrades that crank up the boost, making the TT I6 potentially much faster then the V8.

My 535xi (6sp) is tuned with Juice Box3 2.0 running only on map 4 (out of 7) and its very very quick.

go 535i

you get the best of both. TT inline six + all the extra room. and you can easily mod the TT6 to 350+ hp/lbft

Originally Posted by rcsummers

go 535i

you get the best of both. TT inline six + all the extra room. and you can easily mod the TT6 to 350+ hp/lbft

Plus better gas mileage! (Than v8)

335i All The Way....