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BMW 335i 2007+

1398 messages,  Last post on Feb 07, 2011 at 5:21 PM

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What is this discussion about? BMW 3 Series

Messages Page 43 of 141

#413 of 1398 Re: yup [dhanley] by habitat1

Feb 09, 2007 (6:49 am)

Replying to: dhanley (Feb 08, 2007 8:47 pm)
I think you might want AWD to reign in all those ponies.
 
And turn it into a 3,700+ lb sport coupe/sedan? No thanks. If BMW (or the tuner) can't figure out how to "reign in" all of those ponies in a RWD set up with the proper suspension and wheel/tire modifications, shame on them.
 
The "x" versions of the BMWs I've driven may be great cars for all season duty in a rainy or snowy climate, but they give up too much in handling and nimbleness. It's bad enough that a RWD 3 series coupe weighs 500 lbs more than my old 1995 Nissan Maxima 5 passenger sedan. Let's not promote the idea that a 3 series coupe weighing as much as a 15 year old 7 series is the right direction. We already have Audi claiming title to King of Pork, let's leave well enough alone.

#414 of 1398 Re: yup [habitat1] by circlew

Feb 09, 2007 (6:55 am)

Replying to: habitat1 (Feb 09, 2007 6:49 am)
Did you drive the '06?? It's not as bad as you make it out to be. IMO, when I drove the 330i non-SP for about 1Kmiles, my xi felt more planted on the exact same roads.
 
Yeah, it's a porker but it's WAYYYY better than my 2004 Lincoln LS in the handling despite it's added weight (very close to the LS).
 
With the bigger brakes and whatever suspension tuning they do, it works for me.
 
Regards,
OW

#415 of 1398 MPG Question for any 335 owners... by pearl

Feb 09, 2007 (8:05 am)

the EPA numbers for this car/engine are pretty good; however, the car mags (who drive them hard) say that you'd have to drive way off the throttle to get anything like the EPA numbers. What kind of numbers is anyone in "the real world" getting so far? This question also came up on the Infiniti G's and M's where few people seemed to equal the EPA numbers. Just curious. Thanks.

#416 of 1398 Re: yup [habitat1] by dhanley

Feb 09, 2007 (10:16 am)

Replying to: habitat1 (Feb 09, 2007 6:49 am)
I meant that sort-of tongue in cheek. I'm not big on AWD in general, but i don't have an emotional aversion to it either. I also think it's pointless to compare weight to cars of 15 years ago. If those cars are so great, buy 'em and drive 'em! Oh, wait, you want power windows and airbags, and super-stiff structure, but want the car to weight the same as before? Ok, well, just buy these magic beans...

#417 of 1398 Re: yup [circlew] by habitat1

Feb 09, 2007 (11:12 am)

Replying to: circlew (Feb 09, 2007 6:55 am)
I've driven the 2004 and 2005 models of the 330i/ix and 530i/ix, but not the 2006 models. The RWD versions were with the sport package and all with manual transmissions.
 
I'm not quite as extreme as blueguydotcom in my criticism of the evolving larger size and weight of the 3-series. But if you were taking a 335i and then further tuning it for more "sport", I'd personally prefer RWD, lower overall weight and nearly perfect 50/50 weight balance. That said, you'll get no argument from me that a 330ix (and future 335ix) would run circles around a Lincoln LS in handling and driving dynamics. Or virtually all other cars in their class.

#418 of 1398 Re: MPG Question for any 335 owners... [pearl] by voetsek

Feb 09, 2007 (11:13 am)

Replying to: pearl (Feb 09, 2007 8:05 am)
This is not meant as an attack on the poster of this question. This is just a general observation. Why do people worry about the EPA ratings for cars like this? If you are dropping $40k plus for any car then the mpg should not be an issue, certainly not one that factors into a purchasing decision. If you can afford this car at $2.50/gallon then you should still be able to afford it at $3.50/gallon. I'm tired of hearing from people who buy cars that routinely get less than 20mpg start moaning when gas prices go up. I drive a CLK320, but about to purchase a 335 Coupe and the last thing I worry about is mpg. (I have to admit I am originally from England, been here for 12+ years, and I was paying more for gas there 12 years ago than we have ever paid here - so maybe I am just immune to high gas prices - I also drove a car that only gave me 12mpg at best when I lived there)

#419 of 1398 Re: yup [dhanley] by habitat1

Feb 09, 2007 (11:25 am)

Replying to: dhanley (Feb 09, 2007 10:16 am)
"I also think it's pointless to compare weight to cars of 15 years ago. If those cars are so great, buy 'em and drive 'em! Oh, wait, you want power windows and airbags, and super-stiff structure, but want the car to weight the same as before? Ok, well, just buy these magic beans..."
 
I'd partially agree, in that a 2007 3 series is probably as big as a 1992 5 series was. However, I wouldn't be so quick to make excuses for, what in some cases is a 15-20% gain in weight. My 3,001 lb 1995 Maxima SE has power windows, airbags, a stiffer sport suspension, ABS brakes, etc. And it had 4/5 star crash ratings. Compared to my similarly sized 3,480 lb 2004 Acura TL 6-speed, I would be curious as to what really makes up that 480 lb difference. A few more airbags and a fancy navigation system don't add up to 12 forty pound sacks of potatoes.
 
That's not to say that the weight gain is unjustified. But if you are going in the direction of wanting a great handling sports car or coupe, I'd rather see more use of lightweight alloys and engineering refinements than simply trying to offset weight with horsepower. Case in point the 2,850 +/- pound Boxster and S2000 compared to the 3,500 lb 350Z convertible. Quality vs. quantity.

#420 of 1398 Re: MPG Question for any 335 owners... [voetsek] by circlew

Feb 09, 2007 (12:28 pm)

Replying to: voetsek (Feb 09, 2007 11:13 am)
voetsek,
 
I believe the Europeans are the target for the focus on the MPG where gas is 3X higher than the US. I agree for stateside is a moot point in this category because even though weight is up, as habitat points out, the increased drivetrain performance easily has compensated in efficiency to absorb the added lbs. (or kgs.).
 
I believe that is the a key reason why BMW have stuck with the 6 so long. Honda has the same position. Only the ultra luxury/performance models have migrated to 8,10,12 sleeves.
 
Regards,
OW

#421 of 1398 Re: MPG Question for any 335 owners... [voetsek] by pearl

Feb 09, 2007 (12:56 pm)

Replying to: voetsek (Feb 09, 2007 11:13 am)
voetsek, you completely miss the point. This question is about vehicle efficiency, tuning, gearing and performance. It is always worthwhile seeing how well a manufacturer is able to get a car to perform and still find ways to make it efficient. Wasting fuel just because you can afford to, is stupid. There are any number of cars in this category that perform extremely well and yet get decent fuel mileage, indicating that their manufacturers solved serious engineering problems to do so. Infiniti has taken some hits, not because their cars don't perform well, but because they burn much more fuel than comparably performing cars to do so. My experience with BMW sixes is that they perform well AND are still efficient. The 335 is BMW's first turbo in many years so I think many more people than me will be interested in seeing if they have been able to carry over this efficiency into the new engine. Cheers.

#422 of 1398 Re: MPG Question for any 335 owners... [voetsek] by dhanley

Feb 09, 2007 (1:21 pm)

Replying to: voetsek (Feb 09, 2007 11:13 am)
" Why do people worry about the EPA ratings for cars like this? If you are dropping $40k plus for any car then the mpg should not be an issue, certainly not one that factors into a purchasing decision. If you can afford this car "
 
This is something that's been gone over many times. I care about MPG because of dependance of foreign oil, who the money goes to, the environment, what's going to happen when oil runs out, etc. Personally, i don't see how someone can NOT care about this.
 
I agree, money is not the issue. Even at $3.50 a gallon, it's far from the major expense of owning a car.

Messages Page 43 of 141

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