Coming from E90 325i --> F30 328 or 335?

Ah it's good to be back on the forums - what a great resource for enthusiasts, buyers, and novices. I posted here hundreds of times in the span of 2-3 months back in 2005-2006 when I bought my 2006 E90 325i. After 104k sweet miles, it's time to retire my E90 and come back here for some more excellent opinions.

Now I'm debating the 328xi vs 335xi (Yes - I'm a lazy owner who doesn't want to change tires 2x/year). Coming from my 2006 with 215HP and 185lb/torque, will the 300/300 335 be too much of a shock? I am looking for something with more ooomph. I love my E90 but always wished I had a little more power. I know the 328 is no slouch at 245/258. I've even read the 328 outhandles the 335 which is interesting.

I haven't gotten into too much configuration yet and money while is somewhat of an issue, it is really more secondary this time around. So really I'm think between the following 2 configs:

328xi
MSport
Lighting Package
Dynamic Handling Package
Premium Package
MSRP ~$49,000

vs

335xi
Sportline
Dynamic Handling
MSRP ~49,000

So for the same price, on the 328 I get the MSport and Premium package since xenons are standard on the 335. Is this worth the tradeoff for the 6 cyclinder engine and 50HP/50Torque. I'd be curious to hear thoughts on handling of 328 vs 335 because I've heard differing opinions. What's important to me is a nice balance of power and handling (understanding that my current 2006 E90 is underpowered IMO).

Originally Posted by kobechrome

Ah it's good to be back on the forums - what a great resource for enthusiasts, buyers, and novices. I posted here hundreds of times in the span of 2-3 months back in 2005-2006 when I bought my 2006 E90 325i. After 104k sweet miles, it's time to retire my E90 and come back here for some more excellent opinions.

Now I'm debating the 328xi vs 335xi (Yes - I'm a lazy owner who doesn't want to change tires 2x/year). Coming from my 2006 with 215HP and 185lb/torque, will the 300/300 335 be too much of a shock? I am looking for something with more ooomph. I love my E90 but always wished I had a little more power. I know the 328 is no slouch at 245/258. I've even read the 328 outhandles the 335 which is interesting.

I haven't gotten into too much configuration yet and money while is somewhat of an issue, it is really more secondary this time around. So really I'm think between the following 2 configs:

328xi
MSport
Lighting Package
Dynamic Handling Package
Premium Package
MSRP ~$49,000

vs

335xi
Sportline
Dynamic Handling
MSRP ~49,000

So for the same price, on the 328 I get the MSport and Premium package since xenons are standard on the 335. Is this worth the tradeoff for the 6 cyclinder engine and 50HP/50Torque. I'd be curious to hear thoughts on handling of 328 vs 335 because I've heard differing opinions. What's important to me is a nice balance of power and handling (understanding that my current 2006 E90 is underpowered IMO).

Only real advice I can give you: Go test drive both.
I have a 335i and I never driven a 328, so I won't debate on who handles better ( 335i is just fine to me but I come from an E60 which is a bigger car) but one thing is for sure IMO is that MSPORT is a must for this car.

You will lose your mind once you go through all the replies which come into this thread. Go drive them both.

My personal piece, the 328i has guts. It finally has the power to make you smile everyday. The 335 is a rocket. However I chose the 328i because I could pack more options into it for less money.

Unless you are married to the look of the M sport, I would totally drop the 328i down to the sport line, and spend money on something else like the sport auto. I also opted for the park distance control. Best decision I made. The system is awesome.

I will definitely drive them both. Thanks for the thoughts so far - but still definitely interested in seeing the replies - as crazy as this will make me. I going to be ordering whatever car I get anyway so will have a long time to wait and waste on these forums

Originally Posted by kobechrome

I've even read the 328 outhandles the 335 which is interesting.

That might be attributed to the smaller (less weight!!!) engine which does not sit as far forward. Having less mass at extreme ends of the vehicle is a huge plus.

Test drive the 328i and see if you like the power delivery on it. Do NOT test drive the 335i first though.

Things to consider besides the engines.

1. Bigger brakes and better brakes on the 335. Plus additional features besides xenon.
2. The HUD included in the Technology package will change your life and the nav screen will be there no matter what and is shrunken down in plastic if you dont get it.
3. PDC and rear camera are great features you will not regret having. (the whole parking package is great if you can swing it.) My favorite feature is actually in the parking package as the front cameras are amazing when you need to pull out of a blind intersection or parking lot or alley or something like that. It saved me twice in France.
4. The Msport package is purely cosmetic.
5. You can save a ton of money skipping the Xdrive and getting these options AND a winter tire setup.

The 328 will feel like twice the car your e90 is in terms of power. Once you drive it you will know what I mean. If money is a bit of a restraint then I would stick with loading up the 328. But I recommend driving both and making the power decision first, before you start breaking down options. It seems most people decide the power is more than enough on the 328 and this allows them to add those one or two extra options that are not a MUST have, but a Damn that would be nice.

Welcome back to the boards!

The N20 is quite a power upgrade coming from the previous base 3 series offerings.

If you drive the 328 first I think you will be happy.

If you drive the 335 first, not so much.

I just finished this debate. The 4 cyl was - to me - VERY powerful. But it lacked aspects that I valued in my previous I6. Not power or torque mind you, but sound and shift/handling and since it didn't come with a stick, I walked from the thought pretty easily.

Even money, I'd go 335 and give up the fancy door opening system.

I was at the same $49K MSRP level as you. When I went to the dealers, they are willing to negotiate closer to the invoice on the 328 but not as much on the 335, limited supply and long lead time. That may make the 328 a few hundred less in cost. When I drove both cars, the 335 was amazing for performance, but as a daily driver, I wanted the options, the 328 4 cylinder is much stronger than the I6 it replaces.

Originally Posted by MonkeyCMonkeyDo

Things to consider besides the engines.

1. Bigger brakes and better brakes on the 335. Plus additional features besides xenon.

What else additional on the 335? Based on what I read - 18" wheels and moonroof are standard on 335 - anything else?

Originally Posted by kobechrome

I will definitely drive them both. Thanks for the thoughts so far - but still definitely interested in seeing the replies - as crazy as this will make me. I going to be ordering whatever car I get anyway so will have a long time to wait and waste on these forums

First off, welcome back.

Next, you seem to buy your cars and hold onto them for a long while. You also live in Virginia which is the most mild of all winter states. So you need to trade off the XDrive for some of the fantastic options that are now available and get you fully immersed in the experience. If I were you, I'd option my car thusly:

328i
Sport line
Lighting Package
Premium Package
Technology Package
Rear Camera
PDC
Heated Seats
MSRP ~$49,000

The 328i is more power than you need (especially coming off your E90) and it's unbelievably responsive, handles much better. The 335i exists to appease ex-335i owners who wouldn't want to step down. For those of us coming off of E90 328i's, the new N20 is noticeably faster and more nimble. Take a test drive, you'll understand in under 60 seconds.

Sport line comes with the sport suspension, so no need for DHP atop XDrive. You use the money you save towards...

Lighting: A must-have feature, xenon's are terrific.
Premium: Not just leather, but lots of other goodies as well.
Technology: Another must-have, it's the lifesblood of the car now, it'll be your Big Regret if you skip it.
Rear Camera/PDC: Not terribly expensive, a great feature for convenience and safety.
Heated Seats: Available a-la carte, while it may not be snowy much down there it does get chilly in the morning.

Yes, you'll need snow tires or an alternate vehicle the 8 days a year is snows. No need to spend thousands on XDrive and DHP just for that.

BJ

328m sport for sure

Originally Posted by MonkeyCMonkeyDo
Things to consider besides the engines.
1. Bigger brakes and better brakes on the 335. Plus additional features besides xenon.

Originally Posted by kobechrome

What else additional on the 335? Based on what I read - 18" wheels and moonroof are standard on 335 - anything else?

335i has standard Anti-Theft Alarm System

Originally Posted by kobechrome

What else additional on the 335? Based on what I read - 18" wheels and moonroof are standard on 335 - anything else?

I think besides those two it is the cost of the premium package. Is it the moonroof too? I forget where I had seen a good feature breakdown. I think bmwusa website has a good dot breakdown.

BJ gave a good breakdown. I completely agree on the remove the Xdrive and get the options he listed.

Originally Posted by MonkeyCMonkeyDo

I think besides those two it is the cost of the premium package. Is it the moonroof too? I forget where I had seen a good feature breakdown. I think bmwusa website has a good dot breakdown.

BJ gave a good breakdown. I completely agree on the remove the Xdrive and get the options he listed.

I believe 328 has moonroof as an option and 335 has it standard. Its not a huge deal for me. I don't use the moonroof that much in my current E90 but its nice to know its there.

BJ - Thanks for the detailed input. You make a compelling case. I guess I do have to go test drive the 328. I was worried that coming from my current E90, it would feel underpowered but most are saying that's not the case and the upgrade to 335 isn't worth the cost.

Regarding xdrive, yes VA is the mildest of the winter states but it does snow here about 2-3x a year (including our snowpocalyspe in 2009/2010) and RWD is 100% useless in snowy or even very wet conditions. That's the only reason I was considering switching to xDrive. If I stayed with RWD, I'd have to buy/store a set of snow tires, right? And then switch them on/off 2x year? I've never had snow tires so not sure how that works.

Originally Posted by kobechrome

BJ - Thanks for the detailed input. You make a compelling case. I guess I do have to go test drive the 328. I was worried that coming from my current E90, it would feel underpowered but most are saying that's not the case and the upgrade to 335 isn't worth the cost.

Regarding xdrive, yes VA is the mildest of the winter states but it does snow here about 2-3x a year (including our snowpocalyspe in 2009/2010) and RWD is 100% useless in snowy or even very wet conditions. That's the only reason I was considering switching to xDrive. If I stayed with RWD, I'd have to buy/store a set of snow tires, right? And then switch them on/off 2x year? I've never had snow tires so not sure how that works.

The 335i is a great car, don't get me wrong. It's just a matter of perspective. My opinion, test driving a 328i versus the car you are currently driving will blow you away. When I was leaving my E90 for the new F30 I had apprehensions about the four-cylinder engine, was almost not even going to test drive it. I'm very glad I did. It's blazingly fast and makes the whole car feel lighter and more agile. If staying on budget is a concern to you, it's a no-brainer and don't forget the fuel economy will save you a lot of money in the long run too.

Regarding snow tires, understand that I spent 14 years in New Hampshire driving in conditions that would make Virginia look like a summer vacation. My RWD E93 handled fantastically in deep snow on snow tires for three of those years. To answer your question, you simply get a set of snow tires and store them in your garage. Then every December 1 you go to the tire shop to get them swapped. Repeat the process on April 1. Yes, it's a bit of a pain but the reality is it allows you really get to enjoy the benefits of your RWD car for the other nine months. Not to mention, it's the best way for you to get one of the new feature packages that you're saying you can't afford while remaining safe.

Do this: Start your process by taking a test drive of the 328i. Make sure the dealer shows you cars with the important option packages like Technology so that you understand why you want it. Do some research on the benefits of snow tires on RWD and why it is superior to all season tires on AWD.

BJ

Coming from a 325, the N20 engine in the 328 is a substantial leap in power. It is truly all one needs for regular driving. I made the mistake of test driving a 335 and couldn't go back.

This is BJ finest work. I agree with everything he said in post 11. Alternatively, you could drop PDC and rear camera and go with Msport instead of Sport.

I had the same debate when ordering my car in June. I intentionally waited for Msport, so it was a must. I had to have EB2.

The only other options I added were dynamic handling, technology package, harmon kardon, and sport auto.

I debated premium package, PDC, rear camera, and heated seats. In the end, they weren't necessary for me.

I will post this here too...

I have my first N55 F30 loaner today. It's a decked out Sport too.

Some thoughts...

This has to be leather right? It's got the HUD/Nav, all the toys...why does this feel barely a notch better than my leatherette

The Sport steering wheel...sorry to offend, but once use to the M-Sport wheel, this feels clunky and made of pleather.

The sound. Yes, it does sound much better than the N20. But my N20 with exhaust sounds surprisingly close as it replaces any engine sound with exhaust note and now the two exhaust notes are rather close.

HK sound system...def better, not sure if it's worth the money better, but still better.

Tires just don't cut it, not by the size and certainly not sticky enough compared to a staggered summer setup.

Looks...MG is a nice color. But the Sport body work in this color just does not have the presence of EB with the more aggressive bumpers. This car gets totally lost in the crowd which could be a good thing, makes for a bit of a sleeper.

This is an '12 with 3k miles more than my car. Feels a bit less well put together.

Speed. The Sport auto does a good job of making the engine feel even better than it is. Light throttle brings kick downs that make it feel very responsive. But go WOT when holding on to one gear as if a manual and it's got more nut than my N20, but not to the extent it emulates when doing a 2-3 gear kick down.

Handling, have not really put it through it's paces but it does not feel as eager and light on it's feet compared to the N20. It's not NIGHT and DAY, but it's there.

In the end. I can see people sweating this car over the 328. But it's also been a bit over hyped by some fanboi'ism out there. I could see this car with bolt ons and a tune being a bit more to my liking, more like the blown S52. If this car had 80hp more, than I could see it being heralded over the N20 the way it's been hyped.

I was expecting even 50/50 on opinions, not expecting an overwhelming majority recommending some variation of the 328 config. Will probably take a test drive this weekend or next.

Originally Posted by kobechrome

I was expecting even 50/50 on opinions, not expecting an overwhelming majority recommending some variation of the 328 config. Will probably take a test drive this weekend or next.

Well BMW doesn't sell 50/50 between them, and more people here buy the 328i

That said, the base level engine which was a pig on the E90 has been corrected. It may not sound like an I6 BMW, but good lord it finally has the power to make you smile each time you hit the gas. Also helps that the car finally has a real transmission in it. Rev matched downshifts bring a wave of acceleration which the E90 never had in 325/328 guise.

Never thought I'd want a 4 cyl. motor. Never thought I'd feel sportiness with an AT. Never thought I'd focus on balancing options/tech goodies with performance. Things have changed.

I chose the 328i because I preferred its feel and handling characteristics which are truly outstanding and found it to have more than enough power. The decision had nothing to do with cost. The car really comes alive when the handling is challenged. In your situation where you're going to trade off options against mainly engine difference, I think the decision is easy. The options in this car are a really enjoyable and significant part of the experience.

I would prioritize as follows:

Sportline
Premium Package
Technology Package
Sport Auto
Lighting
Heated Seats
Rear Camera
Parking

The sport auto provides a separate, sportier experience that works really well with the AT. You might save it for the funner roads but when used it would likely rekindle your love of the car. And both the 335i and the 328i are cars you can love.

I moved from a 2008 325i X to a 2013 335iX. Without being technical, I love it. It's a fun, smooth, comfortable, sporty, fast drive. But having said that, I've since learned about MSport, sports suspension, Dynamic Handling and snow tires none of which I have. Try and test drive as many cars as you can with as many options as they have. I don't regret my choice at all, I just would like to know how those options would make my drive different. Happy Hunting!

I'm in the same situation, and drove both the 328 and 335 today. The 328 is definitely more lively and responsive than I expected. They didn't have a 335 Msport on the lot, so I drove a sport 335. Shocked that the six gets the same mileage as the four, I definitely think I'd go with the Six, although I haven't figured out how much more it'll cost me (yet).

Funny thing is the dealer gave me the 328 for the night, and as expected, I've been pretty impressed by it. Now I'm stressing over whether its worth holding out for the 335 or just pull the trigger on the beautiful 328 sleeping in my garage tonight.

The dealer would have to do a pull-ahead on my E93 335, and I owe 4 more payments, so I doubt the deal, as I presented, will go through anyway, but its a good exercise to force me to evaluate 328 vs. 335. . .

Originally Posted by jbailey895

... Shocked that the six gets the same mileage as the four, I definitely think I'd go with the Six, although I haven't figured out how much more it'll cost me (yet).

. . .

Huh?

328i = 22 city / 34 highway
335i = 20 city / 30 highway

Originally Posted by jlukja

Huh?

328i = 22 city / 34 highway
335i = 20 city / 30 highway

Not sure where you got the 22 for the 328i...the specs on bmwusa.com:

328i = 23/34 (manual), 23/33 (auto)
335i = 20/30 (manual), 23/33 (auto)

So, for auto it's identical. For manual, the 328i has some advantage.

This is for non-x-drive. For x-drive, both cars are listed as TBD.