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Fully loaded 328i vs. Barebone 335i?

18K views 115 replies 46 participants last post by  Cyb3r H3x 
#1 ·
Hi folks,

I am planning get a 3er.

There is a fully loaded MSport 328i that I can get right now for the same price I can order a barebone MSport 335i that I will have to wait for months to arrive.

If I order, 335 will be manual. The loaded 328i has all options in the color I want but is 8AT. Also will order all season tires so that I can hit ski resorts a few times year without having to worry about tires. (Will use cables/chains - I hear performance tires wont survive even with chains..)

I have F10 535i and always have had I6 or V8 BMWs.

Testdrove F30 328i. 328i seems to have more than enough power but 335 has its own merit that 328 can't have.

The current ZF 8AT is so good but wonder if it is really good that I won't miss manual?

Any helpful insights from fest felllows would be very much appreciated!
 
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#14 · (Edited)
If you like driving a manual, I would wait. I went from a manual to an auto 328i. While I must say the performance of the car is great, I do miss the manual.
Agree. Based on your questioning feeling I think the odds are high you will miss the manual.

328 M sport without a question. If the 335 still had the n54 engine I would say go for the base 335, purely because that engine is unbelievable.

The n55 is not nearly as impressive and without all the options, you'll be disappointed. I came from only driving manuals and I am very satisfied with the 8at sport auto. 328 m sport will make you smile every day you look at it
n55 not as good? Wow, I guess my SA was really giving me a line of BS then. He said it has the same HP, but just with less lag and better fuel economy. What aspect of the n55 are you referring to as being worse than the n54?
I guess if you are one of the few who like to mod their engine, then the N54 have more options for modding. For the other 99% of the owners who do not mod their engine, the N55 is way more technologically advance then the N54.
Having driven lots of N54s and N55s I prefer the N55. It is a more refined performer.
 
#7 ·
If you have a 535 already you will probably miss the power if you get the 328. All depends on what you are looking for and how you set your expectations. I can still enjoy driving my 318i (e36) after being spoiled by the power of the 335i.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Hi folks,

I am planning get a 3er.

There is a fully loaded MSport 328i that I can get right now for the same price I can order a barebone MSport 335i that I will have to wait for months to arrive.

I have F10 535i and always have had I6 or V8 BMWs.
Get the 328i fully loaded.

Coming off the F10, the F30 328i with 8AT will feel like a much faster, much lighter car. While the 335i can give you that extra bit of oomph, it's not worth it if you have to sacrifice creature comforts like the Technology Package, Premium Package, Cold Weather, Rear Camera, BMW Assist, Enhanced USB & Bluetooth, and the rest. The F30 is just too good a car to skip these best-in-class features.

And if you really need the thrill of MT, get a nice beater E36 M3 as a weekend car. That's what I'd do.

BJ
 
#9 ·
Same kind of decision I went through. After 8k miles with the 328i, it is an amazing car. It can be a grandma mobile when you want to save gas (I do this in my neighborhood 25 mph zones) or a beast on the highway. Even though they are overpriced, I really appreciate all the options especially the tech package.

I guess it comes down to whether you will appreciate value/options over power/manual more or not.
 
#10 ·
328 M sport without a question. If the 335 still had the n54 engine I would say go for the base 335, purely because that engine is unbelievable.

The n55 is not nearly as impressive and without all the options, you'll be disappointed. I came from only driving manuals and I am very satisfied with the 8at sport auto. 328 m sport will make you smile every day you look at it
 
#11 ·
328 M sport without a question. If the 335 still had the n54 engine I would say go for the base 335, purely because that engine is unbelievable.

The n55 is not nearly as impressive and without all the options, you'll be disappointed. I came from only driving manuals and I am very satisfied with the 8at sport auto. 328 m sport will make you smile every day you look at it[/QUOTE

n55 not as good? Wow, I guess my SA was really giving me a line of BS then. He said it has the same HP, but just with less lag and better fuel economy. What aspect of the n55 are you referring to as being worse than the n54?
 
#13 ·
Loaded 328 msport without a doubt. While I chose the 335 over the 328 I would not give up all the options for the 335 since the n20 is still a fantastic engine (would have been much harder decision for e90). I love the tech in the car and unfortunately most is not standard. As a prior manual driver for 15yrs, sport 8AT is terrific and probably takes better advantage of these engines than almost any manual driver could.

As for the n54 vs n55 debate you'll get some die hard n54 fans chiming in but the reality is performance is just about identical. I had a an n54 for 4 years and now have 1300 miles on my n55. Not apples to apples cause AT is different but I prefer the n55. On a dyno the n54 has a tad more HP but torque is the same and comes on earlier for n55. It's just as quick to 60 and more fuel efficient. Only downside is n55 is less tuneable but not an issue for most. Maybe on a track some slight differences would be apparent?
 
#15 · (Edited)
On another thread, we just discussed that there isn't a big price differential between a 328 and a 335 with the exact same options.

You can configure either with the exact same options, the only difference will be the engine, and the price differential only works out to be about $3k.

I was sort of shocked by this myself, but do it yourself, and do the math.

However, putting that aside, if I had to choose between a fully loaded 328 and a stripped down 335, I'd definitely go with the fully loaded 328. No doubt, and this comes from someone that adamantly prefers the 335 engine.

EDIT:

I'd suggest you do more research. You might be able to cut a few options from a fully loaded 335 and get yourself very close to a fully load 328 in terms of overall price.
 
#17 ·
How high up is power as your priority?

I have more than one car, another a high powered BMW already.

If I had just one, I would have done the 335 6mt M Sport.

A lot of features don't make the F30 a better car, just a more TECH laden car.

For me it had to be a manual. So right there, if it were my decision I would be choosing your 6mt 335.
 
#18 ·
Was in the same boat recently and went with the 335 and the extra power. Can't go wrong with either IMO.
 
#19 ·
From bmwusa, I came up with:

Fully (err, almost) loaded 328i MSport Line - $55,320
335i MSport Line with same options, except for Diver Assistance and Driver Assistance Plus - $55,570. Oh, and manual instead of the Sport Auto option.

How much price difference is there with the actual cars you're looking at? Is the 328i heavily discounted? Or not actually "fully loaded"?
 
#21 ·
I like the n55 engine for AWD applications. It'll pull the extra drivetrain mass more effectively.


In RWD there are good reasons for both cars. If you put fuel economy and handling feel above power, the n20 is your engine
 
#23 ·
I'll vote for the 335i. In a very rounded and general term: there's simply more soul in this car.

I was exactly in the same position as you, debating it for a LOOONG time. Ultimately it comes down to what matters more to you. I chose bigger engine, the power and torque edge advantage (max torque available at 1200rpm - YOU CAN'T BEAT THAT!), the better sounding exhaust.

They say a lot of average drivers won't feel the difference when driving the two cars. I DID feel it and very clearly when I test drove them at my dealership. That's when the decision was made.

Either way you go - enjoy the car when you take the delivery and never look or think back! That's certainly what I'm going to do! Haha!
 
#24 ·
Really easy decision. The 328 absolutely. I chose the 328 over the 335 because the handling characteristics are so much better while the power difference is slight. Price wasn't the constraint, I just find the 328 more fun in real world driving with turns. And I'm coming out of a 550 and in the more distant past an M3.

Passing up on the goodies would deprive you of some real fun and enjoyment. Passing up the 335, not so much.
 
#25 ·
I'd say the loaded 328i.

If you get a stripper car, in two months you'll come back here, posting a thread and want to retrofit the PDC, heated seats, cameras, you name it. Every day there is a thread from someone who was too cheap to spend the $500-$1000 to get the option originally, and then they get all pissed when they find out it costs $2000-$6000 to retrofit that same option after-the-fact :)
 
#26 ·
My car is stripped by some standards and the only thing I miss are the Xenons. BMW's going back a long time always have lots of lighting alternatives that come up through the aftermarket for lighting.
 
#27 ·
Again, I am not sure why the OP has such a limited choice.

The entire premise that his only choice is between a fully loaded 328 or a stripped down 335 is flawed. You can get a nicely equipped 335 for virtually the same price as a fully-loaded 328.

If his real choice is between buying a car already on the lot vs ordering a car that has to be built and shipped, then that's a different argument altogether.
 
#30 ·
Thanks everyone for very insightful comments.

My 535 is already fully loaded all the gadgets. The nav system on 328i is an older model than F10, and not having extra options are not really a big deal. I can drive my other car if desired.

The dilemma is between picking one from dealer inventory with heavy discount or ordering one with just the options that I really want for my daily drive. It is not about saving every dime but rather not wasting extra moeny unnecessarily.

So far I hear that 328i isn't bad in terms of performance. So looks like 328i is a safe choice. For E90, I would pick 335 without any hesitation but F30 328 does have great punch and better mileage.

There is no manual in dealer stock with MSport so... so I will have to order and I was debating whether to couple it with 335. But 8AT seems to be very capable so not very easy to decide if I really want to wait 3 month for manual...
 
#32 ·
to the OP, if you havent driven an N54 then find a used one and give it a good test drive. then drive an N55 and compare. Im not trying to sell you on the N54 being better, just that the excitement and visceral experience between the 2 has changed.

In my opinion, i just cant fall in love with the N55. I believe it is much more sophisticated and efficient than the N54 was, but for pure enjoyment, the twin turbo sppol up, engine growl and kick in the pants acceleration of the N54 is thrilling. Every N55 Ive driven (3er AT and manual, x3 sport auto, x5 and 5er) I just dont get the same feeling I got with the N54. It feels kind of dull to me on every platform. the power delivery is very smooth but it just didnt do it for me when comparing the 2 motors. In fact, when i went test driving for my m sport, I drove the 335 first then the 328 and I fell in love with the I4 right off the bat. With the 335, I was ready to get into another car to test drive.

Notwithstanding, the N55 is a phenomenal motor and the car is brilliant. You cant go wrong with either choice, but in the end, I would go with the m sport 328 as the looks alone will justify your purchase over a baseline, and all the extra options will only add to the experience. After driving my car for the last few months, ive realized that although BMW offers the lines and various options, for the optimal experience the car was designed to be driven with options. I constantly find myself thinking if I would like driving my car as much if i didnt have the extras, and my answer is always NO! cheers:thumbup:
 
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