Home Test Drives & Reviews BMW 335i (F30) Test Drive Report

BMW 335i (F30) Test Drive Report

Test Drives & Reviews

by Kon - Jul 26, 2012

Until the all-new BMW M3 arrives, the BMW 335i and 335d are the two fastest variants of the BMW F30 3 Series that your money can buy. The 335d’s 3.0-litre turbodiesel is an exciting prospect with 286hp and 580Nm on tap, but as long as we stick with Euro 2M fuel, we will not be finding this variant at our doorsteps anytime soon.

Thankfully, its petrol counterpart, the 335i, fares a little better with high-sulphur fuel, and it serves as the F30’s flagship variant here in Malaysia. BMW currently markets the 3 Series here with a three-variant line-up, with a fourth model, the 320i, set to join the fray later this year. Having already tested the 320d and 328i, we complete our review of the existing trio today with the 335i.

Opting for Luxury Line spec as per our test car gets you these 18-in multi-spoke alloys.

Half-mil for a BMW 3 Series, what are you getting?

The 335i, as tested here in Luxury Line trim and only available as a CBU import, goes for a not inconsiderable sum of RM488,800. Add an estimated insurance premium of about RM13,000, you’re looking at a BMW 3 Series priced at over half a million – almost twice the amount you pay for a 320d which looks little different in appearance except to trained eyes.

Bigger rims will clue astute observers in, but other than the 335i badge at the boot lid, the only other clear indicator that you’re driving the F30 range’s top dog, and shelled out a lot more money for it, are the two exhaust pipes coming out from both sides of the bumper rather than on the left.

Exhaust pipes either side differentiate the 335i from its 4-cyl siblings.

You also get more in terms of equipment, but not by much. Notable items exclusive to the 335i include sunroof, keyless entry, uprated Harmon/Kardon speakers, and heads-up display. Others, such as six airbags, traction control, Xenon headlights, paddle shifters, electric seat adjust with memory function, Drive Experience Control, 8-speed automatic transmission and iDrive with 8.8″ screen, can all be found in the 328i, some in the 320d as well.

So, to justify your purchase of the 335i, you’ll really need to want its award-winning 3.0-litre N55 straight six engine rather badly. The case is sufficiently convincing not to be dismissed out of hand. Armed with Valvetronic, direct injection, and a twin-scroll turbocharger, the 335i makes 306hp @ 5,800 – 6,000rpm and 400Nm @ 1,200 – 5,000rpm. That’s serious fireworks, and if you remember what a ballistic missile it made of the 535i, then the case actually looks promising for the 335i.

Harmon/Kardon audio in the 335i.

Driving Experience

Your peers may have problems telling your 335i apart from the scores of 320d and 328i running around the streets, but be assured that any confusion will be dispelled immediately after a test drive. Before you even flex the muscles of all 306 horses under its hood, the 335i subtly reminds you of its potency with a rich and creamy engine note reminding you in no uncertain terms that it is not a four-banger under the hood.

Set the Drive Experience Control switch to its tree-hugging Eco Pro mode, the 335i happily potters about at pedestrian speeds, although there’s a sensation of heaviness that is notably more pronounced than you would feel in its four-cylinder siblings. Despite the added displacement and wider spread of torque, the 335i somehow feels like it needs more revs than its four-cylinder counterparts when making progress in stop-start urban traffic.

8-speed automatic transmission.

Take it out to the open roads, and the 335i starts to show its talents better, almost to the point where you feel justified shelling out the extra money over the 328i. The added power is one thing, but what’s even better to note is how the extra output and weight of the bigger engine did not seem to adversely affect the F30’s chassis balance. Not only does the 335i go like stink on a straight road, its handling remains just as sharp when the curves come up.

Fuel economy naturally does not stand up to comparison against the four-cylinder models, but a trip computer reading of 12.5 l/100km for a car that does not feel taxed even at 250kph is pretty decent, adding up to a projected range of 480km from its 60-litre tank if filled to the brim.

The four-cylinder models are locally assembled, but the low-volume 335i continues to be a CBU model.

Verdict

Owing to its higher purchase price – almost RM200k more than the 328i – and running costs – think fuel consumption and road tax – compared to its four-cylinder siblings, the 335i will, as a result, see very few takers in the Malaysian market. No doubt that the 335i is on different performance league compared to the other two, but fact is that neither the 320d and 328i are in anyway underpowered, and in the 328i’s case, it is almost on par in terms of equipment.

In an ideal world, we would recommend that you spend the extra money and go for the 335i if you’re buying the 3 Series, but buying a car is as much a budget consideration as it is a decision of the heart. The 335i is worth going for if you can afford its hefty price tag, and you want the added performance of its amazing engine, but for most of us, the 320d (or 328i if you insist on petrol) will do just fine.