E90/92 335i

digitalwolf

digitalwolf

digitalwolf

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England
After significantly reducing my commute to around 8 miles a day, I no longer need a diesel so it’s time to replace my trusty E90 320d.

I want something quick and want to stay with a BMW if possible so obviously the 335i is the standout candidate.

Budget is around 10k but I’ll stretch, I want an M Sport which command a higher price.

A mate of mine had an E92 56 plate 335i and he paid for BMW warranty he was that paranoid about it breaking. He JB4’d it and it was a very quick car but it had little niggles like the oil pressure light constantly coming on and it used to go into limp home mode after he gave it a big blast.

Is there a certain revision of 335 I should look at in terms of reliability? The Tax on them seems to vary massively too.
 
I'd run a warranty on one for sure, but they aren't cheap. £500-£600pa before 60k miles, £800-£1k pa after 60k miles.

Running a warranty and tuning the car isn't a good idea either, in case you were going that route.
 
I had one a few years ago, which was great, but had all of the common issues go wrong with it in my 12 month ownership - CCC Idrive, turbo wastegates, high pressure fuel pump, and electric seat motor. Fortunately I had warranty and everything was replaced hassle free, but each of those are BIG bills.
2006 is the bad year for them tax wise ~£545/year and you'll be able to get a car cheaper because of it, 57 plate (from memory) becomes lower tax again ~£285.

Would I own another? I'd buy my old one back (sold it to a friend), but I would be very cautious over buying another one. JB4 would have been great on it, but would invalidate the extended warranty that was ~£600/year pre 60K miles...

I now have an older 645ci, which is a slightly bigger, hasn't had any issues over the last two years
 
I'd definitely have BMW warranty on it - so looking at cars with below 50,000 miles if possible.

Seen mentioned on 335i threads on various forums that it's best to find an 09> as BMW resolved the wastegate issue?

I've seen the kind of bills mentioned with these and running one without warranty is an absolute no go. I was considering E46 M3's but the rear subframe issue on those puts me off a bit.
 
That 50k miles sounds a bit optimistic for an E91, can't imagine there's a lot at that mileage now.
To reduce risk, could go with a non-turbo. FAR less to go wrong, retains that six smoothness, but clearly not as fast.
If you don't mind the mileage, pre-March 2006 are on a lower tax bracket.
 
I've had my E92 335i for almost a year now and I've not had any major problems. It's had the following warranty work done since I've bought it:

Replaced seat belt handover mechanism.
Replaced ball joint
Replaced geabox sump tray (I have an auto DCT)
 
Mr_Sukebe said:
That 50k miles sounds a bit optimistic for an E91, can't imagine there's a lot at that mileage now.
To reduce risk, could go with a non-turbo. FAR less to go wrong, retains that six smoothness, but clearly not as fast.
If you don't mind the mileage, pre-March 2006 are on a lower tax bracket.
Click to expand...

Not interested in an E91, only want an E92 really, E90 possibly.

For not much more there is the E46 M3 which i'd love, it's just the VANOS and rear sub frame that's put me off.
 
Kaka said:
I've had my E92 335i for almost a year now and I've not had any major problems. It's had the following warranty work done since I've bought it:

Replaced seat belt handover mechanism.
Replaced ball joint
Replaced geabox sump tray (I have an auto DCT)
Click to expand...

What year is it?

When did they switch from twin to single turbo?
 
I don’t think I would personally run one without a warranty. Not the same but my f30 had quite a lot of warranty work done to it recently, everything seems starts at £500 to fix.
 
I'd get the one with the N55 engine personally. The N54 was great, but the N55 is a good evolution of it - sounded better too.

To be honest - if you can't stretch to a 2010 one, then don't bother, just get one which has had as many things as possible changed on it (most will at this age). I'd definitely look at SE's also - a bargain compared to the M-Sports, but still with all the important stuff (sports seats and sport suspension were standard on both SE and M-Sport). A lot of people try and avoid the pre 57 plate ones as the VED is £550~ on them - however, this could also make them a bit of a bargain. You'll just have to do the maths.
 
I've had my E90 335i (07) for 3~ years now - here are some of my experiences & feedback:

Faults
  • Both turbo's were replaced at ~38k - the car had some wastegate rattle when I purchased it, so I immediately took out the extended BMW warranty & they were both replaced a couple of weeks later.
  • Hydro unit failed ~42k - again replaced under warranty.
  • The engine began to misfire on the way back from Cornwall last year - only 2 ignition coils & spark plugs. BMW recovery were fantastic though; the car was collected & a replacement hire card delivered through Enterprise to the services we were stuck at. My car was repaired by a BMW dealer & returned to my place of work 2 days later.

General
  • Tax - my 07 falls into the higher bracket still, so worth keeping that in mind when looking.
  • Fantastic engine - really nice amount of power for day-to-day use, though I've recently begun craving a bit more 'oomph' - unfortunately, an evolve or similar remap would void the warranty, which I don't really want to risk.
  • Plenty of space in the E90 - I like having the 5 doors even though we don't have any kids, it's great for long trips with a couple of friends & luggage too.
  • Economy: on my 12-mile round-trip to & from work, I average between 16-18 mpg on A/B roads - averages 34-36 on longer motorway trips.
  • iDrive - being an older car it's obviously pants; I've never used the nav and the display/ interface in general really show's its age - I believe 09> models got the updated iDrive with the HDD & better screen.

Feel free to ask me any questions you have & I'll try to answer them :)
 
Had no idea the SE’s have the same suspension as the M Sports. That’s interesting.

For around 13k M135i’s come into budget. Are these more reliable?
 
You need to decide on what you want really, as you've gone from a saloon -> coupe -> hatchback.

When I was looking 335is, the only other car I was interested in was the E46 M3. Warranty and newer technology was one of the main factors I opted for the E92 335i.
 
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