E90 M3 vs. 335i Sedan - Help me with my decision!

[douglee25]

I know this has somewhat been covered before but I would like to ask anyway. Here's my situation that I'm looking to get some help on....

I want the following -

1. 4 door
2. Manual trans
3. Sport package at a minimum
4. Miles in the 20-75k range
5. This will be a daily driver. I commute usually about 10k minimum per year. I would plan to put about 125k on it before I sold it again (10 years).
6. Color is open at this point, but I seem to gravitate more towards black/graphite exterior and either tan/white/black/ etc for the interior


My previous vehicle was/is an E36 M3 that has absolutely been the best car I've owned. I've done all my own maintenance and I'm currently running at 185k miles. I bought it with 62k miles and I'm the second owner. Again, great car. This led me to the 335i. Researching them led to finding out about HPFP issues, turbo wastegate flutter/replacement, and some other small items. I test drove several. I like them A LOT. Smooth cars, more refined than my m3, more power, etc. I loved it. I have been looking at 2007 - 2011's. I would have purchased the 2011 with 20k miles that I had my eyes on, but the dealer and I just were too far apart, so it's back to the drawing board. I found a 2009 335i that I currently have a deposit on. The car looks very very clean except for one scratch that the dealer pointed out. Mileage is 46k.

With that said, I started looking up M3's just to see what kind of range I was in. I test drove a newer 2013 just to see if I liked it (it was for sure out of my price range). Of course I did like it, so my searching online continued. My pricing dictates that if I were to buy one it would have to be a 2008 e90 M3. I currently have my eye on an 2008 M3 with about 75k miles. I read about the rod bearing issue and a couple of other small items that the M3 is known for. Based on this info, I'm concluding that most would NOT shy away from purchasing this vehicle? I know the rod bearing issue only represents a small percentage of running vehicles on the road, but it can't be ignored. It is slightly concerning to me. I am very mechanical but since moving for a new job, I have since lost my garage until I buy a house in another year or so.


Based on what I have told you ie - daily driver, reliable, will put on about 125k miles over 10 years, etc which one would you consider a better fit?? Again, I'm slightly concerned with the rod bearing issue, but I do not want it to turn this thread south. Please provide some insight!

Thanks again.

Doug

[thekurgan]

Have you tried searching here yet? This question gets asked a lot, either with 335 E92 or 335IS.

[///M3Fresh]

E90M will cost you most upfront. But the 335i will cost you as much or more in future repairs. Between things like HPFS/Carbon build up Leaking turbos etc.. I would not even think about it.

One thing i would rule out is: Mile range of the car you should get, knowing you will have the car for ~125K miles and 10 or so years, I would jsut get one with high miles already that is under 30K price range so the miles put on the car dont depreciate the price as much as if it was say 25K---> 150K miles. Or at least that's how I would look into it. I wouldnt even consider the bearing issues at this point as the few cases that have popped up are less then 1% of the drivers on the road.

[antoniomg43]

E90 M3 sound alone will make you smile

[Devant]

[douglee25]

Oh shit that was hilarious!!

Good comments thus far. Keep them coming.

Doug

[peterparker]

LOOL!, awesome video I have a 335i, but at least I dont have that mentality.

Anyways If you can afford a M3, go for it! Just know there are some big changes in 2009. New Sedan taillights & iDrive are the main ones.

[Vanmarsenille]

Originally Posted by Devant

Never gets old.

[Yvette]

keeping over 10 years? I say get M3.
you have proven yourself, M cars are bullet proof.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Lots of Pros and cons.
M will look and sound better, it will also be more luxurious.
the 335 is cheaper, will give you more power(with mods)
They also have completely different power delivery.
I would test drive both before making any decision.

[e90 //M3]

I had a '11 E90 335i with the BMW Performance Edition package (basically a minor tune and a bump of about 5%hp/10%tq). It was decently outfitted, sport and cold weather package - but not fully loaded (no nav, iDrive, blah blah). Bought it from a local dealer with about 6K on the clock - it was one of their loaner cars. I only had it for about a year, and sold it in Oct of '13. Never had any issues with it, but I didn't really rack up the miles - probably about 10K over the course of the year.

In october, I traded up to a '11 E90 M3. This was a car I helped my dad spec, and after he ordered it I asked him for right of first refusal. Well, after 2yrs of ownership, he was ready to let it go. It's also decently equipped, but not fully loaded. Cold Weather and Tech, manual trans, and that's about it. Of course, that's how we spec'd it when he bought it, and I knew he was taking care of it - so I couldn't pass the deal up. It had normal mileage - about 27k when I bought it. He'd taken it on a coast-to-coast roadtrip out to Napa Valley and back by way of...well, just about everywhere. Never had any issues.

I do not miss the 335i. It was a great daily driver, for the year I had it. But the M3 is an entirely different experience. The chassis, suspension and steering in this car make for a refreshingly direct driving experience. Cornering, turn-in, and overall response do not compare to the 335. I've read people complain about the 6-spd, particularly in the 1st->2nd shift, but I've never noticed. That being said, it's a close ratio transmission spinning a lightweight flywheel; so if you're going to shift gears smoothly the car's going to ask you to do so quickly. I actually like that about the M3. It expects you to be engaged, and if you are it rewards you.

[SilentAttack]

Why would you ask this question on a M3 forum? Get the M3 n never look back..

[douglee25]

Originally Posted by e90 //M3

I had a '11 E90 335i with the BMW Performance Edition package (basically a minor tune and a bump of about 5%hp/10%tq). It was decently outfitted, sport and cold weather package - but not fully loaded (no nav, iDrive, blah blah). Bought it from a local dealer with about 6K on the clock - it was one of their loaner cars. I only had it for about a year, and sold it in Oct of '13. Never had any issues with it, but I didn't really rack up the miles - probably about 10K over the course of the year.

In october, I traded up to a '11 E90 M3. This was a car I helped my dad spec, and after he ordered it I asked him for right of first refusal. Well, after 2yrs of ownership, he was ready to let it go. It's also decently equipped, but not fully loaded. Cold Weather and Tech, manual trans, and that's about it. Of course, that's how we spec'd it when he bought it, and I knew he was taking care of it - so I couldn't pass the deal up. It had normal mileage - about 27k when I bought it. He'd taken it on a coast-to-coast roadtrip out to Napa Valley and back by way of...well, just about everywhere. Never had any issues.

I do not miss the 335i. It was a great daily driver, for the year I had it. But the M3 is an entirely different experience. The chassis, suspension and steering in this car make for a refreshingly direct driving experience. Cornering, turn-in, and overall response do not compare to the 335. I've read people complain about the 6-spd, particularly in the 1st->2nd shift, but I've never noticed. That being said, it's a close ratio transmission spinning a lightweight flywheel; so if you're going to shift gears smoothly the car's going to ask you to do so quickly. I actually like that about the M3. It expects you to be engaged, and if you are it rewards you.

Great post and thanks for the feedback. Those were my impressions of the e36 m3 when I first bought it and compared it to others.

Originally Posted by SilentAttack

Why would you ask this question on a M3 forum? Get the M3 n never look back..

Yes, obviously I know it's a loaded question.

With that said, I don't modify my cars. I drive them stock. I wanted some feedback from users of their M3's and I figured some would have upgraded from the 335i or at least had first hand experience with both vehicles. I do have some concerns with the rod bearings, but I guess every car has thier own set of issues that owners must deal with.

I just didn't know if it's worth spending good money on something with 75k, that possibly has an issue as severe as some claim with the rod bearings, and expect it to last as a daily driver like I will use it.

Doug

[D@AP]

Originally Posted by douglee25

Great post and thanks for the feedback. Those were my impressions of the e36 m3 when I first bought it and compared it to others.

Yes, obviously I know it's a loaded question.

With that said, I don't modify my cars. I drive them stock.

Doug

If you plan to keep the car stock it seems the M may be a better option. This is an M forum so of course the replies will be heavily biased here. You may want to hop on the 335 forum and ask the same question to see how the results differ. As you said, each has their share of problems that owners will incur.

[Amirsm3]

Get a C63 AMG. SO much better than anything BMW offers.


In all seriousness, test drive both. It's the only way you're going to be able to make an educated decision.

[Wilsel]

The E90/2/3 M3's have proven to be the most reliable M3's to date. You can't say that about the 335i. If you have no plans to track it then I still say get the 335i. It's the better car for the streets IMO. More comfortable ride, more torque,etc.

[STooK]

I've leased a 335i for 3 years then traded up to my current M3. I loved the 335i and it was the best daily driver I've ever owned. Car drives very solid but you can definitely feel the weight in the corners. With the excellent low end tq, the car never felt underpowered even with AC on with passengers going uphill. It also got pretty decent gas mileage on top of that, I was seeing 30mpg on highway even with xdrive. Combined I was getting 22-24 not flogging it everywhere.

Like most here, I bought a 335i first because I couldn't afford the M3. I also thought, besides the engine, it's probably not much different than the 335. Well, I was completely wrong. Every time I drive the car spiritedly, I am AMAZED at the steering feel, the chassis, and the power/sound of the engine. Everything is COMPLETELY different than the 335 besides the instrument controls. The steering in the 335 feels completely numb compared to the M3. The engine does lack the low end torque so getting off the line takes more effort but this engine NEVER runs out of breath! The car makes my heart beat faster and I can't stop smiling when I drive it, something the 335 stopped doing after the initial new-effect wore off. MPG really takes a toll though and unless you're used to driving a huge pick up truck that gets <14mpg it may really hurt your wallet if you're DD'ing it. With some mixed spirited driving, you will never see above 15mpg. If you can fill up $60 every 3 days then discard this, get the car!

So to sum things up, the M3 is no comparison to the 335 and is a superior driving experience in every way. It is however, NOT a superior daily driver to the 335. If the main purpose of the car was to be a daily and have a little fun on the side then a RWD 335i 6MT will be sporty enough. If you want the best driving experience and don't care about the rest, then get the M and don't look back!

[rcracin]

Had to make the same decision a year and a half ago. The price of the 335i was inviting, but I knew I wouldn't be happy. Drive both and you'll see. No other way to put it. I foresee you buying an m3 if you can afford it.

[thomaszas]

When I decided that I wanted a luxury sports sedan, pretty much 4 cars came to mind for me, 2 audi's (S4, RS4) and two bmw's, 335i, or m3 sedan. I quickly realized I wanted a BMW and started to observe the pre-owned market. When I discovered the price differences between later year n54, early year n55 335i's vs 08-09 m3's, I knew I had no excuse for not jumping for the m3,. When comparing say a fully loaded 335i (or xdrive) m-package, loaded, and a similarly equipped m3 (as most of them come pretty loaded up) the price differences were almost negligible.

On a side note, I've driven MANY 335i's, 135i's, etc, none of them feel like the M

[Jon@NL]

If you keep your cars stock, go with the M3. You have to significantly modify the 335i to approach the steering feel and agility that the M3 has out of the box. That being said, the N55 335i's are just as/more reliable than the M3. The fuel pump, carbon, and overheating at the track issues apply to the N54 only.

[douglee25]

I appreciate everyone's comments.

They have been very helpful. I also read the thread about 2008 owners chiming in with high mileage. It seems many owners are well over the 100,000 mile mark without major issues.

I will keep you all posted on the outcome.

Thanks again.

Doug

[e90 //M3]

If I were you, I'd go peruse the 'registry' thread on this forum about bearing issues. Several of those people were tuning and/or tracking their cars. Some of them even had issues directly after doing one or both of those activities.

The M3 is a great car; but no car can be driven to the track, raced hard, then driven home on simple routine maintenance. PARTCIULARLY, friggin' ESPECIALLY, if you're talking about a high-compression engine with variable valve timing. Oiling becomes the preeminent issue with these types of engines, because at higher revs the engine will burn oil as a simple matter of operation. Ask anyone who's ever tracked, built or raced an all-motor honda engine, and they'll tell you the same thing. When you get 1qt or more down, you're taking risks with oil starvation which can easily wear the internals.

When my dad took his trip in the M3, he carried a few quarts from the dealership for this very purpose. The last thing you want to be is 1qt low out in the middle of oklahoma 200mi from the nearest place that carries the stuff. When I bought it off him, he gave me the last three or so quarts he had laying around the house. I was 40mi from home on an overnighter with my wife when the light came on. The car took over a quart before the light went off - and this is a car that's never seen a track day in it's entire life.

That black soot all over your rear bumper ain't just fuel baby, that's recycled dinosaur!