M3 or 335i

[carzfan1]

Hello fellas. been a member of this thread since 2009... i don't post much but here it goes:

So I currently own a 2008 BMW e90 328i sedan...
I've had it ever since I was 16. Love it a lot. have modded it as much as one can-

cat back straight pipes
M3 rep competition 19" wheels
M3 rep front and rear bumper
BMW performance trunk spoiler..

blah blah blah who cares--

I've always resented the fact that my car had very little power.
I'd love to mod this car but unfortunately the 328i isnt really performance built.


I have two choices now- (used) manual 335 or an (used) manual M3.

I know that the 335i is considerably slower than the M, but its cheaper too.
my goal (if given the 335) would be to mod it aggressively JB4, intake, tune, performance exhaust.. all that good stuff. Hopefully with all the mods, i can surpass the M3's bhp. all the money ive saved getting a 335 instead of an M3, i can put into performance mods. Then the issue is reliability. Im scared that the turbos will blow out ect... if im not careful.

On the other hand... the second option would be to go balls to the wall and get the M3. I understand that it would be more expensive, but it would be a fucking rocketship compared to my 328i. Its a dream to drive in the corners, looks more aggressive, and better. and above all it comes with the "M" badge.

the things is that the 328i and the 355i are still in the same category... in the sense that the engines are similar. but the M3 is a completely different ball game. I wouldn't even know where to begin modding. I'd probably stick to visual mods then when i felt comfortable enough- move forward with performance items.

I'm posting here because you guys are the experts, by knowing the M3 in and out. i'd like to hear some of your personal stories on what or even how you chose the M3- were you happy with the power? what more did you do performance wise? how's the reliability, is servicing a bitch? I'd like to know everything you wish you knew before making the choice.

thanks,
all comments appreciated!

[jtodd_fl]

Well, I traded from a 2007 e92 335i (stock, from a performance standpoint) to a 2011 e92 M3 (stock - but with competition package). They are two completely different cars. My two cents would be, unless you LOVE to mod or love the look of modded cars, get the M3 - assuming you can afford it. Having driven both as DDs - there really is no comparison between the two cars. If you want it for performance and for driving, get the M3 - maybe one day you can afford to then mod it. If you want it do modding right away, or to save cost - go with the 335i. You kind of cannot lose, but I would go with the M3 in your situation. In fact, I did.

[TheChef18]

About 5 months ago my 335i flooded and I needed to buy a new one. Saw a M3 sitting on the lot and said, "What the hell, might as well test drive it to see what the big deal is." I now drive an M3. Moral of the story? Don't test drive the M3 unless you're prepared to buy the M3, and buy the M3 over a 335i.

[NYBulldog]

The 335i has a huge upside but at the end of the day every time you see an M3 you're going to say DAMN.

[nullrouted]

I've never driven a 328i except once as a loaner. Before this 2013 ZCP M3 I had an E46 M3. To me, the 328i was no comparison at all (even for my E46 M) -- the new one is just kicked up like 10 notches. Interior is better, more power, better suspension. I've got about 3200 miles on it so far having owned 2 of them, I wouldn't even consider a non-M BMW. That said, I think you should get the M3 -- just make sure you put about $10k extra into your mod budget because in no time you're going to want an exhaust, x-pipe, and a blower. That's where I'm at now -- just got done opening my wallet to MusicarNW for a complete Level3 EPS upgrade. Exhaust is next for me, I wish you good luck with whatever you choose...as long as it's an M3

[M3PO]

335i hands down. Duh.

[paddy335]

Originally Posted by tpowerdinny

The 335i has a huge upside but at the end of the day every time you see an M3 you're going to say DAMN.

+1

[paddy335]

Originally Posted by Dashman

Gosh Darn It, Golly G Heck.

Excuse my profanity but I was just wondering why there hasn't ever been a comparison thread between the M3 and 335. Thank you OP.

I don't think anyone is forcing you to read or respond to posts

[paddy335]

[nullrouted]

Originally Posted by Dashman

I agree

I think you might be the only M3 post member who is more cynical than myself

Don't kill the poor guy, he wants to join the team, just needs some encouragement!

[Transfer]

Both cars are going to be expensive no matter how you look at it. The M3 costs you in purchase price, gas, insurance, tires, M tax (tickets), and could set you back $20k if you kill an engine out of warranty. The 335i will cost you bolt ons, tune, wheels, tires, brakes, and could have reliability issues related to turbo(s), carbon build up, fuel system, cooling, etc.

Pick your poison. I think the correct choice is obvious.

[SterlingE55]

Do you live in Pearland? Or were you at the Pearland 24hr fitness this past Sunday?

[Haywood]

M3 all the way. I had my sales guy look for a 335is. Decided I had to test drive the M3 and see for myself what the big deal was with this engine. I've had big bore V8's before. Nothing I've driven compares to this engine. The handling blows away a 3 series. Regardless of how much faster you can make a 335, nothing compares to revving this motor to 8400 RPM's. It's intoxicating. Get the last NA V8 BMW will make. You will thank all of us.

[Ezio]

Heres the thing i don't like about the 335i, You have to mod it to be happy with it.

M3 you really don't need to touch it to have great fun in the car. Plus that high revving V8 is NUTS! not many like it, unless you are buying a ferrari or RS5.

i got a stock M3 that under warranty, i drive it every day worry free!

[LarThaL]

You will NEVER find an M3 owner that wishes they had bought a 335. On the other hand, no matter how much you mod your 335....well, you know where this is going.....

[MFL]

335's are for sodomites.

I'll stick to my war pig.

Honestly though man, You're on m3post, what did you think the response would be?

[Pinz]

Different cars, different engines (NA vs. FI), different driving style. I am more than happy with the performance of my M3. However, I am planning to do some mods to get a little bit more torque and power out of it for every day driving. To get the power out of the M3, you gotta rev it, which is where the fun is. Some people drive sportily, reving to 6000 to accelerate and cruise at 3-4000 except for highway, probably 2,500 or whatever 6th is at the speed you're going. Other people drive "lazily" and don't downshift unless they have to, are fine with reving only to 3-4000 to accelerate or just have a naturally inherent efficiency-oriented driving style when not in a spirited-driving mood.

Anyway, my point is, look at your driving style. Look at your needs. Are you going to go to the track? Do you ever want to go to the track? If so, the M3 will be a joy. The chassis is wonderful for this and unless you want to get some expensive mods for the 335i, the M3 would be my recommendation.

For daily driving? In a straight line, in the midst of traffic, the 335i can be quite fun. With a JB4 or whatever tune, you get nice torque that makes daily driving a joy. Unless you love to rev high (over 4,000 regularly) to take advantage of the power the M3 has to offer, the 335i could be a better choice for you. With some nice tires, you'll have good grip and overtake almost any car on the road.

Also consider transmission choice. Since you mentioned manual vs. manual, with the M3 you'll have to get used to downshifting quite often unless you want to keep the revs high and burn a lot of fuel. You can drive the M3 such that it uses not much more fuel than the 335i except for the times when you need it. But doing so with the DCT is easier and quite fun. If you go with DCT, downshifting with the push of a button, you won't mind so much. Many claim to be experts at manual, but it's not that easy to downshift perfectly every single time, especially if you are turning, need to brake, or have to do a shoulder check and watch for traffic at the same time.

Although I love my M3, sometimes I wish I had a more "torquey" car like a chipped 335i so I could drive "lazily" on my commute, just giving it some gas if I want to show someone Who's Boss. There are times when I see an opportunity, but knowing I have to shift down 2 or 3 gears I miss the opportunity because of time or because of "laziness".

I'm sure you are considering all the other factors, such as maintenance and repair cost, especially if you're buying without warranty. What about the possibility of reusing some of your 328i mods on a 335i? Or maybe there are even some that you could reuse on an M3? Factor that in to the cost. Also, there's more to performance than just horsepower. You might be able to get a 335i to similar horsepower figures as an M3, but will the M3 still corner faster? Will it still be faster around the track? Probably. Does that matter to you? Does cornering agility matter to you? To you have windy roads on your commute or wherever you plan to drive this car? Would it be fun to take them at high speeds? Or do you just prefer to pass cars, drive fast in a straight line, or just drive normally but enjoy the smooth, on-a-cloud ride of a nice car?

For me it was more about quality, natural power without the aid of a super/turbocharger, reliability of a NA engine; the sound of a V8; the look of the M3; being in the "M club"; experiencing a car built for performance; a maintenance schedule that still included a 2000km service. Knowing the engine is built for up to 8300 RPM, I would imagine it solidly built to last. If you don't stress it to the limit all the time, although it would be fine with that, I would imagine it would last longer than an engine not able to go higher than 6300 RPM.

[Gbiz]

You can take this for what it's worth: I recently bought a 2011 E90 M3 after owning a 2007 E90 335i for five years. I did a lot of mods to the 335i: multiple tunes, downpipes, FMIC, exhaust, etc. To be honest, it had great power, when it was healthy. What I am getting at is due to all of the mods, I had to replace the spark plugs and coils a few times due to the increased load. In addition, I had to run auto clear for CEL codes due to the downpipes and other random codes I would get on occasion when doing autocross, or spirited drives. With all of that said, it was a pain and I was always having to check a code, fix this, replace that. In the end, the reliability factor isn't there. Oh, I forgot to mention limp modes due to overheating; just another problem the 335i has.

I spent months searching for the right M3, and luckily I have found it. Yes, I miss the torque the 335i had, however, I don't miss anything else. The interior and available options for the M3 are awesome. Although my wallet is much lighter these days due to purchase, I absolutely love the M3 and haven't looked back.

[Falafel Combo]

Everyone (including yourself) knows the M3 is the better car. BUT ... The 335i is a much better value. It can be tons of fun for a fraction of the cost. The 335i is no slouch.


Another thing to consider is I have personally found the DCT is more capable than the MT in extracting the power from the s65 more efficiently, even if less enjoyable. On the other hand, the MT in the smaller power trains is where it's at! Too much fun.


Honestly I would probably go for the 335i in your case. Exhaust, tune, intakes and you should be very happy.

[pkimM3r]

Don't listen to him...just fork up and get it now if it is an option. When you get the m3, put simple mods on and go to the track and go to the canyons.....the 335 will not compare in the sheer enjoyment. Don't drive off a cliff though.

[HeartMD]

I had a 335 from 2008 to 2011 and in that time had 3 HPFP replaced. It got to the point that I was literally in the dealer once every month or two. That being said the gas mileage was great and it had nice low end torque. However IMHO I hated the slight turbo lag when off the line. The M3 on the other had is a completely different experience. The engines sound is amazing. The ride is just so much more sharp and responsive. The power delivery is very linear and keeps increasing all the way to redline. The only downside I see to owning an M3 would be the "M" tax you pay to play. The gas cost is significantly more and you will find yourself going through tires (which are not cheap) very quickly.

[6SpdFANATIC]

Originally Posted by Dashman

Gosh Darn It, Golly G Heck.

Excuse my profanity but I was just wondering why there hasn't ever been a comparison thread between the M3 and 335. Thank you OP.