To Japan and Back – Goodbye Subaru WRX, Hello BMW 535i

"RightFootDown" (rightfootdown) 03/25/2015 at 17:51 • Filed to: None

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It was only last November that I !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Shortly after the purchase I wrote !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! but what I didn't write about in that article was the straw that broke the camel's back. Just last week I took a minor hit and traded my 2015 WRX in to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in Springfield, VA (which they're !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ) for a used German car that is sure to get a lot of " but whys? " a 2008 BMW 535i. So let's address the whys.

There were many reasons I purchased the 2015 Subaru WRX and one of them was for additional space for family and friends. Indeed the Subaru WRX did have ample rear space but what I didn't anticipate and quickly discovered was the poor conversation quality due to road noise at speed. And if I wanted to listen to music at highway speeds I found that I'd need to "crank it to eleven" in order to drown out the road noise. Not gonna happen with my family in the car. In short, the new WRX is still a tin can econobox in need of serious sound deadening if conversation with rear seated passengers is expected. But it wasn't only this. For a car made in 2015 it had next to none of the features I was accustom to, even when comparing to my decade old M3.

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Subaru owed me about $1,500, which I won't get in to, so in the end I ate about $1,000 on the trade. And let's be honest, it does not get any better than that when trading in an almost new vehicle. I picked up the 2008 BMW 535i with 74k miles for $16,200. It has the Sport package, Cold weather package, Navigation and loads of other nannies that go a long way with me. The dealer gives a 2 month warranty on all used cars but I'm familiar with BMWs and am not too concerned about the warranty so lets immediately get that out of the way. If you can change a flat tire you can most definitely fix the most common problems. First rule is never go to the dealership unless you enjoy pissing money away. There are many online vendors that sell OEM BMW parts for half of the dealership costs and being that BMW's are so well engineered, most all known fail points were foreseen by BMW's engineers and are fairly accessible to replace in your own garage.

Let's start with the seats. The 2008 BMW 535i has supple leather seats that have been worn in nicely from the previous owner. The seats themselves are about 100-way adjustable to accommodate any seating position you want. The side bolsters inflate to snug me way tighter than the WRX's seat did and even the seat back is two pieces and the arc can be adjusted to your curvature! The headrests even have adjustable side bolsters similar to what they have on airplanes. The seats not only have three different levels of heating but the distribution of the heat is also adjustable via settings in iDrive! Oh, and the driver's seat has 3 memory settings. The passenger seat has the same features minus memory. The Subaru's power seating options included height adjustment, forward/back and tilt. No memory.

Listening to music is once again a joy. The cabin is quiet at all speeds and the stereo in the BMW places the Subaru back to the middle ages. The difference in audio quality is night and day over Subaru. BMW's iDrive also adds some awesome features to the radio. HD radio is built in and iDrive's interface has the ability to configure a dozen custom preset channels and get this – each channel can have it's own custom equalizer setting! The frequencies for each channel are now completely independent of one another! My one and only gripe when it comes to the stereo system is that the input for Bluetooth connectivity is strictly limited to calling. As it is, streaming music from a portable device has to be done via the AUX input cable or loaded through a USB thumb drive. If Bluetooth streaming becomes a big deal I could add on a bluetooth input from one of many aftermarket vendors.

BMW's iDrive isn't nearly as difficult to use as they [you know who you are] say. Up, down, left, right, and a dial. There's two buttons for Pete's sake! Once I got that down I found navigating through the interface to be a breeze. There are many neat options that can be set such as setting a chime at the top of every hour. Okay, that one is annoying. I like that I can set the doors to automatically lock at 10 MPH and that I can set the key fob to roll down the windows with a push of the button. Neither of which were options on the Subaru. The navigation in 2008 still used the old DVD based system but does include real-time traffic. I used to use Google Maps on my iPhone Android but find I no longer need to rely on it. It would be nice to get the latest navigation DVD but not sure how I feel about paying BMW $100 for it.

Dynamic steering. Automatic rain-sensing wipers. Active cruise control. Proximity sensors. Keyless entry. Push-button start. One-touch windows everywhere. Rear privacy shades. Heated steering wheel. Auto-folding smart glass mirrors. Built-in Homelink with smart glass. Rear passengers even have their own HVAC controls! Oh, and a 6-speed ZF transmission mated to a twin-fuckin-turbo 3.0 liter engine that BMW under rates at 300 horsepower and 300 torque. All for less than the cost of a new Toyota Corolla! Jesus, where did you go Subaru?!

Admittedly, the BMW E60 chassis was never really much of a looker. At least it wasn't. I think that's changed a bit. In time the Bangled-up design has become more and more appealing. If you do opt for an E60, I'd recommend getting a 2008+ model because 2008 was the LCI year. What's LCI? It's when the model received a facelift both inside and out. The front bumper, headlights, tail lights, side skirts and rear bumper were updated. Inside, the most apparent updates were to the door cards and the iDrive system.

I recall a thread on Jalopnik titled !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Now I may be a little biased but I won't debate it. A while back, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! 's !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! tested a 535d (D is for Diesel) and the Stig piloted it around the Top Gear Test Track just as quick as the Nissan 350Z and the Ford Focus RS. Interestingly enough, the BMW 545i they compared was three seconds or so faster than the 535d, which would place it next to the almighty Honda NSX Type-R. See for yourself. I'll wait.

Now on to the power train.

Yes, BMW's twin-turbo N54 engine had an early onslaught of "problems". The infamous waste gate rattle of the turbo and the fuel pumps failing. Both have been addressed by BMW and are no longer an issue. BMW has extended their warranty of the turbos on all 135i/335i/535i vehicles to 82k miles. If the wastage doesn't rattle by then it's unlikely that it ever will. Then there's the high pressure fuel pumps. BMW has also updated those. Again, no longer an issue.

But it's not all free and clear. As with any turbo car there is bound to be some oil blow-by. This causes some nasty oil collection in the intake that may cause the car to run rough. There are methods to cleaning it. None too expensive. To help limit the oil blow-by, simply install a $200 catch can. That's half the price of cleaning a messy oil-caked intake.

If the N54's 300 horsepower isn't enough, there are handful of options to quickly and painlessly increase horsepower anywhere from 40 to 100 in minutes. This is the same engine used in the 135i and 335i so just about any performance upgrades to those cars can be done to the 535i as well. A handheld tuner such as the one manufacturer by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! allows you to not only reflash the ECU for an incredible power increase but also has live graphing, can read and clear codes and can also be used for custom tuning. Then there's the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! JB4 and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! piggy-back systems that do not require refreshing of the ECU but are simply plug-and-play. These systems also allow for data logging, clearing of codes and the ability to switch custom maps on the fly via your steering wheel controls. For example, switching from an E85 tune to the stock MAP (effectively by-passing the piggy-back system) in seconds. Adding 100 horsepower has never been so simple.

The ZF 6-speed transmission on the 535i can be updated with BMW's Sport software to liven up the shifts and make everything more aggressive. The Sport shifter itself can even be swapped to non-sport transmission equipped cars to include the Sport button. Really, the biggest difference between the optional Sport Transmission, besides the steering wheel mounted paddle shifters, and the normal transmission is the software which can be found for free among many of the N54 community forums. Sounds like an upgrade I can get down with!

Steering is still hydraulic and while it may not be as communicative as my M3, it's far better than the electronic steering found in the new Subaru WRX. I would place the 535i's steering effort on the higher side of middle using a scale of Crown Victoria-to-Vintage Racer. Just next to the Subaru STi, perhaps. This reminds me, I should probably change the power steering fluid.

Somewhere in town is an orange Ford Fiesta ST that couldn't shake a 535i through the local back roads. The E60 isn't small so nobody should expect it to be as nimble as the 3-Series. Keep that in mind and you'll be blown away with how the BMW 535i rips up the back roads without you having to man handle the wheel. I'm going to thank the optional Sport package for this. While I'm in school-mode, the 535i's Sport package gives the E60 even better handling by lowering the car and firming up the suspension and includes Active Suspension to keep the ride flat in corners. In addition, 535i's with the Sport package receives 245/40 tires up front on 18×8 (offset et20) and 274/35 tires on 18×9 (offset et32) wheels in the rear.

The brake pedal of the 535i feels so good. In the Subaru WRX the brakes felt like they were made of wood. This car slows down in a hurry from any speed thanks to massive 4-piston calipers squeezing equally massive 13.7 inch rotors up front. The rear receives equally impressive 13.5 inch rotors with two piston calipers.

Photo from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Back Home

I new from the moment I sold my M3 that I may regret the decision. The Subaru WRX was a pleasant, albeit short lived change, that simply left something to be desired. If I was coming from a previous generation Subaru I likely would have been fine with the 2015 WRX but I wasn't. Used BMW's are a bargain in my eyes. From !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! tells me that 100,000 miles of used in a 3 or 5-series is nothing like 100,000 miles in a Japanese vehicle. As long as you are smart about maintenance and can turn a wrench when needed the value is there in spades.

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As with any new used car, some maintenance should be performed. I've sourced six new Bosh spark plugs from Amazon for $70, the special spark plug removal tool for $20, the Burger Tuning JB4 piggy-back for $400 and their air filters for $90. With the increased boost from the JB4 may come the need to replace coil packs and I'm prepared there as well. I found that most local auto parts stores stock aftermarket coil packs that carry lifetime warranty for about $30 each.

Now I need to find a more appropriate license plate. And stock up on underpants.

Follow Josh Taylor on Twitter !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Textured Soy Protein > RightFootDown 03/25/2015 at 18:01

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Nice choice. BMWs always look better with black window trim. (I'm biased—I have one.)

Sounds like that sport transmission software is worth doing ASAP. When I got my 135is with the 7-speed DCT, I also looked at a 335i convertible with the 6-speed Steptronic. I picked the 135is because of the transmission (among other things). I was coming out of a manual transmission car and the Steptronic just wasn't responsive enough for me.

Swapping to the shifter with the sport button may be worth it as well. Not sure what exactly it does on the Steptronic, but there's a big difference when I push it on my car. It does give a 1-2 mpg hit so I don't use it all the time.

Now just get that damn dealer tag frame off there ASAP!

MrDakka > RightFootDown 03/25/2015 at 18:11

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heated seats are the best thing since sliced bread

Klaus Schmoll > RightFootDown 03/25/2015 at 18:15

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08 might be a good year for an E60. My stepdad had an 05?? in which the center screen would go dead every few months. No sat-nav/radio/AC. The whole system had to be rebooted at the dealer only to fail again soon. His newer E61s have been trouble free when it comes to that.

RightFootDown > MrDakka 03/25/2015 at 18:17

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Not all heated seats are created equal. BMW's seats warm up within seconds and they're heated in just the right places rather than a general blob of warmth.

RightFootDown > Klaus Schmoll 03/25/2015 at 18:18

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Like I said, the LCI (08-10) models are the way to go!

finn's arm > RightFootDown 03/25/2015 at 18:53

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I loved reading through this!

Special spark plug removal tool?

RTeeJay > RightFootDown 03/25/2015 at 19:13

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Is it a coincidence that you owned a new (to you) car almost every year? Or do you drive something for a year, get bored with it, and look for something different?

RightFootDown > RTeeJay 03/25/2015 at 21:34

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There was a time when I got bored rather quickly. Other times the changes had to do with my quest for gold in the Redline Time Attack's Street Class series when they hosted events on the east coast. The 300ZX, Integra GSR, 325is, NSX, 350Z, supercharged 328i, Mini Cooper S and Corvette were all daily driven track worthy street cars - just the way I like it. You can see all of them on my wheelwell.com account here - https://www.wheelwell.com/profile/54da95…

Vicente Esteve > RightFootDown 03/25/2015 at 21:38

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I think the E60 is the best looking 5 series, and yours seem to be one hell of a buy. Hope you enjoy it.

I was curious though, was a manual 535i considered?

epidemike > RightFootDown 03/25/2015 at 21:40

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You make me want to upgrade from my e46 330i now...

Great write up

RightFootDown > Vicente Esteve 03/25/2015 at 23:56

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A manual transmission was considered but difficult to find within a reasonable distance especially when getting maximum for my WRX trade was key. Coming from an SMG M3 I was totally fine with an automatic knowing that the Sport software is available.

RightFootDown > epidemike 03/25/2015 at 23:57

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Thanks! The 330i is nice but... you know... the 5 is just more everything. The E60 isn't nearly the boat I was expecting it to be. Doesn't feel all that much larger, if any, than the WRX.

Vicente Esteve > RightFootDown 03/26/2015 at 00:06

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Hope you enjoy this one as much as the M3. I can assure you I would do the same.

Vintage1982Benz > Textured Soy Protein 03/27/2015 at 13:27

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* replied to wrong comment

Vintage1982Benz > RightFootDown 03/27/2015 at 13:28

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The WRX was that bad? It was on my shortlist for a second vehicle.

RightFootDown > Vintage1982Benz 03/27/2015 at 14:15

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The WRX was just fine at being a "budget" all-season sport sedan. But for $30k, there are plenty of other 2-3 yr old vehicles that would match the WRX's real world performance and spank it in the comfort and technology departments - BMW's 2012+ 328i with sport package comes to mind. Take your pick of the ZF 8-speed auto or 6-speed manual. You'll forget all Japan's blue oval.

Now the Subaru crowd will talk about how the FA20DIT has no turbo lag. Bullshit. Those owners are simply used to smelling their own fecal matter- EJ engines. Compare Subaru's FA to say the N54 (which was introduced in 2007, mind you) or if you want to compare to present day, BMW's new turbo 4 cylinder. Now THOSE engines feels way more linear to the point where you question if it's a turbo car. But that's just under the hood stuff.

Don't mistake the above. I enjoyed the WRX but it's not worth $30k. At $25k for a fully loaded Limited model, maaaayyyybe. The base WRX should start $1,000 more than a Toyota Corolla ($16,900) because it has nearly the same build quality, comforts and size — just a better power train.

Vintage1982Benz > RightFootDown 03/27/2015 at 15:12

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The price point in relation to the interior quality is always what has given me pause with the WRX.

Nice write up and thanks for sharing your thoughts. I cannot say I would ever think to compare the Subaru to a used German luxury car, but that is the beauty of shopping with a budget - lots and lots of options when you get down to it.

Tripper > RightFootDown 03/27/2015 at 15:28

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Great article! I went from a 2004 STi to an 02 M3 and then to an 08 M3. Each snowstorm I think, "maybe I should go back to Subaru's", but I know that I would follow in your footsteps and cost myself a bunch of money doing it. What I should really do is just up and buy snow tires already!

RightFootDown > Tripper 03/27/2015 at 17:26

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An E46 M3 with snow tires is the best!

Tripper > RightFootDown 03/27/2015 at 17:40

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I had snow tires on the E46 it's the pilot super sports on the E90 that are the problem! However, I will be forgetting all about that right after this post until next winter!

epidemike > RightFootDown 03/28/2015 at 17:53

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it doesnt help that i found a 1 owner 2008 550i with 62k miles for 23k. if i didnt get my 330i in august last year and im working on getting a home, id be all over that.

my 330i is my dd and a commuter car for a 60 mile round trip. so for what i use it for, it does the job.

Michael Cohen > RightFootDown 05/01/2015 at 14:03

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Amen. And heated in the back, not just the seat.

Michael Cohen > MrDakka 05/01/2015 at 14:09

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Wait, can you adjust the location of the seat heat?!? Who needs a vasectomy? Just locate it right and boil your sperm to death.

hgrunt > RightFootDown 06/19/2015 at 14:50

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Not to mention, a JB4+ 535i makes the same horsepower as an E39 M5!

Your thoughts more or less reflect my thoughts about what it’s like to go from Japanese to German. I went from a 350Z to an E46 330i ZHP, and despite being down on power, the 330i was more pleasant in so many more ways, that I didn’t care anymore. I recently sold the ZHP for a C5 Z06, but that’s another story.