G35 vs 335i Comparison 

"MichaelGauby" (michaelgauby) 06/03/2018 at 10:00 • Filed to: BMW, Infiniti

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I’ve had an 03' G35 for several years now and as I’m about to graduate I decided to start looking at newer cars. I found a 2011 335i for sale and had the opportunity to drive it and really see what it’s like. Here’s a quick review.

Styling:

I like it a lot, I found it was a prettier car in person and overall like the interior as well. This was a silver one with a tan interior.

Luxury:

While the interior didn’t have any high tech such as navigation it was extremely comfortable and quiet. The turbo V6 is so much quieter at highway speeds than my NA 3.5L.

Handling:

Very tight, turning radius was sharp and the car went exactly where I wanted it to go, steering was much lighter than I was used to.

Power:

Once I got behind the wheel I was a bit surprised that this car does 0-60 in 4.8s. It doesn’t feel that fast. Maybe it’s because there isn’t a lot of noise, but I did give it some throttle on a backroad and was shocked at how fast it went from 25-45.

Overall

Pro’s: Exciting performance, very comfortable, great styling- price itself is very reasonable as this one was under $15k.

Con’s: Maintenance and repairs make me nervous, especially because it already had 70k miles.

Do you all have any experiences with these or other modern BMW’s?

E90M3 > MichaelGauby 06/03/2018 at 10:13

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Experience with modern BMWs? Certinaly not me.

Spanfeller is a twat > MichaelGauby 06/03/2018 at 10:13

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Its a straight six, not a V6!

way2blu does a rev update > MichaelGauby 06/03/2018 at 10:16

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Was the 335i a 2-door or a 4-door? 2011 335i sedans use the N55 engine (twin-scroll single turbo) while the 335is coupes and convertibles were still using a high-output version of the N54 (parallel twin turbo).

N54 is popular if you want to go aftermarket for a high power output, but the N55 has a simpler turbo setup and might be more reliable in the long run.

If you read about High-Pressure Fuel Pump issues with the N54, just rest assured that BMW resolved that issue in 2010 (so a 2011 335is coupe or convertible shouldn’t give you much trouble). There was a recall for 2006-2010 models due to the fuel pump being prone to failure, but any N54 from 2011 onwards should be fine with routine maintenance.

TL;DR: A 2011 335 is gonna be awesome either way! Definitely a good car to look at since it offers incredible engines.

Spanfeller is a twat > E90M3 06/03/2018 at 10:21

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Oh, what a beautiful picture of a 123C!

Ash78, voting early and often > MichaelGauby 06/03/2018 at 10:22

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That mileage is normal for the age, though — actually on the low side of average.

Anything at the 70k mark is usually going to be right on the cusp of a lot of maintenance. In some cases, finding something with 100k (and all the work done) is better than 70k and nothing done.

HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute > MichaelGauby 06/03/2018 at 11:04

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I don’t get it. You’re comparing 2 cars that are 8 years apart and different bodystyles? And through all this, not a single pic? Especially for the styling bit, too. I’m confused.

AM3R, lost another burner > MichaelGauby 06/03/2018 at 11:27

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I have an ‘09 E92 335i 6MT that just crossed 90k. Ask away my friend.

MichaelGauby > way2blu does a rev update 06/03/2018 at 11:45

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It was a sedan!

MichaelGauby > AM3R, lost another burner 06/03/2018 at 11:47

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Are there any frequent repair costs and how does routine maintenance compare to that of a more standard car?

Montalvo > MichaelGauby 06/03/2018 at 12:30

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I have a 2012 E92 335i and I love it to death. Repair costs are a little bit higher but you can keep costs down if you do it yourself or if you know someone at a specialty shop. Keep on top of maintenance and it will take care of you. Most issues I have seen with these cars aren’t necessarily mechanical but more electrical in nature which is normal for more modern cars.

Jayvincent > MichaelGauby 06/03/2018 at 12:51

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I have buddy with two 330CIs he claims are the pinnacle of German engineering. They are a great ride, no argument, but i’m surprised you aren’t considering stepping up to the G37? There’s some nice ‘09-’12s in AWD or RWD coupes here...

AM3R, lost another burner > MichaelGauby 06/03/2018 at 12:56

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I bought mine with about 50k on it and now has 90k. In that time the only failure I’ve experienced was the stock plastic charge pipe bursting. $200 and about 40 minutes later and I swapped it for a high quality aftermarket metal one.

The key is buying a very well maintained car. I got a 1 owner, just off CPO car that pretty much always had a warranty until I bought it. I take good care of it (oil every 5k, don’t beat on it until it’s warmed up, etc.) and do some proactive maintenance on it just to ensure it keeps running right. It’s my DD so I kept it stock and haven’t modded the life out of it lol.

Parts are plentiful and easy to find online for good prices. Lots of DIY’s available too. The parts are slightly more than your average car but nothing crazy.

These cars sometimes leak oil from places like the oil filter housing gasket, sometimes valve cover gasket, and I believe one more place I’m forgetting. These are easy to spot in a PPI though, and aren’t hard or expensive to fix. The engine itself is reliable, but the things around it (turbo, high pressure fuel pump) aren’t as stout. The HPFP had a new revision that apparently solved the problem, my car had 2 HPFP replaced under warranty by the first owner in the first 30k, but has been flawless since then. There’s an extended warranty on the HPFP. Some model years had some fuel injector issues, but once again those problem cars had the warranty extended and new revisions were made that solved this.

Overall, the car has been an dream to daily drive, and I absolutely love it. Entirely worth the cost. Find the right car with service history and get a thorough PPI and you’ll be good.

I’m currently on a bike at the gym so I feel like I’ve missed lots of big things lol, so feel free to keep asking me questions!

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > MichaelGauby 06/03/2018 at 15:01

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I used to have an 03.5 G35 6MT (back in the day). Now I have a 2007 BMW Z4, which is before the turbo inline sixes from BMW.

Things that I can tell you about the difference.

1) BMWs don’t have V6s. They are all straight sixes. This can lead to some packaging challenges where there are times that some of the ancillaries around cylinders 5 and 6 can be slightly obscured by the rain tray for the windshield.

2) The clutch on the early G35s is best described as a portable leg press machine. BMWs tend to have lighter clutches.

3) You will get nickel and dimed by servicing a BMW. It’s not bad (i.e. don’t let it scare you), but unlike a Nissan, you cannot let things go “and fix it later on.” If you do that, you will have a bad time, and it will leave a sour taste in your mouth. Just for the record, this goes for just about every German marque, including VW.

MY2011 3 Series had two models designated 335. The ‘335i’ had the new N55 inline six, with a single twin scroll turbocharger (Which BMW confusingly called TwinPowerTurbo). The ‘335is’ had the older N54 twin turbo six. IIRC, there were no 335is sedans (could be wrong, don’t quote me).

Things to keep in mind: Get a pre-purchase inspection to catch things like small oil leaks (BMW uses a cartridge style filter, gasket sometimes gets pinched. Other places are valve cover gaskets, as mentioned). They aren’t expensive to fix, and you can start to get a feel of how fastidious a previous owner was about maintenance.

Oh, and BMW likes using plastic in their cooling systems. The E46 3 series was notorious for requiring replacement of all plastic parts (including the water pump, thermostat, and expansion tank) every 70-100K miles. I haven’t had to do this yet on my N52 engined Z4, but if there is something that would be something to really pay attention to on modern BMWs, it’s the cooling system.

itranthelasttimeiparkedit > MichaelGauby 06/03/2018 at 23:35

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I have a 535i (so almost/same motor) and that is funny how you phrased it. Mine is tuned so i’m pushing 50ish more hp probably, but it still doesnt feel fast from a standstill. but if you’re passing someone, it is ungodly fast

MichaelGauby > Jayvincent 06/04/2018 at 21:03

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I actually looked at an 11’ G37 X Sedan but it was gone before I could take a test drive!