I'm looking to replace my 2003 M3 with a newer CPO'd M3, but my dealer would much rather sell me a new car. After balking at implied deprectiation (ridiculously low lease residuals) on the Z4 M Coupe, my dealer implored me to drive the 335i. He said, "it's better than the M3 for $15K less." Okay...

So on Saturday morning, they gave me the demo car for the weekend. 335i in Space Gray with red leather interior, 6 speed, with sport package. Pictures do this car no justice. It really is very very very good looking in person. My only quibble with the design is that the rear end looks a bit odd. The trunk looks several inches too long, no matter how you are looking at it. But that really is a rather minor point. Overall, the car looks awesome. The interior, in red, was very cool. I thought the red would be too loud, but it looked great. I don't imagine it will age very well, but for now, it is great.

From a "seat of the pant" perspective, the car feels fast. Very fast. In a straight line or powering out of corners, it definitely feels faster than the M3. Power delivery, however, was a bit odd. I'm not sure if I just don't have enough seat time with FI cars, but you romp on the throttle, then there is a momentary delay before all hell breaks loose. I know the small impeller twin-turbos were supposed eliminate lag, but they didn't. It is noticeable, or mabye I'm just used to instantaneous response from the S54. Also, the exhaust note is kind of annoying. It has a muffled droning sound.

On Sunday I took the 335i on some of the backroads around my house. This is where the differences became quite evident. The power is very addictive, but overall, the car feels HUGE. We also have an E90 330i, and surprisingly, the E90 feels much more nimble than the E92. The E92 feels heavy and very "floaty." It's like this...brake, wait for nose to set, turn in, car rolls and sets, steady state through apex, accelerate out of turn, feel weight SLOWLY transfer, DSC fights for traction due to lack of LSD. There is no doubt that the chassis is very capable, but the car just feels heavy and sluggish, as compared to the M3.

A couple other things...the demo car had 798 miles on it when I picked it up, and the passenger side "robotic arm seat belt assist thing" was already broken! HAHAHAHA! Also, parked in the garage next to my wife's E90 330i, it looks like the E92 is actually longer! As I looked at it some more, the E92 looks more closely related, at least in proportions, to a 6 series than an E30-E36-E46.

Overall, it really is a great car, and in 95% of driving situations, I imagine I'd be very happy with it. But it isn't an M3. There is something special about the M3, where as this car feels more like a sporty "everyman" car. I think it looks great, it is a scorcher in a straight line, and it is abundantly capable. It's just no M3. After spending about 200 miles behind the wheel of the 335i, I wasn't sure what to expect when I got back in the M3. When I got back in my car on Sunday night and started it up, the M3 just feels so much more alive. You sit lower, the idle is rough, the steering is heavier, the engine revs more freely; the M3 just seems angry all the time. Definitely a better fit for my personality.:devillook

Good write up, thanks! :buttrock


I am going to have some seat time myself next week when i take my M3 in for servicek. Most of what you are saying i have already guessed will happen. It is quite heavy (more than a loaded E46 M3) and has a softer suspension because after all...it is a touring car. No matter how small you make the turbos, or how much displacement you have there will always be lag. That is one of the great things about the S54...it seems to almost anticipate your right foot and when you boot it, it seems to already know that and be going balls out.

How are the brakes? That is one thing i have heard that are spectacular.

Brakes were quite good. They definitely have adequate power to overwhelm the traction provided by the run-flat tires. At speed, pedal feel was very good, and they are easily modulated. Pedal feel in parking maneuvers was a bit odd, as the brakes are very grabby at low speed. It takes some getting used to.

Obviously, street driving doesn't provide the opportunity to really push the car, but I wonder how badly these brakes would fade at the track, given the extra mass.

Brakes were quite good. They definitely have adequate power to overwhelm the traction provided by the run-flat tires. At speed, pedal feel was very good, and they are easily modulated. Pedal feel in parking maneuvers was a bit odd, as the brakes are very grabby at low speed. It takes some getting used to.

Obviously, street driving doesn't provide the opportunity to really push the car, but I wonder how badly these brakes would fade at the track, given the extra mass.

Well since they are pretty large 13.7F 13.2R (larger than my ZCP brakes I might add :eek: ) I would assume they are pretty good. BMW never cheaps out on brakes, and I doubt they would on a new high performance model. I never had fade when I auto crossed my 03 300Ci, but then again I never did a track event. I know some guys on here that think the stock e46 M brakes are insufficient which astonishes me.

I'm sure it will be no ballerina though, judging from your initial impressions of the handling, especially coming out of an M yourself.