hey everyone. i was wondering if anyone has compared the 335 vs the older m3 (2001-2006). i'm trying to debate between getting one of the two and am having a hard time since i haven't been able to really drive the 335 to it's full capability yet (damn salesman always sat along).

i'm in the same boat as you. get an older m3, or a 335. if it's a 335 then do i get the coupe or sedan? i or xi? decisions:shifty

well if i go with the 335 then i know exactly which one. coupe xi all the way and nothing less than that. lol.

depends on what you want to do.
do you want to have a car that you can make prety fast for prety cheap? then go for the 335 or do you want a car that can take turns prety well? then go for the m3.
I personally would get the 135 :D

You need to drive both and then decide. I have had both, and they a different cars. The M3 is fast, fun and raw. The 335 is fast, but refined. Drive both and you'll see what I mean...

iamvietness,

I'm partial to the 335i myself. But what I'm particularly struck by is your Tiquan Underwood avatar. Upstream Red Team!!! Go RU!!! :redspot

Cheers,
J

take a ride in a 335 w/ a tune and coilovers....your decision will be easy after that.

When I goto a BMW dealership, my eyes are DRAWN to the E46 M3. I don't even look at the 335i's until I have seen every inch of the E46 M3. Its a BEAUTIFUL car, and its the last of the best BMW's imo.

This line is true "Nothing drives like an ///M."

When I goto a BMW dealership, my eyes are DRAWN to the E46 M3. I don't even look at the 335i's until I have seen every inch of the E46 M3. Its a BEAUTIFUL car, and its the last of the best BMW's imo.

This line is true "Nothing drives like an ///M."

well said man, well said.

When I goto a BMW dealership, my eyes are DRAWN to the E46 M3. I don't even look at the 335i's until I have seen every inch of the E46 M3. Its a BEAUTIFUL car, and its the last of the best BMW's imo.

This line is true "Nothing drives like an ///M."

I have to disagree...I think it looks a bit dated and the interior doesn't hold a candle to the E90.

I'd go with the M3 if I were looking for a 3rd vehicle that I would track on a regular basis. On the road, I'd put the 335 at the top of the list everytime. Equivilent power and handling, some have even seen the 335 rule the older M3s in races. I also agree with an above poster that the look is dadted - check out the new M3 and tell me its not a better looking car.

I'd go with the M3 if I were looking for a 3rd vehicle that I would track on a regular basis. On the road, I'd put the 335 at the top of the list everytime. Equivilent power and handling, some have even seen the 335 rule the older M3s in races. I also agree with an above poster that the look is dadted - check out the new M3 and tell me its not a better looking car.

the 100K price tag makes me faint. hahahah.

yeah i'm merely using the m3 as a weekend driver more than daily. the only reason for that is that I work in pretty much the ghettos of TX (damn company!) and so I wouldn't want to park the M outside where i can't see it for 12 hrs at a time.

The only serious things missing from the 335i is LSD and high-revving ///M engine.

But then again the M3 is older which always means that the newer model is improved all around.

335i's engine isn't as extremely sporty but is very strong, having great torque. It also has tuning potential if that's something you'd do to your car.

To get the same driveability and grip you need to get a suspension kit and tyres equivalent to M3's. Sport Auto's track tests say that the BASE 335i (with skinny 17'' tyres and no sports suspension) is almost as fast as E46 M3. I'm sure that BMW's sports suspension and better rims and tyres will negate the difference. Then you'll have a car as fast as the E46 M3 with newer technology and so forth that comes with a new model.

The only big minus in my book is the lack of LSD, but that can be added I guess, and not really an issue in 335xi...

That's my humble opinion. The E46 M3 is awesome and has an awesome engine, but things move forward.

One big note: if you go for XDrive AWD, look at when the new version with torque vectoring is available! That will be a HUGE advance in drivetrain technology!

http://www.zf.com/content/media/import/konzern/aktuelles/presscenter/presse/07-057-2_antriebsmomentenverteilung_zf_lg.jpg

http://www.zf.com/content/media/import/konzern/aktuelles/presscenter/presse/07-057-3_kurvenfahrt_zf_lg.jpg

I have to disagree...I think it looks a bit dated and the interior doesn't hold a candle to the E90.

Well id rather have a tranny/engine dip stick than a new updated interior.:rolleyes

no dipstick FTL:stickoutt

I have to disagree...I think it looks a bit dated and the interior doesn't hold a candle to the E90.

BMW interiors are weak, especially non-M cars. Look @ Audi if u want a nice interior.

Dated exterior?...so, what? Yeah, u can tell it's an older model, but who cares? Afraid u won't get as much a$$?

Save some money, get a blown e36 M3 or a modded b5 s4 and u will walk a stock 335 with pleeenty of cash left in your pocket!!

I had the opportunity to drive both, hard! What a great weekend :evil2
To be honest, this M3 is the catalyst for my 335xi purchase. I live in the snow, the AWD is a must for my lifestyle.
This M3 is a Dinan badge M3, with 10 full points. It includes the remapping of the chip, the flywheel, stage 2 suspension, cold air induction, and free flow exhaust. 361hp dyno, zippy as hell, lots of attitude.
BillSD nailed it on the head, the 335xi is more refined of a car. I have the Borla catback and a Turbo Tuner chip, and the sport package, with a stiffer suspension. I have yet to dyno it, can't find an AWD dynometer.
I beat him off the line, 3 out of 3 times, one was a rolling start from 30 MPH. I maintained a 3/4 car lead consistently.
The M3 is superior in the turns. When driving the M3,I had a 17 second lead on the 335. He had a 15 second lead on the 335 when he drove. We used the Lexington Reservoir, outside San Jose as our unofficial track.
I can't wait for suspension and brakes, to be continued for the 335, ha ha.

Lighten up people, just calling it like I see it. I could have commented on the pitiful torque and completely unusable power band of the M3.......

Good Times!!

Well id rather have a tranny/engine dip stick than a new updated interior.:rolleyes

no dipstick FTL:stickoutt

Oh you'd have one, you might have to just look a little harder...

I hadn't been to an autox in over two years. I took my 335i coupe to a BMW CCA event and took second place in my class (can't remember the BMW CCA classing categories, though; sorry). First place went to an 11 year veteran in an e36 M3 with track tires on it (meaning treadwear rating of 140) and my 335i was completely stock with less than 500 miles on the odometer.

IMO, I kicked some M3 butt! All of the other M3's in my class were at least a second behind me, most of them more than that. And this was my first event in the 335i. And I only ran my morning laps, while the M3 ran both morning and afternoon. I'm sure that with a little more seat time I won't see the M3 anywhere except in my mirrors...

(For those not familiar with autox, it's a relatively low-speed event that emphasizes handling and precision much more than speed.)

hey everyone. i was wondering if anyone has compared the 335 vs the older m3 (2001-2006). i'm trying to debate between getting one of the two and am having a hard time since i haven't been able to really drive the 335 to it's full capability yet (damn salesman always sat along).


Both cars are AWESOME and truly the best two cars to pick out of at the time vs. their competitors. I actually went through this same exact dilemma last year before I decided on the 335i. The car you decide depends on your personal preference/opinion and driving style. I ended up with the 335i because I like the fact its the "new" bmw, that its twin turbo, that you can procede it outperform 99.9% cars ont he streets, and that its comfortable/good on gas as well.

335i - very torquey, excellent daily driver, good on gas if you don't punch it much, instant power on tap available, pretty much ALMOSt as fast as the m3 (i actually beat quite a few m3's but probably cause they didn't know how to shift very good), its the "new" style (but if you get it, get some rims and do some minor mods to make it look nice, it makes a huuuge difference), procede cheap tune for max performance = most bang for buck

M3 - rugged, raw, true M sports class, older style interior, and just more of a performance focused car in general, not very good on gas, handles better

For the handling, true it handles better, but its not like you'll be driving on a track everyday =P, and once again, depends on your driving style.

These days a LOT of people have m3's and this car has been released since '01. Yes, it truly is the best looking beautiful BMW and if you're the type that wants to go for the classic and wants raw performance with a rugged driving vehicle and don't care about gas mileage.. go with this. Its probably a bit cheaper too (used)

The 335i is more practical for everyday, its the new beamer, its very cool cause the fact its twin turbo, has more luxury features if ur concerned about that. Only thing I'd highly recommend is procede+rims, and its one sick ass ride.

Just my 2 cents.

I got videos and pics of me and my friends M3 and 335i side by side, both are alpine white. good for a comparison if you wanna see. let me know. :buttrock

Both cars are AWESOME and truly the best two cars to pick out of at the time vs. their competitors. I actually went through this same exact dilemma last year before I decided on the 335i. The car you decide depends on your personal preference/opinion and driving style. I ended up with the 335i because I like the fact its the "new" bmw, that its twin turbo, that you can procede it outperform 99.9% cars ont he streets, and that its comfortable/good on gas as well.

335i - very torquey, excellent daily driver, good on gas if you don't punch it much, instant power on tap available, pretty much ALMOSt as fast as the m3 (i actually beat quite a few m3's but probably cause they didn't know how to shift very good), its the "new" style (but if you get it, get some rims and do some minor mods to make it look nice, it makes a huuuge difference), procede cheap tune for max performance = most bang for buck

M3 - rugged, raw, true M sports class, older style interior, and just more of a performance focused car in general, not very good on gas, handles better

For the handling, true it handles better, but its not like you'll be driving on a track everyday =P, and once again, depends on your driving style.

These days a LOT of people have m3's and this car has been released since '01. Yes, it truly is the best looking beautiful BMW and if you're the type that wants to go for the classic and wants raw performance with a rugged driving vehicle and don't care about gas mileage.. go with this. Its probably a bit cheaper too (used)

The 335i is more practical for everyday, its the new beamer, its very cool cause the fact its twin turbo, has more luxury features if ur concerned about that. Only thing I'd highly recommend is procede+rims, and its one sick ass ride.

Just my 2 cents.

I got videos and pics of me and my friends M3 and 335i side by side, both are alpine white. good for a comparison if you wanna see. let me know. :buttrock

What kind rims? You keep knocking the bmw rims, so if you got a pic comparing what you dont like with what you do on the same car, that would help.

hey everyone. i was wondering if anyone has compared the 335 vs the older m3 (2001-2006). i'm trying to debate between getting one of the two and am having a hard time since i haven't been able to really drive the 335 to it's full capability yet (damn salesman always sat along).

I'd go with the 335. The interior is nicer and you get the benefit of the twin turbos in terms of high hp and lower fuel consumption.

If I had to choose between my old M3 and my 335, I'd have to keep the 335. But the M3 was a DAMN fun car! I'd love to get another one in the future. As far as the 335 being faster (on the track) all things equal (like driving skill), the M3 will win every time. But like others have mentioned, you're not on the track every day...

I am in the same boat. I'd say E46 M3 for now.... move on to the V8 M3 in a few years when one can be had for a reasonable cost. Thats my plan anyways. Although I have not completely ruled out the 335i because of the turbos.

I am in the same boat. I'd say E46 M3 for now.... move on to the V8 M3 in a few years when one can be had for a reasonable cost.
That will take more than a few years, M3s hold on to their values for a long time. I remember in the late nineties, you could sell your 3/4 year old e36 M3 for almost the same price you purchased it if in great condition (actually I still have the articles I believe). Not sure if the same applied to e46 M3, but probably did at least in the first few years due to supply and demand.