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  Reply to Banovsky | Flag

  Banovsky on March 2, 2009

  Just picked the car up from BMW, already very impressed with the engine's performance; namely, keeping up with traffic and still doing 39mpg. The diesel is refined, powerful…well, do you think they would have sold it here without it feeling like a "real" BMW?

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    Flag

    Herman on March 2, 2009

    I presume that your test car is a fully loaded version of the 335d? I find that starting prices for BMW cars don't mean much, as you can easily add many many thousands to the price of a car through their numerous option packages.

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  Reply to Banovsky | Flag

  Banovsky on March 2, 2009

  @stradablog had an interesting few questions, which I'll share here:

  1) What is the price difference between a 328 and 335d? Price difference in the US is $10,300, in Canada it's about $9800 2)What is the Transport Canada fuel consumption rating for a 328 and 335d? 328i: 25.2 mpg (US) combined city/highway; 335d: 33.1 mpg (US) combined city/highway 3) Initial torque should be interesting, at what RPM does the 335d run out of steam compared to a gas engine? 328i: max of 200 lb-ft @ 2750rpm; 335d: max of 425 lb-ft @ 1750 rpm!

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  Reply to Stergios | Flag

  Stergios on March 3, 2009

  Will Dinan have any performance packages for the 335D?

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    Flag

    Banovsky on March 3, 2009

    I'll send 'em an email!

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  Reply to Bill | Flag

  Bill on March 3, 2009

  Michael - clearly the torque available from this powerplant delivers plenty of acceleration; but what's the driving dynamic like in a sports-car context? IOW, how does the interplay of torque curve and gearing change the way you'd attack a twisty back road?

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    Flag

    Banovsky on March 3, 2009

    It's good. The problem is that the 335d has been set up for more of a GT car — you cannot get a manual transmission with the diesel motor. The latest 3-Series will never be a backroad burner, but it has plenty of torque and power for twisty roads. You can shift it yourself and leave it in gear — the car is pretty good at giving you control with the transmission.

    The biggest obstacle in my mind is the variable-ratio steering. It's great for everyday driving but takes some getting used to in the twisty stuff…like how the car weighs up on its steering, how much feedback it gives, etc.

    But I think your question is more geared to grand touring; on public roads in any car, "attacking" with the 335d is a strictly leave-it-in-4th-gear affair, while focusing on your line, the scenery, etc. Fast, but exciting in a different sort of way.

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  Reply to Banovsky | Flag

  Banovsky on March 3, 2009

  Day 2: Have my iPod and iPhone connected to the car via the plugin and Bluetooth, respectively. Both work very well — the car even pulls out different icons for numbers that are mobile, business, home, etc. The iPod browsing menu is different; first, you select the artist, then, the album, then, the song…or if you have a bunch of albums or whatever you can just play everything by that artist. It's like funneling down to what you'd like to hear — not convinced yet that it's the best method for browsing music on the road.

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  Reply to pogopop77 | Flag

  pogopop77 on March 3, 2009

  I have a few questions:

  1) How are the engine noise levels inside and outside? I've seen reviews which describe the engine as having a distinctly diesel clatter (especially in cold weather) and others which say it sounds very similar to the gasoline version.

  2) Can you plug your iPhone to the car and use it for music?

  3) Which packages do you have on your test car (Sports, Luxury, etc)?

  4) Have you noticed any difference in performance based on the brand/quality of diesel fuel you are using? I've noticed diesel fuel in the U.S. is not always labeled well.

  Thanks!

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    Flag

    Banovsky on March 4, 2009

    1) I'll record a video tomorrow and post it to the blog 2) Yup — and the functionality works perfectly, though the adapter is $319.95 3) The caveat: it's a Canadian car, so the options/packages are slightly different. But in the US, it's a $43,900 335d sedan in Monaco Blue Metallic with beige Dakota leather, wearing the following options: Light Burl Walnut trim ($0), Cold Weather Package ($1,150), Premium Package ($2,650), Sport Package ($2,150), Sports leather steering wheel with paddle shifters ($100), Comfort Access system ($500), Navigation system ($2,100), Smartphone Integration ($150), iPod and USB adapter ($400), Premium hi-fi system ($875), Park Distance Control ($750), Total MSRP (incl. $825 destination fee) of $56,100. 4) Haven't filled it up yet, but will keep you posted.

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    Flag

    Herman on March 4, 2009

    Wow....$56K MSRP for a 3-Series is pretty steep. Do you think the extra few thousand for the 335d over the 335i is worth it overall?

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    Flag

    Banovsky on March 4, 2009

    Overall? Yes. *10* mpg better on the highway for the diesel vs. the 335i, meaning you'll get that money back fast if you do good miles. Plus, your state may offer tax incentives to purchase a diesel car. Oh, and it's still fun (though slightly slower) to drive.

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  Reply to Banovsky | Flag

  Banovsky on March 4, 2009

  Day 3: Just posted a video of the car starting up:
  
  

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    Flag

    Tony on August 12, 2009

    Hiya I'm just about to buy a 335d M sport saloon on a 56 plate. I'm currently driving a 320d M sport.

    Am I making the right decision? Tony

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  Reply to pogopop77 | Flag

  pogopop77 on March 4, 2009

  Thanks for posting that video -- seems like the car isn't much noisier than the gasoline powered model, which is great! Look forward to your future updates/info!

  I think the 335d would be a better buy if it were at the same price as the 335i, but at least in the U.S. there's a tax credit for buying a diesel, so if you compare apples to apples (i.e. the 335d vs. 335i w/the extra-cost automatic option) then the price difference is only like $1500. The options packages cost the same for both models (and yes, they are expensive).

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  Reply to pogopop77 | Flag

  pogopop77 on March 4, 2009

  Another minor point I wanted to clarify -- you said that you could connect your iPhone to the car and use it for music but the adapter was $319.95. Is that over and above the $400 for the iPod and USB adapter?

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    Flag

    Banovsky on March 4, 2009

    I don't believe so…there are two prices quoted at bmwusa.com, the $400 is through the car configuration tool, the figure I got was from their accessories listing because it literally is a plug that fills both the (standard!) auxiliary input and USB holes. I'm not quite sure why there's such a difference if they both seem to be the same thing! If you don't care about browsing your music through the car stereo, you can save the money and just use a 1/8" aux cable.

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  Reply to MrBreakit | Flag

  MrBreakit on March 6, 2009

  Michael, does BMW publish any towing specs for the car? If so, I wonder if they offer any tow hitch accessories? I'd be thrilled if there was a sport wagon in their plan.

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    Flag

    Banovsky on March 6, 2009

    In their German brochure, it's quoted the car can tow 1800 kilograms (3 968.32 lbs) with a braked trailer… So I'd imagine there are trailer hitches floating around somewhere for the car. I put a call in to BMW here in North America. Sport wagon? I'd be thrilled, too…but they're not saying anything.

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    Flag

    Banovsky on March 6, 2009

    MrBreakit: From BMW North America —

    "Tow hitches are not available in North America for any BMW models other than the X3/X5 and X6 SAVs.

    The investment in safety testing programs required by the respective regulatory agencies to certify BMW passenger cars (non-SAVs) to meet tow hitch safety specs has apparently never made a strong business case for the limited projected sales of hitches in the North American market.

    Clearly, the demand in Europe is stronger (I have also observed the use, generally, of a smaller class of trailers)."

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  Reply to Banovsky | Flag

  Banovsky on March 7, 2009

  Day 5: I want to go over the car's Urea injection. Urea is an engine additive, sold under the name "AdBlue", that helps the car meet 50-state emissions. How? It's synthetic, water-based, and packed full of nitrogen. When injected into a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst, Urea releases ammonia — ammonia reacts with the exhaust gasses to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. The problem? It costs about $10 per gallon (the 335d takes 5.4-gallons of it) and is not optional. Meaning that if you run out, the car will allow a specific number of restarts (like to get to the dealer) — before rendering itself immobile if you wait too long. The 5.4-gallon tank will last 12,000 to 15,000 miles, and each fill is covered free of charge under the 4 year/50,000 miles of service owners enjoy.

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  Reply to Wolfie | Flag

  Wolfie on March 7, 2009

  Hi Michael, great idea taking questions. What I really wonder about is am I sacrificing sportiness for fuel economy. I very intrigued by the torque rating. I don't plan on racing it on a track or anything so I'm not worried about high rev performance, just normal everyday driving. Does the torque make it more fun from the stop lights over the 335i? Is it more responsive, when merging and passing, stuff like that? I know the 335i will spank it 0-60, but when do you feel the engine die or out or lose is inertia? Your thoughts would be very helpful.

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    Flag

    Banovsky on March 9, 2009

    Wolfie, I think the best answer to your question is sharing my dad's reaction. He jumped behind the wheel, pushed the gas pedal to pull onto the road, and let out a, "Whoa!" as the turbo boost kicked in. This car is tuned from, say, 50 mph to 80 mph. You can pass in 6th gear. In city driving, using fourth, you can travel like 90% of the distance without the transmission downshifting. Light to light…if you can get traction…is quite quick. As for the engine dying out, the redline is 5000rpm — or about the same speed the 335i makes its *peak* torque. Oh, and at 75mph, it revs at just under 2000rpm! I've been impressed at how elastic its performance is.

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  Reply to Banovsky | Flag

  Banovsky on March 10, 2009

  Day 3: Just posted a video of the car starting up:
  
  

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    Flag

    Zephyr Sahin on May 16, 2009

    When I try to play DVD on on my 328ix, I only have the audio. It doesn't play the video. Anybody knows why?

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  Reply to Anonymous | Flag

  Aftab Latif on July 16, 2009

  helo micheal i'm from england uk i thinking of purchasing an 2007 335d only one thing putting me off is some body menstioned that there are common faults with the auto gear box mailnly the paddle shifter goes faulty do you have any knowledge of this

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    Flag

    Banovsky on July 17, 2009

    I haven't heard anything, but honestly, there's so much torque I hardly used the paddle shifters.

    Also note that in Europe, I believe the 2009-'10 models now have an aluminum block instead of the cast iron block in the car sold here — and in the car you're looking at. Apparently the newer motor is lighter and dynamically much closer to the petrol-powered 335i.

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