Driving a 335d

[spyderdoc]

Well, my '09 X5 35d is in the shop at 8000 mi having 2 issues looked at.

The navigation disk no longer loads, and reads error...It started as an intermittent problem, and now will almost never load when starting up....Sounds like others have same issue..... http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...yer-issue.html

The other issue is a loud squealing brake on front RT that squeals as I come to a gradual stop. Intermittent issue...No loss in brake function, but noise is annoying....

Well, my dealer just so happened to have a 335d available as a loaner, so I jumped at it. Let me tell you, this car is amazing. The acceleration is just insane. It is incredible that it is the identical engine as my X5 35d, but I guess the significant weight difference makes this car so quick.

The engine seems a bit more quiet while driving, but I guess the 3 series has more sound deadening materials around the engine than the X5....

The iDrive is the new one and has multiple buttons, and to be honest, I am not crazy about it. I have to look down to figure out which button to push to get to radio, nav, phone, etc...... I am sure the multi-button system has a learning curve, and if I used it all the time, I would come to like it. However, being the simple guy I am, I kinda like the more basic 1 button approach. But I must say the NAV map and the layouts seem more clean than the version in my X5.

The computer says the avg MPG is 27.7, but not sure how many miles that has been calculating. My X5 says 21.5 avg, and I haven't reset it since I bought it. I drive mostly city, and an 8mi highway (mostly)commute to work.

Overall, I like the car a lot. Handles like it is on rails. Looks nice. The engine almost seems too powerful for the small car, and it moves it so effortlessly. The car is a bit small for my needs since we have 2 toddlers with all the accessories that come with them (carseats, strollers, bags, etc) to lug around.......So, yes, I am looking VERY forward to getting my X5 back.....In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy this nice 335d throughout the rest of the weekend......