'11 328 is more BMW than 335?? ADDED some pics
 

my wife is looking to get into a 3-series... we are eyeing up a 2011 model year... test drove 328 and 335 at a local dealer. both are non-x and non-sport... the 328 seems to be tighter, and more responsive than the 335... both are I-6, the 335 has double turbo... the steering on 328 is stiff, the suspension is stiffer too...

any explanation? i have the VINs of both if we need to compare the specs side by side...

we are leaning towards the 328, either i or ix but the 335 usually equipped nicer...

any suggestions? thoughts?

Tire pressures the same?

Nothing wrong with a 328. Unless you need the power of the 335 go with it.

can't say anything about the pressure - both cars were on the sales lot of a local BMW dealer, so i would hope that the pressures are up to specs...

that is the enigma - i know that 335 has MORE power but somehow on the road i did not feel it... granted, i got off the 4.8iS, got into 328, and then into 335... maybe that is subjective? did not feel that way while test driving...

also, i see that the 3-series in that year is made at various plants in germany... are there any specific plants i should avoid/or seek out?..
the 2011 spec sheets list 4 different flavors of 328i and 4 flavors of 328xi, besides obvious auto and manual... they are designated as pk53 or pk73 or something like that, and some are plain, some are SULEV... what the heck???? i have a list of those designations, if you guys want to see them...

Different vehicle codes refer to different engines (N51, N52) and different emissions certifications for different geographies, IIRC. One or more of them is classed as a Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV).

Test drive again. We have a 2011 335iC; I was initially leaning toward the 328 - until I drove the 335. The difference is NOT subtle. The 328 is a wonderful car, and accelerates briskly. The 335 will snap your head back and create black specks in your teeth - from bugs hitting you in the silly grin you will inevitably be wearing (again, we opted for the convertible... :))

Seriously, either car is a delight, and head and shoulders above any competitive car in its class. Enjoy whichever you choose. But if the ~$10k incremental price isn't an issue, the 335 is in a different league in terms of acceleration.

my head snaps back now in my 2013 328ix. it's pretty cool considering i was driving a much heavier X5 for many years. now the black specks you speak of may be a 335 thing.:D

I had the 2013 328 as loaner and i was impressed with it power. Very good on gas too.

The difference should be night and day. I've driven a LOT. The 335 can feel like it's near super-car levels from a good launch (I've owned 3 Vipers, hence the name) and the 135 cabrio seriously impressed me with its' power. My next car has to be one of the last 128 cabrios, and I'm a little disappointed I couldn't get a 135. As far as 'tighter' goes, it's the same body with additions to handle the increased power. Maybe the 328's you've driven are sport package with sport suspension (there is a difference) and the 335 didn't include anything? It could also be the tires.

the new F30 4cyl turbo is sooooo much better of a car. I would try to get into one of these if you can.

Not sure about "tightness" if they were actually both non-sports package models. How were you driving the cars? Regardless of what BMW says, there is a bit of turbo lag at lower speeds/RPM in the 335i if you are perceptive. However, when the engine is up in revs or you are planting it, the 335 should feel noticeably faster than the 328i. If it is for your wife and she doesn't need all the power, I would lean towards the 328i.

If you can give up the silky smooth straight six in the e90, the new f30 328i is a great car as well. Then there is also the option of an e90 335d.

never tried the diesel, even though it is an interesting option... I've heard of turbo lags, but never owned anything turbo myself to speak first hand...
also, i learned that 328 comes with two engine flavors, N51 nad N52, and the N51 is the SULEV and is not as desirable... things are getting even more complicated now... lol...

yesterday we stopped by the BMW of Sterling (they usally have more cars available), and test drove a 335ix, non-sport... WOW!!! that is what i would have expected from a bimmer with a more powerful engine - this one seemed like a rocket launcher (and I've seen one or two of those!! :) )

I am still surprised, that the previous 335 (non-sport, non-x) was such a performance lackster - could be a bad specimen?

Now I have moved my search into 335 xi mode (probably the X made it so snappier). there are less options to specify, making it easier to find a specimen that would suit my desires...

Oh, my wife is a speed freak and she thinks that I drive like an old grandpa... lol... well, that what happens, when an old fart like myself marries a kiddo.... hahaha...

so, she is the one looking for a fast one - and the moment she laid her tiny foot on that pedal, she was sold on the 335... i would prefer to see a sports option in it.. so, the search is still on...

Likely something was off with the first one you drove.

All other things being equal, the x model is slower and doesn't handle as nicely (assuming you have decent traction), since it is heavier and the steering is less precise.

i thought that i saw somewhere on youtube, that a quattro Lambo outdid a ferrari (or some other comparable car) "due" to the fact that it was all-wheel thingy... when i have a moment, i need to search for lambo, lexus, veyron, ferrari face-off...

AWD is going to dominate when traction is limited, but a 3 series isn't limited by traction, for the most part. AWD hardware adds weight, costs fuel efficiency, and makes it handle worse.

here we go:

Bugatti Veyron vs Lamborghini Aventador vs Lexus LFA vs McLaren MP4-12C - Head 2 Head Episode 8.mp4 - YouTube

i did find a nice specimen - 335i xDrive, 03/11, with about 5K on the clock, space grey with black interior, M Sport package, and just about every option from the book (no heated steering wheel, as it was not available with M wheel with paddles). My wife test drove the car and gave me an OK to pursue it - so, now we are in the process... i'll try to make sure i will post pics here, and i need to find my e90fanatics login and get on their forum too... or, maybe it was e34 forum? too many cars, too little brain cell to keep track of them...

well, tomorrow i am off to NYC to pick up that car I was talking about, the 335i xDrive with about 4800 miles on the clock - i have taken over the lease from the guy for the last 7 months and about 2200 miles a month for about $800 a month.
I am not a lease person, but in my situation i had too little of a choice: my wife wants a BMW and nothing else, getting one outside of warranty was out of question, I already have the X out of warranty, did not want to manage another one, buying a 3-series within warranty would kill my skinny wallet, leasing one would be fine on the wallet at the beginning, but with the miles that she puts on the car (X got 16K in 6 months), I will be done with allowance in a year... so, taking over the lease with that many available miles was not a brainer.
I was surprised how fast the BMW FS did the paperwork - from 11/28/12 when the seller contacted them to FedEx delivery of completed paperwork today, 12/6/12, about a week!!!

I will post pics once I get the car in the stable...

it is raining outside, so once I have a nice sunny day, I will make more pictures... but here is the one, taken inside the garage.. now my X5 gets to get wet under the rain... :(

Nice. Looks like it's time to get your garage cleaned up so that you can fit both.

Sure thing, i need to get the garage cleaned - but first, I still need to resolve the 4.6iS issue... I temporarily resolved it by getting another X5 and a 335, but i need either fix it or dispose of it... It is anchored in front of the other garage door!!! lol...

Well then put the rented car outside.

What's up with the 4.6? Needs an engine rebuild no?

the rented car belongs to her... and she can not allow the rain droplets hit her hair when she gets into the car... hence, the car is parked inside... well... there are many more reasons, in addition to the hair - all of them revolve around her... hahahaha... you got a woman, you should know!!!

Woman know to stay the hell out of my man cave. When we built our house, the entire floor was her design and layout. I just want my garage to myself. She did invade a bit with the camping gear and baby diapers. I lost 36 cu-ft of space for my tools because of this. Next house, I want a bigger garage.

here are the pics for the ride we picked up... for now, just the exterior - i barely see my wife at home, she is just driving and driving... when i catch her and the car at home, i will take some inside pics too...

did i mention, that after tasting the M Package, now she wants an M3???:bustingup:bustingup