newr

I won't be one of them.. Forget about luxury on a 3 series..I would get a barebone one..

Technique

Agreed. I'd get an M3 with SMG (unless it's standard now), and that's it. Nice little car to track on the weekends...

ff_

Then add the extra 1/2 liter displacement to the BMW to make things even, and we'll see where we are.


I believe the current generation 3 Series has been out longer than the 2IS, no? Oops...

al503

x3. I'd get leather and the premium package. Add $7-8K for a 30 lb full titanium catback, chip, LSD, and forged one-piece lightweight wheels, and you've got a ~$53K BEAST that will be faster than the e46 M3. Heck it would probably be faster than the M3 stock with just a quaife type LSD alone.

drjavier

From my own experience I can tell you that I currently own a BMW M3 and I am tired of driving on such a STIFF suspension! The car is a beast if you want to race, but it's just not practical for a daily driver. The power that the car has it something that you seldom get to use. It feels great for those few seconds you get to use it, but the rest of the time you're just bracing yourself for every little pud hole on the road. It almost feels like the car had no suspension whatsoever.

chiawei

Not true.

335i actually cost less if you can do ED as well get your BMWCCA rebate of 1k.

Based ED invoice $33290, automatic $1210, navigation with RTTI $191, sports pkg $1455, premium $2230, destination $695, dealer profit of $800. Grand total of $41,590. Plus TTL, OTD $45608.61- $1k BMWCCA rebate= $44,608.61.

I am less than a month and half away for my wife's 335i ED.

There isn't a fully loaded IS350 that costs $35,000 OTD (included tax).

This is for a 4 door.

335i coupe is about $3k more. But you can't negotiate even on ED cars right now. But wait for 8 month when the rush dies down. The coupe should be no more than $48k OTD through ED.

gshb

id be interested in getting the 335i, but its been 9 months since i got my 350, perfect timing for when the m3 comes out. just skip the 335i altogether folks...if lexus killed the 350 by not giving a manual, bmw killed the 335i by not giving it an LSD.

Technique

ED = Erectile Dysfunction

Tekknikal

the N52 does not produce 350hp!!!!
if SAE rated, it would likely be rated at 321hp / 350lbft.
big difference!

Technique

Koz

I find it funny that BMW had to put twin turbos on their engine to make it competitive with the IS.

Koz

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

even if the 335 made 350 hp its still sad to see it lose to an M3 which has less power and significantly less torque, its not making anywhere near 350 hp

al503

It's only a tick or two behind the M3. I think the main reason is the open differential. If you look at the video link (the one in german), you'll see that the left rear wheel is trying to do all of the work on the standing acceleration run. They used to call that 'posi' or 'positraction' IIRC. With all of that power and torque, it's really no wonder why it's hampered. The guys on the bimmer forums are already talking about a pumpkin swap for about $2K. When they can get power down with both rear wheels, that will even it out and will probably be worth .1 to .3 to 60.

ff_

Remember that the 335i has 1/2 liter less displacement.
I think you should probably wait to test drive the 335i before making that statement. Consider, if you will, that the 335i puts out 300 ft/lb of torque @ 1400 RPM. The IS350 puts out 277 @ 4800. Which engine would you rather drive on a daily basis?

From what I've read, the acceleration numbers are almost identical to that of the M3, which weighs 160 lb less, and has the advantage of shorter gearing. As witnessed here, you are by no means in a position to make the call regarding the 335i's output.

Lets Drive

iTrader: (3)

Honestly, the N/A one, as I favor unassisted displacement over FI. Mid-range(ish) torque isn't anything terrible, and nothing a downshift couldn't fix, if for some reason the car was lugging like a boat. 23tq is a difference, but if you're looking for performance, its probably a better idea to just drive within your cars powerband from the get-go, instead of the lowest possible RPM (assuming we have much option being an auto and all).