I’m considering changing to a 335d and interested to know what ownership / running costs are like? (I’m familiar with M sport trim so used to a harsh / firm ride)

Head is saying be sensible and stick to a 320d or maybe even a 330d but the 335d has 282 bhp 😆

Had a 535d for over 5yrs. Did about 60k miles. No problems with the engine. Long term mpg was 28-30mpg. Round town mpg is dire. Doing 50mph (due to spacesaver) did get it do 50mpg.

Ran two 530d sport Tourings one after the other, 175k on the first 220k on the second, not a beat missed, discs and brake pads and the normal servicing completed by dealer, seats still looked like new (ok, almost) towed boats with both and can attest to 35mpg as an ave towing…

I treated myself to a 330d last August, and I have to say I’m still in love with it.
I average around 43mpg during the week on the commute to work which is 18 miles each way, mostly A road with far too many roundabouts to be enjoyable. To be honest it’s more than quick enough, but if I really wanted to I could get it put on a rolling road and have power increased to over 300bhp.
It’s a special edition which is I believe at 273bhp.

I would ask myself how much mileage do you do and what type of roads, not sure I’d bother with a 335d.
Oh mine is a coupe which I have now fitted a removable towbar to, and have a Thule towbar mounted rack for biking duties.

Had a 535d for over 5yrs. Did about 60k miles. No problems with the engine. Long term mpg was 28-30mpg.

As a comparison my 535i long-termed 25mpg.

Wife has the “STW favourite” X5 with the 3.0D. Plenty of grunt compared to the older 3.0D and works great with the 8speed auto. 30 to 35mpg.

Don’t own one, but was in the back of one a couple of weeks ago. Mapped to +300 bhp though, but frighteningly quick. Pulling out to overtake stuff and I was crapping my pants, yet a couple of seconds later thinking it was an easy manoeuvre.

strangely enough contemplating one myself, estate though and has to be black leather interior, none of this red tan or white stuff. BMW has never done an exciting interior for me, way prefer the audi but the 3.0 TDI v6 audi only runs 230hp which is a bit disappointing.

Think it would be an ideal car, and prices are around 15-18k for a decent 40k 07-08 plate car just now !!

not much difference between 330i & 335d really except you will get a far better second hand 330i for your money, similar performace & a lil less mpg.

only 335d ive come across has repeat twin turbo issues, not fun, that said my 320d blew its turbo at 57k so its a lottery really.

personally im liking the look of the new 328i in a couple of years

@radoggair. You’ll be wanting the Audi bi turbo then for a few more beans. Either that or a remap should do it.

Mate at work has one. He was wiping his brow looking relieved yesterday, turns out the Fuzz aren’t taking him to court for speeding…again. 🙂

Not my cup of tea, a big lump like that needs a big lump of car wrapped around it. Wouldn’t mind a go in it though, and it does sound lovely. (For a diesel).

I was in the same boat just over 12 months ago. Was after a 335d but couldn’t find one with low miles and the condition I was after. In the end I found a 3 year old 330d with 10k miles on the clock. Pristine condition. Mulled it over for about 24 hours and decided I couldn’t say no to such a low mileage car. After a month a bought a DTUK box for it which took it to 285bhp and enough torque to show a 335d up.
Returns me 40mpg and hasn’t missed a beat.

I’ve just bought one, had it for about 3 weeks now. It’s had quite a bit done to it including a remap. I only bought it because my Q7 was making some funky noises and I was worried it was going to let go in a big way.

This one is running 350bhp and 700nm of torque. With all the trinkets on it (some pretty tasteless ones!) and 58k miles I paid £16k. Black with black heated leather, sat nav and so on.

Pro’s – it’s bloody quick. In all fairness if it could get the power down (see con) it would be close call between this and the RS4 I had. Overtaking power is daft and cruising speeds can be silly if you don’t keep an eye on things. I honestly don’t think you need the map, I had a go in a standard one and it was plenty fast enough. Also, if you don’t buy a barried up one like mine nobody really knows what it is. I had a porsche and EVERYONE wants to race you when you have one of those. The irony is this is much quicker but nobody cares – its debadged so people think its just some chav 318.

Con’s – I think in part its to do with the tyres/wheels (tyres on the back are 285/25/20) but its BLOODY bumpy. I’ve had an Msport car before so knew what to expect but this is on another level. Also, it really does struggle to get all the power down. The traction control light is constantly flashing in the first three gears and I had it break traction at speed on the m25 the other night. In the dry I’m sure it’ll be much better but it really does need a proper diff in it.

Fuel wise I’m getting roughly 33mpg. I’ve had 40mpg on a run sat at 60mph but I felt like killing myself at the end of it.

I also should have bought an estate – I’ve put a rack on this now but its not ideal. And whistles for England.

Overall I like it. It’s proper quick yet not (quite) as bad as the quick cars I’ve had on fuel. Seats four (at a push) and looks ok. Not sure I could have a 330d as I’d always wish I’d got the 335….IMO!

The overlooked option is the 325D – still the refined 3 litre block which a remap will take to a more than adequate ~250bhp. I get about 43mpg out of mine (2008), although my commute is mainly A roads / motorway..

In the 5 series the facelift around 2007 brought a cleaner and therefore more efficient engine.

Still reckon a 5 series is a better all-round car.

Still reckon a 5 series is a better all-round car.

having had a 3 tourer for last 3 yeears and about to take delivery of a 5 in a few weeks I tend to agree with you. the 3 is great, but space limited for stuff/kids. (318d/520d company cars)

350bhp and 700nm of torque.

That’s a bit bonkers!

I had a mate with a 335D.

Beautiful car, he hated it though. Said in the wet it was virtually undriveable. It had so much torque it just spun up the rear wheels at the slightest provocation. It was bloody quick when it hooked up though.

I’m currently looking at a 330i, less to go wrong with a petrol (esp an NA one) and I don’t do a lot of miles so mpg is not a massive concern.

you are all surfmat and i claim my 5 pounds

Mapped 320d here…

Have a look on e90post. 335ds don’t seem to be without their problems – I’d want a good warranty behind me before I considered one. There’s also the issue as flange says about transferring the power to the tarmac.

I think a 330d would be a sensible halfway house – more torque and 6 cylinderyness than a 320d, but not such a complicated, highly strung beast as the twin turbo version, and shouldn’t need an LSD to be useable in typical conditions.

I hadn’t considered getting the power down in the wet and given the choice I’d rather a manual than an auto which would rule the 335d out but there is always that niggle that I didn’t have the top of the range model albeit top of the range derv.

Flange – I dread to think how much your 20″ rubber costs to replace – my 18″s are bad enough.

I’m not in a rush so will wait for the right one to come along, whilst I’m sure I will pay through the nose for it I will get one from a BM dealer with an approved used warranty and being sensible it may well be a late 330d with the more efficient engine and 245BHP.

I currently have an E90 320d so have decided it needs to be the tourer next time or at the least a saloon with the folding seats option.

I’m a little nervous about remapping in terms of extra load on the turbo / running gear / extra insurance costs etc. The 325d I’d ruled out as unless I go for a late 2010 it will be 197BHP which isn’t much more than the 320d.

A five series… that would be nice… (time to waste more time on BM’s approved used site!!)

The 3 series tourer, whilst a lovely car, is only a pretend estate. I have loved mine, but with 2 boys aged 6 and 10 its too small, so not sad that its at the end of its lease.

In the end I found a 3 year old 330d with 10k miles on the clock

Hora will be along shortly to tell you that the mileage had been, err, ‘altered’ before you bought it… 🙄

Test drove a 535d before sense took over and I got a 520d. Bloody fast and sounded good for a diesel too. Def suggest looking at a 5 rather than a 3, my wife swapped from a MX5 to a 3 series Touring when the sprog arrived and it is way too small for a family estate. Thus I ended up with a 5.

Good that you have time, I really wanted a 525d but they were like hens teeth so I settled for the 4 pot. Great car but I do regret not hanging on for a 525d.

Looking at changing next year or so and trying to think of anything else as good, Audi do nice interiors but they all test drove like my old Vectra with the handling. Can’t quite consider myself old enough for a Merc, Volvo seems also rather boring, may look at XF sportbrake.

OP if MPG isnt a biggie consider a Subaru Legacy 3.0R. Normal driving gives 30mpg.

Its also a very nice and classier alternative.

Or the Boxxer diesel.

Wurzel, have you ruled out the S4?
330bhp & about the same size/price as the 335. Seem to be more around too, so might be a little easier to find a good ‘un

Just when I was wondering how in earth the average stwer affords all those wood burners/gaggias/bike/luxury man caves this thread appears.

’52 plate 330i sport auto here, twin thules, k&n, probably lucky if its still 231hp, either the rack or track rods feel like they are falling off, average 31mpg.

Just when I was wondering how in earth the average stwer affords all those wood burners/gaggias/bike/luxury man caves this thread appears.

Was just thinking that. STW certainly has a fair share of above average earners!

EDIT: I can happily spend the price of a 335d on a workshop, but could never bring myself to spend it on a car.

I have a 335d touring m sport 57 plate. Not unusual for strangers to randomly start conversations with me about it out the blue – seems to be a bit of a cult car. Had it for 2 years with noissues. 30-40 mpg depending on town or motorway driving. And thats not driving like a saint. Its bloomin’ brill! Get one.

I have a 02 E46 330d touring. It’s had been remapped to a claimed 220 bhp / 450 nm of torque. I commute 30 miles a day using motorway to work and the back roads on the way home. With nearly 150k on the clock I am averaging 47mpg on the trip computer.

It’s a great car till it snows!! 🙂

Very happy with a 54 plate 530d Touring here. I had it mapped by Ecotune so theoretically it’s up to 265 or 285bhp (600 – 630Nm torque) depending on which map I upload, though I haven’t had that verified but you can definitely feel the increase.

It’s certainly made a huge difference to the way the power is delivered. No more big jolt of power somewhere random between 1.5k and 2.5k revs, it keeps pulling right up to the line and economy is better on the motorway runs. That said, it’s still a shocker around town for fuel and I miss my old T5 when it comes to the bike.

Edit:

Just when I was wondering how in earth the average stwer affords all those wood burners/gaggias/bike/luxury man caves this thread appears.

£7.5k + a few hundred for the map. Not that bad and depreciation should have slowed down now. 85k on the clock when I got it this summer.

Got a 635d. 30mpg doing short journeys, 43mpg on the longer 80mph stuff. Reliable, and incredible power for a diesel. 6 series very comfortable and std spec is insane. I assume 3 series is a shade lighter?

A 3 Series Tourer too small for 1 or 2 kids? my mum had a Fiat Uno when we were kids…

The average STWer… This could prompt a debate but it’s down to how we each want to spend our hard earned… I’ve always like cars. I’ve only bought one new car in my life, never again now I wait until they are 3 or 4 years old and buy around the 15k mark – owning it for three years I probably lose as much in depreciation. As the average Joe spends on 3 years lease / HP who then has to give their car back. Perhaps when I have a family I won’t have the cash to spend on a car or if I run into financial trouble I will just get shot of it but until then I’ll happily spend my cash on cars and bikes

What about a used Alpina D3. They are lovely and offer higher performance than the bhp figure suggests?

TimC just what I was thinking – my parents only have small family hatchbacks but I guess times have changed and admittedly I know nothing about bringing up children nor how much stuff needs to be carted around.

The average STWer… This could prompt a debate but it’s down to how we each want to spend our hard earned… I’ve always like cars

It could but my comment was slightly tongue in cheek. Never be envious of anyone’s possessions as you don’t know how they’ve achieved them. Big Salary or lucky break, well done to you. Credit card / loan, ok. Nice car kids in rags, not good.

FWIW I’ve been through the DINKY phase as a professional couple. But now with mortgage and 2 kids plus wife on maternity I’ve just used the last of my wages after bills on a £140 2nd hand bike frame and am eeeking out the beemer as a second / bike car until it dies.

Thats (the choice of) life, eh? 😀 But I’m not complaining.

Great cars but not very frugal for day to day driving so unless you do lots of motorway miles, I’d be tempted to look for a 330i which will give you 30mpg and sound glorious!

I’ve been running a diesel for the last 3 year after years of fairly sporty petrol cars (TVR, 2 x M3s and most recently a 130i) and I can’t wait for my next car to come. Diesel engines suits big heavy cars and obviously make sense for big miles, but they do lack that sparkle you get from a nice petrol engine, of which the BMW straight six is one of the finest.

Exactly this – appearances can be deceptive

Never be envious of anyone’s possessions as you don’t know how they’ve achieved them. Big Salary or lucky break, well done to you. Credit card / loan, ok. Nice car kids in rags, not good.

hughjayteens – Member
I’d be tempted to look for a 330i which will give you 30mpg and sound glorious!

Theres a sales rep at out work who has a brand new A5 3.0d. A stunning car. He gets in my 10yo 330i (slighty enhanced sound courtesy of K&N), which has a backseat covered with bike kit, energy bar wrappers and mags with (like Flange’s) thule bars on the roof and hasn’t been washed since last summer, and marvels at the sound, then marvels at how it goes all quiet when cruising on the motorways (mines the semi auto as well).

Despite its age it just doesn’t make any kind of sense to change it.