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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > BMW E90/E92/E93 3-series General Forums > General E90 Sedan / E91 Wagon / E92 Coupe / E93 Cabrio > After many miles in many other cars, the 335i



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      03-12-2008, 07:06 AM   #1
sdiver68
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After many miles in many other cars, the 335i

...is just an awesome car!

I knew intuitively how great of a car it is, the best I've owned and I've owned 20+ over the years. And I've echoed that in many posts, including pointing out that C&D calls it possibly the best price-dependent car in the world. However, due to circumstances lately, I've driven several other vehicles other than my 335i as it stayed in the garage. First, snow...my 06 Frontier pickup for a week. Then my wife's 06 V6 Accord EX-L (after she bought her new Pilot it supposed to be my new daily driver). A Chevy Cobolt from Denver to Colorado Springs , then 850 miles from Colorado Springs to St. Louis in my Cayman S. All in all , over 1500 miles and a couple of weeks in other cars.

This morning, snow cleared and streets clean, I fire up the 335i for the drive to work. It is so tight and responsive and right-sized with fantastic on-demand torque...quite frankly it's the best street car in my garage. Not as fun as the Cayman S with the telepathic steering, sports car sounds, go-cart handling, and P-car heritage; not as big or smooth as the Accord; it's just right in between (but closer to the P-car of course). Oh, and BTW, at the Cayman Club I posted about how great the Cayman was on the long trip, much better than anticipated...so I'm not putting it down at all as a street car, it could be a daily if you don't need more room and/or in warmer climates. All 3 of these cars (Cayman S, 335i, Accord) are Top 10 award winners among other awards and considered by many to be best in class.

Now I have to figure out how to talk the wifey into the 335i as my daily

Moral of the story: Absence makes the heart grow fonder, Don't know what you got until its almost gone, etc...
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      03-12-2008, 04:12 PM   #2
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baller! that sounds like an excellent setup you got goin. Always good to hear how satisfied people our with our cars
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      03-12-2008, 05:46 PM   #3
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If you had to choose, which would it be for the DD. Cayman S or 335? And say why. (This would be not considering the ability to carry people in the back of the 335 as a factor in the decision).
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      03-12-2008, 08:57 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 968PORSCHE View Post
If you had to choose, which would it be for the DD. Cayman S or 335? And say why. (This would be not considering the ability to carry people in the back of the 335 as a factor in the decision).
Wow...New Castle or Tanquery/Tonic? Steak or Sushi?

As a daily driver with no other option in the garage, I'd take the 335i and upgrade the wheels, suspension, piggyback, and perhaps an LSD. The main reason, I think you can get away with parking the BMW at places I would not dream of doing so with the Cayman. That, and the suspension is a bit rough on rough roads, though I do not have PASM or adjustable coilovers yet and I hear that helps a lot. And I'll add the 4-5 seats even though you said to ignore it.

Now if your daily drive is to a private lot at work, the golf course, the nice part of town, etc...and back to a home garage, the Cayman S will put more smiles on your face each day.
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      03-12-2008, 09:30 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sdiver68 View Post
...is just an awesome car!

I knew intuitively how great of a car it is, the best I've owned and I've owned 20+ over the years. And I've echoed that in many posts, including pointing out that C&D calls it possibly the best price-dependent car in the world. However, due to circumstances lately, I've driven several other vehicles other than my 335i as it stayed in the garage. First, snow...my 06 Frontier pickup for a week. Then my wife's 06 V6 Accord EX-L (after she bought her new Pilot it supposed to be my new daily driver). A Chevy Cobolt from Denver to Colorado Springs , then 850 miles from Colorado Springs to St. Louis in my Cayman S. All in all , over 1500 miles and a couple of weeks in other cars.

This morning, snow cleared and streets clean, I fire up the 335i for the drive to work. It is so tight and responsive and right-sized with fantastic on-demand torque...quite frankly it's the best street car in my garage. Not as fun as the Cayman S with the telepathic steering, sports car sounds, go-cart handling, and P-car heritage; not as big or smooth as the Accord; it's just right in between (but closer to the P-car of course). Oh, and BTW, at the Cayman Club I posted about how great the Cayman was on the long trip, much better than anticipated...so I'm not putting it down at all as a street car, it could be a daily if you don't need more room and/or in warmer climates. All 3 of these cars (Cayman S, 335i, Accord) are Top 10 award winners among other awards and considered by many to be best in class.

Now I have to figure out how to talk the wifey into the 335i as my daily

Moral of the story: Absence makes the heart grow fonder, Don't know what you got until its almost gone, etc...
I completely agree with this. Going between an '06 Civic EX coupe, an '06 CLK55, and an '07 Escalade, it just makes this car feel so much better.
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      03-13-2008, 12:25 AM   #6
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^^ you dont like the clk 55?? I have never personally driven one, but it seems like it would be an awesome car.
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      03-13-2008, 11:27 AM   #7
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Nice quality of ownership story.

Sorry for the thread jack, but...Porsche v/s BMW. See, people forget the whole Superman (born special) v/s Spiderman (became special) theory. Porsche, and BMWs are 'born special'. Many Japanese cars with sporting intentions became special (save an NSX, etc).

And, did you see this:



Even the 135i is on par with the Cayman S. And, faster around a short track. So, don't get it twisted...I love the Cayman. But no one comes close to the all-round yet singularly focused (when needed) abilitie$ of BMW
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      03-13-2008, 11:47 AM   #8
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[



Even the 135i is on par with the Cayman S. And, faster around a short track. So, don't get it twisted...I love the Cayman. But no one comes close to the all-round yet singularly focused (when needed) abilitie$ of BMW[/QUOTE]

Thats just a regular cayman not the s but I still agree.
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      03-13-2008, 01:00 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sdiver68 View Post
Wow...New Castle or Tanquery/Tonic? Steak or Sushi?

As a daily driver with no other option in the garage, I'd take the 335i and upgrade the wheels, suspension, piggyback, and perhaps an LSD. The main reason, I think you can get away with parking the BMW at places I would not dream of doing so with the Cayman. That, and the suspension is a bit rough on rough roads, though I do not have PASM or adjustable coilovers yet and I hear that helps a lot. And I'll add the 4-5 seats even though you said to ignore it.

Now if your daily drive is to a private lot at work, the golf course, the nice part of town, etc...and back to a home garage, the Cayman S will put more smiles on your face each day.

Do you find the Cayman too noisy or too rough? I test drove a 911 back to back with a Cayman and noticed the 911 to be much quieter and more enjoyable, but I don't really know if it's a significant factor. Test drives by nature are short.
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      03-13-2008, 02:01 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 968PORSCHE View Post
Do you find the Cayman too noisy or too rough? I test drove a 911 back to back with a Cayman and noticed the 911 to be much quieter and more enjoyable, but I don't really know if it's a significant factor. Test drives by nature are short.
No I personally don't but you do hear the mechanicals around town. Thankfully, they are all great sounds to my ears and part of the sports car experience imho. I've read where Porsche even tunes the mechanicals for the right sound. The 911 has become more of a GT.

My last mid-engined car was an MR2..it would get on my nerves on the highway a bit as the engine would drone in my ear. I was prepared for some of that driving the Cayman but was really surprised at how quiet a highway cruiser it is. It's much quieter on the highway than around town and quieter than your typical FWD 4 cylinder economy car like a Civic or Corolla.

Too rough? Not at all, but on rough roads like neighborhood streets with lots of patches and cracks you don't want to be pushing too hard. That's part of the reason I say the 335i is the better daily driver, but also added caution to the fact that I do not have PASM (Active suspension option) and live in a climate that does not treat the roads nicely.

I'm sure the 135i will be a great car as well...a slightly lighter 335i with 6 pot brakes. But really the point of this post was to say how great of a car the 335i is!
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      03-13-2008, 02:11 PM   #11
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Nice to hear something positive from someone who has driven a few other cars, and has some experience.

I find the 335 Coupe to fit me just perfect, and I would agree that for me it is just right.

I freaking love this car as much now as the day I took delivery.
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      03-13-2008, 02:19 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by De90man View Post
Even the 135i is on par with the Cayman S. And, faster around a short track. So, don't get it twisted...I love the Cayman. But no one comes close to the all-round yet singularly focused (when needed) abilitie$ of BMW
That was a Cayman, not a Cayman S. The 335i can be a great track car as well with a few mods, but the Cayman S beats even the new M3 soundly in several comparisons despite being a bit slower for a lap or 2 (until the M3's brakes give out), and is also faster than the 911S in most hands at most tracks.
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      03-13-2008, 08:43 PM   #13
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I dont like my accord anymore. Too many costly repairs to be fixed. Too many hidden warranty clause(It doesn't cover my gear mounting, cost me $120 to repair under warranty)

But I will always love it because it was my first 'official' car. Anyway, hopefully no more Honda for me until or unless its a bike.
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      03-13-2008, 10:21 PM   #14
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It pulls hard as fuck!
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      03-14-2008, 12:33 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slowturbo View Post
^^ you dont like the clk 55?? I have never personally driven one, but it seems like it would be an awesome car.
I'll sum up the CLK55:
-Heavy, and you can feel it
-Light, pretty vague steering
-Boring sounding unless you go WOT (then it sounds like sex)
-HORRIBLE transmission, I could make a whole post on how bad its 5speed is
-Not very good looking, like a bland E-Class or something
-Unforgivable ride quality
-Seats are a pain in the ass in terms of comfort, yet only provide as much support as my sport seats, if that
-Cabin materials are abysmal for a car of its price, easy to scratch, good leather and somewhat classy design though
-Laughable trunk space
-Shudders, cowl panel shakes, just overall lack of structural rigidity (it's a ragtop)

So yeah, a big letdown unfortunately.
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      03-14-2008, 02:39 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bimmer Loyalist View Post
I'll sum up the CLK55:
-Heavy, and you can feel it
-Light, pretty vague steering
-Boring sounding unless you go WOT (then it sounds like sex)
-HORRIBLE transmission, I could make a whole post on how bad its 5speed is
-Not very good looking, like a bland E-Class or something
-Unforgivable ride quality
-Seats are a pain in the ass in terms of comfort, yet only provide as much support as my sport seats, if that
-Cabin materials are abysmal for a car of its price, easy to scratch, good leather and somewhat classy design though
-Laughable trunk space
-Shudders, cowl panel shakes, just overall lack of structural rigidity (it's a ragtop)

So yeah, a big letdown unfortunately.
You pretty much summed up my experience with my '04 CLK 55 - I couldn't wait to get back into a BMW. The CLK was nice, but it didn't feel or look 'special'. The 335 blows it away in terms of feel, handling/steering precision and driver involvement. The CLK 55 almost felt like steering a boat b/c of how much lighter the back end was than the front end. The 50/50 weight distribution of the 335 is immediately noticeable in comparison. I have a coupe itch now, and have been toying with the idea of selling my 335 and getting a used Cayman S or Z06, but I'm afraid to give up the practicality of the 335 (and engine tuning potential in comparison with the Cayman).
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      03-14-2008, 03:00 PM   #17
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nice to hear this from an owner of both the 335 & cayman s...lately i do have a tiny bit of regret for getting the e93 instead of a cayman which is also in the same price range (well...the non-S)....the main reason was i wanted a hard top convertible so nothing from porsche at the moment...the SLK would do but there seems no connection b/w the driver and the car as is the case w/ all other MBs (dunno how much better the slk 55 would be in that sense)...
this is my only ride but my back seats were empty 90% of the time...

my question to the op...having owned both...which one would u have picked if u were in my situation?
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      03-14-2008, 04:16 PM   #18
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[QUOTE=sdiver68; Not as fun as the Cayman S with the telepathic steering, sports car sounds, go-cart handling, [/QUOTE]

You didn't order Active Steering did you?
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      03-14-2008, 04:18 PM   #19
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Finally, some decent impressions on these cars...
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      03-14-2008, 05:40 PM   #20
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      03-14-2008, 06:17 PM   #21
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Quote:
968PORSCHE (This would be not considering the ability to carry people in the back of the 335 as a factor in the decision).
Again who wants people in your back seat. The seats are only for looks. Unless there are three hot chicks looking for a ride. Than its ok!
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      03-14-2008, 06:48 PM   #22
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i no it is
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