135i vs 335i redo

[asiflicious]

Hey everyone, I thought I'd share my thoughts on a question I'm sure all of us have pondered and asked about prior to purchasing our N54/N55 vehicles; should I get a 135i or a 335i?

Having owned both, I think I'm in a good position to share my personal opinions and experiences to help any potential future buyers make an informed decision.

Cars I've owned in order: 2011 128i 6/A, 2008 E92 335i 6/A and my current 2010 135i 6/A.
Both had N54 engines, sport package, black interior, and no iDrive.

135i vs 335i:

Exterior: This is a tough one because looks are very subjective. I have always loved the way both cars look and I still do. I get just as many compliments on my 135i as I did on my 335i. I'd say the E92 has more sex appeal while the 135i looks cooler. Nobody will ever call your E92 "cute" but you'll probably hear that about the E82. I love the styling of both cars and I've never cared about impressing other people and neither should you. You only get so many laps around the sun, so get the car YOU like.


Interior: E92 has the better interior hands down. More storage space, higher quality materials throughout, more thought out design, and cup holders that are actually useful. That's not to say that the 135i has a poor interior, it's still nice, but the E92 just feels a cut or two above in terms of quality. One place where my 135i shines compared to my 335i is the steering wheel. The M Sport steering wheel is absolutely fantastic and looks and feels much better than the standard sport wheel in my 335i. The E92 seats do go much lower than in the E82 so that may be something to consider if you're on the taller side but you'll most likely be fine in either one. Speaking of seats, my 135i and 335i felt identical, however two of my friends have E92 335i's and their seats have a smoother texture and are softer. It's not a night and day difference but noticeable if you sit in both back to back. I'm not sure why that is. I don't remember what type of leather was in my 335i but I know my 135i has black Boston leather. Maybe my friends have Dakota leather? Is there a difference in leather if your car has iDrive? I don't know, maybe someone can pitch in on this. That being said, both cars have great seats if you have the sport package. And you should always get a car with the sport package.

Practicality: The E92 is the bigger car so it's a no brainer that it's more practical. You probably already knew that though. What's really surprising is how practical the 1 series is. There's enough space to fit 2 people comfortably in the back and plenty of trunk space to carry groceries, luggage, etc. I have yet to find myself in a situation where I couldn't fit something or someone in my car. The 135i is also an easier car to maneuver around town.

Performance/ Driving Dynamics:

While very similar on paper, these cars have completely different personalities.

The 335i definitely feels more planted at higher speeds on the highway, takes long highways sweepers better due to its longer wheel base and wider track. The car overall feels more "sophisticated" and "tame".

The 135i has an entirely different feel to it. It absolutely devours tight and twisty backroads and canyons. The shorter wheel base adds to the fun factor and the car is just overall more eager and playful and always wants to go go go go go! and that's why I love it. It is much more of a hooligans car and makes you want to take the long way home just so you can tear up some backroads. Now granted I would do the same thing in my 335i but I would rarely get in my 335i and go on a drive just for fun. I do that almost everyday in my 135i.

Both cars suffer from a mediocre oem suspension and a lack of an LSD. Both cars have fantastic brakes with a slight advantage going to the 135i. And while I prefer driving my 135i over the 335i, you can't go wrong either way.

So which one should you get?

The answer is simple; get the one with the lower miles, better service records, and colors/options you like for the price you want to pay. Both are fantastic cars and you really can't go wrong. I know that sounds like a cop out but it's true. There are certain aspects of the 335i that I miss having every time I drive my 135i but I feel the same way about my car when I drive a 335i. There is no clear winner imo. Hope you guys enjoyed my quick little write up and I'd like to hear your guys' thoughts too.

[champignon]

Originally Posted by asiflicious

One place where my 135i shines compared to my 335i is the steering wheel. The M Sport steering wheel is absolutely fantastic and looks and feels much better than the standard sport wheel in my 335i.

Although the M-Sport steering wheel does come with some configurations of either car, it is also an easily added, not too expensive, part that can be retrofitted. I paid $633 for the parts (M Wheel and M-Sport Steering Wheel Trim piece) from ECS, then paid less than 1 hour's labor for the dealer to install it. Another nice upgrade is to put a ZHP or M shift knob plus a matching boot in, for which I paid $133; this is something that you can install yourself. So, for less than a grand, US%, you can have an M-Wheel and shifter, and it doesn't matter what the car is that you put it into.

[asiflicious]

Thought these pics were relevant to the thread

[Lucky1]

Personally I like the layout of the 135i's interior better than the 335i. All controls are angled towards the driver where on the 335i its flat and somewhat away or neutral to the driver.

I always view the differences between the car as needs vs wants from a size perspective If you regularly take people in the backseat or don't want to rub shoulders with larger people go for the 335i. Or if you like larger cars. If you like smaller cars and don't have a need to use the backseat too often for adults then the 135i is fine. I'm mostly the only driver in my car and prefer my passengers to be tiny Asian girls so 1er is just fine for me

Now if I had to cart around my heavier, older parents or grandparents I'd want a larger 4 door sedan like a 335i.

[Havocsteve]

Originally Posted by Lucky1

Personally I like the layout of the 135i's interior better than the 335i. All controls are angled towards the driver where on the 335i its flat and somewhat away or neutral to the driver.

I always view the differences between the car as needs vs wants from a size perspective If you regularly take people in the backseat or don't want to rub shoulders with larger people go for the 335i. Or if you like larger cars. If you like smaller cars and don't have a need to use the backseat too often for adults then the 135i is fine. I'm mostly the only driver in my car and prefer my passengers to be tiny Asian girls so 1er is just fine for me

Now if I had to cart around my heavier, older parents or grandparents I'd want a larger 4 door sedan like a 335i.

I concur with this statement. Except my gf is a tiny latina girl, so if I went for Asian, she'd have my balls in no time ahahah

[bbrugger]

I could not choose, so I had to go with both!

[drunkenup]

I had a 335i coupe, now a 135i coupe and I daily a E90 330i.

The e8x is definitely a unique design approach vs the 3er and 5er which are very BMW-ey. The E90 interior is a nice place to be but has a very utilitarian theme to it. Boring at worst. I think the E9x interior doesn't really lend itself to matching a coupe body. I think this is why the E63 6er has a cooler interior than the E60 though they share a basic chassis.

The subcompact BMWs of recent past stray from typical BMW design language, the E8x 1er, E84 X1, and most different was the Z3.. my next daily is something between a E90 335d/335i or X1.. leaning toward the X1.

[asiflicious]

Originally Posted by drunkenup

I had a 335i coupe, now a 135i coupe and I daily a E90 330i.

The e8x is definitely a unique design approach vs the 3er and 5er which are very BMW-ey. The E90 interior is a nice place to be but has a very utilitarian theme to it. Boring at worst. I think the E9x interior doesn't really lend itself to matching a coupe body. I think this is why the E63 6er has a cooler interior than the E60 though they share a basic chassis.

The subcompact BMWs of recent past stray from typical BMW design language, the E8x 1er, E84 X1, and most different was the Z3.. my next daily is something between a E90 335d/335i or X1.. leaning toward the X1.

Originally Posted by drunkenup

I had a 335i coupe, now a 135i coupe and I daily a E90 330i.

The e8x is definitely a unique design approach vs the 3er and 5er which are very BMW-ey. The E90 interior is a nice place to be but has a very utilitarian theme to it. Boring at worst. I think the E9x interior doesn't really lend itself to matching a coupe body. I think this is why the E63 6er has a cooler interior than the E60 though they share a basic chassis.

The subcompact BMWs of recent past stray from typical BMW design language, the E8x 1er, E84 X1, and most different was the Z3.. my next daily is something between a E90 335d/335i or X1.. leaning toward the X1.

The E63 6 series has an amazing interior. My buddy, the one with the 335i you see up there, had a 2006 650i for a couple years and I loved that car. The interior was phenomenal

[mr.fabulous]

I recently spent a day in an '18 330i and absolutely hated everything about that car

[c1pher]

The 135i surprises you. Some people may look at it and think “oh you couldn’t afford a 3 series”, kind of a baby BMW mentality, despite them costing as much in most cases. It’s not until you get in it and drive it, you really realize how special it is. There is somewhat of a back to basics feel despite all the technology put into it. The technology is masterfully understated, even with all the options in it. That same motor powers their much heavier SUVs, yet they somehow shoehorned that I6 into the 135. Yet they were smart enough to keep hydraulic steering.

It’s size helps its maneuvering ability. You can put it almost anywhere. The fat rear tires make the car look almost AC Cobra-like. The size helps accentuate the acceleration that is already phenomenal. And those brakes....love them and I can’t get them to fade.

I think the 335 is great but maybe more of a grand touring car and less of a sport coupe, which is what I refer to my 135is as.

[Lucky1]

Regardless of whether I could afford a car or not at this stage of my life I'd really love the idea of saving money on cars. The more car I can get for less money the better. Never cared one iota about whether people think I have a 1er because I can't afford a more expensive BMW (which I can often tell they're thinking). Even if they're right (which makes no sense because there isn't that big of a price gap between them) who cares about that either.

[asiflicious]

Originally Posted by mr.fabulous

I recently spent a day in an '18 330i and absolutely hated everything about that car

Originally Posted by mr.fabulous

I recently spent a day in an '18 330i and absolutely hated everything about that car

What did you hate specifically?

[Zombie_Head]

Originally Posted by bbrugger

I could not choose, so I had to go with both!

Damn thats sweet!

[Matticus91]

Originally Posted by asiflicious

What did you hate specifically?

I've really disliked the newer mid-level BMW's. I've driven quite a few for extended periods now and they're just not the "drivers car" that BMW has claimed to be.


Anyway, for the 335 vs 135 convo, I did some serious mental digging before buying my first 1er. I really liked them but the 335's are way more abundant and tend to be cheaper, at least in my area. After driving both and spending some time with a 3 series I had to go for the 1. Overall I prefer the look of the 1, the 3 is too "pedestrian" looking in my opinion. I also much prefer the interior of the 1er with all of the controls pointed toward the driver. Very few cars do that these days.

The driving dynamics didn't seem that far off between the two but I could tell the 3 was bigger, and living in the city I prefer to be able to park quickly. Since I don't ever put people in the back, back-seat comfort wasn't a question.

Overall they're quite similar, but the 1 was the right choice for me, and I made it twice

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by Matticus91

I've really disliked the newer mid-level BMW's. I've driven quite a few for extended periods now and they're just not the "drivers car" that BMW has claimed to be.


Anyway, for the 335 vs 135 convo, I did some serious mental digging before buying my first 1er. I really liked them but the 335's are way more abundant and tend to be cheaper, at least in my area. After driving both and spending some time with a 3 series I had to go for the 1. Overall I prefer the look of the 1, the 3 is too "pedestrian" looking in my opinion. I also much prefer the interior of the 1er with all of the controls pointed toward the driver. Very few cars do that these days.

The driving dynamics didn't seem that far off between the two but I could tell the 3 was bigger, and living in the city I prefer to be able to park quickly. Since I don't ever put people in the back, back-seat comfort wasn't a question.

Overall they're quite similar, but the 1 was the right choice for me, and I made it twice

Yeah, agree with you on the 1 series vs the 3 series. I think the 1 series has personality. The 3 series just blends in to a sea of 3 series cars imo. Don't think it stands out like our little 1ers do.

Also agree about the size. For me a 3 series is just too big. Don't need the back seat either, but in a pinch, it's there and will gladly accept passengers if necessary. Think it's there more for insurance purposes anyway. lol

PS - I chose it twice as well. Glad I did!

[Zombie_Head]

There is a very nice 2007 335i Coupe for sale from one of the BMW dealers here in Germany.

BSM/Black leather interior, Navi pro, no sunroof, manual, sport seats, M suspension, adaptive light etc. 75,000kms on the clock and 3 owners asking price is €18,000 and it is yours. Oh and 19" 230 wheels (which i love).

They did not mention BMW Premium Warranty, i am sure you can add it for a bit extra, on paper it is the best deal i have came across, every 135i i came across always had some mods/tunes, horrible wheels or missing a couple of options.

By the end of the month, my Golf R returns to the dealer and i get a refund, i just hope that a nice 135i comes up otherwise i might seriously consider this one (if it turns out to be as good as the paper says it is).