July 4th, 2008 by 
twain
Performance
The 335i is primarily personified by its incredible twin-turbo engine. The turbos spool up fast and provide breathtaking acceleration at will. Once above 4,000 RPM, the engine positively screams, launching you into illegal speeds. Large and effective binders haul you down fast. But the car truly comes alive carving up mountain roads. There is plenty of torque and engine flexibility to flog the car in 2nd gear going up your favorite road. Truly addictive, it is in its element on back roads and is likely an ideal track car.
With respect to measured acceleration times, other publications have cited 0-60 times in 4.8 seconds. Due to too much wheel-spin at launch, we were only able to muster 5.3 seconds. But this is dramatically quicker than the Ford Mustang Bullitt that sounds and feels quicker; we were only able to register 5.7 seconds for the Mustang.
Gas mileage was about the same as the Mustang; averaged 16.6 mpg. Not terrific in these days of $4+ gallon gas.
Handling
For the most part, the 335i was an amazingly great handling car. Dissecting mountain passes demonstrated the lack of body roll and tremendous power of the engine. The car truly dances through the curves, weighting and un-weighting perfectly while the ultra-responsive throttle guides you out of turns. Steering weight was perfect.
One nit-as with previous generation BMW’s, there isn’t a lot of direct feedback to the steering wheel of the road surface, but this is a small drawback compared to the overall handling excellence.
Styling
While the car has positive greatness in handling and power, the styling was neither here nor there for me. It wasn’t super attractive but it isn’t “ugly” either. It looks like a generic 3-series with no boy-racer mods to hint at the performance lurking beneath. In some ways that’s good - makes for a perfect sleeper car. But in other ways, it would be nice if it looked a bit more “sporting”. For instance, the new 1-series has a more aggressive stance which better personifies the performance potential.
Value
At $46,000 as tested, this is an expensive car, $10,000 more than a loaded Audi A4 and nearly as much as the sportier Audi S4’s. The Lexus IS 350 is also ~$10k cheaper but doesn’t have the power and handling. Both Audi and Lexus interiors might get the edge in quality materials but lack the handling, power, and balance of this car.
Conclusion
What other car seats 4, rips 0-60 in around 5 seconds, and handles as if on rails for less than $50,000? Given that criteria, it is hard to beat. And if you like the concept of a “sleeper” that can out –run 90% of the cars out there, it’s very appealing.
Who should buy it?
If you love to drive aggressively, the 335i will reward you with an incredible engine and fantastic handling that gets better the harder you push it.
| Build | Interior | Performance | Handling | Styling | Value | Overall | |
| Rating | 4.0 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.9/B |
>> See all of the BMW 335i Sedan photos in our photo gallery
>> Do you have an opinion of the BMW 335i Sedan? Submit your review of a 2008 BMW 335i Sedan at CarReview.com
>> Official website for BMW Automobiles: BMW
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July 27th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
I ordered my 08 335i in Novenber of 07, and took delivery in February. When I told my wife how much I’d spent, $53,000 plus, her words were “you spent that much? I don’t get it” Note: We live in Hawaii, and prices are a little higher here. I also added a bunch of extras.
After about a week, my wife decided to take it to the store by herself. When she returned, she was grinning from ear-to-ear and said those three litte words that warm a car lover’s heart, “I get it.”
This is the most amazing car I have ever driven. It is scarily fast, and corners like a go cart. I have a few minor gripes about the car such as no dip-stick and the rain sensing wiper switch being a little hard to locate the first time, and the window switches are a little too far forward for my taste.
I would not hesitate on recommending the 335i to anyone.
July 27th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Nice work! Amazing how performance speaks for itself. It really is an amazingly well-rounded car.
February 14th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
I would not recommend another BMW. I have a 2007 BMW and had nothing but recurrent tire troubles. Every few weeks I have to fill in air in one of my tires. The same damn tired. Brought to the dealer 4 times and they just filled the tire and reset the button and said, everything is fine. THEN, one guy had the galls to tell me that I should check my tires every 2 wks anyway and fill as needed. Come on, I have had cars before and never had to fill up the tires as much as this one. Seems to be a problem with the run flat tires and my dealership is not admitting to such but just filling it up and telling me how special my tires are on my on 335i. Special alright, a special P.O.S. I will never, buy or lease another BMW. I’m going back to lexus and toyota.
February 22nd, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Amazing from handling to acceleration this car is a rocket, I have a silver titanium 08′ 335i that I just bought and I love it. It is not a beast like the M3 but it has a much smoother ride. I am parking the Toyota and ROCKIN the BEEMER!
August 18th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
It will be a dream to have BMW 335i for me. I LOVE THIS CAR more than myself!!!!:((((
October 24th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
My new 2008 spent over 30 days in the shop. 50K and being towed twice; huh…the ultimate “towed” machine. I would not recommend this car to anyone. Complete nightmare.
November 21st, 2009 at 10:02 am
I would not recommend the 208 335i. BMW North America just repurchased mine because it could not be repaired. There are known problems with the fuel system on these cars and BMW has been aware of it since the model was first released. After only 15 months, mine started bucking, coughing, and sputtering. It spent 29 days in the shop, and then BMW called and offered to buy it back from me. I loved the car, but wouldn’t buy another BMW, especially not a 335i.