Short Take Road Test
Experience has taught us that no vehicle is immune to improvement. No matter how seductive the styling, no matter how compelling the dynamics, we know that somewhere squads of designers and engineers are toiling to make a good thing even better.
Consider the BMW 335i sedan.
When the fifth-generation 3-series sedan made its debut in early 2005, it was hard to see just where a significant improvement might be made in this outstanding car. Then the 335i coupe came along, and suddenly the plan became clear. Right: they'll make that 3.0-liter turbo engine available in the sedan.
And here it is.
Background: The 2006 330i helped the 3-series make its 15th consecutive appearance on the Car and Driver 10Best Cars list. Its classic inline-six, a BMW powertrain mainstay since 1924, was re-engineered from top to bottom, with heavy emphasis on weight reduction, including extensive use of magnesium, a new valvetrain, new everything. The result was a dramatic uptick in output: 255 horsepower, 220 pound-feet of torque, from a 3.0-liter engine that was 22 pounds lighter than its predecessor. It lowered the 330i's 0-to-60 mph time to 5.6 seconds.
Impressive. Or at least it was. Because the 330i sedan is about to disappear from BMW's North American lineup, to be replaced by the 335i.
But, based on our experiences with the coupe, and a little driving on Michigan byways, we aren't planning to do any mourning for the departure of this outstanding sedan. That's because, as good as it was, the 330i seems just a little tame compared to the 335i.
The secret is under the hood, which shelters a twin-turbo version of the 3.0-liter inline six. With both turbos generating max boost-about 8.5 psi-the six twirls up a robust 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque.
Paired with the standard six-speed transmission, this is sufficient to propel the 3616-pound 335i to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds, with essentially no turbo lag-the tiny hesitation between the time the driver punches the throttle and the onset of full boost. That's a tenth quicker to 60 mph than was the slightly lighter 335i coupe, an advantage the sedan held through the quarter-mile (13.5 seconds at 106 mph).
There's no question that the 335i sedan carries forward the class-leading dynamic standards established by the 330i-smooth ride quality, right-now responses, laser-precise steering, powerful, fade-free braking-amplified by a superb new engine that generates big horsepower and, arguably more significant, an abundance of torque delivered over a curve that's as high and flat as a mountain mesa.
BMWs don't come cheap, and the 335i sedan is no exception. On the other hand, it starts at $39,395, which is $1900 cheaper than the less-practical coupe. And you could look at it this way: the 335i delivers performance comparable to a current M3, with a lower pricetag, the added convenience of four doors and a more civilized persona that's easier to live with day in, day out.
Suddenly the 335i looks even more attractive. And the word outstanding suddenly seems a little feeble.
