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      07-11-2014, 02:05 PM   #1
Rudy-TX
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Arrow M3 vs 335is (Owned Both) and much more!

I am pretty new here. In fact this is my first post. And I have not been reading here for long neither. Still I know there is countless comparisons written here. Anyway, I thought I can do it as well. Beside most of the other ones, have owned one or none of these car. So I may be in better position to write in this regard.
OK, let start! It was 1 year ago. I owned a Dodge charger RT. It was good, fast and comfortable highway cruiser. By that time, I have test drove many cars. To name a few e90 335i sedan, Audi A6 3.0 T, Volvo s60 R design, Mercedes Benz E350, Mercedes Benz C300, Cadillac CTS and CTS V Coupe (Auto transmission both), Corvette C6 Auto. There were many good cars among these but not good enough for me to make the jump. You know, there were not quite there. Some of them were better than my Charger, but margin was not big enough to make sense of price to pay.
Then one day, I was checking autotrader and I found a black on black e92 335is with dual clutch transmission. So I thought let drive this one as well. I went over there. It took forever for them to locate the car. And when they found it, they said it has no gas. So it did not happen for that day. And I have to go back the next day. This time, they were ready. And nice enough to hand me the keys and say go drive it and come back when you are done.
It was just wonderful. It was the most fun vehicle I had ever driven. Sharp, loud and fast. The exhaust note is fantastic. The grip in the corner is other worldly. Body roll none existence. I could turn with any speed. I could change lane with any speed. It was just fantastic. Interior was nice and simple in BMW style. Exterior sharp and good looking. And I loved those LED headlights. The gearbox, was the best I have saw in any vehicle. You just push the pedal and DCT would take care of everything for you. I was just enjoying myself. I finally came back after 30 minutes. And of course few days later I owned that car.
Let me describe a few other experiences from the 335is driving dynamics:
Springs are pretty stiff. You are going to feel every bump in the road. And especially if you are coming from a big comfy car like Charger, it has some getting used to. The other thing you need to know is, this car is low. And if you used to drive a Charger, it is really low. It took me a while to learn that I have to slow down on bumpy roads.
But none these would matter the moment you try to pass few cars. It is just phenomenal. The in line turbo 6 has no turbo lag. The throttle response is immediate. You push the throttle and it goes. It drop 2-3 gears immediately, the torque would push you to the seat and car flies. The handling is so accurate. The steering feel is outstanding. You always know what does your front tires doing.
The car is pretty reliable as well. The only problem I had was with these run flats. They are more expensive, less durable and less grippy than regular tires. They usually not available on your local tire store. So you have to order them. And because they supposedly run flat, the car don’t come with a donut and jack. And believe me, they are not as “run” flat as you may think. They may took you for a little while but if you don’t take care of them really soon, you may find a big hole in your pocket. They can ruin the wheel and body panels if drive on them flat for more than 50-60 miles or you drive anything more than 50 mph.
Well, I enjoyed that car for a year. And then I was thinking about something a bit faster of maybe some tuning for my 335is.
I did my research and I was planning to get COBB tune for engine. Yet, I was not sure. You know the car was already fast. And I usually don’t go to track. Besides I drive a lot, like 17,000-20,000 miles a year. And tuning the car would not only void the warranty on it, it also reduce the reliability. So I decided to check my other options.
So I test drive few other cars:
CTS V, with Auto Transmission: Gearbox is really bad. It would take forever to change a gear. It has almost twice of power and torque of 335is but still did not feel faster.
CTS V, with Manual: Really nice car, fast, crazy fast. Really good clutch and shifter feel. The only thing I had against was its size and it weight. It is for sure faster than 335is and M3. The power and torque is just crazy. Engine noise is really low. You barely can hear it. Steering is really agile, really sharp and good feedback. The problem as I said is the size. You feel all the roads are narrow, you feel you cannot maneuver it between cars.
Camaro ZL1, with Manual: pretty much the same car with CTS V with manual. It is a bit louder. Which I really appreciate it. But it feel really small inside and really big outside. So my head was almost touching the roof yet it was so difficult to maneuver it in busy traffic. I mean you have to drive it like an adult. You can’t drive like crazies with it. And a huge disappointment is interior. If you have been driving the bimmer, it is going to be a huge downgrade for interior.
Lexus ISF: It is just loud. Lots of show and no go. It don’t accelerate, it is really uncomfortable and stiff. It is much harsher than stiff 335is. The seats are really narrow, the room is not roomy. Gearbox is not fast. As a whole, the only thing cool about it is engine noise.
Porsche 911 Carrera (997) with DSG: I really did not get what does people talking about. It is not faster than 335is. And that is a huge disappointment for a “sport” car which cost twice as much. Ride is really harsh, bone jarring harsh. Exterior is ugly (IMO). And all and all there was nothing special about it.
BMW M235i: Engine is powerful, acceleration is good, and steering is sharp. Here is where the goods are finish. The gearbox is slow, the engine and exhaust noise nonexistence. And the fake noises through speaker were not convincing. And steering was so light and without any any any feedback from road. It was like you playing a game in XBOX. Interior in compare with 335is was lower quality.
C63 AMG: The coolest engine noise you can find in any car period. It is loud, and it does not matter if it is 1500 RPM or 6000 RPM. It is just loud. It is fast and powerful as well. Still, I did not like it is slow acting gearbox and less than perfect steering.
And then is M3. I have to go now! I will write about the M3 soon. I tested e92 m3 with manual and with dct. So see you soon then!

Last edited by Rudy-TX; 07-11-2014 at 06:34 PM..
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      07-11-2014, 02:10 PM   #2
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Thanks for sharing your experiences
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      07-11-2014, 03:10 PM   #3
Haywood
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Yes. I think you hit every emoji.

I had a tuned 300C SRT-8. The car was big and in your face. The engine note is incredible. But, it was too large and I wanted something smaller. Traded that in for a 135i and eventually my M3. The M3 will blow you away compared to the other cars. Once you drive a M, it's very hard to go back to a base BMW or anything in that price bracket. Good luck.
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      07-11-2014, 03:17 PM   #4
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I made the jump from IS to M3.
The "good" steering feel and proper weighting are mostly due to construction and mass of RFT bridgestones.
Once you put PSS tires on the IS, the steering is terribly light and lacks feel.

As far as it goes for turbo, I loved my 335is but turbo lag is definitely there. I am sure you noticed after driving M3.
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      07-11-2014, 05:02 PM   #5
Rudy-TX
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And then there is M3. As you probably know, it is not much faster than 335is in straight line. And if you do some easy cheap tuning on your 335is, it is going to be faster than M3. But who cares! Seriously! M3 is a different animal. Don’t get me wrong. 335is, is the best twin turbo car money buy you. But M3 is in a different league. There are different in almost every aspect. Let me explain it.
Of course the most obvious difference is power plant. As good as N54 engine in 335is is, it is no match for S65 naturally aspirated engine in M3. The engine roar is crazy in M3. And the responsiveness is unmatched. You just push the pedal and it goes. 335is has a really small turbo lag. But M3 engine is just immediate. I don’t even know how to explain level of responsiveness in it. And the exhaust noise is just mad. It is like trying to attack.
I think here, I need to clarify the options on my cars. Both of them were pretty much fully loaded. 335is was as follow:
7-Speed Double Clutch Automatic Transmission
Dakota Leather Seat Trim
Premium PKG
Satellite Radio
Navigation System
BWM assist w/enhanced Bluetooth and USB
And the M3:
7-Speed M Double Clutch Transmission
Convenience PKG
Competition PKG
Premium PKG 2
Satellite Radio
Heated Front Seats
I said these because I think the options, especially on M3 make some differences in driving dynamic.
Unlike the 335is which would get nervy on bumpy road and you would see the traction control blinking all the time, M3 has no problem with that. It is super stable any road. The ride is not soft even in comfort mode. But it is still much softer than 335is. Steering in 335is is really sharp, but that is before you test drive the m3. When I get back to my 335is, I was feeling that it has dead point in center.
In m3 you feel the bumps, but the body is perfectly controlled, so there is no vibration after that. In the 335 there is some vibration when you drive in bumpy roads.
In the 335is, body roll is minimal. In M3, body roll is nonexistence! I think the 335is has a good simple suspension system. The M3 has modern sophisticated suspension on the other hand.
And even interior is much nicer in M3. (At least with extended leather option)
The exterior looks more aggressive in M3, the only down side is lack of LED light option.

The gearbox, I think is the same hardware with 335is. But the software let you have more control on the responsiveness level. It is a bit more responsive on the sharpest setting but not a huge difference.
I also drove the M3 with manual. I did not like it as much as GM manuals. The clutch was not as easy to operate and the gear shifts were kind of notchy.
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      07-11-2014, 06:28 PM   #6
Rudy-TX
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If 135is looked like new 2 series I probably has bought it. It's such a fun vehicle

Quote:
Originally Posted by Haywood View Post
Yes. I think you hit every emoji.

I had a tuned 300C SRT-8. The car was big and in your face. The engine note is incredible. But, it was too large and I wanted something smaller. Traded that in for a 135i and eventually my M3. The M3 will blow you away compared to the other cars. Once you drive a M, it's very hard to go back to a base BMW or anything in that price bracket. Good luck.
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      07-11-2014, 06:31 PM   #7
Rudy-TX
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What you saying is make sense. As BMW has designed this car with these tires on mind. Still i am pretty happy m3 don't come with RFT s.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex_bm View Post
I made the jump from IS to M3.
The "good" steering feel and proper weighting are mostly due to construction and mass of RFT bridgestones.
Once you put PSS tires on the IS, the steering is terribly light and lacks feel.

As far as it goes for turbo, I loved my 335is but turbo lag is definitely there. I am sure you noticed after driving M3.
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