I have gone from evo ix and x to 335i MT. I miss my evo now))

 

Bmv = p.i.m.p

evo = lonely forever!!!

End of story

 

^ lol not a very loyal evo owner?

 

I have worked for bmw as a technician for 5 years now. The 335 is a great vehicle! Although I would hands down pick my evo over the 335. The 335 is quick and all in all has a better finish. Working at bmw and seeing all the issues have turned me off of ever considering owning one, completely tainted. Yes the turbos on the n54 and even on the n55 (but very rarely) do go to ****s. The internal wastegates are the issues. Just listen for the rattle when blipping the throttle. The high pressure fuel pump did have an issue but they have resolved that... but then the injectors went to ****s... The injectors have been updated but in all honesty, the new injectors still fail (the piezoelectric element gets stuck open, flooding the engene). Ignition coils, transmission failures... all bmws, vanos, vanos solenoids, vacuum leaks, dmtl leaks, t-stats and water pumps, SOFTWARE issues, transmission sealing sleeve leaking, transfer case issues for xi, radiators leaking, aux fans, the lists go on and on, not to mention items such as window regulators, ccc (car communication computer)/mask, seat belt extenders on the coupe, sunroof issues, lots of module failures... the list seriously goes on and on... especially when you consider the problems of not only the engine. Be prepared to have the vehicle in the shop alot!! Bmws are amazing, when they are functioning!! The n55 single turbo is a much more effiecnet design and engine also utilizes valvetronic for the first time with a turbo. Valvetronic is amazing and to be honest we have had very small amout of issues with n55 as of so far. But knowing bmw, the problems will surely start to surface. Not sure how the n54 and n55 compare tunning wise but i could easily see how the n54 would be more mod friendly. Also a side note that if you do modify a bmw, your warranty will most likely be voided, a service information bulletin was released for n54s stating that any aftermarket equipemnt must be removed in order to have warranty. My dealer is very strict on that. Some dealers will be ok with modded vehicle but some wont... Personally if i was to purchase a 335 it would be the 335d (diesel) which is a beast with minimal problems!! I could easily continue with info about bmws for hours, but i should seriously stop now. Just so much and too much to say. Any further questons are welcome

 

^damn dude are the 335i really that big of a problem? you think ill end up with more mechanical problems in a 335i than my 400whp evo? u scared me a bit with that post lol

 

The 335i does have a shopping list of issues, its not a lemon issue but more of a E90x line issue as a whole. The E90x was a big let down to bmw which is why they have changed so much in the new 3 series, the F30. They do have alot of issues. But are amazing when functioning. You will love the 335i, easy to fall in love with! But you will most deffinetly end up going through a set of turbos, LOTS of fuel issues (injectors, metal filings in the fuel rail, rail temp sensors) all of which leave you stranded with servere damaging misfires. Also do not forget carbon build up , one of these engines biggest problem! One more major common issues the n54 engine has it that the cams, they are incased in bearing ledges, well the hook rings at the front of the cams can score a groove in the cam ledge causing a vanos fault (lack of oil pressure to the vanos units), check engine light/ lack of power warning. Make sure that you use lower grade fuel ie 89 or 91 octane, these engine do not run well with the higher ethonol (i believe its ethonol but cant remember) content of 94 octane in particular. (any fuel over 10% will cause an issue. We have such an issue that we have a system to test for % in the fuel. It causes misfires and rough running, especially on cold starts. My 400 whp evo has been nothing but great, ive had no issues other than stock clutch on its last leg and the acd pump that appears to be on its way out. The evo is just so user/mod friendly! I love it, but to each their own, both cars are great in their own ways! Didnt and dont mean to scare you, but just wanted to make sure you are prepared and well informed before you commit and possibly regret. Better off knowing as much as possible before making the commitment.

Please note that i work on stock 335i not modded ones. The info i have provided are for stock E90s, when it comes to modded ones, i have no info

 

^u obviously seem to be very knowledgeable with BMW. Would u recommend I get a E46 M3 over the 335i?

 

You will find a trend with BMWs that each generation has it's own shopping list of problems.

 

The above statement is true each model/series generation of bmw do have their issues. But some have much more issues than others. But that being said, the E46 m3 is one of the best bmws ever built! That car is just so raw, simply amazing, before i bought my evo it was between evo and E46 m3! Awd and rareity of evos in canada sold me. With the m3 just make sure you dont get the smg transmission, they can also have issues with the vanos unit, bolts on the vanos unit cam gear come loose (rattling noise in engine)... Really not much goes wrong with them, the s54 is an amzing engine. Very rare you have issues with it. Just dont over rev the thing with aftermarket software => Replaced an engine once under warranty because the customer had aftermarket software that allowed the engine to over rev to 10000 rpm causing the crank bearing to spin. Engine cost was 26 grand! Cost to repair was 22 grand cause it needed crank, cylinder 1 piston, cylinder head and vanos unit. It was very individual case that bmw ag had never seen before, reps came down to inspect, took dme and found adtermarket software regestering the 10000 rpm over rev. Stock tune will not allow an over rev. Just thought id share. But my conclusion would be E46 M3 hands down over the 335i. Thats me though, everyone will have their own preferences! Good luck with your choices

 

^thanks for the info man i really appreciate the info from a BMW tech. im kind of worried about the 335i now because im a college student and really cant afford the time and money to have the car in the shop with problems all the time

 

Funny I just commented on a similiar topic and this is what I said

"Like others, I haven't gone through the 10 pages so I'm assuming the topic has been beaten to death. But I might as well interject my opinion since I have both. Love just cruising around in the 335, it's comfy and and is a great DD with actually pretty good gas mileage. With that said, if I had to choose I would choose the Evo. Love the rawness of it and i just feel more connected to the road if that makse any sense. In the end it's all personal preference."

I drive the 335 like crazy and have 90k miles on it now. The only issue I've had was the fuel pump was recalled so had that replaced other than that no probs. It is completely stock though except for updgraded wheel/tire combo. I've driven a newer M3 and that was a blast to drive...I would almost, almost say bye bye to my Evo if it were a choice between a newer M3 but I love AWD too much.

 

In his post he stated "RAW power" It is something the EVO has that the BMW does not. RAW is how the car communicates with the driver. It is so much more of a direct, connected feeling in the EVO. Which makes it a "drivers car".

The BMW is a beautiful car. It works great for DD & Roadtrips. It's just not the type of car I picture driving to go have fun.

 

would love an M3 but obviously its double the cost of a 335i so i cant afford it, or even justify spending that much more when id rather have the turbo setup anyway

 

dude you really got nice evo !!! you better think about that one. im sure most of us evo guys have had that mindset let me jump into the bmw scene. i know did, and im glad i never actually bit the bullet and bought one. not saying bmws arent great cars because they are, but when you start modding them and **** then problems tend to happen and those problems are alot more costly then evo problems lmao

whatever you do good luck with everything

 

I was one of the first people in this planet to own one of the first ever sold Evo 8 MR cars sold in the USA and also to own one of the first 335i Coupe. I purchased them both new(the Evo back in Sep 04).

Stock the 335i was quicker and faster on a drag race. I tested this a few times. My 335 i was the coupe with sport package and steptronic.

Changing from one car to the other is going to be difficult. The BMW is much nicer and modern than the Evo as far is comfort, engine noise, gas mileage, safety, equipment. Eventually yopu will want to back to the Evo a few years down the road just like everyone else.

At one point I was the third quickest fastest 335i in the planet. No one had any kind of tune on these cars but I purchased(as crazy as it sounds) the Vishnu procede Piggy back 1.4 ($1400 plus the $85 for the code reader) months ahead before I even purchased my car(crazy No?). Back in 2007 there was a waiting list to purchase the Vishnu Procede piggy back and Vishnu had to hire extra people to keep with the demand and start the assembly of the harness connectors/wires hardware.

Fast forward 5 years and now you can get all kinds of tunes for dirty cheap. You can go ahead and get the 335i and if you don't like it or if you get tired of it you can always go back.
Please PM me and let me know how much are you selling yuour Evo. I am looking for another one as we speak (My forth Evo).

Whatever you do, get the Steptronic, it is a win -win situation. Faster, quicker, better gas mileage, quicker shifting,never miss a shift!! Another thing is the power. The 335i are under rated power wise. Edmunds got 298whp on a 335i with 6 speed manual on a dyno a few years back. These cars can pick 40-50whp and 70lb-tq to the wheels with a tune alone, they are monsters. Don't worry abouyt the power too much, a 335i with a tune and down pipes and pretty close to your current Evo.

Carlos