2008 BMW 335xi Coupe Review

Specifications

When BMW announced in 2006 that they were going to be adding turbochargers to their vaunted inline six, it caused a bit of concern amongst the spinning propeller faithful. BMW isn’t a manufacturer who looks to forced induction to make power; they’ve always been proud that their engines are naturally aspirated. Compared to other brands, such as Audi who have years of expertise in turbocharging, BMW’s history is limited. Some will recall the turbocharged 1.5-liter four cylinder Formula One days where output was in the unfathomable 1,500 horsepower range, and the fondly remembered 2002 Turbo. There was also a turbocharged 7-Series during the early ‘80s for the European market, but that wasn’t a big success.

And while those steadfast in the belief that BMWs ought to be free of turbochargers or superchargers, the engine does benefit in many ways. The two small turbos increase output to a heady 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque without raising fuel consumption or CO2 figures by large amounts. But did adding the turbochargers alter the BMW credo of this being the ultimate driving experience?

Happily, no. Those that fretted over the turbos shouldn’t have worried, and if they haven’t done so already we enthusiastically suggest they arrange a test drive. After the engine debuted on the 3-Series Coupe in ‘06, it made the transition to the 3-Series sedan, where it also became available with all wheel drive. New for this year, BMW has taken the drivetrain of the 335xi sedan and applied it to the Coupe body style. This now means that if you want an all wheel drive coupe from BMW, you’ll have two choices – the 328xi and the 335xi.

Now, we’ve driven the 328xi Coupe, and must admit that it’s a pretty solid car, so giving it a healthy dose of Vitamin HP sounds like a good idea. Securing the extra horsepower and torque that the turbocharged engine makes is BMW’s xDrive all wheel drive system. It’s no different here than in say, a 3-Series sedan or a 5-series, and it works as terrifically in inclement conditions as it does in the dry. In order to preserve the pedigreed handling characteristics we’ve come to expect and respect from the marque, BMW endowed xDrive with a torque split that favors the rear axle, although power can be apportioned either way according to available traction. Your only clue to xDrive being added is a slightly raised suspension, a little more understeer when powered out of corners, and of course the telltale badges on the trunk lid. The absence of the DSC dashboard light flickering also tells the driver that there’s more grip available than usual when accelerating, particularly in damp or slippery conditions.

The 3-Series is a favorite among our staffers, and it’s my personal benchmark amongst sports sedans. Many manufacturers have tried to capture the essence of what makes this car so great in their own products, but none have been successful (although some have come close). On this occasion, the sedan’s versatility has been traded in for a little more style courtesy of this coupe. It may seem a little hard to believe, but most of the body panels on the 3-Series two-door are not shared with the four-door; it allowed BMW to tailor a look for the car that includes slinky, shrink-wrapped lines that extend and flare in all the right places. The coupe is hands down the prettiest example of the 3-Series lineup.

Its too bad some of that visual appeal couldn’t have found its way inside the 335. Its not like the interior of the Bimmer was a bad place to melt away miles; quite the contrary, as it’s tremendously comfortable. It’s just that the reserved color scheme (cream leather seats coupled with a dashboard swathed in black) and the way the door panels and dash slope indifferently away from the driver make it feel a little cold. The gauges are straightforward and easily read with a quick glance, but their so, well, plain. Although it’s really up to personal taste, I think that having done so much to create a sleek and stylish exterior deserves an interior with more flare.

There are a couple of items of controversy with the 3-Series – none of which our tester possessed. Seeing that our tester did not feature navigation, it did not have the center dashboard bulge or iDrive. Now, iDrive isn’t my favorite navigation system layout, but over the years it’s become more intuitive to use. It isn’t standard now, but seeing as it’s been fitted as standard equipment to the 5, 6, 7, and X5, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it standard on the next 335. The 335xi also did not feature BMW’s Active Steering, which alters the quickness of the steering depending on speed, yaw and other factors. This isn’t so much because our tester wasn’t fitted with it, but rather it is unavailable on xDrive-equipped cars for both the 3- and 5-Series. That said, for the tradeoff of the variable steering ratio, the feedback from its deliciously thick steering wheel was nothing short of glorious.

Our 335 had a satisfying amount of luxury touches, and the fit and finish was excellent. Buyers that are enamored more with luxury than sport will be quite satisfied. The Coupe actually has some features that are absent in the sedan; the ambient lighting that warmly illuminates the door panels, both front and rear, is one, as is an arm that politely hands you the seatbelt when the car starts up. The seats are typical BMW, which is to say nearly perfect. The seating position is spot on, and a multitude of adjustability ensures that all drivers will find an ideal driving position. They also have adjustable side bolsters that hold you securely in place. The other comfort features that deserve top marks are the Comfort Access proximity key, adaptive cruise control and USB Audio Integration. The latter was a bit confusing at first thanks to the BMW head unit, but I eventually got used to the controls. The sound system’s quality is otherwise very good and the extra money for the audio integration is worth it.

Be that as it may, cool features do not a good car make. They do make for a more enjoyable car, but does the 335xi live up to its “Ultimate Driving Experience” billing? We were pleased to find that yes, the car doesn’t disappoint its sporting roots. There are a couple of important traits that only BMWs seems to have, and through the “angel eye” surrounds of the headlights we thought we could detect a look of smugness. BMW blesses its cars with a wonderful sense of balance that’s achieved by tirelessly working to get a near perfect weight distribution. It makes the car feel very sure footed and quite willing to change direction. Coupled with a suspension that has zero compromises (it seems to strike a perfect medium between a luxurious ride and mechanical grip), a chassis that seems to have been hewn from a block of steel, and throttle tip-in from the Gods, the car lives up to the badges on the hood, trunk lid and steering wheel hub. It’s also incredibly refined, with shifts in town melting into one anther, with no undue noises or vibrations.

We began our Road Test by mentioning the apprehension felt by those who shuddered at the thought of an artificially aspirated BMW inline six, and having spent a week in the car the worrying seems silly. Although the engine does have two small turbos, they spool up quite fast and do a great job at stifling lag. Press the throttle anywhere in the rev range and the car instantly responds, offering up a rich vein of torque. The numbers don’t tell the whole story, as the boosted six feels a lot mightier than its displacement and horsepower figures would suggest. Even with the six-speed automatic, the 335 achieved 60 mph with startling alacrity (mid five second range). That gearbox is a competent dance partner, tailoring its shift programs in correlation to what your right foot is doing. It’s not as fast as some of the dual clutch transmissions out there, but it is speedy. Our tester came equipped with paddle shifters that responded well and blipped the throttle rewardingly on downshifts. BMW will ask that you pony up an extra $100 for this capability, although we can’t figure out why. Shouldn’t all automatic equipped cars have paddles as standard equipment?

That prodigious turbo thrust is complemented by terrific brakes. Generously sized rotors at all corners scrub off speed confidently, and they’re hooked up to a brake pedal that has very linear feeling bite throughout the entire range of its travel. Heavy, constant applications of the brakes don’t result in fade, and dive is conspicuous by its absence.

On a more practical point, the 3 coupe even seems reasonably family friendly and is particularly light and airy feeling. You don’t feel like you’re sitting in a bathtub, not uncommon with two-door cars, and rear seats have a console and decent head, shoulder and legroom. Even the trunk is good for a significant haul.

Clearly the 3.0 liter-twin turbo inline-six excels in performance (it comes close to besting the outgoing M3 at the drag strip), yet it still returns very good fuel economy numbers, and because of this BMW is making a bigger statement about its newfound zest for artificially aspirated engines than first appears. The era of large displacement, high horsepower engines appears to be dwindling, a plight that has been forced upon us by spiraling gas prices. Automakers must reduce engine sizes to save fuel, but something must be put in place for performance-oriented drivers to get their fix. One of the only ways that BMW was able to make that happen quickly was to augment these smaller engines with turbos. With increased pressure from environmental advocates, it would seem that BMW’s bet on smaller, forced aspirated power plants is a good one.

Specifications (335xi Coupe):