Quote:
Originally Posted by UNKNOWN_370
Ididnt even notice u rockin a 335i... I was a hair away from buying a 335is with meisterschaft exhaust and trading the Z but reliability of the transmission scared me as well as electronics... How is it living with one? it had 48k miles on it.
I was in love with the engine performance but felt my Z still is a better handler (koni yellow, swifts, eibach sways,alignment)
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Yeah, man! It's a really nice car. We got it for my wife (to replace her Focus ST) and since we commute together a lot I drive it about 10x more than I do my Z.
What year 335 did you look at? The F30 feels a lot bigger than the old E90/E92 and a little more numb thanks to the electronic steering, but it's a very good car overall. I like the styling more than the E9X and the new interior on the M Sport cars is great... best steering wheel out there!
The car is incredibly economical as well. The N55 sips gas on the highway. We've averaged as much as 37 mpg on longer trips averaging more than 70 mph. Driving back from NYC a few weeks ago I did around 34 at 75+ mph average. With mixed cycle (mostly city) driving we average around 22-26 depending on how aggressive we are. We have the ZF8 automatic which is an amazing transmission. Almost instant shifts!
That said, the E9X is a better car dynamically, and the old N54 is much better if you want to mod. I had the pleasure of driving old forum member JeffBlue's 2009 E92 335i earlier this year. He has KW V3s, M3 front/rear sway bars and bushings, and just about all of the bolt-ons. The steering is worlds better than both the F30 and my Z. The suspension felt very good, probably better than my Z, and of course the car is far more balanced. The power out of the n54 is ridiculous as well - he was making something like 360whp and 450wtq on pump, making for an amazing street car. The only thing I didn't care for on his car was the shifter feel -- earlier BMW manuals are notoriously rubbery.
In short, the F30 M-Sport is a great compliment to the 370Z (or whatever your sports-car of choice is) as it tends to blend elements of the previous E9X and a 5 series (a little bigger, a little more of a luxury feel.) A modded E9x, however, would be more of a replacement for your sports car. They are really good driver's cars!