BMW 335d/or 335i coupe?

986s

Hi folks!

Am considering importing from the UK one of the above for my next car. Which one would people go for? Have driven a 335i auto and didnt like the delay in the gearchanges but this could be down to me leaving it in fully auto mode and not downshifting to a lower gear when I needed the power. I realise the 335d only comes as an auto which is the only thing that is turning me off the d.

In order to get the benefit of the lower road tax changes I would have to import an 08 version which are pretty rare and most come with the M pack and have sat nav which adds considerably to the purchase price (and VRT price) as I dont need either. I will get an SE version and add the M sport wheels(which I like) at a later date (along with a re-map).

My question is could I order(and pay)for a new 335d Se in Belfast, add the spec I want and once its delivered get the garage to register it to them for a short while. Then after the 1st July take it for a nice long trip to the continent to get a few kms up on it (so I dont have to pay VAT on it) and then register it in Ireland.

TheBazman

I dont know the answer to your specific question but if you are patient I would imagine you will find the one you want in the UK within a short while. Keep an eye on autotrader.

As regards which one you should get, having driven both, in terms of real life performance there is very little between them. The main difference would be
335i - better sound,
335d - better fuel economy

So if you are happy enough with around 25mpg mixed driving I'd say go for the 335i

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Reciently got a 335i after driving both it and the 335d. The d sounds like a tractor at idle and runs out of revs quickly but is still amazingly fast and very torquey. I felt the 335i sounded a LOT better and while not as torquey is faster, revs higher and longer and smoother. Either way they are both very very fast and comfortable. I am gettig about 27 MPG on the 335i at the moment and about 32 on long trips. During spirited driving getting about 16 MPG.

Remember when the new vrt laws come in these car will increase in value new and second hand.

TheBazman

Gael Blue Rally wrote: »

Remember when the new vrt laws come in these car will increase in value new and second hand.

The 335d is going to be cheaper new

986s

Thanks for the replies folks.

Heart says 335i while my head says 335d, anybody in Ireland doing re-maps for these cars? Somebody like DMS would be great as they have a good reputation in the UK but a little expensive.

Currently drive an immaculate 01 Boxster S that is fully loaded spec wise, and approached two BMW garages to get a trade in price for either one of these 70K
plus cars. One garage in fairness told me they would not be interested in a trade in of my car, while the other one gave me a test drive in the 335i but never bothered to get back to me as regards a price for my own one. I guess its a sign of the times and hence my decision to go to the UK to import one.

E92

Superior noise, better refinement, the ability to go to 7,000 rpm, more power, the Overall Winner of the International engine of the year awards 2007, the best 2.5-3.0 engine in the same awards, the best new engine award, the knowledge that I'm not making my local air quality any worse than it needs to be as well as not causing cancer from diesel fumes, in addition to being given the option of either a manual gearbox are all reasons to go for the petrol.

Lower road tax(€400 less), the Auto 335d will be costing less to buy than the 335i with an Automatic gearbox, 10 mpg better average fuel consumption, between 41 and 44 g/km less CO2(depending on which gearbox your 335i has), a phenomenal 413 lb ft of torque, which is an enormous 118 more than the petrol engine, the likelihood of being more desirable and therefore worth more in the used car market, coming 2nd in the 2.5-3.0 engine category in the 2007 International Engine of the Year Awards are all reasons to go for the diesel.

FWIW the 335i will only be €400 more to tax a year than the 335d(when on a 08 plate and EfficientDynamics is there).

The 335d will only be cheaper if you want your 335i to be an Automatic, the manual 335i will still cost less to buy than the 335d.

I'd like to drive both to be sure, but I reckon the 335i is the better choice of these 2, though the 335d looks like an amazing engine as well and if it is worse, I wouldn't say it's a lot worse than the petrol.