First Impressions Of My N54 335i

I'd owned my E46 330d for 4 years when I decided to replace it. I loved the car to bits but it was getting rather high in miles (182k) and I needed a car I could rely on to get me to work and back.

I also fancied something a bit more lively, the 330d was no slouch mind, I was just ready to go to the next level of performance.

Enter the pre-LCI BMW E92 335i, probably the most bang for your buck all rounder car on the market in this price bracket.

Originally I'd been looking for a face lift BMW E39 540i, you've gotta love a V8. 

I test drove a few, all in disappointing condition, some with door seals hanging off, curious start procedures and gouges to the sills and roof.

I came to own the 335i almost by accident due a fleeting comment from a friend. Whilst chatting, he said his dad had an E92 335i and that I should definitely test drive one before settling on a 540i.

I never need much of an excuse to fire up AutoTrader, and I'd always liked the E92 shape, so I gleefully scrolled through the classifieds. 

One stood out above the rest, a low mileage SE, bedecked with the factory aero body kit and was local.

When I pulled up to the guy's house I was instantly attracted to the car, there were bad points, like the front aero lip stone chips, but I figured I could negotiate the price to accommodate.

I gave the car a good looking over and off we went for a test drive. Holy horsepower batman, the E39 540i shifted and, on paper at least, would draw in a game of top trumps with the E92, but this one felt different it was relentless, everything felt 'tight'. Perhaps the age was having an effect on the E39.

What's that quote? "Never buy the first car you see"... yeah well I did. I wired the monies over and off I went, happy as Larry.

Right then, some specs for the nerds;

Build date: 08/2006
Mileage: 39,900

Engine: N54 3.0l twin turbo
Power: 225 kW (302 hp) @ 5800
Torque: 400 Nm (300 lb·ft) @ 1400-5000
0-100km/h: 4.8s
mpg: yep, some...

As mentioned this is an SE model, but features the M Sport running gear and aero body kit, which in my opinion is better looking than the M Sport kit. When specified, the aero kit brings with it the staggered 19" Style 230 twist alloys.

The car is an auto, which is a step change from my E46 330d and Rover 25 before it. I'm forever stuck in traffic, frustrated with having one thigh bigger than the other, so I opted to go auto. Besides being easier to live with, I actually prefer the auto for spirited driving, there is no chance I could shift a gear quicker than the auto box. Besides, flappy paddles are awesome, they take you right back to being a child in an arcade.

As for the interior, it's black leather, with aluminium finishers, iDrive and heated memory seats.

I think that pretty much sums it up, over the course of my ownership I've no doubt there'll be some interesting stuff to write about so stay tuned.

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