C&D: 2011 BMW 335i (new N55 motor) first drive review
Posted on Thursday, May 20th, 2010 at 2:00 pm by markinva
Good review overall
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/10q2/2011_bmw_335i_sedan-first_drive_review
key quote though for those expecting more performance out of the N55:
There’s no improvement in the 335i’s performance, with BMW claiming a 0-to-60-mph time for the manual model of 5.4 seconds and 5.6 seconds for the automatic. Invariably, the company is pretty conservative with its claims, as we recorded 4.9 seconds for the last 335i we tested. Of course, we and many others figure the N54 was highly underrated from the factory and that the N55’s official output numbers might be more realistic. Thus, the new car might not match the N54-powered 335i’s acceleration time
also, for us XI owners, Mike Dushane, C&D VP gave us a little vindication in the comment section. He said:
We drive, test, and compare every vehicle on the market. If we spend our own money on a car (and we do, with no special deals), doesn't that tell you that it really is the best one in the class? I just bought a 2008 335xi coupe (my fourth 3-series). Don't you think the decade of experience I have evaluating vehicles professionally would lead me to the best car for the money? The CTS, A4, and G37 are all great cars, but the 3-series kills all of them on the ride/handling balance, it's got better seats than the CTS, better steering than the A4, and more refinement than the G37. I challenge anyone with significant seat and track time in all of these vehicles to contest that. When the CTS coupe arrives, we'll compare it with the 3-series coupe, and if it's better, we'll say so. I'd love to buy American—just give me a superior product. If we're biased, it's toward buying great vehicles.
Mike Dushane
VP Consumer Brand Product Development
Car and Driver
I did find that interesting considering there is very little out there in the mags about the 335xi/xdrive
HPIA4v2
3:50 PM 5/18/2010
test drove N55 on 2011 335xi E92 last Saturday, I think I am agreeing with C/D on this one.
I have 2008 535i with sport auto GA6HP19Z, with faster shift time than regular auto I test drove; not to mention the 335xi is AWD but the weight is about the same between the two.
First the exhaust sound is superb, throaty but not obnoxiously loud. The N55 seems noisier maybe the missing damper material in the engine hood contributes to that; but I didn't hear the turbo.
The acceleration is comparable to my 535i, but the N54 is super smooth and gives you the feeling effortless and the N55 seems raw and throw you into the back seat harder from the hole and rev happy but then it feels plateau-ing sooner in non DS mode.
Being an amateur it's hard for me to isolate just the engine different so I'll say the two is very close but N54 definitely feels a bit stronger especially at the top end. Again it’s hard for me to compare broken in engine to brand new engine (so take this comment with grain of salt, alot of it), also I really tried to keep the test car away from redline, it’s not cool since it’ll be someone’s car someday. All in all I am looking forward to my own N55 335xi in June, maybe after an extended time behind the wheels I can point out the diff netween N54 vs N55 better.
kgb1637
4:07 PM 5/18/2010
Sounds good, I'm just anxious to see whats going to come in the new models in 2012.
CollinsE90
4:10 PM 5/18/2010
BMW is the most bought brand by C&D employees
John 070
4:22 PM 5/18/2010
CollinsE90 »
BMW is the most bought brand by C&D employees
Just because we love our cars, doesn't mean the best journalism is created by fanboys. Their content b****. Motor Trend treats BMW quite oppositely (King is Dead article).
imho C&D is comprised of the same people that were writing when our grandparents were buying these cars.
Verbiage
4:36 PM 5/18/2010
4.9 seconds? Whoa. Must have had some miles on it.
Does this mean that potentially all of us 335 owners (no tune) are capable of 4.9 seconds? :)
tim818
4:55 PM 5/18/2010
At the bottom of the article, it lists the fuel consumption to be 19/28mpg. Has the numbers been verified by EPA? BMW must have done something to make N55 even more frugal on fuel, yet as powerful as N54.
Tim
Verbiage
4:56 PM 5/18/2010
tim818 »
At the bottom of the article, it lists the fuel consumption to be 19/28mpg. Has the numbers been verified by EPA? BMW must have done something to make N55 even more frugal on fuel, yet as powerful as N54.
Tim
Well, N54 is supposed to have been somewhere around 20/29..
markinva
5:24 PM 5/18/2010
Bavarian III »
4.9 seconds? Whoa. Must have had some miles on it.
Does this mean that potentially all of us 335 owners (no tune) are capable of 4.9 seconds? :)
c&d tested several 335i's and a 335xi... most if not all got 4.x seconds.
Yay-Z
5:26 PM 5/18/2010
Looking at dyno runs that terry posted a while ago, it seems the power of the N54 is exactly similar to that of the n55. Now the N54 might have more tuning potential thant he N55.
kjrulz
5:31 PM 5/18/2010
i've got 5.0 in 0-60 runs consistently.
Verbiage
5:43 PM 5/18/2010
markinva »
c&d tested several 335i's and a 335xi... most if not all got 4.x seconds.
I had seen it before, but I was not aware that these were consistent 0-60 times. Impressive :D
Bmoney2K4
5:46 PM 5/18/2010
I have had the 335i for the past 18 months and I am still amazed at how fast the car is.
Bmoney2K4
5:46 PM 5/18/2010
19/28 MPG seems very optimistic.
10beers
5:54 PM 5/18/2010
Bmoney2K4 »
19/28 MPG seems very optimistic.
Definitely.... I've got 1600 miles on mine and Im lucky to be getting 22 on average. I drove it like suggested for the break in and have only gotten on it once or twice or had it over 100mph while on the autobahn.
Michael Schott
6:39 PM 5/18/2010
John 070 »
Just because we love our cars, doesn't mean the best journalism is created by fanboys. Their content b****. Motor Trend treats BMW quite oppositely (King is Dead article).
imho C&D is comprised of the same people that were writing when our grandparents were buying these cars.
In the last 5 years, C and D has turned over nearly all of its editorial staff so people like Brock Yates, (the late) Larry Griffin, Patrick Bedard and former Editor Csaba Csere are long gone. John Phillips has been there for a while.
Also, most people think that Motor Trend is by far the worst of the major car magazines.
Tee212
6:42 PM 5/18/2010
to sum up...the n54 is still good right? i need to comfirm cause i have it and i would feel alot better about my car man insecurities.
Verbiage
6:43 PM 5/18/2010
^^^^ LOL. Yeah Tee, its a good engine. You can tell yourself this in the mirror, if you like. Now go enjoy your E92 :cool:
Road & Track ftw.
Edward
7:26 PM 5/18/2010
I can't speculate since I've spent exactly zero minutes in an N55, but I sure hope it pulls as hard and feels as strong as an N54. I have an LCI 335 E92 m-sport coming in early June and once I pass break-in period, whatever it may be, I'll be able to do a direct comparison with my sisters E92 335i '08. Both have step and are almost identical in options and equipment.
I've heard so much speculation regarding the move to twin-scroll, and I feel like butt-dyno proves next to nothing. The only definitive info we've got is that one guy's dyno chart and if someone runs 1/4s to get trap speed and time.
Here's my baseless opinion on why the move to single turbo.
N54 is arguably a more complex turbo setup with more parts and in the time since they developed the engine until now, they had an opportunity to develop a new engine with better fuel efficiency and a simpler turbo setup that theoretically might be more reliable down the road. However, the variable valvetronic on the N55 might ruin that argument since that has a lot more going on now.
As to why they used the N54 for the 335is, my guess is that they probably started developing that engine before the N55 came along. BMW might have introduced the N54 in 2007 and known all along that they were going to have to introduce a "zhp" type car down the road and started working on this earlier. Who knows....all speculation on my part.
mechanixhorseman
9:54 PM 5/18/2010
Bmoney2K4 »
19/28 MPG seems very optimistic.
I get 29 on the highway @ 80mph, and 18-22 in the city. I don't think its unrealistic at all, and that was before the intake upgrade.
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3:50 PM 5/18/2010
I have 2008 535i with sport auto GA6HP19Z, with faster shift time than regular auto I test drove; not to mention the 335xi is AWD but the weight is about the same between the two.
First the exhaust sound is superb, throaty but not obnoxiously loud. The N55 seems noisier maybe the missing damper material in the engine hood contributes to that; but I didn't hear the turbo.
The acceleration is comparable to my 535i, but the N54 is super smooth and gives you the feeling effortless and the N55 seems raw and throw you into the back seat harder from the hole and rev happy but then it feels plateau-ing sooner in non DS mode.
Being an amateur it's hard for me to isolate just the engine different so I'll say the two is very close but N54 definitely feels a bit stronger especially at the top end. Again it’s hard for me to compare broken in engine to brand new engine (so take this comment with grain of salt, alot of it), also I really tried to keep the test car away from redline, it’s not cool since it’ll be someone’s car someday. All in all I am looking forward to my own N55 335xi in June, maybe after an extended time behind the wheels I can point out the diff netween N54 vs N55 better.
4:07 PM 5/18/2010
4:10 PM 5/18/2010
4:22 PM 5/18/2010
BMW is the most bought brand by C&D employees
Just because we love our cars, doesn't mean the best journalism is created by fanboys. Their content b****. Motor Trend treats BMW quite oppositely (King is Dead article).
imho C&D is comprised of the same people that were writing when our grandparents were buying these cars.
4:36 PM 5/18/2010
Does this mean that potentially all of us 335 owners (no tune) are capable of 4.9 seconds? :)
4:55 PM 5/18/2010
Tim
4:56 PM 5/18/2010
At the bottom of the article, it lists the fuel consumption to be 19/28mpg. Has the numbers been verified by EPA? BMW must have done something to make N55 even more frugal on fuel, yet as powerful as N54.
Tim
Well, N54 is supposed to have been somewhere around 20/29..
5:24 PM 5/18/2010
4.9 seconds? Whoa. Must have had some miles on it.
Does this mean that potentially all of us 335 owners (no tune) are capable of 4.9 seconds? :)
c&d tested several 335i's and a 335xi... most if not all got 4.x seconds.
5:26 PM 5/18/2010
5:31 PM 5/18/2010
5:43 PM 5/18/2010
c&d tested several 335i's and a 335xi... most if not all got 4.x seconds.
I had seen it before, but I was not aware that these were consistent 0-60 times. Impressive :D
5:46 PM 5/18/2010
5:46 PM 5/18/2010
5:54 PM 5/18/2010
19/28 MPG seems very optimistic.
Definitely.... I've got 1600 miles on mine and Im lucky to be getting 22 on average. I drove it like suggested for the break in and have only gotten on it once or twice or had it over 100mph while on the autobahn.
6:39 PM 5/18/2010
Just because we love our cars, doesn't mean the best journalism is created by fanboys. Their content b****. Motor Trend treats BMW quite oppositely (King is Dead article).
imho C&D is comprised of the same people that were writing when our grandparents were buying these cars.
In the last 5 years, C and D has turned over nearly all of its editorial staff so people like Brock Yates, (the late) Larry Griffin, Patrick Bedard and former Editor Csaba Csere are long gone. John Phillips has been there for a while.
Also, most people think that Motor Trend is by far the worst of the major car magazines.
6:42 PM 5/18/2010
6:43 PM 5/18/2010
Road & Track ftw.
7:26 PM 5/18/2010
I've heard so much speculation regarding the move to twin-scroll, and I feel like butt-dyno proves next to nothing. The only definitive info we've got is that one guy's dyno chart and if someone runs 1/4s to get trap speed and time.
Here's my baseless opinion on why the move to single turbo.
N54 is arguably a more complex turbo setup with more parts and in the time since they developed the engine until now, they had an opportunity to develop a new engine with better fuel efficiency and a simpler turbo setup that theoretically might be more reliable down the road. However, the variable valvetronic on the N55 might ruin that argument since that has a lot more going on now.
As to why they used the N54 for the 335is, my guess is that they probably started developing that engine before the N55 came along. BMW might have introduced the N54 in 2007 and known all along that they were going to have to introduce a "zhp" type car down the road and started working on this earlier. Who knows....all speculation on my part.
9:54 PM 5/18/2010
19/28 MPG seems very optimistic.
I get 29 on the highway @ 80mph, and 18-22 in the city. I don't think its unrealistic at all, and that was before the intake upgrade.