BMW 335i 2009 Review

Road Test

Price Guide: $107,300
Price as tested: $111,920 (metallic paint $1700; sunroof $2920)
Crash rating: 5 stars ANCAP
Fuel: E10 ULP or better
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 9.6 combined cycle
CO2 emissions (g/km): 231 (Euro IV)
Also consider: Audi S4

It's kind of a pity that BMW has become such an aspirational fetish brand -- that the triumph of modern marketing around the blue and white roundel has come to eclipse the triumph of engineering behind it.

In the 335i, the latter starts where it so often has with BMWs: with the latest incarnation of the marque's long-time staple power source, the 3.0-litre straight six petrol engine. And this one's had its lungs deepened with a pair of turbochargers. BMW might have been slow on the uptake with forced induction, but now they've done it they've come up with two gems in their upper end straight six and V8.

Is this the best interpretation yet of the finest mass market six ever made? Many would hand that mantle to the 252kW naturally aspirated six that powered the E46 M3 but it's safe to say this one comes close – it's not much slower and it's a lot politer to Mother Earth. And it costs a lot less.

It's a complex configuration featuring small and large blowers collaborating through three phases. They've made the small one little enough to kick in almost immediately on taking off. A little way up the rev range the large one joins it, but only indirectly, to strengthen the boost of the small one. Further up, the small one drops away, leaving the big one to do the job on its own.

And what a job these turbos do! The car springs off the mark with virtually no lag and while the sedan hasn't inherited the twin-clutch technology that's filtered down from the M3 to its 335i coupe and convertible siblings, the six-speed Steptronic is no slushbox. It handles with ease 225kW and a flat torque curve that turns on the engine's peak 400Nm at just 1300 rpm and maintains it all the way up to 5000.

Shifts are slick and silky in all three modes – normal Drive, Sport (which holds gears for longer on the upshift) and Manual – bringing up 100km/h in 5.8 seconds. There's a temporary manual override in Drive mode for a controllable kickdown.

Hats off to BMW's version of the paddle shift, too. Most paddlers use a left-side-down, right-side-up configuration. This one's symmetrical, with both sides working the same way – fingers in from the back to change up, thumbs in from the front to go down. On lesser cars, manual override on an auto box loses its novelty very soon after taking delivery. Not this one. It invites regular use to make the most of this wolf in sheep's clothing (well, alpaca's clothing, anyway).

After a week of combined urban and Blue Mountains driving – mostly the former, and with no shortage foot-down, kick-down and paddle-down – we averaged 10.0L/100 km. Something of a surprise, to say the least. Either BMW has devoted some of its R&D resources to coming up with trip computers that tell fibs, or they just produce exceptionally fuel efficient engines.

The chassis and suspension are a fine match for the engine. With fat, low profile tyres on 18-inch alloys putting acres of sticky rubber on the road at each corner, this is a highly rewarding drive; first in a straight line; then when time comes to change direction. It looks tall and narrow from the back -- with upstanding haunches and prominent twin tailpipes giving it the demeanour of a randy tomcat -- but few three-box sedans feel this sure footed.

The interior is pleasingly low-key, too, with fawny coloured matte leather and a spot of walnut trim (a no-cost option) here and there. Very little black by Teutonic standards.

Despite their comparative compactness, the full electric front seats were comfortable and well bolstered laterally. With plenty of adjustment margin in every direction including lumbar support and a tilt and reach-adjustable wheel, it's easy to find a driving position commensurate with the car's driver orientation and six-figure price tag. While it's no limo, the rear seat drew compliments from two adults for its comfort, and no complaints about leg or headroom.

This being a premium BMW, of course you get that bane of many a BMW owner's life, iDrive. Yes, it gets better with each generation, but even after seven years, iDrive and its contemporaries still feel like the price early adopters pay for avant-garde technologies.

Other low points? You've read this before and you'll read it again: no spare wheel. So cocky are they about those runflats they don't even include a space saver. They give you three years' anytime anywhere roadside assistance as part of the warranty. After that...

Oh, and we had an irritating, sporadic rattle somewhere round the fascia. It came and went as it pleased. Try as we might, we never managed to locate it.

Beyond that, there's only the price. Starting at $107,300, the 335i is not a cheap ride. That's a Mazda2 more than an Audi A4 V6 and a Honda CRV more than a Lexus IS250 Sports Luxury – and you haven't even opened up the options catalogue yet.

Not that you need to option it up much – the car comes impressively specced up as is with primo features inside and out: leather, electric everything, excellent bi-xenon lamps with wash system, front and rear foglights, electronically dimmed rearview mirror, satnav, high-quality audio with TV tuner and auxiliary plugs for iPod and USB stick, multifunction wheel and cruise control with a brake function that maintains the set speed downhill.

And, of course, almost the full safety panoply of six airbags, active headrests and enough underbody acronyms to soothe even the jumpiest central nervous system: antilock brakes, stability and traction control, electronic brake force distribution cornering brake control, electronic differential lock (ADB) and emergency brake detection (DBC).

If there's cause for anxiety in the size of the spend on a small car, it lies in the speed with which BMW is rolling out new technologies under the EfficientDynamics umbrella. It's already making its mark – here via that superb engine, a conscious reduction in drag coefficient to .30 and the weight loss program that keeps so much kit to around 1500kg. But over the next couple of years the program will extend into technologies like auto stop-start, smart alternator and other fuel and emission saving technologies.

So it won't be long before what we have here will be looking a bit old. But gone are the days of static product planning in this sector, where you paid top dollar for a BMW or a Benz on the promise of a 10 year model life.

Most importantly, this beautiful engine is here to stay for some time. And even without those new tricks, there's enough pointy-end technology about this car to keep it feeling modern for quite a few tomorrows to come.

I emerged from a week in the 335i thinking you'd have to have a) enormous driving skills, b) enormous self-regard, or c) an enormous lack thereof to justify the extra $40,000 it takes to get into a four-door M3.

Does this sound narrow minded? Unfairly judgemental? Probably. But it's not meant to.

It's just that the 335i is so much more than enough for any normal driver, it's hard to imagine wanting any more than this for any other reason. Even if that's what being a BMW buyer is all about.