Should I buy a 335i Touring?
Discussion
I'm after a new car, or rather I hope I will be next spring as I would like to drive the current one until then.
So atm I drive a B6 Audi S4 Avant. I bought it 2 years ago really cheap (there is a readers car thread I didn't update in ages).
Recently the Tiptronic gearbox started to be really rough and sometimes the safety program kicks in when I reverse.
I will try a gearbox oil change, but I'm not really willing to do any more repairs beyond that. Maybe the oil change will fix it, or at least keeps me going until the next spring, as the Quattro (with top notch winter tires) is one hell of a winter machine here in Switzerland.
Either way, I fancy something new!
I'd love a L322 FFRR (V8 and petrol of course) but the OH doesn't want an SUV.
(And since she didn't want a Porsche either and I recently bought an 997 she hates, I have to give in a little...)
So, while browsing the web I stumbled across the 335i Touring. In my price range I'd be looking at one with the N54 engine.
Obviously there are some horror stories about that engine out there.
But the same is true for the V8 engine in the Audi and the M96 in the Porsche. Guess what, I bought them nevertheless
Over here in Switzerland 90% of all 335 are Xdrive and automatic. This is good as it's what I'm looking for.
Is it correct, that the first year of the LCI (2009) still has the N54 engine and the N55 was introduced in 2010?
So my question to you, should I buy a 335i Touring?
Or what other cars am I missing? ~ 10k£ (buying in Switzerland, so prices vary) ideally 4x4; ideally a bit spacious; ideally automatic; must be petrol; must be interesting (to me at least); must be nice to sit in and look at (again, to me at least)
(The Threads "Should I buy an S4 Avant?" and "Should I buy a C2 997?" both ended in me buying them, so let's see where this is heading...)
So atm I drive a B6 Audi S4 Avant. I bought it 2 years ago really cheap (there is a readers car thread I didn't update in ages).
Recently the Tiptronic gearbox started to be really rough and sometimes the safety program kicks in when I reverse.
I will try a gearbox oil change, but I'm not really willing to do any more repairs beyond that. Maybe the oil change will fix it, or at least keeps me going until the next spring, as the Quattro (with top notch winter tires) is one hell of a winter machine here in Switzerland.
Either way, I fancy something new!
I'd love a L322 FFRR (V8 and petrol of course) but the OH doesn't want an SUV.
(And since she didn't want a Porsche either and I recently bought an 997 she hates, I have to give in a little...)
So, while browsing the web I stumbled across the 335i Touring. In my price range I'd be looking at one with the N54 engine.
Obviously there are some horror stories about that engine out there.
But the same is true for the V8 engine in the Audi and the M96 in the Porsche. Guess what, I bought them nevertheless
Over here in Switzerland 90% of all 335 are Xdrive and automatic. This is good as it's what I'm looking for.
Is it correct, that the first year of the LCI (2009) still has the N54 engine and the N55 was introduced in 2010?
So my question to you, should I buy a 335i Touring?
Or what other cars am I missing? ~ 10k£ (buying in Switzerland, so prices vary) ideally 4x4; ideally a bit spacious; ideally automatic; must be petrol; must be interesting (to me at least); must be nice to sit in and look at (again, to me at least)
(The Threads "Should I buy an S4 Avant?" and "Should I buy a C2 997?" both ended in me buying them, so let's see where this is heading...)
markirl said:
Yes.
335i is the best car I ever owned, only thing that let it down was outright comfort but the engine/auto box is a fantastic combo.
Thanks for the reply!335i is the best car I ever owned, only thing that let it down was outright comfort but the engine/auto box is a fantastic combo.
So a 335i Touring it will be (most probably...)
After some more research, I think as a package it is hard to beat for the money!
Now what about that JB4... hmmm....
I had the B6 S4 and hated it, I mean really hated it.
I swapped my 535d touring and M3 for one so I had one car for everything. I tried so hard to like it but hated it so much, stuck it out for 16 weeks or so and then swapped for a 335i Touring. It is in a different class if you 'enjoy' driving.
I swapped my 535d touring and M3 for one so I had one car for everything. I tried so hard to like it but hated it so much, stuck it out for 16 weeks or so and then swapped for a 335i Touring. It is in a different class if you 'enjoy' driving.
gizlaroc said:
I had the B6 S4 and hated it, I mean really hated it.
I swapped my 535d touring and M3 for one so I had one car for everything. I tried so hard to like it but hated it so much, stuck it out for 16 weeks or so and then swapped for a 335i Touring. It is in a different class if you 'enjoy' driving.
I'll be looking forward to the 335i experience then! I swapped my 535d touring and M3 for one so I had one car for everything. I tried so hard to like it but hated it so much, stuck it out for 16 weeks or so and then swapped for a 335i Touring. It is in a different class if you 'enjoy' driving.
I really like my B6 S4! But then I never used it as a driver's car.
It is rather a very well built, nice place to cruise in with a great V8 that puts it's power through an amazing 4wd system on the road.
Wasn't your S4 manual? I recall we had a discussion about it before...
Regarding the N54 engine, is it correct that in 2009 (first year LCi/facelift model) this engine was still used, and not the N55?
Filibuster said:
I'll be looking forward to the 335i experience then!
I really like my B6 S4! But then I never used it as a driver's car.
It is rather a very well built, nice place to cruise in with a great V8 that puts it's power through an amazing 4wd system on the road.
Wasn't your S4 manual? I recall we had a discussion about it before...
Regarding the N54 engine, is it correct that in 2009 (first year LCi/facelift model) this engine was still used, and not the N55?
Yeah it was a manual, to be fair that was the problem, if I had bought the auto I would have thought of it as a completely different thing. I really like my B6 S4! But then I never used it as a driver's car.
It is rather a very well built, nice place to cruise in with a great V8 that puts it's power through an amazing 4wd system on the road.
Wasn't your S4 manual? I recall we had a discussion about it before...
Regarding the N54 engine, is it correct that in 2009 (first year LCi/facelift model) this engine was still used, and not the N55?
It was the clutch, the pedal position of the clutch vs the brake and worst of all the gearing that made it hard work on anything but a run and made it silly thirsty on a run because it was doing nearly 4000rpm at my cruising speed.
But I can't tell you just how much I enjoyed my time with the 335i. I also really liked the later 272ps 330i as well, in many ways more than the 335i. Something about the way you have to work a NA engine that can't be underestimated.
I had Terry Burger's first prototype off him, before it became the Juice Box, it was an incredible bit of kit.
It made the car so quick.
At the time I had a AP22 timing meter from Race Technology, I used to get 4.8-4.9 seconds to 60mph from my M3 CSL, but was getting 4.5 seconds from the 335i.
12 years ago there were not many cars on the road that were doing 4.5 seconds to 60mph at all either, I know we have quite a few now.
It made the car so quick.
At the time I had a AP22 timing meter from Race Technology, I used to get 4.8-4.9 seconds to 60mph from my M3 CSL, but was getting 4.5 seconds from the 335i.
12 years ago there were not many cars on the road that were doing 4.5 seconds to 60mph at all either, I know we have quite a few now.
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