335d M sport Touring or 535d M sport - Anybody owned both??

[Stephen F]

Just sold our E61 530D Auto Touring, the car was a 2004 with loads of spec (media, visibility, memory seats, panoramic roof etc etc)

We are in the market for a new car and have narrowed it down to a post 2007 535d M sport - touring or saloon or a 335d M sport touring

Must haves will be Media pack, visibility pack, memory seats (prob semi elctric on a 3 series as very rare with memory), folding mirrors etc

Both cars have pros and cons but a brief test drive does not tell the whole story.
Has anybody had both or driven both extensively?
What were your opinions, which did you prefer?

We do a lot of long journeys, have a 2 year old son and the 5 Touring was great but always felt like a bit of a barge, drove a new 535D M sport saloon a few days ago and was much sharper with a massiveley improved gearbox

Has the 335D always had the same gearbox as post 2007 five series?

Cheers

Stephen

[a_bloke]

No the 335d IIRC has the older type box - it has never had the joystick stick 'box thats now in the 5, 6, x5, x6.

I think you need extended test drives in both. The post 07 535d is a superb car (i'd one of the first of them)

[Stephen F]

Re the gearbox, I know it didn't have the joystick stick gear lever but wondered if the 335d was blessed with the old slow witted gearbox from the pre 2007 5 series.

The one that sometimes thinks 'do I need first or second gear here?' when you go to pull out of a junction

Stephen

[a_bloke]

Stephen F said:

Re the gearbox, I know it didn't have the joystick stick gear lever but wondered if the 335d was blessed with the old slow witted gearbox from the pre 2007 5 series.

The one that sometimes thinks 'do I need first or second gear here?' when you go to pull out of a junction

Stephen

I think the joystick is all part of the electronic auto box, thus i believe its the older box, as it doesnt have that. The joystick box also has functionality such as not needing to be in 'P' to park as it selects it for you, and that functionality isnt in the 335d.

I had a software upgrade on my pre LCI 535d and it improved the 'box. Mine was prone to 'shunting' when changing down into first at junctions but other than that it was fine. The massive torque of the engine covers a multitude of sins of the gearbox that you probably wouldnt get away with in a 530d.

[M-J-B]

Never driven a 335D but I've had a 535D M Sport from new for just over 2 years now.

It was the first in the country with SAT and that alone makes the car bloody great fun to drive

I've been lucky enough to own a couple of X5's (including a 4.8iS), a Boxster and a 996 and I am as we all are here, a complete petrolhead....

I would normally change my car every year or 18 months without fail, but I still can't find a reason to change the 535D. It's, comfortable, extremely quick (mapped) and frugal, so the best of all worlds

Go for the 5.......you know it makes sense

[gizlaroc]

I have had the 535d sport touring and then had a 335i sport touring.

The only reason you would go for the 5 series is if you need a bit more space in the boot or if you care what the neighbours see sitting on the drive.

The 3er touring is more agile, better balanced, more fun and the most surprising of all......more comfy.

I found that the 535d and the 335i was exactly the same MPG wise, but the 335i was a hell of a lot faster, my 535d was DMS'd, but the 335i was still over half a second quicker to 60mph and that makes a hell of a difference, remapped it was a completely different level altogether.
I'm sure the 335d would be somewhere in between.

[Chipper]

I've owned both vehicles. I'd actually agree with gizlaroc reagrding the difference between the two vehicles. Personally the 335D rides/handles better than the 5 but if you have a child i would still go for the 535D.

[Stephen F]

Thanks for the replies, took 335d M sport touring out

Really nice car and and pulled like a train!

The gearbox was clearly the same as the older fives and although far better than our old 530D it did not have the instant seamless changes of the Sports Auto Transmission in the 535d.

The 3 felt much more responsive and driving it I felt far more connected to the car and its controls, the 5 felt a bit clinical and detached (hope that makes sense?)

Anyway, I still really like both models so it will just come down to finding the right car with the right spec at the right price...not an easy task but we are not in a hurry, plus all the cars out there are about to get a plate older with the 59's out next week

[gizlaroc]

I think we have to keep this in perspective as well, I don't think you can go wrong with either car, they are both blinders.

I actually bought Chippers 535d sport touring off him, and if I am honest I wish I still had it. I am driving round in a an A6 3.2 Avant at the moment and although far more comfy and a much better sound system in it, I would swap for another E61 in a heartbeat right now, although I would like a 530i or 545i rather than the diesel.

[bungle]

Chipper said:

but if you have a child i would still go for the 535D.

Is the 3-series touring really too small for a family with a child (and associated baggage!). I assumed it would be a decent sized boot? (I'm looking for ideas at the moment, and was tempted by 3-er tourings, but we have a 2-yr old so I now have my doubts!)

[gizlaroc]

I have never had a problem with the 3 series size, we have a Weimaraner and when we had just my daughter it was fine, but then we had a second child and it was too small, fine without the dog, but if we wanted the baby buggy in the boot, as you do, there was then not enough room for the dog.

So we sold the 3er touring and bought an A6, but a few months later and he is out of the big buggy and in a small one that would fit in the back with the dog anyway.

[ASR1]

I used to own a 535d Sport (with the old auto box) - when test driving a 335d, I found it felt slightly quicker.