considering buying E93 335i - do they have problems?

[Warren]

Hi everyone,

I'm considering buying a E93 335i (2007~2008). I've read a fair bit online about serious issues with fuel pumps and turbos etc, however they seem to be mostly reports from the USA and I couldn't find any threads about these problems on this forum.

So basically - does anyone know if the problems that seem to have plagued this car overseas are a problem with the cars delivered in Australia? Would especially appreciate insight from anyone who owns / has owned one!

Cheers,

Warren

[m3funinthesun]

Yep - the biggest problem is you can get a great E46 M3 for under $50K which is cheaper, performs better and will keep it's value longer.

For some reason everything the USA gets is crap and breaks down...i'm not sure if it's because they all are whingers or because of the high volumes but it always seems to happen to them...

[Tobba]

What you're hearing about the fuel pumps happens here too. A friend of mine with an 2008 E92 335i had his fuel pump screw itself, and his car entered 'limp home mode' every time he was at all aggressive with the throttle. BMW fixed everything under warranty, but it was 2 months till they fixed it. They're beautiful cars and great to drive, but with the problems they seem to have I probably would do what funinthesun suggested.

[bobz]

Yep - the biggest problem is you can get a great E46 M3 for under $50K which is cheaper, performs better and will keep it's value longer.

For some reason everything the USA gets is crap and breaks down...i'm not sure if it's because they all are whingers or because of the high volumes but it always seems to happen to them...

Yes it is cheaper, because its older and has more Km on it

Its more expensive to maintain

And I am sorry to burst your bubble but no it dosent keep its value.

And from a traffic light GP there would be very little in it, however the M3 does get an LSD which is a very nice bonus.

BobZ

[torque]

If I had money I would jump on a 335i without a shadow of doubt . E46 M3's have dropped over 15g in price in the past 2 years, so no, they don't hold in price ; they are quite expensive to maintain now that they are starting to reach an age where they might break...
Don't worry about the reports in USA, they buy a car every other second so the numbers are massive, you will have some failures.

OK , the M3 is probably half a second quicker of the stop light, but just look at the new shape compared to the old one... 335i hands down !

[paulieM3]

335i would be more expensive to maintain than e46 m3 in my opinion

lots of documented issues of high pressure fuel pump failures, and valve train failure

the only saving grace is that it may still be under warranty

the only big big cost i can see on an e46 m3 is smg pump + various other smg parts if you cant find a manual

[m3funinthesun]

Agree the e46 has dropped heaps
Which is why it represents good value. An m car will always be special. No doubt the 335i is a quick car and all that but it will always be run of the mill in a few years time. Line up a 2003/3 M3 vs a 2008 335i in 5 years time and see which has dropped more. Besides, once out of warrNty a turbo will not be cheap to replace - the m engine is tried and tested.

[angus171]

Hey guys

My old man has an e92 335i and honestly the maintenance costs are very reasonable. I was just asking him about it then given the questions posed here (e46 M3 upkeep v e93 335i). His last service about two months ago ran him $600 (his is an '06 with 32k km), including a brake wear sensor which is not part of the standard service cost (so ~$500 for the service). This was at a BMW dealer so no doubt you could get it cheaper elsewhere if you wanted to. He hasn't had anything go wrong with it, just usual wear and tear items. He does give it a bit of stick on occasion and has had no fuel pump problems.

In the past, he's changed cars pretty regularly, and while he has the yearning for something different now after four years, I would say he's been very happy with it. There are much worse cars out there that you could get into, Warren.
As for resale value, I've no idea where it sits at the moment - probably around $80k from a rough guess? If anyone is really interested they can jump on carsales and look lol. But I think you pretty much get raped regardless of what you end up with - all part of the car ownership "joy" that bmw so regularly pushes

Edit: actually, he has had some smelly aircon issues from time to time - they have replaced all the usual suspects under warranty, but it still persists on really hot summer days. Also his turbo wastegate is a bit rattley on idle, but bmw has insisted this is normal. I'm not so convinced, so maybe do more research on this one...

[bobz]

guys from someone that has had both an E36 and an E46 M3 as well as normal 3 and 5 series BMW's M cars are about 50 to 100% more expensive to maintain then a normal BMW

is the 335 a good car yes from all reports, quick and reliable, most cars have problems, you will get a good example or an average example, look after it and your more likely to have an enjoyable owning expirience.

I would buy one if I was after a small wagon

BobZ

[Mick_GC]

Try not to read too much onto problems with cars on the internet, as a forum is the first place someone goes when they have a problem to winge about it.

There would be issues for every car on the road.

Best thing to do is be aware of common issues and if they may arise then deal with them.

If you took everything you read on the net to heart you'd never buy any car.

Before I bought my ML63 I read horror stories of engines blowing up, transmissions dying ect ect.

If the car is serviced properly then you minimise risk.

Warranty helps you sleep at night too