BMW's sweet 3 Series coupé gets a foldable metal roof, which has good and not so good consequences.
Value for money
Pricing
The six speed manual costs $121,500; the six speed sequential auto is $124,100.
Standard equipment
The 335i includes bi-xenon headlights, 18 inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, in-dash single CD player and six stacker, heated, power adjustable sports seats, automatic air, cruise control, Data Dot security, Bluetooth preparation, front and rear parking assistance, premium satellite navigation, TV and voice recognition, premium audio and sports suspension.
Standard safety equipment
Stability control, front and head/thorax front seat side airbags, rollover sensors with automatic activation of pop up rollover protection bars for rear seat passengers, turning headlights and automatic high beam dipping.
The convertible has not yet been crash tested, but the 3 Series sedan scored five stars out of five in Euro NCAP tests.
Selected options
Lots, including active cruise control $1800; active steering $2700; 19 inch alloys $1400; alarm $900 and the big gouge: $1600 for metallic paint. Oh, and if you want a pair of lovely metal gearshift paddles on the wheel, for the sequential automatic, that will cost you another $200.
Warranty
Three years/unlimited kilometres.
Retained value
Around 60 per cent after three years, according to Redbook (330ci convertible).
Design and function
Ergonomics
There's ample seat and steering wheel adjustability to suit any physique.
BMW's avante garde 3 Series interior, especially the sweeping, minimalist look dash, has its problems and critics but each time we drive one we're more impressed. It makes many other cars look like yesterday.
The iDrive knob/cursor/screen system for audio, navigation, airconditioning and information has now been supplemented by eight “favourite” buttons, which effectively allow you to bypass its complexities.
BMW still can't do an in-dash six stack CD, which is annoying if you spend a lot of time in the car. BMW's stacker lives in the boot. Still, you can now plug your iPod into the audio system but you have to pay extra for the USB interface that allows you to view the iPod menu on screen and use the steering wheel controls to move through your playlist.
Vision around the car with the roof up is pretty good by convertible standards.
Technical details
- The E93 335i convertible is a claimed 50 per cent more torsionally stiff than its predecessor.
- It has a power operated folding metal roof.
- It weighs 1735-1750 kg, which is 210kg more than the E90 335i coupé.
- The 3.0 litre twin turbo straight six, as used in the 335i sedan, coupé and convertible, won the 2007 International Engine of the Year award.
- The engine produces 225kW of power at 5800rpm and 400Nm of torque from 1300-5000rpm.
- Suspension is the same MacPherson strut front/five link independent rear layout as the 3 Series sedan and coupé, with specific spring and damper rates.
- The 335i runs on 18” alloy wheels with 225/40 front and 255/35 rear runflat tyres.
Security
The 3 Series sedan scored 102.5 points out of a possible 120 points in the NRMA Insurance security ratings. Data Dot identification is a significant deterrent against theft, while the folding metal roof offers security advantages over a softop.
Comfort
The sporty, luxurious driver's seat is a very comfortable place to spend time. It's upholstered in rich, thick leather and supports you in all the right places.
Space and practicality
Rear seat access is a bit tedious, as you have to wait for the power adjustable front seat to do its thing and let you in to the back. Tall front seat occupants create tight leg room in the back seat, which is also a lot squeezier than in the coupé. Four average size adults fit reasonably comfortably, though, with head room sufficient for those up to 180 cm or so. The seat itself is hardly luxurious, but the firm cushion and backrest are tolerable on a short trip.
Roof down or up takes 25 seconds or so. Roof down with the windows up it's reasonably calm; an optional wind deflector reduces turbulence, but you can't carry rear seat passengers.
There's adequate space with the roof up but very little when it's packed away. The 335i has less useful space than most; there's only 19 mm available for storage under the roof panels, and 86 mm of the boot's 143 mm width. You'll end up carrying your gear in the back seat.
Build and finish quality
On one car we drove body shake was minimal; on the other it was more pronounced.
Big hits to the rear can bend the convertible, with an accompanying bang from the doors and the roof/windscreen mating surfaces when the roof is up.
One car had a couple of drivetrain gremlins. The engine had to be cranked for several seconds sometimes before it would fire up. Its electronic accelerator was abnormally touchy in the initial stage of its travel, to the extent that the car would leap forward too quickly from a standstill or walking pace if you so much as twitched your right foot.
The torque converter in the automatic also seemed far too harsh in engagement, especially when the transmission shifted from first to second, which occasionally happened with a very un-BMW like clunk. We haven't experienced these problems on other BMWs.
At higher speeds everything worked fine, so the problem may have been faulty off-idle synchronisation in the accelerator/engine/transmission electronic control unit.
The other car had an occasional problem with the roof, which would stop midway through the lowering procedure for no apparent reason. After a few pushes on the button it would again cooperate.
The iDrive controller in both test cars occasionally would not respond to perform the chosen function when pressed.
On the road
Fuel efficiency
European test figures are 14.9 litres/100km city (14.4 auto) and 7.0 litres/100km highway (7.3 auto). 95 octane premium unleaded is recommended. CO2 emissions are 238g/km. The 335i scores three and a half stars out of five in the Green Vehicle Guide.
Performance
In our test of the 335i coupé the 3.0 litre twin turbo six made it abundantly clear just why it took the honours as the world's top power plant for 2007.
It delivers the golden trifecta - performance, refinement and economy - and is immensely enjoyable to work with. Its turbo assistance is well disguised, a deliberate strategy on BMW's part. In most respects, particularly in the linear nature of its delivery, it feels more like a naturally aspirated engine.
The automatic convertible reaches 100km/h in just 6.1 seconds, about half a second slower than the coupé due to its 200 extra kilograms.
As mentioned earlier, we had problems with the six speed auto in one car, but in both it did seem to notice the extra weight of the convertible, perhaps because its shift mapping had not been properly recalibrated for the extra weight. Shifts seemed less well timed, and harsher at times, than in other BMWs.
Handling, steering and braking
BMW makes its cars so they work with you and are easy to drive. The convertible responds precisely to your inputs, has an athletic quality that most four seater convertibles lack and steers with effortless precision.
Its suspension is softer than the coupé to compensate for the less rigid body, so there's more body roll, float and pitch. Its light rebound damping, especially at the rear, can be tripped on very rough roads, unsettling the car momentarily, while the front suspension can bottom out with a bang.
Braking performance is fine, though outright power is only average.
The test car's swivelling bi-xenon headlights were supplemented with auto high to low beam (and back to high beam), which worked better than expected. They could sometimes be tricked into low beam when the high beam bounced back off a reflective road sign, and they were occasionally a touch late going back to low (you need line of sight to an oncoming car's headlights) but on a long night drive no other drivers flashed me, so to that extent this is useful, effective technology.
Ride
The Michelin runflat tyres hang on well, are quiet and, together with the softer suspension, offer a more compliant ride than on the coupé, though it is still less absorbent than some four seater open tops.
Smoothness and quietness
Roof up the BMW is nearly as quiet as the coupé, another advantage of folding metal roof style convertibles. The BMW straight six is renowned as the smoothest set of six cylinders in the business.
Summary
Given its price and badge, BMW's 335i is disappointing. It should be the class leader, but problems with the test cars and a lack of body rigidity are not commensurate with its pricetag. There are much better value convertibles around - try the VW Eos, for example - and if you want a BMW for driving rather than being seen in, then the 335i coupé or sedan will be more satisfying.
The writer of this report does not necessarily represent the views of the NRMA and this report is provided for you as an alternative to our own NRMA car reviews.
The writer of this report does not necessarily represent the views of the NRMA and this report is provided for you as an alternative to our own NRMA car reviews.
