ProMed

That is a very different comparison imo. A M3 has 415hp with an available dual clutch and all the M goodies. Stock it's a full second faster in both 0-60 and the 1/4 mile compared to the 335i. The 535 & 550 are almost identical stock with just few tenths difference between the two. M3 vs 335 is more inline with M5 vs 550.

Your mileage is great. More than 50% better than a lot of guys are reporting for city driving.

phlfly

E46 M3 is just 330hp, where 335 is 300 hp, so it's very close. It's newer M3 has 415 hp. I was referring 535 to M5.

ProMed

Gotcha, I missed that you were talking about the old M3. Didn't realize you were talking 535 vs M5 since you didn't say it and that's something that hasn't been mentioned in this thread.

So, dealing with the old M3, I'm very interested to know how you came up with "all races came to one conclusion: E46 M3 much faster." If you were talking only of a curvy road course, I could see that. But you did say "all races".

Edmunds did a comparison of the E46 M3, 135i, and 335i: http://www.insideline.com/bmw/m3/200...-bmw-335i.html

E46 M3
Horsepower (hp @ rpm) 333 @ 7900
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm) 262 @ 4900
0-45 mph (sec.) 3.7
0-60 mph (sec.) 5.4
0-75 mph (sec.) 8
1/4-mile (sec. @ mph) 13.7 @ 103.3

335i
Horsepower (hp @ rpm) 300 @ 5,800
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm) 300 @ 1,400
0-45 mph (sec.) 3.6
0-60 mph (sec.) 5.2
0-75 mph (sec.) 7.6
1/4-mile (sec. @ mph) 13.5 @ 103.7

So.. the car that was supposed to be "much faster" was slower in all measured categories for this one test.

btw- the 135i obviously smoked them both.

MisterMike

I'll just toss in my experiences, without pretending to subscribe to any particular engine religion. I bought a CPO 535xi that I think balances the considerations of utility, economy and performance pretty well.

First, living in the Chicago area and frequently finding myself on the road in the winter months, I've come to believe that AWD is essential for my primary winter vehicle. Others may debate that, claiming that great snow tires make up the difference, but my experience has been that it's not even a close call. If you need to move in bad weather, AWD (or 4WD) is where it's at. Vancouver's got a pretty mild climate, but if you find yourself driving in icy or snowy conditions to any extent, go for an AWD model.

I've installed a Cobb Accessport tune on my 535. The dyno numbers vary from one vehicle to the next, but most tests with the N54 powerplant have confirmed a HP/torque increase on the order of 30% and 38%, respectively, rendering the 535 pretty darned quick. Quicker, in my experience, than a stock 545 and at least in the same ballpark as the 550. Of course, your priorities may vary, and pretty much any car can be made faster than another by lavishing money on modifications. One good thing about the sort of mod I've adopted for my 535 is that it retains the fuel efficiency advantages of the six-cylinder engine. On the highway, running in the speed range of 75-80 (only where legal, of course ), I average 28-29 mpg. My overall mileage, per the trip computer, runs in the 22 mpg-plus range, with a fair amount of city driving in the mix.

So, the combination of AWD and excellent performance, combined with excellent gas mileage, makes the 535 the right choice for me.

I'll note, not entirely as an aside, that during the first couple of months of ownership I had a persistent problem with a #2 cylinder misfire. It took several trips to the dealership, with swaps of coil packs, plugs, and injectors to get it to go away. The N54 engine can be finicky, but since my initial bout of misfire issues--solved apparently by a new injector--the car's run perfectly.

Best of luck.