Finally ready to buy another BMW

[yura]

Got rid of my Mercedes yesterday, and now the hunt begins. I've been searching for a local~ish ZHP for the last couple months and have given up on finding anything clean, so Im now looking into the E90. Specifically the 330i and 335i, and preferably manual.

Looks like there's about $4-5k difference between the models (locally) of comparable mileage/features. The extra power of the 335i would be sweet, but I'm not sure it's worth the extra $5k and higher maintenance/worse reliability.

What would you do? (Let's assume these two cars are the only options.)

[BimmerWill]

Personally I would opt for the 335...easily can get more power out of it if you feel the need. If you wanted to do the same with the 330i you'd be shelling out close to that 5k just to put you up to where the 335 is stock maybe a little more. I'm not real familiar with what performance options are available for the newer models. Either way I think you would be happier with the 335...may be a little more of a drama queen but I'm guessing you're used to maintenance and DIY so no biggie.

Now just need to decide on N54 or N55 lol

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[Torxuvin]

335. May as well if you are going with an e90. Lots of easy power. Should be a newer car. (If you need to get a loan, it can help you find a lower interest rate)

[yura]

The 330 I was thinking of is no go. The dealer wants too much for it (18.2 + tax), considering there are 335's for low 20's.

What are the main pros/cons of N54 vs N55? I'm at work, so gotta keep car-related googling down

[yura]

Ah, looks like the N55 debuted in '09 cars - those are a bit out of my price range. Don't want to get a loan for this car, so if I get a 335, it'll be an '07, or maaaybe an '08.

[Avetiso]

335i

[BimmerWill]

From what I've gathered the N55 is an updated version of the N54. There are subtle differences between the two but the biggest one people talk about is in regards to moving from a twin turbo (N54) to a twin scroll (N55) which is said to help alleviate more boost lag and make power at the lower end of the tach as well as the higher end achieving best of both worlds.

From a tuning standpoint the N54 has a much better market at this point due to it being an older generation and seems to handle it very well. It is not unheard of to achieve 405 to the wheels in these cars with some pretty simple bolt ons and a tune.

The problem the N55 seems to be having is that where it is newer not too many companies have been able to crack it open yet in order to achieve the same kind of power gains. This may change in the coming months to years but at this point N54 seems to be the way to go.

Additionally with the somewhat unique manifold and turbo setup of the N55 should you later choose to upgrade it will be a little more difficult to find a good setup without spending some decent cash.

Bottom line they are both solid motors and have both one motor of the year (N54 for a number of straight years) so you can't really go wrong. The majority of the decision comes down to personal preference and what you plan to do with the car.

If you do rhd up getting an N54 make sure the HPF has been replaced on it. I'm not sure if the N55 has had as much problems but the N54's were plagued with failing fuel pumps until they got them sorted out.

I'm sure someone with more knowledge than I can give you more information should you feel so inclined to inquire further about the two motors and their differences.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[Alex]

I'd avoid 07's like the plague due their first gen nature, stick with 08+. Both the N54/N55's are known to have the HPFP issue, but BMW has extended coverage for the part, so I wouldn't let that be a huge deterrence. N55 has two-fewer CAT's to deal with, lesser turbo-lag, only one turbo to replace instead of two... N55 if you can swing it is my vote. If not, the N54 still has tons of support. You'll enjoy either engine as it comes to performance.

[yura]

Thanks for the info, guys. I'm very aware of the HPFP issues (and a neighbour of mine recently got introduced to the problem the hard way), but I'm not too worries about it since the warranty coverage for it is pretty good.

Not much choices around here, and I can't be without a car for too long. There's an '07 335xi with 35k miles for sale for a decent price - unfortunately it's auto. I think I will still check it out though.

[HokieZHP]

I just got a 2007 335i coupe and love it. The extra power is nice to have and there's nothing better than punching it in 2nd and hearing the turbos spool up before you get thrown back into your seat! I was lucky enough to find a low mileage one (30k) that had the HPFP replaced and I just had the turbos replaced. No other issues so far after 2k miles.