I bought a 335d in August, and I had previously been driving a 2002 Audi S8 with all-wheel drive. The 335d, I believe, has a limited slip differential. Even with DTC and ESP (both types of electronically manaaged traction/stability control programs) disabled, it does not seem to route power to the wheel with less traction. And with traction control enabled, it is very well mannered in the snow. I put Blizzak WS-60s on it in December. I also used dedicated winter tires on my all-wheel drive M-B R500 and Audi S8, so even with great winter tires, the 335d isn’t any match for the all-wheel drive in terms of plowing through snow that is deeper than the ground clearance of the vehicle, but the 335d goes just fine in snow. As I discovered on my first rear-drive car (a 1994 Mazda 929 WITHOUT any traction control), winter tires still enable me to pull away from snow-packed intersections faster than most SUVs that don’t have winter rubber.

On the subject of the supreme confidence of all-wheel drive versus the higher level of male adolescent pleasure that one can derive from rear-wheel drive, I can appreciate both sides of that argument. In the S8, the most impressive demonstration I can do is to floor the accelerator from a stop, launching immediately into a turn. That car puts all 360 horsepower to the pavement in a stunning, drama-free fashion that is nearly beyond belief. Trying those antics in the 335d results in burnt rubber or traction control prematurely ending the fun. But I must say that the 335d steering feel, braking feel, and overall handling in most driving situations is significantly superior to the flagship Audi.

The 335d (which, though smaller, weighs nearly as much as the all-aluminum Audi) has 95 fewer horsepower, but covers zero to 60 as fast and feels faster than the Audi in every situation that I can think of. While the Audi gives an intoxicating rush as it touches its 7,000 rpm redline (and only then achieves 360 horsepower), the BMW–after a split second needed to spin up the turbos–feels like it has a foot on your chest, shoving you into the back of the seat. And it, too, sounds fantastic when revved to its limit. It is just more baritone, as an early poster said. If the tach were unlabeled, most people would never imagine that it shifts under full throttle at 4,500 rpms max. It sounds like a very quiet diesel at idle–especially when started cold in the winter–but inside the cabin, the engine soundtrack is outstanding!

Matt

My spouse says we will be retired in a few days and can stay home during extreme Minnesota weather. But, it is the road hugging I love, even in good weather.

I know most people like burning rubber, smoke from one tire, tread left on the concrete, front end raises up and a little fish tailing. But, I love the confidence I feel when I apply power and know the car will go the direction I want.

Does the 335d put all the power on the wheel with the least traction? I think that is how normal cars work.

Everything about this car exceeds my expectations, with the single exception of the auto dimming bright headlamps (which don’t seem to work at all). This is the first time I can recall having my fantasy about something surpassed by the reality. I can’t recommend this car highly enough.

Best to test drive one – you’ll know if you like it or not after the test drive.

I am happy to say that the 335d is simply perfect. It is quiet, it has the same feel to drive as the 335i. It is not lacking in acceleration. The mileage improvement is significant. I commute about 100 miles per day to and from work and I am giddy about the MPG I am seeing.

The only difference I can say is obvious is that the acceleration of the 335i was a higher pitched winding sound while the diesel is a low pitch, more “throaty” sound. I hesitate to even mention this because it is not significant, but that is the most obvious difference I can tell.

I had a 2007 335i sedan with 77k miles on it and now I have the 2010 335d sedan and couldn’t be happier!