BMW 335d Three-Month Test Report and Review
Three months after picking up the Montego Blue BMW 335d at the BMW Welt delivery center in Munich, it continues to provide consistent Freude am Fahren. 
Aside from one letter on the decklid badge, there is little in outward appearance that distinguishes the 335d from its petrol-powered counterpart, the 335i. Yet driving a 335d does make a very clear statement to the world, one that says “I want incredible fuel economy without sacrificing performance.” To put this more in BMW terms, “I want the ultimate fuel economy machine.”
The 335d does this by combining sports-car acceleration with exemplary fuel economy, and then adding in comfort and attention to detail. Indeed, this very combination may be the forerunner of a new breed of luxury-performance sedans.
The 3er Series was first introduced in 1975 as the successor to the 2002, the car that first defined the sports sedan. Since then, the BMW 3er Series has continued to define this genre and it is the car that other car makers try to emulate.
The 3er doesn’t attempt to pamper the driver and passengers; instead, it focuses on a driving experience that is unlike any other. One can recognize a 3er Series driver: he’s the one who is grinning from ear to ear after every trip. The 335d driver is grinning even more as he knows how much fuel he saving with every trip.
The 335d was launched in the U.S. in 2009 as a four-door sedan in conjunction with a mild redesign of that body style. As a result, the 3er Series sedan bears a much stronger familial resemblance to the new 5er and 7er Series sedans. The front looks wider and sports new headlights and a bolder bumper/spoiler. More prominent longitudinal hood lines frame the hood’s power dome. New taillights and a more pronounced character line complete the look.
The 335d’s three-liter six-cylinder inline twin-turbo diesel engine with common-rail, high-pressure direct fuel injection with piezo injectors and two-stage turbo charging produces 265 hp and an incredible 425 pound-feet of torque. To put the car’s power into perspective, the M3 generates a mere 295 pound-feet of torque. There’s so much torque that BMW had to use electronics to keep the rear tires from spinning out of control.
BMW designed the 335d’s turbocharger system to negate turbo lag by using one fast-and-small turbocharger for initial acceleration with a second, larger turbo that takes over as engine speed rises. As a result, there is no noticeable turbo lag.
The BMW 335d is also the most fuel-efficient cars BMW of North America has ever sold and can travel almost 40% farther on a tank of fuel than its gasoline-powered sibling. I’ve gone several weeks without having to fill the tank and I could drive from New York to Washington, D.C. and back (round trip 750 km or 466 miles) without having to stop to refuel.
So after three months and several thousand kilometers (keep in mind that the car spent a month in transit getting from Munich to New York), how does it drive? Suffice it to say that the 335d is the most sought-after car at The Diesel Driver and the driving experience combined with fuel economy is simply unparalleled. Click here to continue to page 2.
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Jonathan,
I’m curious, you write that “While a manual transmission isn’t available (BMW says that a manual transmission that could handle the engine’s torque would be cost-prohibitive),” you reported earlier that the 2011 530d will have a manual. Is it fair to assume that the 2011 335d will follow suit as well? Thanks, Robert
These models are available in Europe with manual transmissions. The main problem is EPA/etc. qualification costs for U.S. markets, which are apparently judged as too anemic to justify importing BOTH transmissions. Americans need to appreciate the virtues of manual transmission enough to justify imports.
Robert, if BMW NA offered the 330d, it would come standard with a manual transmission. What is available in the 530d doesn´t really relate to the 335d.
Jonathan, I guess it will all become clearer in June, when supposedly the model announcements for NA will be announced. I wonder if I could pick up a manual transmission model in Germany as part of the buy/drive program? We’ll see. Robert
I’ve had my 335d since 8/09 and I love it. I haven’t seen very many around PA though. Are they not selling well? Or maybe just not in the snowy states?
[...] friend Jonathan over at The Diesel Report published his report on the BMW 335d after three months of [...]
335d cannot be bought in Europe with a manual transmission either. It really is automatic only.
330d and 530d are available with manual but that is a less powerful engine (single turbo, not twin).
@E.M. Bergman. The 335d isn’t available in Europe with manual transmission, nor anywhere else for that matter. Your reasoning is valid however and it may be that even if this were available, you still would not receive it over there.
I’ve had my 335d since the beginning of the year and while I absolutely love it, I’ve only gotten 29mpg out of it so far, far less than I had expected. It seems to be going up (I’m at 6000 miles) as the car breaks in, though. Also, I’m not gentle on it
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Regarding getting only 29mpg…. I have a 335i auto and I’ve gotten 22.5-23mpg over a year, and that is with 95% freeway driving. This is also significantly less than expected based on the mikeae rating. But everything is relative, and clearly your 335d is getting significantly better mileage than my 335i.
What surprised me the most is that I went from a 1999 540iA Sport (4.4L V8) to my 335i. On the 540iA I got 21.5mpg, and so I’m only getting about 1mpg improvement with the 335i despite it being a smaller car (though not sure if it Is lighter) with a 6-cylinder. For ten year newer technology and all those bimmer buzz words in the 3-series, I was expecting a much bigger mpg improvement….
I have a 2007 335xi, and on the highway (away from city congestion), I can get about 25-26 mpg without trying hard — generally cruising around 80 mph with very liberal use of the gas pedal. However, city driving in Chicago is a totally different story. Also, I have the standard 17″ wheels — at least for now
i’ve had this car since november, and trust me, you don’t need a manual transmission, i still get chills driving my 335d. i have the paddles, and its so wonderful. The best bmw i’ve ever had. i love it. ps i sometimes go a month and forget i need to put fuel in.
[...] de la The Diesel Report a publicat un raport dupa ce timp de trei luni a condus un BMW [...]
As for fuel efficiency it seems to depend a lot on city vs highway and how aggressive you are. Leisurely highway cruising after car is fully warmed up seems to get about 40 mpg. Overall combined is closer to 30 for my usual short trips to work and back.
I have had my 335d for 2 months now, and have driven it 3000 miles. I agree with those who wrote it gives them chills to drive theirs. Who knew that a car could completely turn around your feelings about going to work?
I am getting an average of 33 mpg overall since I bought it, not bad considering the first 2000 miles I was running snow tires. About half of my 30 miles to work is on Interstate at about 80 MPH.
Yesterday I pulled up at a self service station and had an attendant run up to me to try to prevent me from “accidentally” putting diesel fuel in my BMW. That alone was almost worth the cost of admission.
I wanted to update my previous post about the auto-dimming headlights not working properly. Once the inspection sticker was removed from residence atop the sensor the auto-dimming feature worked great. Another learning experience for my dealer.
This is by far the sweetest car I have ever driven. I can recommend it without reservation. I am totally satisfied with the automatic transmission.
[...] Read the rest of this article » April 22nd, 2010 | Category: Reviews, Test Drive [...]
I was expecting amazing fuel economy numbers, but the numbers reported totally underwhelm me. I am in the market for a replacement to my ’04 Jaguar XJ8. This is a V8 VVT DOHC 32 valve 4.2L unit that produces 300HP and 310lb/f.
“So what” you might be asking? Well the car is made entirely out of AL and consequently weighs in at ~3700 lbs. Not bad for a car that is longer and wider than my wifes durango.
Over the last 1500 miles I have got 23.5MPG at and average speed of 35MPH and on a recent 400 mile trip I averaged 31.2MPG at a average speed of 75MPH. Not too bad for a V8.
[...] diesel-powered autos, the BMW 335d and the Volkswagen Golf TDI, were among the Kelley Blue Book (KBB) Top 10 Green Cars for [...]
[...] two 5er Series, the classic E39 5er Series and the controversial E60, and my current daily drive is a BMW 335d. To me, the new F10 is the best of all worlds. It combines the essence of the E39’s classic [...]
[...] for example, the BMW 3er Series. In the U.S., the BMW 335d is available only as a four-door sedan (internal code E90). In order to make an accurate [...]
Why is xdrive not offered for the 335d?
Anybody with any experience with the RWD in the snow? Does the ESC make up for not having (at least) FWD and, better yet, AWD? I currently am driving a ’03 330xi (in Buffalo, NY!!) BTW, I really love the idea of a more efficient but great-to-drive BMW….
2011 model
Just about 1400 miles on it, mostly hwy, some interstate and some winding Texas country roads (with 90degree turns)can you see my smile from here.
Hwy at 80mph (CC) 31.4mpg on the return at 70mph (cc)35.1 then dropped to 31 due to construction, however the GPS system assisted me with alternate routes to take and shaved some down time.
The country roads trip was slightly more aggressive but not overly aggresive on the brakes or on acceleration, just smooth really smooth. It’s not my work car so I really look forward to evenings and weekends. I really like the torque!
We have had our 335d for a little over a year.
I was worried about the torque in the snow, so I got snow tires…
The torque control (anti-skid) system keeps the Beemer right on track… felt just as confident driving it as I did driving my MB 4matic.
Great car, impressive power with fuel mileage as an added bonus.
The bad: The car has been in the shop for over a month since we got it. Currently an injector is bad and being replaced. Prior to that their was a recall on the smog system (exhaust filter?… wtf?), and the central computer had to be replaced and it took them three tries to figure it out. Guess that is what you get when you are an early adopter… Great car, but the reliability issues are big distractions.
I have now had my 335 since mid February of 2010. I have 8725 miles on it, total fuel consumption 251 gallons, an aerage of 34.7 MPG overall. Best milage overall was 37.2 over a 500 mile stretch. I live in north-central Vermont, have driven in almost every imaginable condition. RWD in snow is just fine with snow tires on all 4 wheels. My driveway is a 10% grade, and I had to sand it once to get up the drive, not an unexpected happening. No need for any service yet of any kind, it’s been flawless. My one complaint is difficulty finding diesel fuel stations with the proper sized nozzle to fit in and be accepted by the safety devices BMW has put on the car – it would have been better to leave this responsibility up to me. I have been inconvenienced 5 times and had to buy more expensive fuel because I could not get the nozzle to fit.
I love my car, every trip in it brings me happiness…
Thanks for the info about snow driving with the 335d. I settled on a 335i with X-drive; too many imponderables on the d. However, the xi needed re-programming of the ignition system at 900 miles for a cylinder fault and a rough few days of driving.
Owen, My 335d has the stock all season tires that come with the non-sport package. I HAVE gotten stuck in the snow on hills in Allentown. It would certainly be better if I put dedicated snows on it, but I keep an old FWD car around for snowy days. You probably made a good choice on the 335xi especially if you have to depend on it for snowy days.
[...] models did outsell their petrol equivalents in specific months. In April 2010, for example, the BMW 335d outsold the 335i by a ratio of 6 to 5. In May 2010, the BMW X5 xDrive35d outsold the X5 xDrive30i [...]
Hi all,
Came across this site as I’m awaiting delivery of my 2011 335d. It’s about to leave port in Germany, so hopefully I’ll have it in another 2-3 weeks.
I have to say, your stories have made me even more excited about getting it. This is my first BMW, and I’m so happy I’ve found there’s a car out there combines great looks, performance, and environmental-friendliness (besides maybe the Tesla roadster). Although, after test driving the 335d, I also drove the new 2011 550i sedan which (at $70k list) is easily the most jaw-droppingly beautiful car I’ve even been in, let alone have driven. And its twin turbo V8 gets something like 25mpg highway.
Anyway, enough about the 550i. My 335d has the Sport package (although not M sport), and I see that it comes with summer tires. Can someone recommend a good snow tire for the 335d?
Live in Northern NJ, and now that I’m getting one, I look for others. Have yet to see one on the road.
Thanks,
John
I have 20,000 miles on my 2009 335d after only one year. It is my 45th new car over a 54-year period. I have had Porches, Mercedes, Audis, Lexus LS (two), nine BMWs and lots of other, mostly Japanese, cars.
This car is the most satisfying car I have ever driven, much less owned. I seriously doubt that it will be possible to improve on it during my lifetime. My previous car, a Lexus LS460, was considerably more luxurious but I will never, never, go back. The 335d is far from the best passenger car but as a driver’s car it is just about perfect. The combination of performance, fuel economy and driver involvement is simply unequaled.
Greetings,
I purchased a 2011 335d about two weeks ago. I had been driving a 2003 VW Jetta TDI, a diesel model that I modified with ecu rechipping and bigger injectors. It is really fun to drive and still gets better than 45 mpg. Why am I telling you this? Because I could not find a fuel efficient, fun to drive car to replace it. Including new Jetta TDIs. Boring. Until I found the 335d. Didn’t think I would spend this on a car, but I am glad I did. Even though I like manuals, this car is a hoot!
Just drove the 335d at the BMW Ultimate Event. I have had a 330i sport for the last 6 years, so that’s my basis. the Diesel is very interesting, with huge power from 1700 to 3500. the automatic rips off shifts like a motocross bike. Driven sanely, it feels like a V8 from stoplights. the car was set up with the M sports suspension, like my car, so the comparison was good.
Chassis is almost the same, factoring for fresh shocks. The feel is no different from the E46 to the E90.
While the 330i continues to run big, the 335d would be a viable choice against the 335i. I think the torque of the D would be more usable in the real world than the “all up top” power of the gas turbo.
Since my last Diesel was/were two Rabbit Diesels, I was quite impressed with how far things had come.
An insight to BMW’s marketing…the only 3 series with sport suspension at this event was the diesel……and I’m a sport suspension snob with BMW.
If my much loved E46 blew up, I’d go for the d. Bravo !!!!!
[...] combination of sports-car acceleration with exemplary fuel economy was something we noted in our Three-Month Review and this sets the BMW 335d apart from the other diesel-powered autos available in the U.S. We [...]
I just purchased a 2011 335d with the M Package in July, simply stated…. this car is incredible! There is a slight delay in the shifting when using the paddle shifters, but nothing too significant. Nothing on the road has been able to touch this car when accelerating from a rolling start. Add to this performance the staggering fuel economy, and you have an absolute winner.