Before I start, I just wanted to say; It certainly has been a while since I have written on this website, and though I’m not entirely sure how often I’ll be able to write on this webpage I will do my best to continue uploading content. Thank you so much for those who have been visiting this website and reading my articles. With that said, on with the car review!
Timelessly smooth look, still comfy yet firm sport seats, a German 2JZ and a 6 speed gearbox. It really is the perfect recipe for a car. This 335i, was no ordinary car-no SIR-her name was Ellie.
As with most automotive decisions a car guy makes in his lifetime, purchasing Ellie was definitely a big mistake going into it and I knew, but every minute of the ownership experience was also worth every penny. In the seven-ish months that I owned the car for, I put approximately 17k miles on the car–needless to say, I drove the hell out of that car and here’s what I loved about it.
Ellie had the JB4 tune on, along with the Stage 2 Burger motorsports performance bits tacked on (such as the cold air intake and the intercooler). I had a catless downpipes installed a little bit into ownership of the vehicle as well which only made all the right pops and crackles. I can still remember those morning cold starts like it’s happening right in front of me (well the cold starts were, 99% of the time, behind me, but you get the idea).
With all the modifications done to the car, Ellie made about 420 horsepower to the wheel and about 440 lb/ft of torque which was, honestly scary at times but man was she fun. As soon as her twin turbos spooled up, she launched forward as if to take off to Germany. If only she had wings, I might have hit her top speed at some point. The best part though, was how surprisingly nimble yet precise the steering was. I have driven countless cars while I was working at dealerships and detail shops, but no car manufacturer gets the steering weight better than BMW. Those who, have driven or, are driving BMWs will know; not too heavy, not too light. Its juuuuuust right.
With so much power under the hood and having had summer tires on the car for the majority of the time I owned the car for, I have to admit to a few scary encounters on the highway– in Ellie’s defense it was only during the rainy season, though I guess that’s every season considering I live in the Pacific Northwest… Regardless though, for the times when I wasn’t hydroplaning, the BMW steering never failed to put a grin on my face.
Now, on to the practicality of the vehicle. Me being single and all, I never really encountered major issues with not having enough room for people except for the times when I tried to fit any more than a friend or two along with me. Which in retrospect, happened about 2-3 times a week but it couldn’t be too bad…. Right? Or so I thought. As much as I loved my 335i, especially having installed two 10-inch subs with a custom sub-box in the trunk, I have to say that storage throughout the car was minimal. I constantly found myself filling interior of the car with bags and, during the times when I was going on a road trip or going camping, I would have to set the camping gear in my car ever-so-gently in the efforts of trying not to damage the car’s interior trim. I’m not at all discrediting the build quality of the car, its just that, though it did not affect my comfort in the car, there were a few times I had to stop myself from really having fun because being impaled through the chest by a tent pole did not sound like the best way to spend my Saturday afternoon.
All in all, if I had to condense my entire ownership experience into a single sentence, it would be this; No matter how much fun it may be, buying a 10 year old BMW has been, and it always will take a financial toll unless you have a few pretty pennies saved up. And even then, the car will have depreciated even more than what you bought it for and you could easily break a back with all the maintenance that you have to do. However, at the end of the day, us car guys do it for the sheer passion for these beautiful beasts and I will never forget the adrenaline rush that comes from nailing the shift in to third gear and dashing off into the sunset with the twin turbos whistling louder than the ref’s whistle at the end of a soccer game.
Was it a rough ownership experience? I’d have to be stupid to say no, but; would I do it all over again? You bet your sweet German a** I will.
The Road Tripp 
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