Vs Autocar: S5 vs. 335i

[JLBM]

I really don't like it when so-called respected magazines make technical errors. The 335i does not have a small and large turbo working sequentially. It has two small turbos of equal size and spin rate.

 

[RICHBOY]

I said this many times before. BMW has really taken this segment to another level with the 335i, which is priced at the same level as the previous 330i.

In the past, you needed spend $68-75000 (Cdn dollars) to get a base B6/7 S4, E46 M3, or W203 C55. Now, you can spend around $50000 to get a base 335i and get very close (sometimes slightly superior) levels of performance to those older cars.

MB and Audi have NOTHING in their stable to match the 335i's performance in that price range. That's why the 335i is such a good car.....it is excellent value.

Why would a A5 cost the same as a 335i? Both cars have attractive exteriors but only one car has and amazing interior to match. The interior of the A/S5 is stunning, you'd be hard pressed to hear someone say that about the 3-Series. BMW invest the bulk of their resources in the performance department, where Audi invest a great deal into performance and interior design.

 

[klier]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I think the interior of a 3er looks better than the A5.

And I am not even going to start about engine refinement, driving dynamics, RWD FUN, interior space, handling, balance and aftermarket tuners/BMW individual.

Oh, how I love these threads on internal combustion...grudge match...

 

[Tarek]

^^Well the S5 has a well refined engine as the BMW if not better coz it's a NA engine,plus better int,equal driving fun and handling so IMO the S5 is more of a car than the 335i.

 

[Zafiro]

^^Well the S5 has a well refined engine as the BMW if not better coz it's a NA engine,plus better int,equal driving fun and handling so IMO the S5 is more of a car than the 335i.

well, 335i engine won "International Engine of the year" , "Best New Engine" and "2.5-litre to 3-litre" awards 2007, S5 didnt get any award at all
Im a N/A lover into the bones but N/A isnt always the best.

Another thing that speaks for this turbo the engine 335i is fuel efficient, fuel consumption is very low compared to a V8 but still offer the same performance, not bad.

 

[Yperion]

I really don't like it when so-called respected magazines make technical errors. The 335i does not have a small and large turbo working sequentially. It has two small turbos of equal size and spin rate.

You are right:

BMW Biturbo 3.0-liter Engine - RSportsCars.com

The 3.0 lt turbo diesel has one small and one bigger turbocharger:

Browser Warning

 

[chonkoa]

^^Well the S5 has a well refined engine as the BMW if not better coz it's a NA engine,plus better int,equal driving fun and handling so IMO the S5 is more of a car than the 335i.

I won't say that actually. One is 4.2 litre V8 while the other is 3.0 litre TTI6.
If anything, it is a testament to the beauty of the 335i engine

 

[RICHBOY]

^^Well the S5 has a well refined engine as the BMW if not better coz it's a NA engine,plus better int,equal driving fun and handling so IMO the S5 is more of a car than the 335i.

I honestly don't believe these cars attract the same type of buyers.

 

[Zafiro]

I honestly don't believe these cars attract the same type of buyers.

I agree with you to some point. At least in Sweden majority of the buyers will choose between 335i and A5 3.2Q since they almost have the same price.

 

[Matt]

I really don't like it when so-called respected magazines make technical errors. The 335i does not have a small and large turbo working sequentially. It has two small turbos of equal size and spin rate.

I noticed that too----

Learn the cars before you publish-dumb asses.

 

[martinbo]

I really don't like it when so-called respected magazines make technical errors. The 335i does not have a small and large turbo working sequentially. It has two small turbos of equal size and spin rate.

Bugger. You beat me to it...

You're quite right. This is the problem when journo's get their petrol and diesel turbocharged sixes confused. A shameful mistake. One then wonders what credibility the author has in truly disseminating the salient characteristics of these two vehicles in an objective fashion.

 

[LonghornTX]

Bugger. You beat me to it...

You're quite right. This is the problem when journo's get their petrol and diesel turbocharged sixes confused. A shameful mistake. One then wonders what credibility the author has in truly disseminating the salient characteristics of these two vehicles in an objective fashion.

I noticed this too, I am glad somebody else caught it already. I noticed the same mistake in an edmunds article .

 

[VroomVroom]

The BMW too big...where as the audi look's agresive and smaller...personally i would have the audi A5..

 

[Mr Robert]

The BMW too big...where as the audi look's agresive and smaller...personally i would have the audi A5..

The Audi is larger and also looks it, by a good margi, both in pictures and in real life.

But then again, the 335i is just another 3-series and the S5 is, well a S-car and I think it looks pretty special.

 

[chonkoa]

The Audi is larger and also looks it, by a good margi, both in pictures and in real life.

But then again, the 335i is just another 3-series and the S5 is, well a S-car and I think it looks pretty special.

The 335i in my opinion is not just another 3er, it is an amazing 3er for a non M car.

I think what is remarkable about this car is how it goes about doing what it does best in an unassuming manner. Seriously it looks docile and so innocent but she (I think it is safe to call the 3er a she) ready to defend her territory with great ferocity, and attack with such agility that leaves her opponent bewildered.
She can take on an S4/5 or an A4 3.2 litre V6.

When she is dressed in her E92 dress, she is beauty to die for- yet her athleticism leaves her rivals with a feeling of awe.

 

[Mr Robert]

The 335i in my opinion is not just another 3er, it is an amazing 3er for a non M car.

Just that is what the ordinary 3-series has become. Quite extraordinary.

 

[Deutsch]

Well I've done some extensive reading today on both the E92 and A5 while in the local Barnes & Noble. Through my reading I made many findings that lead to an in depth analysis on both cars and their respective beginnings in their brands. If I make some points that you guys may already know, don't shoot the messenger, just stating the facts.

Basically the overall consensus on the A5 is that it's a modest but unsuccessful attempt to make their cars more dynamic and sporting. While the A5 is agile and has comparatively better steering than any of it's predecessors(basically all Audi's before it) it is only better in that respect and in the general sense offers decent feel with decent reflexes. It's also been said that the whole MLB platform is an evolution rather than a revolution for Audi. Aside from that there's split opinion on the styling but overall it tends to center on mediocrity. When it come to the lineup of A5 variants the 3.0 TDI takes the cake while the S5 is seen as a tool for covering vast expanses of land in short time, and the 3.2 is, well, mediocre. So a generic Audi product that pushes the dynamic envelope only sightly.

Inevitably many comparisons have been made between the E92 and B8 A5, more specifically the S5 and 335i(the base of this thread). The 335i is a far more engaging prospect only losing out in it's fundamental RWD layout vs. the S5's more dexterous AWD, but with more usable power that adds up to a more entertaining driving experience that's fun at the same time. The S5 on the other hand is just, fast, not a tool used for painting your own canvas on the road.

Reading a review or two on the 335i I made some rather alarming discoveries that I've pondered in the past, both here and in discussion with other car nuts , the concern develops from BMW's new engineering and recommended servicing practices; 1) It's been found by journalists that the 335i's engine oil heats considerably during modest driving, and under hard driving can send oil temps to 300 degrees, causing the computer to trigger "limp home" mode - a setting that allows the car to be driven only so fast at only so high an rpm in order to protect the engine when it senses it may be harmed if current driving behavior continues. This pisses on tracking the car for an extensive amount of time and tracking it in general. 2) With hot oil temps there's also the concern that the recommended 15.000 ml oil change intervals are too long and may have a negative side effect on the longevity of the engine. I should hope that BMW engineered the N54 to last a long long time and not a purposely short life span to keep BMW drivers in newer BMW's once the lease terminates in 4 yrs, leaving beaten N54's on the market as risky prospects. To boot it also seems as if BMW is starting to rely more on electronics to monitor the cars various operating functions, including checking the oil level(notice the lack of a dip stick in all new BMW's? there you go), I also question how long those pesky seat belt presenters in the E92 will fare in the long run, better yet how long those plastic arms will actually last?

All in all, having been a serious BMW fan since the age of 12 -flirting with Audi occasionally- I find it hard to turn my back on my favorite auto maker over their pushiness to be all things to all tech heads- which I am most certainly not- and while this is most certainly alarming, BMW is quite honestly the standard of the auto industry, and that's just not the cars, but what it takes to be successful in the business in a highly competitive industry. Beyond that there's nothing that quite matches the balance in handling and performance like a BMW for reasonable money- though the prices seem to be creeping up.

 

[RICHBOY]

Well I've done some extensive reading today on both the E92 and A5 while in the local Barnes & Noble. Through my reading I made many findings that lead to an in depth analysis on both cars and their respective beginnings in their brands. If I make some points that you guys may already know, don't shoot the messenger, just stating the facts.

Basically the overall consensus on the A5 is that it's a modest but unsuccessful attempt to make their cars more dynamic and sporting. While the A5 is agile and has comparatively better steering than any of it's predecessors(basically all Audi's before it) it is only better in that respect and in the general sense offers decent feel with decent reflexes. It's also been said that the whole MLB platform is an evolution rather than a revolution for Audi. Aside from that there's split opinion on the styling but overall it tends to center on mediocrity. When it come to the lineup of A5 variants the 3.0 TDI takes the cake while the S5 is seen as a tool for covering vast expanses of land in short time, and the 3.2 is, well, mediocre. So a generic Audi product that pushes the dynamic envelope only sightly.

Inevitably many comparisons have been made between the E92 and B8 A5, more specifically the S5 and 335i(the base of this thread). The 335i is a far more engaging prospect only losing out in it's fundamental RWD layout vs. the S5's more dexterous AWD, but with more usable power that adds up to a more entertaining driving experience that's fun at the same time. The S5 on the other hand is just, fast, not a tool used for painting your own canvas on the road.

Reading a review or two on the 335i I made some rather alarming discoveries that I've pondered in the past, both here and in discussion with other car nuts , the concern develops from BMW's new engineering and recommended servicing practices; 1) It's been found by journalists that the 335i's engine oil heats considerably during modest driving, and under hard driving can send oil temps to 300 degrees, causing the computer to trigger "limp home" mode - a setting that allows the car to be driven only so fast at only so high an rpm in order to protect the engine when it senses it may be harmed if current driving behavior continues. This pisses on tracking the car for an extensive amount of time and tracking it in general. 2) With hot oil temps there's also the concern that the recommended 15.000 ml oil change intervals are too long and may have a negative side effect on the longevity of the engine. I should hope that BMW engineered the N54 to last a long long time and not a purposely short life span to keep BMW drivers in newer BMW's once the least terminates in 4 yrs, leaving beaten N54's on the market as risky prospects. To boot it also seems as if BMW is starting to rely more on electronics to monitor the cars various operating functions, including checking the oil level(notice the lack of a dip stick in all new BMW's? there you go), I also question how long those pesky seat belt presenters in the E92 will fare in the long run, better yet how long those plastic arms will actually last?
All in all, having been a serious BMW fan since the age of 12 -flirting with Audi occasionally- I find it hard to turn my back on my favorite auto maker over their pushiness to be all things to all tech heads- which I am most certainly not- and while this is most certainly alarming, BMW is quite honestly the standard of the auto industry, and that's just not the cars, but what it takes to be successful in the business in a highly competitive industry. Beyond that there's nothing that quite matches the balance in handling and performance like a BMW for reasonable money- though the prices seem to be creeping up.

Nice read! I'll take my S5 now.

 

[Zafiro]

I'll go with my jerez black 335i

 

[chonkoa]

The 335i just ruined the S5 fun.
I think BMW inadvertently drove a knife into Audi A4 game plan with the 335i.
Price wise is more of a 3.2 litre V6 A4 competitor however it is generation ahead in the performance department. It is practically an S4/S5 competitor in the performance department.
Moral of the story is that Audi needs to find a way to make the S4/S5 cheaper to be truly competitive with the 335i.