[Hoog23]

I drove a stick 550 sport ('08) over the weekend. Pretty low miles (21k) and the dealer (audi) was asking $37k with sport, prem, nav and CW. Of course its a non cpo with about a yr left on its warranty.

It just was not as fast and didn't pull as hard as my 335.

How do the (chipped) 535's compare? My local dealer had a '08 sport 535i with a stick a couple of weeks ago cpo for $30k. I'm kicking myself I didn't go and test drive it. It had the natural leather interior which I'm not fond of.

I originally looked at a '06 M5 at that bmw dealer last week with about a year left on the CPO warranty but when the salesperson accidentally pulled up the service history it had pages and pages of service records (some serious stuff like broken valve springs). After seeing those records I got cold feet on the m5.

It would be great to find a 535 msport with a stick.

[Bowser330]

How do they compare, well power wise..

E60 550i 360hp 360ftlbs @ the engine

E60 535i with JB3/4 will have 400+hp and 400+tq, it will also be a bit lighter...

[ProMed]

I can't help w/ a chipped 535 or with manual trans but during my search I test drove a few 535/550/ and 750s. The 535 felt much more "quick and alive" than the 550 in the low & midrange everyday driving range, up top was where the 550 felt more powerful. Since I spend the majority of my driving time in low/mid I went w/ the 535, the mpg difference helped sway me as well. The 750 wasn't "sporty" feeling at all.

[smacky]

I haven't heard the 550's engine, which is unfortunate for me. How does it sound? My dad has a B7 and its TT V8 coupled with the exhaust rattles the house a little bit when it's pulling in to the garage. Is the 550 V8 like that? If it is, it is an amazing sound and that alone would be worth it.

However, once chipped, a 535i, I assume would be so much more fun.

[Boba Fett]

I haven't spent much time in a 550, but I will say that I have no regrets with my sport pkg / manual transmission 535i. Even with the modest performance boost that my JB+ provides, I don't regret not going for the V8.

I also prefer the stick shift instead of the paddles and I looked for a long time before I found my car. A manual 535i is a REALLY rare car, so if you find a good one, I say jump on it.

[smacky]

Call me "slow" but I was checking the panel on the driver's side door for appropriate psi for the tires when I noticed it said "535xiA."

I think in Europe they USED to actually put the badge saying that, but they stopped. I don't remember them putting an "A" on US models.

[jkfz1]

I have been reviewing and testing cars for about a year on my own: 535, 550 and M5... if you are going to do the chip, then the 535 is the way to go. The v8 550 is an awesome engine with plenty of torque and the sport body looks amazing and handles like a dream... The M5 is a totally diffferent animal of awesomeness, but gas prices and maintenance will be expensive.

IMHO... the 535 is lighter, better gas mileage, and can chip it to make it as fast as an M5, plus it's the cheapest of all three. JUST MAKE SURE YOU GET AN EXTENDED WARRANTY!

I've had my 535 for about 3 weeks now.

[Hoog23]

Picking up a '09 6-spd sport with an aero kit this weekend.

[n54-5&3]

Nice. Congrats! Post some pics.

[oldman12]

JKFZ1-

"As fast as an M5"??? Are you talking about the E39 or the E60? If you are referring to the E39, you're about right, the 535i with JB3/4 map 7 will punish a stock e39 M5

Here is a vid of a modded e39 vs. a jb+ 535i: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5kHhLz6bto

But if you are talking about the E60, I'm pretty sure if you give the 535i with the same map setting a head start of say 2-3 car lengths, the M5 will catch and pass it before the 535i hits 120mph.

[Hoog23]

Still getting used to my 535. A lot heavier then than the 335 makes it not feel as fast even with a stick compared to the auto. It certainly feels a lot more solid as the roads in NY are just awful right now.

I am having a lot of fun with the options. My 335 was loaded but didn't have idrive/nav. The 535 has them with HD radio too. It also has heads-up and night vision. Night vision is pretty cool but probably would be more useful if I lived in the sticks.

What is the deal with the ipod interface? It has a usb and audio jack on the inside of the center console. Does this mean that it is ipod ready? (I've always had zunes..).

When I sell my 335 probably going to look into 19's and an exhaust. Car has the aero kit and really needs 19's.

[ProMed]

Originally Posted by Hoog23

Still getting used to my 535. A lot heavier then than the 335 makes it not feel as fast even with a stick compared to the auto.

The 535i is only 60 pounds heavier than the 335i, which is auto vs. auto.

BMW's "official" 0-60 times:

335i - 5.4 seconds
550i - 5.4 seconds
535i - 5.6 seconds

There is a .2 seconds difference to 60 and it takes ~.15 seconds to blink.

[oldman12]

How sure are you about the 60lbs difference in weight statement? I 'sort of' see it but I like to see real proof if you know what I mean?

Anyone know why with just an intake and JB3/4 with the same map, the 335i is so much friggin quicker? Gearing? Can't be rotational mass or tires or any of that. Guys with 335i's, can run the 1/4 (yes no BMW is a drag car, I'm just saying) in a second less with no problem all things being equal....
I heard from Terry that the 3's put out more power than the 5's after the JB install... that's so annoying!

[BLITZ]

I think the weight difference is truly only 60-100 pounds between the 335i and the 535i. IIRC from BMW's website, the 535i actually has a slight gearing advantage over the 335i; meaning the 535i is geared lower (higher numerically). Having owned a 535i and driven a 335i, it's my opinion that the 535i's auto transmission shifts at a more leisurely pace, affecting 0-60 and 1/4 mile times as well. The 535i also has a more restrictive exhaust than the 335i; what this translates into as far as HP loss I don't know...5-10 perhaps? So, you have a heavier car with a slower shifting tranny and a more restrictive exhaust, this probably makes up for the difference in stright line performance with these cars.

On a brighter note, the one and only 535i I can remember that Car and Driver tested ran to 60 in 5 seconds flat and did the 1/4 mile in 13.8. This was a 6 speed manual as well, so if the commonly held belief that an auto tranny car is quicker than a manual car, you could assume that with a manual tranny the #'s would only improve. Regardless, these are respectable #'s and only a few tenths off most of the published times for a stock 335i.

There also aren't manny fully modded 535i's running around, so getting a few to compare to 335i's that are similarly modded is tough to do.

[ProMed]

Originally Posted by oldman12

How sure are you about the 60lbs difference in weight statement? I 'sort of' see it but I like to see real proof if you know what I mean?

You can look up the specs w/ google, it was something like 66-67 lbs (auto vs. auto) difference on Motor Trend.

[ProMed]

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2008/...004920080601:0

335i - 3593.5
535i - 3659.7 (+66.2 lbs)
550i - 3946.3 (+352.8 lbs)

[gordyhda]

I drive a 2008 535xi sport package with auto, JB4 and DI air filter. It's much quicker than a 550i, and although it will never pull as hard as a 335, it's very strong on Map 2 with 93 octane. I'm running Map 5 now to see how the autotune adapts. Get a cpo 535 so you have the 100k warranty, and you will have a big car that is well below 5 secs on a 0-60 run. I surprise alot "junior" racers!

[pbonsalb]

The older naturally aspirated V8 is a nice engine. We had one in our 08 X5 4.8i Sport. My complaint was the transmission, which shifted very softly, with a rubber band like feeling. We had it reprogrammed, but the dealer insisted they were all like that. Once on the highway at higher speeds and in a certain gear (not sure which one of the 6), it would accelerate pretty hard. Otherwise, it was not so impressive.

Our 535xi pulls harder and the shifts are much snappier. I think the MPG of the 3.0L turbo will also be better than the 4.8i most of the time. I would go for the 535 with a chip and possibly other mods. The only problem with mods is if you want a warranty. The tune is not plug and play on the 5 series. Takes more work to get to the plug so you can play and is not so practical for quick removal if you go to the dealer much. Dinan maintains the factory warranty for its flash tune, but we bought our car CPO and have a BMW warranty.

Any comments on dealer servicing with a JB+ left in place? Or on repeatedly removing and reinstalling that or the JB4 on the 5 series?

[gordyhda]

I take out the JB4 and the DI Air Filter before each dealer service. Total time to remove these is about 40-45 minutes. It's worth the time to remove and reinstall to keep the 100k warranty. The install of JB4 on the 535 is no more difficult than the 335, and it gets easier each time you do it. I had JB3 last year, and I can tell you that the JB4 is a big improvement.

Throttle response at all rpm's is instant, and it pulls hard all the way through 6100. The DI filter adds a few hp, and despite the insulating qualities of the 535, you can hear a nice growl on full boost. If you're on a performance run, DS mode on the auto gives crisp hard pulling shifts, even better than manual shifting the auto. Even with the xi, you can break the wheels loose in 1st and 2nd.

[n54-5&3]

I had a V8 5 before the n54 5, and honestly enjoy driving the JB4 n54 more. The only things I miss about the v8 are the absence of heat-induced performance loss, and the power that is less affected by having multiple passengers. Otherwise, the 'spriteiness' of the n54 is much more fun for the everyday dd scenarios.

One amazing difference is the gas mileage. I average 13.5 MPG with the v8, with my "good" driving MPG of maybe 17 mpg. With the N54 I average 23-24 mpg, and have gotten just above 30MPG on the highway. Amazing.

[hp jnkey]

Just installed a Cobb Access Port tune into my 535. All I can say is " Wow ".
The car has been transformed into a screamer.
The additional torque is amazing.
I've only put about 100 miles on the car since the tune and I it's still adapting to my driving but it seems like it's getting even more power the more I drive it.
The car is a little harder on gas but it appears to be getting better with time.
I doubt that a 550 could hang with my Cobb tuned 535.

[Ocean]

Hi Guys,

New here. I went through the same considerations/evaluations before I settled on a 2008 535i Sport with paddles a couple of months ago.
My previous car was a 1999 540i manual, so I was heavily biased for the 550i Sport. Seemed to be the natural upgrade path, but when I drove it I changed my mind. It felt very heavy and cumbersome in city driving, especialy with the manual tranny. Lots of weight to move around in slow traffic. On the highway it was awesome on perfectly smooth surfaces, but then I noticed how tightly it was sprung. Really jarring as it transmitted the slightest bumps throughout the cabin. I like a firm suspension, but this was over the top.
I wanted a fast and fun car, but also a practical sedan for cruising with passengers (my family!). Otherwise I could have bought a 2006 M5 for the same money.

I really like the look of the aero kit on the 550i, and the M style wheels are just gorgeous. But it is 300 pounds heavier than the 535i, and this affects the ride quality and gas mileage.

Overall very happy with my 535i. I added a JB+ chip and the car is now plenty fast. (Stock is not too shabby either!)
I sometimes miss the stick shift, but the auto in sport mode really shifts nicely and is very intuitive. I don't think I could do any better with a manual performance wise.
I am constantly hitting +100mph, and it is easy to do as the car just glides effortlessly. No sense of working hard or pushing, it just scoots along at moderate rpms. (Turning 2,900 rpms at 100mph, very quiet at that.)
A few weeks ago I floored it on an open stretch of highway. It shifted smoothly into 6th at 145mph, eagerly wanting to build speed. No sense of wind barrier or fatigue of any kind. BTW, I get over 29mpg on the highway and I am never anywhere near the speed limit.

Next up is an overhaul of the L7 system. I am an audiophile and can't live with the stock system. Adding new amps, DSP, crossovers, speakers, etc.
Also plan to add an Escort 9500ci with controls mounted in ashtray.
Both jobs are expensive, so it will take a while to get the funds lined up.

I'd like to address the pedal mapping as well. Haven't gotten around to looking into options. If anyone has suggestions, please post. I understand it affects gas mileage a bit, but would be nice to have more of a direct feel and better control.