[socaln54]

Background story, I had a 335i pre 03/07 with sport package and navigation, comfort access etc, it was a really fun car to drive, but due to my life back then (2014) I had to sell and move on, now that I'm back at my feet and n54 car's are cheaper I'm looking into getting one


Budget max is 9k

looking for something with sport suspension at least, navigation can be optional but preferred and with lower miles,



My question is, which one do you prefer and why? I have not driven a 535i so not sure how it handles and drives, any individual's with experience on both would be really helpful

[GotPwned]

Depends on what you are looking for. If you want a nice and sporty sedan or coupe, get the 335i. If you want a bigger, more luxurious, and better riding car get the 535i.

[socaln54]

I'm leaning towards the 535i for ride comfort, but does anyone know the weight difference on them? i see some say 75lbs others 200-300lbs, not sure what the real weight difference is,

Also, is handling the only thing I would miss out on the 335i?

[GotPwned]

Originally Posted by socaln54

I'm leaning towards the 535i for ride comfort, but does anyone know the weight difference on them? i see some say 75lbs others 200-300lbs, not sure what the real weight difference is,

Also, is handling the only thing I would miss out on the 335i?

Well thats pretty much it other than weight difference and legroom in the rear.

[Boland01]

We have both a 535 and335i. They are apples to oranges. The 535i is bigger, more comfortable, roomy and potentially has more features. The 335i is more nimble and handles better but more cramped.

It comes down to what your needs are. For driving around town the 335i is more fun. On long trips the 535i more comfortable and rides better.

[BeatupVR4]

As an FYI I was lucky enough to find a loaded 535 with the dynamic whatever suspension and it handles just as good as any of the sport equipped 335's I test drove.

I like the look of the E90's but I love everything about my E60. Minus the auto wipers. Those things suck balls.

[socaln54]

Originally Posted by BeatupVR4

As an FYI I was lucky enough to find a loaded 535 with the dynamic whatever suspension and it handles just as good as any of the sport equipped 335's I test drove.

I like the look of the E90's but I love everything about my E60. Minus the auto wipers. Those things suck balls.

I see, makes sense that's what Im looking for actually one with that sport transmission

[jtrejo]

i have a 535 and love it

[MrNeef]

Love my 535

170k miles and going strong. Updated front end suspension along with other normal stuff.

[BeatupVR4]

Originally Posted by socaln54

I see, makes sense that's what Im looking for actually one with that sport transmission

Mine is a manual so I didn't have to worry about the sport trans option.

[LessIsMore]

I started shopping E90 sedans back in 2012, and ended up buying a 535i instead. I had modding in mind from day 1. Never once regretted the decision.

535i pros:
Sport SAT trans (still one of the best 6spd autos)
perfect sedan size (e90 feels cramped, and I'm avg sized guy)
more features (E60 had advanced tech for the time, most of the modern features you'd want)
better looking (subjective but E60 proportions > e90 sedan IMO)
ARS/dynamic drive
more mature look/perception (E60 flies under the radar much better than a E90 3-series, particular as the E90's have aged and fallen into younger hands)

Weight of an E60 RWD is only 100-200 lb more than E90's. i.e. ~ 3600 vs 3800.
There are actually very few things available for the E90 that you can't get fit for the E60 - the VTT shotgun pumps and ST kits are the only things I can think of right now.

Cons:
slight weight penalty
not as nimble as E90
engine bay is more cramped (turbo installs, d.p's are harder jobs)

[mike082802]

i looked briefly a few weeks ago for another car since the 135 is small and starting to get much more track oriented for another n54 and the 535 are the same if not cheaper than a 335 and are easier to find with less mileage. still debating on another n54 or picking up a 2011 535 or 2012 n55 335i which have started to get really cheap as a second car. this years seems like its going to be good for the n55 with more turbo options coming and the flashing and full tuning coming to fruition.

[Ando @ BMS]

I would go with N54 535i.

[LessIsMore]

If you decide to go F10 ... and want power, go 550i N63/tu. If you dont care as much about power since you have the 135, go 535i N55.

Still if you can find a low-mileage E60 N54 with Sport Pkg (a must) for a good price, I'd go for it.

[atomicwerks]

Originally Posted by BeatupVR4

As an FYI I was lucky enough to find a loaded 535 with the dynamic whatever suspension and it handles just as good as any of the sport equipped 335's I test drove.

I like the look of the E90's but I love everything about my E60. Minus the auto wipers. Those things suck balls.

I went the e60 535 route as well. I have always like the 5 series over 3 for the build quality and amenities.

Mine also has dynamic drive and the car handles very well and feels nice and planted on backroad twisties.

I also agree about the auto wipers. I have and e39 as well and the auto wipers on it are much better. Not sure what happened there, I expected the auto wipers to work similarly.

[LessIsMore]

Weird, never had or seen a complaint about the auto-wipers before. What's the issue?

[atomicwerks]

Originally Posted by LessIsMore

Weird, never had or seen a complaint about the auto-wipers before. What's the issue?

My e39 does a better job of modulating the wiper speed for a given amount of rain. You just put it in auto and it modulates from long intermittent to full speed without any adjustment on its own. My e60 doesn't always modulate down to the long intermittent when rain slows to a drizzle and sometimes doesn't kick into high speed from low speed when it starts down pouring. I end up having to mess with the "dial" control.
It is possible that the rain sensor is going out, but no faults/errors show up in ISTA. So IDK.
Let me know if your car is different from what I described.


Edit:when I get a chance I'm going to inspect the sensor, reattach if necessary, and recalibrate in inpa.
I came across a forum thread on m5 board (e39) about the rain sensor not being well attached to the windshield. It's definitely possible I need to do work on mine even if just calibration in inpa

[LessIsMore]

Originally Posted by atomicwerks

My e39 does a better job of modulating the wiper speed for a given amount of rain. You just put it in auto and it modulates from long intermittent to full speed without any adjustment on its own. My e60 doesn't always modulate down to the long intermittent when rain slows to a drizzle and sometimes doesn't kick into high speed from low speed when it starts down pouring. I end up having to mess with the "dial" control.
It is possible that the rain sensor is going out, but no faults/errors show up in ISTA. So IDK.
Let me know if your car is different from what I described.


Edit:when I get a chance I'm going to inspect the sensor, reattach if necessary, and recalibrate in inpa.
I came across a forum thread on m5 board (e39) about the rain sensor not being well attached to the windshield. It's definitely possible I need to do work on mine even if just calibration in inpa

Mine work great.
FYI I have noticed that even when the wipers are on auto speed, the slow/medium/fast scrollwheel on the stalk affects the rate of the auto wiping for a given amount of rain. So if you have yours on auto but the scroll selected to fast, that may be why it doesn't slow down as far as you expect.

Interested to see if the coding/reattachment makes a difference.