Q60 or BMW 4 xdrive
I have driven both. I love my coupe without question. My parents both have BMW's and I love em as well. My dad has a 2012 Z4 and my mom has a 2014 4 series...all are solid cars.
My opinion...I'd go with the G coupe. Can probably get a great deal, and they are pretty reliable. The 3 coupe, from what I have been told by service depts, are not the most reliable (335i anyway). Fixing them can get pricey. I would imagine the same would be for the 4 series seeing as they replaced the 3 coupes... but who knows. Too new to have a record I guess. Bottom line depends on what you are looking to get out of the car and how much you are willing to spend
My opinion...I'd go with the G coupe. Can probably get a great deal, and they are pretty reliable. The 3 coupe, from what I have been told by service depts, are not the most reliable (335i anyway). Fixing them can get pricey. I would imagine the same would be for the 4 series seeing as they replaced the 3 coupes... but who knows. Too new to have a record I guess. Bottom line depends on what you are looking to get out of the car and how much you are willing to spend
Registered User
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 116
Likes: 10
I posted this earlier today on a different thread:
I used to have a 330i (e46), owned it for nearly 5 years and the only issue I had to deal with was replacing tires. Traded that in for a 335xi (e90) (out of warranty)... about 3 months down the road, transmission died. Entirely. Replaced it, headlight goes, replaced that, coolant leak ($1400+), fix that, gears start slipping again (seemed a lot like when the transmission went the first time). Seriously, I EASILY dropped 5k on that car in repairs alone in one year. When I took it in to get the coolant leak fixed, the shop told me I should "get rid of it and cut my losses as stuff was going to just keep going wrong". In fairness, it was an 08 and kinda high in miles.
That said, when it was driving, nothing held a candle to it... most fun car I've driven. The G37x is not really in the same class performance-wise, but in terms of interior, gadgets and "luxury feel", I like the G37x more. AWD on the BMW was awesome, not sure how it is on the G, but I live in a place where it snows a lot so I should be able to comment on that in a few months.
I suppose that I would get another BMW 335 in a heartbeat, but only for the warrantied period, and only if it was close in cost to the G (which it typically won't be with a warranty).
Check some of the other forums out there... e90post and such have hundreds of posts saying how the cars are always falling apart (and a fair amount saying they have no issue at all) so it seems to be hit or miss. First BMW I had was problem free, second had a new problem (literally) as soon as the previous one got fixed... every time. It is a toss up.
A 2013 G should come with a warranty for bumper to bumper for the next 3 years and engine/trans for the next 6... for me, that warranty sealed the deal. The upgraded interior (in my opinion) was a pleasant bonus as well.
BMW 335 Pros and Cons from me-
Pros:
* More torque/turbos, feels much faster
* AWD is great in winter
* Feels like it is on rails... all other cars kinda feel like toys after driving around on BMW suspensions for 6+ years. This car sticks to the road wonderfully
* Easy to mod - you can tune this car super cheap and get much more HP/TQ out of it... there is a huge community of people doing super cool stuff with the N54 engine
* That "BMW prestige"
Cons:
* Repairs out of warranty are obscenely costly (and in some cases, absurdly frequent)
* Interior could really use an update
* That "BMW prestige"
That said, when it was driving, nothing held a candle to it... most fun car I've driven. The G37x is not really in the same class performance-wise, but in terms of interior, gadgets and "luxury feel", I like the G37x more. AWD on the BMW was awesome, not sure how it is on the G, but I live in a place where it snows a lot so I should be able to comment on that in a few months.
I suppose that I would get another BMW 335 in a heartbeat, but only for the warrantied period, and only if it was close in cost to the G (which it typically won't be with a warranty).
Check some of the other forums out there... e90post and such have hundreds of posts saying how the cars are always falling apart (and a fair amount saying they have no issue at all) so it seems to be hit or miss. First BMW I had was problem free, second had a new problem (literally) as soon as the previous one got fixed... every time. It is a toss up.
A 2013 G should come with a warranty for bumper to bumper for the next 3 years and engine/trans for the next 6... for me, that warranty sealed the deal. The upgraded interior (in my opinion) was a pleasant bonus as well.
BMW 335 Pros and Cons from me-
Pros:
* More torque/turbos, feels much faster
* AWD is great in winter
* Feels like it is on rails... all other cars kinda feel like toys after driving around on BMW suspensions for 6+ years. This car sticks to the road wonderfully
* Easy to mod - you can tune this car super cheap and get much more HP/TQ out of it... there is a huge community of people doing super cool stuff with the N54 engine
* That "BMW prestige"
Cons:
* Repairs out of warranty are obscenely costly (and in some cases, absurdly frequent)
* Interior could really use an update
* That "BMW prestige"
I have a 2011 328i (e90) auto, a 94 530i (e34) and the 08 G37S.
In order of most enjoyable to least
G37>e34>e90
Without going into too much detail, I like the e90 the least because it has the worst AT I've driven and there is a 2-3 second lag from when you hit the gas pedal to when you actually start accelerating. Also, if you want to punch it at speed, it will almost always down shift, which isn't completely necessary.
With that said, it's still a great car. The inline 6 is much more torquey than the G (even though it still wouldn't beat the G off the line) and taking it to redline is a pleasure.
With BMW moving to all FI, it will be hard to argue that the new line will be super reliable. They are always having problems with turbos, fuel pumps and water pumps. You're lucky if you can get any or all of them replaced under warranty. If there were any NA variants still available, I would not hesitate to recommend BMW. Also, there are a lot of electronics and computer intervention involved with the newer BMWs and what was once DIY territory will also most likely need a trip to the dealer to reset or reprogram the computer. There is 3rd party software available to do the most basic of resets but that's another "tool" that you would end up buying.
TL;DR - they will cost money to maintain out of warranty but are still a blast to drive.
In order of most enjoyable to least
G37>e34>e90
Without going into too much detail, I like the e90 the least because it has the worst AT I've driven and there is a 2-3 second lag from when you hit the gas pedal to when you actually start accelerating. Also, if you want to punch it at speed, it will almost always down shift, which isn't completely necessary.
With that said, it's still a great car. The inline 6 is much more torquey than the G (even though it still wouldn't beat the G off the line) and taking it to redline is a pleasure.
With BMW moving to all FI, it will be hard to argue that the new line will be super reliable. They are always having problems with turbos, fuel pumps and water pumps. You're lucky if you can get any or all of them replaced under warranty. If there were any NA variants still available, I would not hesitate to recommend BMW. Also, there are a lot of electronics and computer intervention involved with the newer BMWs and what was once DIY territory will also most likely need a trip to the dealer to reset or reprogram the computer. There is 3rd party software available to do the most basic of resets but that's another "tool" that you would end up buying.
TL;DR - they will cost money to maintain out of warranty but are still a blast to drive.
Trending Topics
+1. I bought a CPO BMW 335i Coupe and although I found it to be the slightly better car, I ended up selling it before the warranty expired and picking up a G37 for this exact reason.
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 27
Likes: 1
From: Calgary AB
I've had a fair number of BMWs over the years:
'76 2002 stick
'80 320i (E21) stick
'88 325is (E30) stick
'90 535i (e34) stick
'91 M5 (E34) stick
'00 323ic (E46) stick
'08 535xi 6AT (E60LCI) (current DD)
Tried an '07 G35x (a car so boring it should have been called Maytag) then traded two years later for the '08 G37S (current toy).
None of these cars gave me any significant trouble over hundreds of thousands of kilometers. All were bought used and many had 150k plus on the odo. I guess I'm lucky.
As for which I prefer? The '08 535xi hands down. The thing is a freakin rocket (running a JB4 tune pack). It's smooth, quiet and handles very well even considering it isn't a sport model and is on 18" wheels. The 6AT is practically a mind reader when in DS and is very smooth in D. Driving on snow with dedicated Nokian winter tires, it'll accelerate like it's on dry roads (much to the consternation of SWMBO). Wringing the engine out to 7k is like music, although the M5 was an entire order of magnitude better with the S38B36 (3.6l 32V 320hp (drool)).
The G37S is nice but I find I get tired of shifting so I do a lazy 2/4/6 shift most of the time. Frankly, the gearing would be better if first was half way between what it is and what second is. It's certainly a quick car but the engine lacks refinement, especially as you approach redline - it gets decidedly raucous and makes me want to shift before 5k.
The G will probably be gone long before the 535.
'76 2002 stick
'80 320i (E21) stick
'88 325is (E30) stick
'90 535i (e34) stick
'91 M5 (E34) stick
'00 323ic (E46) stick
'08 535xi 6AT (E60LCI) (current DD)
Tried an '07 G35x (a car so boring it should have been called Maytag) then traded two years later for the '08 G37S (current toy).
None of these cars gave me any significant trouble over hundreds of thousands of kilometers. All were bought used and many had 150k plus on the odo. I guess I'm lucky.
As for which I prefer? The '08 535xi hands down. The thing is a freakin rocket (running a JB4 tune pack). It's smooth, quiet and handles very well even considering it isn't a sport model and is on 18" wheels. The 6AT is practically a mind reader when in DS and is very smooth in D. Driving on snow with dedicated Nokian winter tires, it'll accelerate like it's on dry roads (much to the consternation of SWMBO). Wringing the engine out to 7k is like music, although the M5 was an entire order of magnitude better with the S38B36 (3.6l 32V 320hp (drool)).
The G37S is nice but I find I get tired of shifting so I do a lazy 2/4/6 shift most of the time. Frankly, the gearing would be better if first was half way between what it is and what second is. It's certainly a quick car but the engine lacks refinement, especially as you approach redline - it gets decidedly raucous and makes me want to shift before 5k.
The G will probably be gone long before the 535.
if price isnt an issue get the 435i. for like $1,000 you can get that bitch over 400whp easily.
however, I think BMW is so overpriced for what you really get. not to mention they are known to need lots of maintenance which gets really $$$
however, I think BMW is so overpriced for what you really get. not to mention they are known to need lots of maintenance which gets really $$$
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 226
Likes: 37
If you are planning on keeping the car while you have a warranty only, get the BMW. If you plan on keeping it long term, get the Infiniti. Several coworkers and friends have had various BMWs and I've seen them all battle some very strange issues that cost some quite dearly.
With an Infiniti, you know what you're getting into pretty much. It won't be as fast or flashy as a BMW possibly, but it will serve you well.
With an Infiniti, you know what you're getting into pretty much. It won't be as fast or flashy as a BMW possibly, but it will serve you well.