Cars.com reviews the 2011 BMW 335is
“The Ultimate Driving Machine has never come cheap, and BMW’s newest addition to its 3 Series lineup, the 2011 335is, hammers that tradition home. About $50,000 gets you a stick-shift coupe with vinyl upholstery and a CD stereo incapable of fully integrating your iPod. Genuine leather, heated seats and the other niceties cost more. If BMW ran a steakhouse, it would charge extra for the sides with your filet.
Got beef with that? So did I, until I drove it.
The 335is combines outstanding performance with surprising livability, and the whole package is good enough to justify its high price — for those few who choose to pay it, anyway.”
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Well-Rounded Performance
“Rather than use the 335i’s new twin-scroll, turbocharged six-cylinder, the 335is goes with the old twin-turbo six, with higher turbo boost and bolstered cooling to churn out 320 horsepower and 332 pounds-feet of torque. The car feels palpably quicker than the 300-hp 335i: It spins its rear tires away from stoplights, scoots in the passing lane at 70 mph and bellows a rich, satisfying exhaust note all the way to its 7,000-rpm redline. While the M3′s normally aspirated, 414-hp V-8 packs explosive acceleration at higher revs — and in absolute terms it’s significantly quicker — its comparatively modest 295 pounds-feet of torque means it doesn’t get cooking until the tach needle swings past 3,000 rpm. The 335is has power to spare long before that mark.”
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335is in the Market
“There’s no praise like sales, and the 3 Series continues to be among the top-selling luxury cars on the market. In the array of options in the model lineup, the 335is is likely to remain a niche member, but it does everything it sets out to do and sacrifices remarkably little to get there. It’s not inexpensive, and at its performance limits it behaves more like a 335i than an M3. But there are many drivers who don’t want to wring their cars out to 8,000 rpm for maximum performance, and the 335is offers them a different flavor. I suspect enough performance enthusiasts will appreciate it to warrant its addition to the 3 Series lineup.”
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