Quote:
Originally Posted by red-max
Top Gear magazine (Feb 2007, Issue 162, p80) has a mini review of the 335d SE Coupe, and it's a mixed review. Basically they love the engine but hate the car it's in ;-(
Following on from Clarkson's review in the Times, they don't like the Coupe's styling, but go further to criticise the ride, blaming the runflats for delivering a "pummelling" on uneven roads. They reckon the paddles are a "waste of time" but praise the "stunningly well-sorted auto-box".
So they conclude that the engine and transmission are very good, but the ride, handling and steering are bad. Oh, and the car is very expensive - "an eye-watering £35,475 with cloth seats and single slot CD player". The result is 12/20.
My opinion: I think they're not too far off the mark actually, and this is a refreshing change from all the overly enthusiatic reviews that the 335i has been getting. It's interesting that they decided to praise the engine and transmission - this being Top Gear I expected them to slag off the diesel and auto box. Being critical of the ride and handling was a surprise to me, since I thought it was the same as the 335i, which every other journo seems to think is fantastic. I thought it was just me, coming from a 530d SE with non-runflats, who found the sports suspension and runflats a bit harsh. Perhaps it really is what you're used to - a couple of guys on this board coming from M3s have said that the 335i is a much better daily driver. I'd love to try one with non-runflats though - I'm even tempted to convert mine, but worry about not having a spare wheel.
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Bizzarre that the runflats have come back into the equation for the 3 series. They were heavily criticised on the e60, but everything I read suggested that they were not an issue on the e90 because it had always been designed for them.
My experience backs that up. The ride in my car is very firm, but it is also a lot less jarring than it was in my e46 m-sport coupe with non-runflat tyres.