Quote:
Originally Posted by Scooterman
Fair enough - I was not judging him just suggesting not to overreact. My response included a lot more than that one line.
My experience with the E60 would be that cars break down - BMW's included. Don't right off the car because you were unlucky. Judge the dealer (and BMW) on how they manage the issue not on the fact that the car broke down. As noted my car had a fairly serious failure which they rectified and I had no other issues with the car in 3 years.
On a side note how do you like the V4?
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Understood.
At the risk of thread jacking, using the Procede is the main reason I haven't sold my E92 335i.
I was tossing up between an E92 335i or E92 M3. The M3 is a great car, fast and predictable. It is not the easiest car to live with as a daily driver. Power comes on alot higher in the rev range than it does with a 335i. The 335i, I thought was more punchier down low and thus makes it easier to use in day to day traffic. Un-tuned though it does run out of puff. This is the point where the M3 just takes off.
I did a lot of research regarding re-flashing of the ECU and piggybacks. I wanted to see if I could get that bottom end punch for use in traffic and more top end like the M3. If this was possible I decided I would rather take a tuned 335i over an M3. I wasnt planning to track the car. An E92 335i M-sport handles well for my needs and I would also be saving $50K. I don't lease cars so $50K is not an insignificant saving. Another plus.
I spoke with some guys that do reflashes. My criteria was could I beat a stock M3 in a straight line with an ECU re-flash. Both guys came back and said yes I could but needed catless DP's to do so. I spoke with Adrian from Procede in detail giving him the same criteria. He agreed with the re-flahers but I would also probably need catless DP's. He also spoke to me about the Procede features that the re-flashes just simply don't have. One thing that was important to me was warranty. You can remove the Procede and take the car to the dealer for any warranty work. The re-flash is there to stay, compromising drive train warranty. I bought the Procede from Adrian right there on the spot.
Now having a 335i fitted with the Procede I can say it is a complete different car than a stock 335i. I have not fitted catless DP's due to warranty concerns. The car is seriously quick even without catless DP's. Probably quick enough for me at the moment.
Another big plus is the frequent updates you get for free from the Procede guys. Updated maps and firmware that you don't get with a re-flash or other hardware mods. You just up load these via a laptop connected to the Procede. Each update provides a noticeable +ve effect on the tune with respect to power, driveability and ease of use of each of the extra features you get with most updates.
There is no way you can get this sort of performance increase for the price, let alone one that can be frequently upgraded with new features and increased performance.
Having driven M3's I would say that an otherwise stock 335i with the Procede fitted, would be just as quick as a stock M3. I have not yet able to find an E92 M3 to have fun with and confirm this. Definitely quicker than a Lexus IS-F. A friend of mine has one and is now disappointed with his purchase after a few runs with me.
The Procede is definitely an essential mod for the N54 platform. You gain so much extra power and keep the existing driveability. It is warranty friendly with its ease of fitting and removal. I think Adrian from Vishnu/Procede still provides a 7 day trial of the unit. If you havent got one already, it won't cost you anything to confirm what I have told you here.