[jeremicium]

So it has gotten into my head that I HAVE to do a eurodelivery at some point in my life, and the M235i is really the only BMW that I can afford that has any real appeal to me. A hell of a lot of appeal.

Thing is, I've had my 335 for almost 4 years and I still love it. Sooo sexy, 55,000 miles and still no real problems since the HPFP at 4,800 miles, and with a little extra something something under the hood, that N54 goes like a raped ape. fun to stomp on,. fun to throw around corners, and no matter how stupid I drive I still average 23 mpg between freeway commute and around town driving.

I suppose I could Keep my car, lease a 328d (keeping the mileage from running too high on the 335) and then dump the lease after three years, at which point I may finally be bored with the 335. The idea of no car payment does have serious appeal, and the 335 will be paid for in 13 months. I know with some TLC Bimmers can run strong well into the 100k+ range, though the N54 is rather untested in that range.

Just needed to share my pleasant dilemma with some other bimmer-philes.

Anyone else in the same boat?

[rrinorl]

I have a 135i thats at about 44k. I have half a year of warranty left and then 2 of cpo. I"m going to keep daily driving mine until i leave the cpo, then its a question of whats next for me. Love those wheels and the clear turning lights!

[ExchangeHut]

I know the dilemma jeremicium. It seems that for the last 3 years, there has always been another reason to spend the money, rather than buy a new car.

In fact, I've looked at buying several other cars BMW and not in the last two years, however, I just can't seem to find a car that I love as much as my 2006 BMW 330i with Premium and Navigation; except for my Father's 2007 335i.

I currently have 193,xxx miles on the car and it has been out of commission for the last two weeks. This is been the most reliable vehicle that I have driven. You can surely drive past 100k miles without worry. Once you get to 150k, that is when you should buy a AAA towing membership. My Bimmer first stranded me at about 175k when my water pump failed on a trip back from a job interview in Iowa. Luckily it happened on the 200 mile drive back. Since that time, I've been personally trying to troubleshoot a small leak in the Evap system. If I was less stubborn, I'd pay someone to do the work, but I really have learned so much about the car by now. And I'm too cheap to pay someone $100/hr or more to do the repair.

Finally two weeks ago, the starter failed at 193k. I ordered a started on Amazon (Bosch) for only $100, when the Stealership wanted $500 plus $500 core charge. I'll order auto parts from Amazon for such a savings, especially when they have all the parts I want with quicker shipping and FAR cheaper prices than the Auto Parts stores, Dealerships, or even other Bimmer sites. Customer Service is lacking, so you have to know what you are ordering and search the part numbers. But with Amazon Prime you get two-day shipping included in the Membership cost of $79 / year.

Anyways, I had to take the Intake Manifold off on my e90 2006 330i, there wasn't a DIY so I struggled through this myself. When I put everything back together, I realized that I didn't plug in ONE of the electrical connections in the Intake Control Unit. Like an idiot, I decided to start the car anyway. Replacing the Starter has cost me about $500 in mistakes. I had to buy $200 in Vacuum/Oil Separator hoses and then $300 replacing a broken Adjuster Unit ( Disa Valve ) in the intake because I didn't have one of the units plugged in, started the engine and then broke the adjuster unit with air forced through the intake. I will be posting the DIY and take pictures as I put everything back together. Hopefully this will help someone else save some and money when working on the Intake or the Starter on an E90.

I buy a few things from Bavarian Auto, but they have a VERY GOOD Recommended Service Interval Matrix for your BMW. Here is the Site for all: http://www.bavauto.com/shop.asp or for the 2006 330i http://www.bavauto.com/Assets/inst_pages/e90mc.pdf. If you keep up with these intervals, you can rest assured that you know when parts commonly fail. If for no other reason, you can buy the parts on sale and keep them in stock for quicker repair when something does fail. I have found the most time is spent waiting on parts to be delivered.

Long story, Short... If you Love your car, as it sounds you do, hang onto it. These are such impressive vehicles that there are few options on the road that can replace what you have. Except for a newer Bimmer. Good luck in your quest, European delivery would be pretty cool.

[blacknbean]

i am in the same boat. looking at the m235 while i run my 335 ive had for 4yrs. i still love my 335 so im in no hurry. the 235 wont be out until nov so theres plently of time and I dont want to be the first one to own it. i usually like to wait a bit to see how things shake out. plus I want to see how the m2 pans out before I make my decision so im ok waiting 2yrs or so.

ps. there are plenty of 335s over 100k going strong. plenty of threads on it, just search. the are common points of failure, but the biggest ticket item is the turbos. ive had mine replaced so i should be good for a while.

[MassBimmer]

I'm in the exact same boat myself. My beloved 328 has just over 41k miles, is 4 years old and I only have 11 payments left. I think I'm going to hang on to it a while longer but don't know how much longer I'll be able to deny that new car pull. I've mulled the prospect of leasing a new Bimmer next year and simply holding on to the 328 as long as I can. I guess we'll see though..

[maxipad96]

Do we know actual pricing numbers on the m235i yet?

[jeremicium]

Pricing hasn't been released yet. I am expecting it to fall somewhere between a 328 and a 335. I could be wrong though.

Funny, with the weather getting nicer lots of strangers are making comments about how nice my car is. Some dude in a parking lot commented on it yesterday. We talked for a few and he said, don't get rid of the car, keep it, it's still hot, and save the $$.

Also, with COBB and dry pavement again i'm able to put a hell of a lot of power onto the street.


So still, I remain undecided. I'm sure a test drive when they come to the states will fix the dilemma.

[2M]

Im in the same boat, well not really, I have a 328 , so im jumping on that m235i when it comes out lol

[irianjim]

My vote is to wait a bit. One of the reasons I got the 335 this year instead of waiting for the 435 is that I could have it now, instead of a year and a half later at the time. Secondly, the dealership is going to be real proud of the 435 (and I suspect the 235) when they show up to our shores, so deals won't be easy to get. Wait until BMW has filled the pipeline and worked the inevitable bugs out of the car and then a much better deal can be had. My $.02 anyway.