[jt335i]

Bought my Monaco Blue 2010 335i (E92) new on December 30, 2009 with 7 miles on the odo after trading in my 2003 350Z which I bought new in September 2002. That Z was a great car and lots of fun to drive, but after 7 years it had finally donned on me that the lower back pain I began to experience was a result of the lack of adequate back support so I figured it was time for an upgrade which brought me to my first ever BMW.



Now 3 years and nearly 9 months later, my 335 has 38,400+ miles and I have enjoyed driving every mile, and, the back pain is a thing of the past. So far, it hasn't had any major problems or issues whatsoever. It did not have the HPFP failure that some owners on this site and other BMW forums have reported, but the original HPFP was replaced as part of the mandatory recall and as of now it’s been A-OK. In addition, the battery cable was replaced as part of another mandatory recall (June 2013).

I've done the regular maintenance at their scheduled intervals and will have to start thinking about my options as far as extending it since the free maintenance will be ending at the end of this year.
Just recently (May 2013), I replaced the OEM Bridgestone run flats with Michelin Pilot Super Sports based on all the recommendations from friends and reviews from what I’ve read on this site and others. Boy what a difference in grip. I couldn’t have picked a better set of tires. They’re definitely worth the price I paid. When I hit the gas, I can really feel it go. The new tires stick to the road and the acceleration feels much more responsive. And when driving in the rain, they stay glued to the road and I can’t even feel it when driving over patches of water as compared to the run flats. Now the only thing I need to be weary of, or hope doesn't ever happen, is to have a blow out or flat since there is no spare, but fortunately I have AAA Plus. To complement the new tires, I also got a 4 wheel alignment at a local speed/performance shop (per a friend’s recommendation) and the specs they used greatly refined the ride and handling over stock. I can definitely the difference going around corners and how much better it hugs the road all of which has made it even more fun to drive.

The only minor issues to report are cosmetic. First, is the dime size chip/dent on the front bumper compliments of a small rock that fell off a dump truck while driving on the interstate one afternoon and then there's the small ding on the rear side panel just past the passenger side door as a result of being hit from some dickshit’s door while parked at restaurant parking lot. It was definitely not an accident as I always make sure there is enough door clearance wherever I park. Other than that, the car runs and drives great just the same as the day I first drove it off the lot.
It has been averaging around 24 MPG combined and when driving on the highways it averages closer to 30 MPG. I just recently got back from a weeklong trip to Atlanta and on the 450+ drive there the car averaged 29.1 MPG and on the road trip back it averaged 30.9. Ok so I admit. I cheated a little by drafting on a few long stretches of the return trip, but that little extra MPG helped get me home in just one fill up and with about 40 miles to spare.

Lastly, the car is officially paid off. I paid off my 5 year loan in 3 years so I have no other debts on it. Now I'm just saving up to add some future mods. I'll probably start with the intake, then upgrade the exhaust, and finally get a badass tune and it’s good to go. Can't wait to get all that done.

I’m lovin’ this car!

[INS Rebel]

Originally Posted by jt335i

Bought my Monaco Blue 2010 335i (E92) new on December 30, 2009 with 7 miles on the odo after trading in my 2003 350Z which I bought new in September 2002. That Z was a great car and lots of fun to drive, but after 7 years it had finally donned on me that the lower back pain I began to experience was a result of the lack of adequate back support so I figured it was time for an upgrade which brought me to my first ever BMW.



Now 3 years and nearly 9 months later, my 335 has 38,400+ miles and I have enjoyed driving every mile, and, the back pain is a thing of the past. So far, it hasn't had any major problems or issues whatsoever. It did not have the HPFP failure that some owners on this site and other BMW forums have reported, but the original HPFP was replaced as part of the mandatory recall and as of now it’s been A-OK. In addition, the battery cable was replaced as part of another mandatory recall (June 2013).

I've done the regular maintenance at their scheduled intervals and will have to start thinking about my options as far as extending it since the free maintenance will be ending at the end of this year.
Just recently (May 2013), I replaced the OEM Bridgestone run flats with Michelin Pilot Super Sports based on all the recommendations from friends and reviews from what I’ve read on this site and others. Boy what a difference in grip. I couldn’t have picked a better set of tires. They’re definitely worth the price I paid. When I hit the gas, I can really feel it go. The new tires stick to the road and the acceleration feels much more responsive. And when driving in the rain, they stay glued to the road and I can’t even feel it when driving over patches of water as compared to the run flats. Now the only thing I need to be weary of, or hope doesn't ever happen, is to have a blow out or flat since there is no spare, but fortunately I have AAA Plus. To complement the new tires, I also got a 4 wheel alignment at a local speed/performance shop (per a friend’s recommendation) and the specs they used greatly refined the ride and handling over stock. I can definitely the difference going around corners and how much better it hugs the road all of which has made it even more fun to drive.

The only minor issues to report are cosmetic. First, is the dime size chip/dent on the front bumper compliments of a small rock that fell off a dump truck while driving on the interstate one afternoon and then there's the small ding on the rear side panel just past the passenger side door as a result of being hit from some dickshit’s door while parked at restaurant parking lot. It was definitely not an accident as I always make sure there is enough door clearance wherever I park. Other than that, the car runs and drives great just the same as the day I first drove it off the lot.
It has been averaging around 24 MPG combined and when driving on the highways it averages closer to 30 MPG. I just recently got back from a weeklong trip to Atlanta and on the 450+ drive there the car averaged 29.1 MPG and on the road trip back it averaged 30.9. Ok so I admit. I cheated a little by drafting on a few long stretches of the return trip, but that little extra MPG helped get me home in just one fill up and with about 40 miles to spare.

Lastly, the car is officially paid off. I paid off my 5 year loan in 3 years so I have no other debts on it. Now I'm just saving up to add some future mods. I'll probably start with the intake, then upgrade the exhaust, and finally get a badass tune and it’s good to go. Can't wait to get all that done.

I’m lovin’ this car!

Nice to hear your car is still running strong. I need to get new tires before winter comes. Are those for all season?... You should pick up a spare rim on ebay. I picked up one not to long ago for 150 bucks. Going to throw it in my trunk. Just waiting for when I switch out my run flats.

[john16443]

I December 2012 I went from a 2006 Mustang GT MT to a 2011 335i 6AT equiped like your 2010. Neither of them was/is tuned. Absolutely no regrets whatsoever, love the 335. Does more than the GT in every way, and does it in a much more refined manner. My analogy is the GT was the bad boy in surfer shorts, would go like spit but wasn't pleased with being pushed too hard. Talk about understeer. The BMW does everything better than the GT and is the guy in the tuxedo while doing it. You want to run up Palomar Mtn today, no problem, let's do it 15 mph fasster than you were ever able to do it in the GT, no complaining, just git 'r done and get to the top.

[CrazyTiger]

Be aware of the PW pully and your belt AKA SIB 11 08 09 , I hate to say that but BMW is such BS that they will NOT cover it under your "WARRENTY" for their design flaw.

[mb67]

About 2 months ago I went from an '04 Corolla to an ' 08 335i (E93) with 54,000 miles. I have been so very happy with my purchase: The back pain I was used to in the Corolla completely went away in the E93 and I find that I love driving again.

[jt335i]

Originally Posted by INS Rebel

Nice to hear your car is still running strong. I need to get new tires before winter comes. Are those for all season?... You should pick up a spare rim on ebay. I picked up one not to long ago for 150 bucks. Going to throw it in my trunk. Just waiting for when I switch out my run flats.

Thanks bro! The Michelins are summer tires, but luckily snow or ice is a rarity here in Florida so they're ideal for the weather down here, but in your area they would not be the best choice. However, Continental Extreme Contact DWS All-Season would probably be the better tire. As for the spare rim, good idea. I'll definitely have to look into that.

Originally Posted by john16443

I December 2012 I went from a 2006 Mustang GT MT to a 2011 335i 6AT equiped like your 2010. Neither of them was/is tuned. Absolutely no regrets whatsoever, love the 335. Does more than the GT in every way, and does it in a much more refined manner. My analogy is the GT was the bad boy in surfer shorts, would go like spit but wasn't pleased with being pushed too hard. Talk about understeer. The BMW does everything better than the GT and is the guy in the tuxedo while doing it. You want to run up Palomar Mtn today, no problem, let's do it 15 mph fasster than you were ever able to do it in the GT, no complaining, just git 'r done and get to the top.

Cool! Nice upgrade!
Yeah. I still have my 2005 Mustang GT MT so it's nice to be able to switch between cars. When I'm in the muscle car mood, I'll take my Stang out and when I'm the mood for luxury and performance I'll take my 335.
I love both cars. Too bad I can't duplicate myself.

Originally Posted by CrazyTiger

Be aware of the PW pully and your belt AKA SIB 11 08 09 , I hate to say that but BMW is such BS that they will NOT cover it under your "WARRENTY" for their design flaw.

Thanks for the tip. I'll be sure to check into that.

Originally Posted by mb67

About 2 months ago I went from an '04 Corolla to an ' 08 335i (E93) with 54,000 miles. I have been so very happy with my purchase: The back pain I was used to in the Corolla completely went away in the E93 and I find that I love driving again.

Very cool! Thanks for sharing.
Oh yeah. I know about the back pain and the Corolla. I bought my 1997 used back in 2008 and I could immediately tell the seat lacks back support, so my brother-in-law (Chiropractor) gave me a portable back brace and the problem was solved. I have no issues with back pain when driving that little gas sipper.

[ny325]

I love my E90, paided off in 4 years, instead of 5. I plan on keeping it for a long time.

[BMWinAZ]

I have the same back pain experience that some of you mentioned in this thread. In most "regular" cars I start to experience various degrees of lower back pain within one hour of driving. In either of our BMWs (X3, 328i, both with the "better" sports? seats) I can drive for 7 or 8 hours without noticeable discomfort!

[-Wingman-]

You spelled 'premium' wrong in your sig. Sorry, that bothered me.

I enjoy my e92 lci 335xi. It's a great car, and it's fun. But I'm still younger than a lot of people on these forums and feel like I'm still in that phase where I want a hot rod type of car. Something more raw, and younger. I wanted an Evo X, but didnt end up getting one. Sti's seemed too unreliable. 370z's seemed cool but I needed awd. My e92 was a good comprise that fit the bill for everything I needed.

[jsrbrown]

I have to say I'm fairly impressed with my xi. The suspension is a bit harsh but I think some non run flats may take care of that. Its also respectably fast! Could be a keeper for sure.

[UKBasketball]

Originally Posted by INS Rebel

You should pick up a spare rim on ebay. I picked up one not to long ago for 150 bucks. Going to throw it in my trunk. Just waiting for when I switch out my run flats.

This is good advice. My previous car was an 06 E60 525i, and when I knew I was about to buy my E92, I pulled the spare tire/jack kit out of the truck of the E60 and kept it for my E92 Saved some $$$ Plus the jack fits perfectly in the little square spots under our side rockers.

Back on topic:
I love my E92! I just took it on a road trip from KY to Outer Banks NC and back. It was amazingly fun to drive on curvy interstate roads in VA and Appalachian area. I do get a lot of complements on it all the time, but the only thing I don't like is how some people judge me by it. I could give a damn about the logo on the hood and trunk, I just wanted a solid, good looking and fun to drive, AWD coupe.

[JAL0988]

Great to hear a nice story with no issues. Now that you're saving up for mods, I would go with a tune before the intake or anything else for that matter. Those are more supporting mods and you will see little to no gains with them. I started off with a cobb tune first and it really woke the car up. I fell in love all over again with the car. It was like a brand new car. Night and day. Afterwards you can do the intakes, downpipes, fmic, and then you can upgrade to higher steps of the tune as you go along. Just my opinion. Be aware though, it gets addicting. I told myself I was not going to mod the car but after the tune I went a little crazy (for me) with engine mods because it was so fun. Good luck and enjoy it.

[jt335i]

Originally Posted by ny325

I love my E90, paided off in 4 years, instead of 5. I plan on keeping it for a long time.

Great bro! Yeah. It’s nice to pay it off early and not have to worry about lingering debt and monthly payments.

Originally Posted by BMWinAZ

I have the same back pain experience that some of you mentioned in this thread. In most "regular" cars I start to experience various degrees of lower back pain within one hour of driving. In either of our BMWs (X3, 328i, both with the "better" sports? seats) I can drive for 7 or 8 hours without noticeable discomfort!

Yep! Yep! During my road trip to Atlanta and back, both trips were about 6 hours 45 minutes, or nearly 7 hrs, and just like you I drove without any noticeable discomfort though the entire trip. Coupled with my satellite radio, it was a most pleasant and smooth drive.

Originally Posted by -Wingman-

You spelled 'premium' wrong in your sig. Sorry, that bothered me.

I enjoy my e92 lci 335xi. It's a great car, and it's fun. But I'm still younger than a lot of people on these forums and feel like I'm still in that phase where I want a hot rod type of car. Something more raw, and younger. I wanted an Evo X, but didnt end up getting one. Sti's seemed too unreliable. 370z's seemed cool but I needed awd. My e92 was a good comprise that fit the bill for everything I needed.

LOL! Thanks for the note. I never noticed it until now. It has been corrected.
You made a good compromise.
Yeah. I was never much of a fan of 4-bangers. For me it’s, either 6s or 8s because I like them meaner and more racecar-like sounds/rumbles of them when you mod the exhaust.

Originally Posted by jsrbrown

I have to say I'm fairly impressed with my xi. The suspension is a bit harsh but I think some non run flats may take care of that. Its also respectably fast! Could be a keeper for sure.

Good to hear. Yeah. When I switched to the non run flats, I could feel a difference in ride. It feels less harsh, but still solid. And with the alignment specs that the performance shop used it made the ride even better.

Originally Posted by UKBasketball

This is good advice. My previous car was an 06 E60 525i, and when I knew I was about to buy my E92, I pulled the spare tire/jack kit out of the truck of the E60 and kept it for my E92 Saved some $$$ Plus the jack fits perfectly in the little square spots under our side rockers.

Back on topic:
I love my E92! I just took it on a road trip from KY to Outer Banks NC and back. It was amazingly fun to drive on curvy interstate roads in VA and Appalachian area. I do get a lot of complements on it all the time, but the only thing I don't like is how some people judge me by it. I could give a damn about the logo on the hood and trunk, I just wanted a solid, good looking and fun to drive, AWD coupe.

A very good tip. I’ll definitely have to put a jack/spare on my list of items to get. I’ll have to search around at my local junk yards for BMW and European cars.

Great to hear. Yeah. VA has some nice peaks, hills, and curves especially in the Blue Ridge Mountain area around Roanoke. My cousin who lives in Salem not too far from Roanoke knows some great roads where you can really test the car’s ride and handling.

I hear you bro. I think the BMW stigma dates all the way back to the “Yuppie” days of the early 1980’s.
Me, I am nothing like a “Yuppie”. I’m just one of those typical Joe’s who has a good job, manages his money well and therefore can afford BMW. I could care less about social status or any of that BS. I don’t drive like an ass and I’m courteous to other drivers so hopefully that will help to de-stigmatize what others think about us BMW owners.

Originally Posted by JAL0988

Great to hear a nice story with no issues. Now that you're saving up for mods, I would go with a tune before the intake or anything else for that matter. Those are more supporting mods and you will see little to no gains with them. I started off with a cobb tune first and it really woke the car up. I fell in love all over again with the car. It was like a brand new car. Night and day. Afterwards you can do the intakes, downpipes, fmic, and then you can upgrade to higher steps of the tune as you go along. Just my opinion. Be aware though, it gets addicting. I told myself I was not going to mod the car but after the tune I went a little crazy (for me) with engine mods because it was so fun. Good luck and enjoy it.

Thank you for the advice and for your opinion. It is very useful and I will keep that in mind once I’ve got enough saved and ready to mod up this puppy. As for the addiction, I’ll definitely try to keep things at bay, but I know the feeling.
For my 2005 Mustang GT, which I still have, I added a K&N CAI, tuner, axel-backs, and Bullitt rims then held off after that.
When I had my 350Z, I added all NISMO mods. First it was the NISMO rims, then the NISMO Cat-back, then the NISMO CAI, and then a plenum spacer. It told myself that’s it because after that it would’ve been forced induction which would put a real dent in my wallet.
This was my 350Z. I miss that car, but not the back pain. LOL!

[techietaichi]

I bought an E90 325i over a year ago now and aside from the normal wear and tear items that needed to be addressed, mech sleeve, oil filter housing, etc., it's a good little runner. Not as much power as I'd like being 215hp stock, but it's a daily so whatever. Hope I can keep it in good shape until my son starts driving.

[ny325]

I'm always getting that new car itch. I saw a beautiful 2011 E90 M3 with 32,000 miles, black on black. The asking price is $59,000. I never bought a preowned car before, but this one is gorgeous. I keep telling myself no more car payments. This car thing is an expensive addiction.

[NEFARIOUS]

LOVE IT. I am finding new reasons to love my 330xi ever since I got it on Sep 7, and I am glad to have fulfilled my dream of Bimmer ownership that I have had since I was 17. As someone who had NO car AT ALL for 2 years and coming off an '05 Dodge Dakota I inherited from my late father for 3 months, this is a night-and-day difference...

As I had a motorcycle accident a few years ago, my back has never been the same; I still don't know how I managed to drive the Dakota 18 hours from Portland, OR back home to Los Angeles when a 15-minute drive was enough to flare up my back... But with my Bimmer and its premium seating, it was instantly much more comfortable, and even though it took me a week to fine-tune it perfectly, I could spend HOURS in the car and still emerge feeling great.

Also I have never felt so in control of any car I've owned; I know that there's probably cars that can do everything better and more experienced people/pros might have different opinions, but the handling is immaculate, it has great braking and acceleration... I've driven faster, but still beats a pickup truck for sure.

But I'm also glad to have HID as I don't have great night vision, and lots of the smaller creature comforts are easy to overlook but also able to be appreciated... Not to mention radio in LA is complete garbage and I'm glad that SiriusXM was willing to hook me up for a 12 month trial ;-)

[tony20009]

I'm with you OP; I love the E92. It's far and away my favorite car ever. I like it to the point that I am going to try to keep mine until BMW gets back to doing true sports coupes rather than the more luxury feeling things they are selling as F32s right now. I can't say I think the E92 (or any other car) is 100% perfect, but in this case 99 is as good as 100.

[jt335i]

Just another update. I'm still loving my 335. 4 years and 8 months old, it's nearing the 50,000 mile mark and still running strong. Done the scheduled maintenance as usual and still no major issues to report. The only minor thing that just recently popped up is the right fog lamp which needs replacement. Don't know why it went out as I don't use the fog lamps all that often. Oh well.
Going on a fairly long road trip from Tampa to Hotlanta next month so I'm to have some things checked (tires/alignment) before I go.