Petrolhead Drives a Diesel BMW 335d

[@NzScruff]

Wagons are the best car, the stance, the practicality and the performance is awesome

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yess it’s a great combo

[@SPQRTempus]

Sport wagons are the perfect one car garage. That is why I bought a M3 Touring.

[@iwanttobeamole]

"Why do people buy SUV's" This is a question I've never been able to answer, nor has anyone provided a good answer. They just serve no purpose. All the disadvantages of a farm truck and all the disadvantages of a road car, wrapped up into one disadvantaged disappointment.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yep kinda have to agree!

[@lucasherbert2254]

Severely uneducated viewpoint to have, do you have kids? Do you like a higher vantage point with excellent visibility all round? Do you want to be safer in a crash? SUVs exist for a reason and are popular for a reason. Think before you speak next time seriously

[@victorrouleau150]

@@lucasherbert2254 face palm...yeah kids can only sit in SUVs, nothing else. It is really tragic all these kids spontaneously exploding in none SUVs...as for increased crash safety- sure in certain cases but in others, as they have a higher centre of gravity they are more prone to rolling over. To top things off, they use far more resources to build compared to none SUV vehicles. Maybe you should educate yourself before trying to educate others.

[@nigelvontunzelman1473]

I 90% agree. That missing 10% - 3.5t towing capacity. Unfortunately no wagon or car has 3.5t towing capacity. Other than that SUVs are steaming POSs.

[@realmusicreallife]

Well i have 4 kids and a wife. So its a seven seater i need. Im a massive bmw man. Used to have a e39 5 series touring loved it. Anyway i ended up getting a x5 40d 7 seater. It drives and handles mint for a seven seater plus it has over 300 bhp and 600 nm of torque. So yes suv do have a place

[@GoffyTv]

Great video dude, totally agree with the massive shift to SUV's, these make so much more sense, lots of power to pull, i believe these are as quick if not quicker than a 335I by virtue of huge torque... such a great car. i would love to drive one myself.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah I know it’s so annoying why can’t people buy these I would!

[@simontist]

@@KiwiCarLife in the UK at least, older ones can't go in the low emission zones. Older petrol cars like the 335i are allowed though.

[@lucasherbert2254]

Can’t beat diesel torque yes it’s true but 335is have a much superior engine sound and turbo noises, you have to look at this from all points not just power

[@Mhhhh9431]

​@@lucasherbert2254 M57 is one of the best BMW engines ever made no?

[@Jhonjhonray]

Absolutely loved my 330d e91 great sleeper old man’s car 😊

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yessss good strong car

[@simontist]

They do rev high, and being a 6-cylinder, it's a really good sound for a diesel. Definitely one of the best-sounding diesels out there.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah I reckon it sounds great!

[@Biker322]

I had the F31 335D touring, absolutely weapon of a car, combined with amazing fuel economy. So much torque. When swapping I test drove a new shape 340i, I preferred the diesel,. the 340i you have to thrash to get to the torque, which is a bit obvious to the family around you, but with torque you get to have some silent fun on the annual road trip.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah man honestly I've kinda seen the light with diesel, they make a lot of sense for a daily. Power + fuel economy

[@southernsailor8296]

Literally just found your videos 20 minutes ago.. And now here I am considering offering up my 2010 x5 30d xdrive for review should you want to. Ive had a few cars over the years, my top fav by miles was the series 2 VZ R8 Maloo with 6 speed manual.. and this x5 really can put a smile on my face! Would love the wagon version and a few engine mods to up the bhp to around 400 for a truly amazing family wagon!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Very nice! I actually already have a friend with a 2009 X5 35d AWD which I might review at some point but I appreciate the offer! Sounds like you've had some cool cars

[@17t135i]

For a diesel that actually sounds pretty darn good 🎉

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah I was quite surprised aye!

[@myflourishingfam]

Agreed

[@aidan1585]

0:37 funny you mention the smell of diesels. There’s been no smell off (stock) diesels for the last twenty years 🤣🤣

[@KiwiCarLife]

Maybe I'm just used to modified ones like this 335d. Sitting it here idling while filming all the B roll it stuuuunk haha

[@lucasherbert2254]

Modern diesels don’t smell or smoke, I have one as a work vehicle. Maybe that defeats the point then? Why bother tuning them only to go back to old age diesel problems?

[@aidan1585]

@@lucasherbert2254 yeah if i wanted a more powerful diesel i'd just get a more powerful model instead of risking engine damage and paying 2 thousand in tuning it

[@thatguyben3128]

_Im not a BMW follower but I’ve appreciated all the ones you’ve shown, great job 👏🏼_

[@perpetualgrin5804]

Me too, I prefer Japanese but its good to see other cars.

[@KiwiCarLife]

@@perpetualgrin5804 I understand, just taking what cars I can get. BMW does have a great product, I reckon you guys would like them. I was JDM or nothing for years but now I’ve seen the light

[@perpetualgrin5804]

@@KiwiCarLife Hasn't anyone offered you a ' 380 ' to test ?

[@thatguyben3128]

@@KiwiCarLife I’ve driven an M3 like yours and it was amazing, it’s just the maintenance stigma.

[@llucaswalker]

Your channel reads my mind for the cars I’m wanting to buy I don’t know how

[@KiwiCarLife]

Hahahah this one is a good one!

[@mickstick2830]

these cars are amazing. specially with the M57. Tuning potential is amazing and reliability of the engine is INSANE. I got a E91 with a manual trans , it's friggin great !

[@KiwiCarLife]

@@mickstick2830 that’s epic man yeah so I’ve heard they’re very strong engines

[@LSbimmer]

Man that looks good

[@KiwiCarLife]

@@LSbimmer sure does!

[@Drifty325i]

Pretty well rounded wagon, like it allot!

[@KiwiCarLife]

@@Drifty325i they’re great cars!

[@spadgm]

Nice review, that is a really nicely set up car and man it scoots along, you would need a radar detector for sure!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Haha yep it’s no slouch!

[@Birmingham_racing]

I love a diesel especially a 6 cylinder diesel

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yes good strong engine

[@Caleb__main]

Miss my 335d

[@KiwiCarLife]

Good car

[@Tiger_Pawzzzzz]

Where’s the BMW 130i type R hot hatch? 😂

[@KiwiCarLife]

Aye???

[@Tiger_Pawzzzzz]

I mean what happened to the 130i?

[@KiwiCarLife]

@@Tiger_Pawzzzzz it’s sold for the M3

[@lucasherbert2254]

Any regrets so far?

[@andythorne1211]

Modern Euro diesels are flipping brilliant! Not a BMW mind, but my V6d R Line Touareg is as strong and powerful as on ox! It’s no E39 540i, but hey… Please come and drive the e39!? 😂 Please!!!???

[@KiwiCarLife]

Oh yeah especially with the dsg that would be a proficient car for sure. Yeah I would be keen to come drive your car, hit me up on Insta

[@peterj5751]

A little bit more on maintenance. I am one of many previous BMW owners who found that they spent more time at the dealer than at home. That is why they are cheap second hand.

[@KiwiCarLife]

@@peterj5751 what car did you have?

[@peterj5751]

@@KiwiCarLife An E60 550i. It was a mere 3 years old and had 42,000kms on it. Factory backed BMW warranty luckily. Where do I start on what went wrong. The engine was fine other than minor oil leaks and the electronic oil level monitor which randomly told you the oil needed topping up when it didn’t. On the other hand the automatic transmission would randomly flare revs at steady speeds, especially when cold. The power booster on the brakes failed on the second day I owned it. The vario power steering would randomly vibrate and pulse, BMW managed to resolve that one. The power windows would need recalibrating from time to time and there was seemingly always a warning light or some other electronic glitch to be resolved. In the end, I sold it shortly after the warranty ran out for half of what I paid for it. I admit it was a a great car to drive. What scared me most was how many other BMW owners, or former owners, had similar stories and all from young cars. It’s a pity because otherwise I find BMW’s appealing. Well except for the latest M cars with those dreadful front ends. I don’t think even a mother could love the looks of them.

[@victorwilks88]

Try and review a vw 1.9 tdi

[@KiwiCarLife]

Ooh yes the mighty PD

[@jovanciric4264]

2 only diesels i love 535d and 335d

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yes good strong vehicles

[@lucasherbert2254]

Good engines but for an enthusiast will always maintain nothing sounds better than a singing straight six

[@lucasherbert2254]

Petrol

[@kriscowley3241]

Had an e91 tourer - blew it up 😂, got an e90 saloon now, getting another e91 tourer. Yes, theyre that good for the money.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Oh goodness how on earth did you blow it up??

[@kriscowley3241]

@KiwiCarLife 140mph (private road hehe) low on oil, spun a big end bearing, destroyed the bottom end 😄

[@jordynjackson1664]

Nearly swapped my is350 for a super clean one and I wish I did now

[@KiwiCarLife]

Ooh yes one of these with a map would be a super fun daily

[@lucasherbert2254]

Nah I reckon you made the right choice, I owned one for 6 years never had a single mechanical issue, electric yeah that’s another story but still a solid choice

[@jugostran]

I drive an E90 diesel pre-facelift, albeit with the cut down M47 2 litre four cylinder. Those engines are nice, but the turbo only kicks in around 2k rpm, below that there is nothing (which is sort of irritating for city driving). Other than that, the M47 and M57 are great reliable engines. Otherwise I'd say you're lucky to have never had the manual option on these (or at least I don't recall seeing any) because the manuals BMW used are terrible. Imprecise, sloppy, don't like going into first or second. They also have really long gearing, so you often have to shift into first to get going even if you're rolling. This ties into another problem, which is the clutch. They have an insanely long travel on the clutch pedal, and also feature a delay valve. This means that your bite point changes all the time. This makes manual BMWs of that era practically impossible to drive properly. Another thing I will touch on is the steering. The earlier E90s had hydraulic power assist. However, I don't get all the talk about feel in these. I don't feel much of anything when driving mine. It just feels heavy for no real reason. This makes low speed manoeuvres a bit of a faff. Anyway, thanks for the video. It was great as always. One of these days I'll try an M57 equipped BMW. Really curious as to how they pull. Cheers!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah frankly any for cylinder BMW is not going to be great. A bit different sure but my 130i had great steering and a lovely gearbox. Maybe the bushes and synchros were just worn on yours? Same with my M3. Felt great. I guess it just depends on the age and condition

[@jugostran]

@@KiwiCarLifeI should really try a newer 6 cylinder BMW. I've only ever driven a 6 cylinder E36. Regarding the E90s box, it's very likely that it's worn. 255k on the clock. Regarding the clutch delay valve, some high performance models lack it. I don't think any of the M cars were fitted with it.

[@thomaswilding8818]

Nearly bought one - fantastic car. But opted for a jag diesel instead. XFS makes similar numbers but has the ford diesel which I reckon is cheaper to maintain.

[@KiwiCarLife]

I see yeah that’s understandable

[@Mr330d]

Untill the crank makes itself known

[@fred3527]

The motor in the 535d was so far ahead of the one in the 3 Series. Didn't sound or smell like a diesel and would rev to 6000rpm. If you didn't know you would think it was a petrol in line 6. BMW improved the turbo lag slightly over the one in the 3 Series but it drove me crazy coming from a 3l naturally aspirated BMW engine. The traction control was so basic and would cut the power very abruptly. Petrol power is still king for me in a performance car.

[@KiwiCarLife]

As far as I’m aware the E90 335d and E60 535d use the same M57D30TU2 TOP engine. This definitely only goes to 5000rpm. Are you referring to the newer N57? In the F10 535d that’s got 230kW and 630Nm so yeah a bit more than this 335d. But this definitely has the most powerful M57

[@fred3527]

In South Africa before about 2012, only the x30d versions were available in 3&5 Series. The F10 5 Series was the 1st BMW in South Africa to get the x35d. Mine was 210kw, 600Nm but shortly thereafter they bumped it up to 230kw and 630Nm. Still wished I bought the 535i rather, but those also had their fair share of turbo lag. Before that I had the F10 520d, that took turbo lag to a whole another level. It was like an on-off switch, like a 2 stroke motor cross bike from the 80s. Once you were above about 2000rpm they where great, but in the cut and thrust of traffic they really drove me demented. It was like having a faulty controller on an XBox.

[@lucasherbert2254]

Rev limits on a modern turbo diesel are irrelevant, they have torque from idle even some trucks have a 4000rpm limit but have torque everywhere, why is this even a discussion?

[@fred3527]

@@lucasherbert2254 Having a broader range of revs to use before another gear is selected is very pleasurable to most enthusiast's. (Maybe only those of the petrol variety).

[@AccordCL9-ZA]

I dont think I can sacrifice high revving NA for a bit of midrange torque.. Might just be me. Accord is just ticks all the boxes for me. The only car I'd want to replace it with is maybe a e90x m3

[@The_Noticer.]

As a second / fun car? You're probably right. As a car that you drive on a daily basis, I wouldn't trade midrange torque for the world. Not having to constantly gearhunt for power is so much more relaxing. You put your foot down and the torque is there, for overtaking, merging, etc.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah ngl I’ve just bought my first turbo car to replace the M3 this week and having never had turbo torque it’s something pretty satisfying

[@The_Noticer.]

@@KiwiCarLife Yeah, especially on a petrol its not so bad. Because they can still have a bit of revs. And modern turbo's dont have much lag anymore. Atleast on my FC1 the torque is there from 1800-2000-ish onwards. NA wouldn''t be very potent below that RPM either. Throttle response though, cant beat NA.

[@fred3527]

The 3l turbo motors in the likes of the BMW340i has almost imperceptible turbo lag. Amazing engineering feat and a very desirable motor.

[@lucasherbert2254]

Torque is all that really matters in real world driving, as the old saying goes horsepower sells cars torque wins races. In everyday driving torque is what you need

[@saphirerose5031]

Diesel power is great

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yesss

[@watchesgadgetsandstuff]

That engine is very potent, enough to pull E61 very confident. That E91 will pull nicely. Diesel can be fun. They become quite expensive to maintain when older, but that is to be expected...

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah I guess that’s why I’ve generally preferred naturally aspirated petrol engines because they are fun fast and simple to maintain

[@KHGuitarFreak1988]

Only a matter of time until you try an Alpina diesel XD

[@KiwiCarLife]

Mmmm that would be interesting Alpina does some cool stuff

[@bigrig1301]

No just the Timing chain Breaks

[@KiwiCarLife]

I dunno about that… I know the I4’s have those problems but I thought these were pretty good?

[@bigrig1301]

No and m57 engine

[@konholio2]

I was looking to buy either E60 E39 E46 or E9x with M57 and just for the highway speeds and comfort it should be a great car. In my mind when I start comparing the diesel to petrol, thats when it kinda makes no sense. I can drive cheaper on LPG and I have the M54 alternative, which is usually better in acceleration than the older M57s. M57 can be reflashed, but in the end it is heavier, DPF goes dirty if you dont do long drives. Fuel delivery systems and clutch are crazy expensive, if they need repairs. There is probably something addictive in low end power as you dont need to downshift. Not sure yet if I should buy a temporary diesel car or not.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Personally there’s no comparison between LPG and diesel, at least diesels have some performance but LPG cars make no power

[@konholio2]

@@KiwiCarLife True but you could always switch AC off and switch to petrol :D

[@simontist]

The fuel system isn't as bad as an N54 at least!

[@butterz3488]

I love how a basic tune ona diesel turns them into still reliable- weapons.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Oh does it ever!

[@Birmingham_racing]

This needs a drag race against your m3 see how much difference all that torque makes

[@KiwiCarLife]

This does 0-100 in 5.4s, my M3 is 4.8

[@lucasherbert2254]

That is on a good day with a good driver, are you able to consistently pull those times? I doubt it

[@jimb12312]

@@KiwiCarLife 0-100 in 4.6 in my E92 335D according to Racebox Pro GPS timer. Fully deleted with water/meth injection. Must be the fastest E92 335D in Auckland because I have never seen another one on the roads here. Never selling it.

[@Vikturus22]

the car may have cost $150k new but its still a car with $150k car issues. Devils advocate lol

[@matt_lirio]

bmw 6 cylinder diesels are actually decent in terms of reliability.

[@Vikturus22]

@@matt_lirio That's good to hear. In all seriousness it actually sounds not bad for a diesel. I am not a huge fan of bmws as most the V8s are junk and only the 6 cylinder ones are good

[@The_Noticer.]

There were not $150K new. MSRP on the exec. msport version was 66.3K euro, so thats like $100K aussie. With even a Civic now costing 45K euro here, that line of reasoning would pretty much strand you with 90's and 00's cars forever.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Bear in mind, cars are sold at quite different equivalent retail values around the world. To use your example, our FL1 Civic is $47,000NZD new, or only €26,800. Your normal 1.5T Civic here would be the equivalent of $78,000NZD, more than our $72,000NZD Type R! I've read a few articles on the 335d when it was new and it was around $110k NZD new without options. So given this one is fully loaded I'd say 150k is maybe a little steep but not inaccurate. And yes correct if you're buying a BMW it MUST have an I6. Any other engine is a recipe for disaster.

[@The_Noticer.]

@@KiwiCarLife Yeah our "BPM (Belasting van Personenauto's en Motorrijwielen) taxes are kind of insane I guess. Especially given the FL1 which is supposed to be an ecofriendly hybrid. They still tax the F out of it. FL5 is 80K euro here, or $130K aussie. Nobody buys them except for American soldiers stationed in the region. Because they can buy them tax-excempt. Then they drive them couple years and sell them for the price they bought it at. Which is still more than they cost elsewhere, new, lol. Suffice it to say, Honda is not doing great here. There is like one maindealer left in a large radius.

[@The_Noticer.]

People buy SUV's because the market is rigged. They practically dont make wagons or sedans anymore, and thats because of global platforms. They needed the raised cars for packaging (battery packs especially), so they goaded everyone into thinking they wanted this. Honestly can't recall people asking for lifted hatchbacks (thats what they are, because of the sloped rears) before they were actually a thing. Pure market manipulation. Truely, there is no rational reason to buy a lifted hatch that has worse gas mileage and handling, but no extra practicality, but here we are. You have to scour the search results for a wagon or a sedan here in The Netherlands. When I was looking for my Civic, there were two, TWO, exec spec sedans in the Netherlands. Crazy. Also love the muscle memory arm going to the shifter when its an automatic, haha. As a man thats been driving stick for 18 years, i get it.

[@GoffyTv]

dude , totally agree. Getting a good road car is so hard to find, we seem to be full of SUV's which arent as safe, dont handle, and heavier. And to be fair most will say 4wd is safer. I would say many of these cars would be lucky to run over some wet leaves on their driveway so there is no point!

[@JuicyJLee]

This is why is amazing a wagon or sedan man . Never owned a hatch in my life lol all sedans but my first wagon will be a old a corolla ke70 wagon with a 20v

[@KiwiCarLife]

I had it in tiptronic hence using the shifter. This one didn't have paddles. I'm not sure if it's market manipulation necessarily, I guess these days a lot of people like to be high up. Easier to get in and out of, better view of the road etc. I work in the auto industry and people like us are definitely the minority. I find safety features annoying and try to turn them off, but some people will not buy a car without them for example. I see the appeal of an SUV, but I feel a wagon can do everything the same but look and drive way better. That said most normal people just want a car to be comfortable, not necessarily good...

[@lucasherbert2254]

Sigh…. Really…..to be a true enthusiast you will have to leave your personal whatever at the door, varies vehicles exist in todays market for a reason. To think that you know better than automotive manufacturers is extremely naive and ignorant

[@nigelvontunzelman1473]

X5 is built on same platform as 5 series, X3 same platform as 3 series etc etc. Essentially they are lifted versions of the equivalent cars. Same for Mercs too. It's a shame because the higher centre of gravity makes them dynamically worse than the regular cars they're based on. Remember when the motoring press went nuts for the Comodore and Falcon getting IRS?... Now the buying public can't get enough of utes with live rear axles and drum brakes... where did we go wrong?

[@stevetipene3319]

they are rated to tow only 1800kg so that aint much

[@KiwiCarLife]

For a car though that’s quite a lot! Most cars can only tow a tonne

[@lucasherbert2254]

Maybe another reason why SUVs exist?

[@chayyboi]

lonely track road

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yep!

[@VengefulHater]

The m57 3,5d will always be superior to n54 3,5i! And if you think it doesn’t have brutal noise, I’ll lend you mine for a video 😂 you can hear the turbo whistles from 2 blocks away and it’s 580hp 1000+nm

[@KiwiCarLife]

Would be keen to check out your car! Sounds wild

[@Francis-ot7pm]

Audi does wagons the best and visually stunning. Nobody does it better. RS6 and RS 4 Avant....just Diabolical..... Mercedes and Benz.....not so even though this ís brilliant for a diesel.

[@KiwiCarLife]

I’d like to say that bmw also makes great wagons

[@lucasherbert2254]

Ever car manufacturer makes great wagons, I had a Nissan wing road wagon for almost 4 years as a work vehicle and it too was great. Outstanding though? No a big no, which is where the biggest difference is. Picking between an RS4 or RS6 wagon versus a BMW of any kind wagon ? There’s literally no comparison here

[@victorwilks88]

Jack is a baller 😮

[@KiwiCarLife]

He sure is haha

[@jackbryden8512]

✌️

[@lucasherbert2254]

In today’s economic climate though even as diesel is cheaper than petrol, you still have road users on top, so does it really balance out ? And is always the case with owning any high powered car where and when do you get to use this ridiculous power on a normal road? As a family car sure it’s good on paper but as a weekend play thing it’s the same as the much hated SUV. I see these as high powered fast things nothing more but as far as driver enjoyment even a 130i delivers that which can be used equally as a run about during the week or a toy on weekends

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yes, the idea with road user charges is that it works out costing the same as petrol if you get the same fuel economy. However this diesel will use half the fuel of an equivalently powerful 335i touring. So it will absolutely work out cheaper. Agree I’d probably still rather have petrol, but the savings are definitely there

[@GgSyUm]

Why do people have SUV's...get yourself a ride in a X3M and you'll be able to answer that question for yourself.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yes fair point but my point still stands. An M3 touring will be just as practical and even better to drive

[@Insetta]

No it doesn't make sense. An M3 estate has the same engine but far more practical

[@lucasherbert2254]

People don’t buy SUVs with this is mind again quite uneducated response

[@lokei69189]

1st

[@KiwiCarLife]

Well done

[@mixedboi]

Can't stand bmw

[@victorwilks88]

Lol 😆

[@hexagonosaurus5848]

Nice to hear.

[@KiwiCarLife]

You driven any?

[@mixedboi]

@@KiwiCarLife Yes 118d E87, the chain monster N47, gear shifts crunchy and sticky. 525d e60 3.0d, bad vibrations because allegedly broken spring on clutch, broken engine mounts, but ironically, thousands of euros invested. BMW's are great when they are new. But when the plastics age, they are appalling. I won't sell my "shitty" 04 Accord, a real car in my opinion.

[@simontist]

@@mixedboi Simple reliable car often is nicer to drive if the fancy car is broken.