Review Bmw 3 Series Coupe Manual 2008
Review
0 useful votes
Submitted by hottentot
Key strengths: Power, comfort, speed, looks, etc.
Areas for improvement: Air coming out of aircon isn't very cold, iDrive can be cumbersome
In comparison to the other 5-series models, the 535i was, in my opinion, the best balance of price and performance. The now somewhat outdated 550i engine produces an extra 60 horsepower over the 535i's 300-hp engine, but the additional performance is really not very much increased over the 535. On the other end, however, there is a rather large jump in performance, the 528i's non-turbocharged 3.0 liter engine is much more sluggish and doesn't provide a driving experience near as thrilling as the 535i. The M5 is, of course, many orders of magnitude better to drive, but it is way too far out of my price range, and probably that of most other people.
The core of a BMW, of course, is the engine and transmission. For the 535i, the engine feels very smooth and very refined to drive (you can find all the specs somewhere else, like BMW's website, so I won't list them here). My car is equipped with the non-sport automatic transmission, which includes a manual shift mode. Unfortunately, when I first bought the car, the transmission downshifted to first gear too early whenever I slowed to a stoplight, causing a jump in revs and engine braking, making the car jerk as if I'd just hit the brakes. As the engine and transmission wore on through the break-in period, however, this seemed to fix itself and the transmission is now extremely smooth. There seems to be almost infinite power in 2-6 gears, but for some reason there isn't much power in first at low revs (when you're first pulling away from a stoplight). On the freeway, the potential for passing seems almost infinite, and the first 5.5 seconds going 0-60 while merging on the freeway are absolutely thrilling.
The handling is likewise spectacular, with loads of grip in turns at speeds under about 25-30 mph and absolute control in slides above that speed. This is, of course, assuming the traction control and other electronic handling controls are off - with these on it is just about impossible to get off track and slide.
The running costs for Bmw 3 Series Coupe Manual are normal
Areas for improvement: Air coming out of aircon isn't very cold, iDrive can be cumbersome
In comparison to the other 5-series models, the 535i was, in my opinion, the best balance of price and performance. The now somewhat outdated 550i engine produces an extra 60 horsepower over the 535i's 300-hp engine, but the additional performance is really not very much increased over the 535. On the other end, however, there is a rather large jump in performance, the 528i's non-turbocharged 3.0 liter engine is much more sluggish and doesn't provide a driving experience near as thrilling as the 535i. The M5 is, of course, many orders of magnitude better to drive, but it is way too far out of my price range, and probably that of most other people.
The core of a BMW, of course, is the engine and transmission. For the 535i, the engine feels very smooth and very refined to drive (you can find all the specs somewhere else, like BMW's website, so I won't list them here). My car is equipped with the non-sport automatic transmission, which includes a manual shift mode. Unfortunately, when I first bought the car, the transmission downshifted to first gear too early whenever I slowed to a stoplight, causing a jump in revs and engine braking, making the car jerk as if I'd just hit the brakes. As the engine and transmission wore on through the break-in period, however, this seemed to fix itself and the transmission is now extremely smooth. There seems to be almost infinite power in 2-6 gears, but for some reason there isn't much power in first at low revs (when you're first pulling away from a stoplight). On the freeway, the potential for passing seems almost infinite, and the first 5.5 seconds going 0-60 while merging on the freeway are absolutely thrilling.
The handling is likewise spectacular, with loads of grip in turns at speeds under about 25-30 mph and absolute control in slides above that speed. This is, of course, assuming the traction control and other electronic handling controls are off - with these on it is just about impossible to get off track and slide.
The running costs for Bmw 3 Series Coupe Manual are normal
Safety: 81
Equipment: 91
Reliability: 85
Driving: 84
Comfort: 84
Design: 86
Has this review been useful? Yes | Add to favorites | Send to a friend
This is a subjective opinion from a ebuga.co.uk user and not from ebuga.co.uk.
Comments
