Deutsch
Tire Trailblazer
With an afternoon filled with no plans I decided to take a detour on the way home and stop by a local BMW/MINI dealer to check out the 335i sedan and R56 Cooper S. I've driven the E92 N54 engined coupe on two occasions and thought I'd take the sedan for spin, not that I was expecting it to be any different. I just have a thing for fast four doors. I guess you can say they make the ultimate sleeper mobiles when you have real power under the hood such as what the N54 bi-turbo 6 makes available to you. I also drove the R56 Cooper S to see how it stacked up in general terms and against its much lauded predecessor.
E90 335i sedan:
Having over -familiarized myself with the W204 C, I thought it would be nice to have a refresher with the E90 and remember what got me so hyped up about driving cars in the first place.
I've made remarks recently about the interior design/build of the E90, saying that it's somewhat spartan and not as nice a place to be as in the C. Truth is, it's built very well, to the same standard as the C. It just looks different in the way all the shapes come together, which for some has been an eye sore, but it's really not that bad, so as long as you pick the right trim and color. The example I drove was Gray with Dark Poplar wood trim, none tasteful to me but for someone else it's a dream. I got to sit in another car with the same interior color but this time with aluminum trim, which felt far more like home to me and more fitting to the sporty character of BMW. The exterior was Alpine White, not my choice of color for a car but pleasant, if you like white cars I imagine.
Pulling the car out of the lot first thing you feel is the steering wheel, no we're not having a "no sh#t" moment, I'm talking about steering feel. I've pondered what this means exactly for quite some time now, and it seems to be fairly subjective criteria with an overwhelming ounce of truth. I don't want to get into details, they’re all in the steering- I'll just leave it at that. In short the 3er sedan (as this is true for many other BMW models) handles very much like a go-kart for grownups. The chassis reflexes are ultra sensitive and give you the slightest change in road surface detail through feedback in the steering and suspension. Just when you feel as if you might be getting ready to lose touch with what’s going on the 3er sedan holds your hand more than faithfully. In contrast, a C-class could only hope to be this much of a team player between car and driver; it's simply not as responsive or as eager. However, this sort of ultra involving handling can only be had w/ the sports package, as the sports suspension increases the amount of information coming back to you in the form of a stiffer suspension. Ride comfort is a non-issue, perhaps not as good as in a C-class, but "ride comfort" is not what you drive a BMW for. Grip is very high. Even though I didn't get anywhere nears flogging the car, I could feel the suspension stiffening up and reacting to my inputs as I increased speed both immediately and imperceptibly. I think you'd really have to be working this car to break its composure.
How about that "nasty" N54 bi-turbo?!?!?! What’s' there to say??? It's not like you didn't already know that it's the perfect match for the E90 chassis, that's it's more addicting than checking out Kiler's or Audiholic's avatar, that it may very well throw you in jail and cause you to loose your driving privilege, indefinitely. It almost became irritating to read the flood of accolades for the N54 from various automotive publications, but experiencing the power of this motor makes sense of it all. I must have floored the accelerator every open opportunity I had; the way the torque swells up instantaneously and ever so smoothly is simply to good an experience not to indulge in. Normally driving in my Volvo I know when I've hit 80 mph, which almost never happens, but the wave of torque in the 335 is so seamless and so colossal you don't really know how fast you're going til you look down at the speedo. You have to work really hard not to want to go fast in the 335, because this car will surely get you in trouble if you're not keeping an eye out and a foot contained. The 6-speed Steptronic with paddle shifters works just as seamless as the engine and is a perfect match for the power unit. Shifts are instantaneous, just like DSG but smoother, just as quick, and less intrusive (it will never downshift automatically, that's your job). This is by far the best manu-matic I've yet experienced.
Sitting in a pensive mood, trying to come up with flaws for the 335 and the 3er in general is a hard thing to do, not to mention a moot point when we have a refresh coming next year. It's even harder to think how you improve on not only a power unit so good, but a car so good. For all the attempts taken to unseat the 3er as the king of the compact premium sedan segment, it's a car to be in awe of, and I am very grateful for its existence. This car represents an ideal balance between practicality, handling and performance that is attainable to any automotive enthusiast that dreams of owning such a car. I've just stepped back in line for my 3er.
R56 Cooper S:
After having come down from the tremendous high experienced from behind the wheel of the 335i sedan, I was expecting the R56 S to continue the fun, albeit in a slightly different and less progressive manner. Not so. We're still talking about a car that pulls slalom numbers right up there with an assortment of high performance and top handling automobiles with guts enough to move at a fairly effortless pace.
I drove a Red on Black example on "16 inch alloys equipped with non sports suspension. The latter didn't sour my enthusiasm as this is still a MINI regardless of particulars. The color combo actually looked quite nice, especially for a sporting and "cracking" hot hatch like the MINI Cooper S. The interior is a great place to be, plenty of legroom, shoulderoom, and headroom for this 6'5"'r. It's full of artsy and classic MINI detailing, from the oversized Speedo to the dash/console mounted toggle switches for the windows underneath (classic and long-gone BMW/MB touch there).
Pulling off but coming to a stop beforehand, I switched the sport button on to firm up the steering and increase the responsiveness of the throttle. Unlike before, the Coopers steering is fully electric as oppose to being fully hydraulic. I was worried about this, as I've read many complaints and very few praises regarding this new feature, saying that there's been a complete loss of feel and leaves the steering feeling uninspired. Makes me happy that this was definitely not the case I experienced today; full of feel, ultra direct and agreeable, it made it just that much more fun to point and the S from corner to corner. There's a slight filter of information, but I feel this is down to the suspension settings and not the steering itself, had I been driving a car equipped with sports suspension I'm sure I would have gotten E90 style steering feel. No question as this is what I experienced with the R53 coupe I drove earlier this year. The ride was ultra compliant, never jarring or unsettling despite being on run-flats. It's so easy to hustle this car; it's something about those BMW family genes that makes these cars so pliable to the road that makes you a fanatic of your local roadways.
Most people I know gawk at the MINI and say, "bah, just another soda-can mile muncher". It's enough to make me want to slap them, really. The MINI Cooper S is so incredibly much more than it's looks or what you can conjure it up to be in your head never having actually driven one, because not only is the handling something to long for, but the engine is so lusty, especially for a car of this size. "Yeh" it's just a four cylinder that pops out 172hp with an overboost feature offering up 191 lb ft of torque at 1600 rpm when you fully depress the accelerator, and "Yeh" this is all in a car that weighs just 2,668 lbs. I'll tell you what I experienced in the R56 Cooper S was just as entertaining and thrilling as what I experienced in the 335i. Even more so, because this wasn't in a $50k sports sedan, this was in a $28k FWD hot hatch that offered handling just as good as the Bimmers. The power is so on point, the torque so huge and ready for action you just can't get it wrong. I didn't get to take it on the freeway to test it for passing power but I know for a fact it would blitzed many a passenger car and truck. This is truly a car for most of every occasion. Morning back-road blasts? L.A. traffic jams? Coast down the Pacific? Doesn't matter, the Cooper S is up for it. The numbers all look very small on paper, but really add up in the real world when you're putting the car through its paces. This is something I truly could never emphasize enough.
Drawbacks? There were a few, chiefly interior space in the back, but what the heck?! I'm 6'5" and it takes an S-class or 7er for some to even sit behind me, at all. I took issue with the Steptronic feature of the automatic transmission, because unlike the 6-speed offered in the 335i, this transmission liked to shift on it's own when you aren't paying close enough attention, but I did learn that there's a complete manu-matic mode that will not up or down-shift unless you do it. Ok, so there really are no "drawbacks". Another stellar BMW product then? Absolutely. The R56 S is a car you and yours can enjoy and keep up with those pesky sportscars at the track, groceries in back. It's a car that asks for nothing but to be driven, with enthusiasm. All at a nominal cost when you really take into consideration just what you're getting; A FWD sports car made for the everyday. The swiss army knife of the hot hatch brigade.
E90 335i sedan:
Having over -familiarized myself with the W204 C, I thought it would be nice to have a refresher with the E90 and remember what got me so hyped up about driving cars in the first place.
I've made remarks recently about the interior design/build of the E90, saying that it's somewhat spartan and not as nice a place to be as in the C. Truth is, it's built very well, to the same standard as the C. It just looks different in the way all the shapes come together, which for some has been an eye sore, but it's really not that bad, so as long as you pick the right trim and color. The example I drove was Gray with Dark Poplar wood trim, none tasteful to me but for someone else it's a dream. I got to sit in another car with the same interior color but this time with aluminum trim, which felt far more like home to me and more fitting to the sporty character of BMW. The exterior was Alpine White, not my choice of color for a car but pleasant, if you like white cars I imagine.
Pulling the car out of the lot first thing you feel is the steering wheel, no we're not having a "no sh#t" moment, I'm talking about steering feel. I've pondered what this means exactly for quite some time now, and it seems to be fairly subjective criteria with an overwhelming ounce of truth. I don't want to get into details, they’re all in the steering- I'll just leave it at that. In short the 3er sedan (as this is true for many other BMW models) handles very much like a go-kart for grownups. The chassis reflexes are ultra sensitive and give you the slightest change in road surface detail through feedback in the steering and suspension. Just when you feel as if you might be getting ready to lose touch with what’s going on the 3er sedan holds your hand more than faithfully. In contrast, a C-class could only hope to be this much of a team player between car and driver; it's simply not as responsive or as eager. However, this sort of ultra involving handling can only be had w/ the sports package, as the sports suspension increases the amount of information coming back to you in the form of a stiffer suspension. Ride comfort is a non-issue, perhaps not as good as in a C-class, but "ride comfort" is not what you drive a BMW for. Grip is very high. Even though I didn't get anywhere nears flogging the car, I could feel the suspension stiffening up and reacting to my inputs as I increased speed both immediately and imperceptibly. I think you'd really have to be working this car to break its composure.
How about that "nasty" N54 bi-turbo?!?!?! What’s' there to say??? It's not like you didn't already know that it's the perfect match for the E90 chassis, that's it's more addicting than checking out Kiler's or Audiholic's avatar, that it may very well throw you in jail and cause you to loose your driving privilege, indefinitely. It almost became irritating to read the flood of accolades for the N54 from various automotive publications, but experiencing the power of this motor makes sense of it all. I must have floored the accelerator every open opportunity I had; the way the torque swells up instantaneously and ever so smoothly is simply to good an experience not to indulge in. Normally driving in my Volvo I know when I've hit 80 mph, which almost never happens, but the wave of torque in the 335 is so seamless and so colossal you don't really know how fast you're going til you look down at the speedo. You have to work really hard not to want to go fast in the 335, because this car will surely get you in trouble if you're not keeping an eye out and a foot contained. The 6-speed Steptronic with paddle shifters works just as seamless as the engine and is a perfect match for the power unit. Shifts are instantaneous, just like DSG but smoother, just as quick, and less intrusive (it will never downshift automatically, that's your job). This is by far the best manu-matic I've yet experienced.
Sitting in a pensive mood, trying to come up with flaws for the 335 and the 3er in general is a hard thing to do, not to mention a moot point when we have a refresh coming next year. It's even harder to think how you improve on not only a power unit so good, but a car so good. For all the attempts taken to unseat the 3er as the king of the compact premium sedan segment, it's a car to be in awe of, and I am very grateful for its existence. This car represents an ideal balance between practicality, handling and performance that is attainable to any automotive enthusiast that dreams of owning such a car. I've just stepped back in line for my 3er.
R56 Cooper S:
After having come down from the tremendous high experienced from behind the wheel of the 335i sedan, I was expecting the R56 S to continue the fun, albeit in a slightly different and less progressive manner. Not so. We're still talking about a car that pulls slalom numbers right up there with an assortment of high performance and top handling automobiles with guts enough to move at a fairly effortless pace.
I drove a Red on Black example on "16 inch alloys equipped with non sports suspension. The latter didn't sour my enthusiasm as this is still a MINI regardless of particulars. The color combo actually looked quite nice, especially for a sporting and "cracking" hot hatch like the MINI Cooper S. The interior is a great place to be, plenty of legroom, shoulderoom, and headroom for this 6'5"'r. It's full of artsy and classic MINI detailing, from the oversized Speedo to the dash/console mounted toggle switches for the windows underneath (classic and long-gone BMW/MB touch there).
Pulling off but coming to a stop beforehand, I switched the sport button on to firm up the steering and increase the responsiveness of the throttle. Unlike before, the Coopers steering is fully electric as oppose to being fully hydraulic. I was worried about this, as I've read many complaints and very few praises regarding this new feature, saying that there's been a complete loss of feel and leaves the steering feeling uninspired. Makes me happy that this was definitely not the case I experienced today; full of feel, ultra direct and agreeable, it made it just that much more fun to point and the S from corner to corner. There's a slight filter of information, but I feel this is down to the suspension settings and not the steering itself, had I been driving a car equipped with sports suspension I'm sure I would have gotten E90 style steering feel. No question as this is what I experienced with the R53 coupe I drove earlier this year. The ride was ultra compliant, never jarring or unsettling despite being on run-flats. It's so easy to hustle this car; it's something about those BMW family genes that makes these cars so pliable to the road that makes you a fanatic of your local roadways.
Most people I know gawk at the MINI and say, "bah, just another soda-can mile muncher". It's enough to make me want to slap them, really. The MINI Cooper S is so incredibly much more than it's looks or what you can conjure it up to be in your head never having actually driven one, because not only is the handling something to long for, but the engine is so lusty, especially for a car of this size. "Yeh" it's just a four cylinder that pops out 172hp with an overboost feature offering up 191 lb ft of torque at 1600 rpm when you fully depress the accelerator, and "Yeh" this is all in a car that weighs just 2,668 lbs. I'll tell you what I experienced in the R56 Cooper S was just as entertaining and thrilling as what I experienced in the 335i. Even more so, because this wasn't in a $50k sports sedan, this was in a $28k FWD hot hatch that offered handling just as good as the Bimmers. The power is so on point, the torque so huge and ready for action you just can't get it wrong. I didn't get to take it on the freeway to test it for passing power but I know for a fact it would blitzed many a passenger car and truck. This is truly a car for most of every occasion. Morning back-road blasts? L.A. traffic jams? Coast down the Pacific? Doesn't matter, the Cooper S is up for it. The numbers all look very small on paper, but really add up in the real world when you're putting the car through its paces. This is something I truly could never emphasize enough.
Drawbacks? There were a few, chiefly interior space in the back, but what the heck?! I'm 6'5" and it takes an S-class or 7er for some to even sit behind me, at all. I took issue with the Steptronic feature of the automatic transmission, because unlike the 6-speed offered in the 335i, this transmission liked to shift on it's own when you aren't paying close enough attention, but I did learn that there's a complete manu-matic mode that will not up or down-shift unless you do it. Ok, so there really are no "drawbacks". Another stellar BMW product then? Absolutely. The R56 S is a car you and yours can enjoy and keep up with those pesky sportscars at the track, groceries in back. It's a car that asks for nothing but to be driven, with enthusiasm. All at a nominal cost when you really take into consideration just what you're getting; A FWD sports car made for the everyday. The swiss army knife of the hot hatch brigade.
