[S5N]

Hello all,

I'm having a hard time deciding which car I'm looking to buy next. My typical journey daily is around 30 miles including town and B-roads, some motorway as well. I've always had diesels (currently 420d) and I've always missed the sound element in my cars.

Unfortunately as we know, we don't get a 435i xDrive in the UK, only the 435d xDrive which is an absolute rocket.

My question is, is the 435d xDrive worth sacrificing the sound for instead of 435i or are they fairly similar in real-world driving?

Any opinions would be much appreciated

[NISFAN]

Going from a 420d to 435d will be a big step up in every category, so you won't be disappointed. Even sound wise.
Personally I would choose the 435i sDrive, but that's me. Better sound, revy engine and quite like taming oversteer.

[Manivxr]

Go for the sound.

[dopper99]

My take on both...

435i

Better sounding.
Lighter being petrol AND sdrive so better handling.
Slower than the 435d.
RWD - depends what you want, lack of traction in the wet/winter etc... but you can hang the arse out if that floats your boat.

435d

Torque monster. Effortless power/performance.
4WD traction all day long and would most likely kill the 435i cross country in the wet.
Sounds - like a diesel, but its not as bad as a 20d. The 6 cylinder isn't too bad.
Heavier, dulls the handling somewhat.
But the killer is the standard fit SE suspension. So it sits sky high and wobbles on the bends. Can be easily sorted though with something like ACS springs.


I had a 335d and really liked it (fitted ACS springs), not driven a 435i or 335i.


Oh, and the other obvious one, the 435i will be quite a bit thirstier than the 435d. I think they are no where near as economical as the 340i/440i.

[seenthelight!]

Fwiw, I have had the 435d for just over a year now, and can honestly say that it's the best car I have ever had. Before this, I had a Mercedes gla45 amg, and before that an audi s3. Sure, I miss the sound, as the 45 had to be heard to be believed, and the s3 was pretty vocal, but the 6 cylinder diesel sounds pretty good (as diesels go), especially after the remap and removal of the backbox and twin pipe conversation. What it lacks in sound, it makes up for in virtually every other area ... And the 55mpg on a run is sweet music to my ears !

[Skyhigh]

It is not an easy choice (especially in the absence of XDrive for 35i). It all comes down to personal choice really.
If you do appreciate sound, in this era of electrical toys taking over and noise emission laws becoming stricter, I'd suggest you go with the sweet sound of a 6 cylinder petrol engine, while you still can! No diesel can compare, ever, irrespective of the cylinders. A diesel is a diesel.

If the highest priority is performance (or mpg) - you will be better served with 35d.

After all there is no right or wrong. Personal choice really
I have my diesel days behind me and don't think either of the two cars in question are budget options anyway (if you are concerned about cost). I would personally go for the 35i.

[Hooded]

Originally Posted by dopper99

My take on both...

435i

Better sounding.
Lighter being petrol AND sdrive so better handling.
Slower than the 435d.
RWD - depends what you want, lack of traction in the wet/winter etc... but you can hang the arse out if that floats your boat.

435d

Torque monster. Effortless power/performance.
4WD traction all day long and would most likely kill the 435i cross country in the wet.
Sounds - like a diesel, but its not as bad as a 20d. The 6 cylinder isn't too bad.
Heavier, dulls the handling somewhat.
But the killer is the standard fit SE suspension. So it sits sky high and wobbles on the bends. Can be easily sorted though with something like ACS springs.


I had a 335d and really liked it (fitted ACS springs), not driven a 435i or 335i.


Oh, and the other obvious one, the 435i will be quite a bit thirstier than the 435d. I think they are no where near as economical as the 340i/440i.

Agree with this^

Personally I'd take the 35d over the 35i .. but I'd take the 40i over the 35d

[Alscoob]

Not quiet an exact comparison but....I had a 330d F31 and tested a 335i F31 12 months in, the difference was as said elsewhere, the car felt lighter more nimble and eager to go and with a wonderful sound. At the time the deal wasn't there to swop so I left it.

Fast forward a few years my 330d was tweaked and although S drive was close to the 335d power & torque, it was amazing. The effortless low down grunt ridiculously quick when needed and had a lifetime mpg of 42. I achieved at a very best 51mpg once! so really everything I could want at the time.

Move on further and I now have a 340I F31 do I miss the diesel, actually yes, but not enough to entice me back to one, it was the torque that I liked. Having always been a petrol head the sound of a straight 6 engine is wonderful and I'm now learning how to drive it, sounds daft but diesel to petrol takes time to adapt to especially when they're both 6 pots. However coming from a 420 you'll be amazed at the power of both.

The 340 is similar to the 335i although updated, still lighter & more positive, feels more nimble and direct than the previous 330d a much nicer car IMO to drive. I would suspect that the 435i would be very similar in that respect to the 435d especially as the x drive system does add some weight to the car.

I would suggest that you consider what it is you need from a car, are the important factors, economy mixed with performance, not concerned about the diesel rattle, 4 wheel drive because you live in an area that would dictate it in winter or are you OK with 2 wheel drive and a set of winter wheels, less economy, far nicer sound to the engine and overall a better drive?

One thing I would highlight is that if you opt for x drive tyres are critical (as discussed many times on here) in general terms you can't just replace two at a time you have to do all 4 together as the system has little tolerance for front to rear tyre wear. Recent topics suggest that you should only use BMW* rated tyres, so a limited and perhaps expensive choice.

A final thought is that S drive has better suspension than X drive (in standard trim) and S drive with winter tyres in snow will have better traction than X drive with standard summer tyres

Hope it helps

Just to add I suspect that you will be 10-12 mpg less in a 435i compared to a 435d so 30's as opposed to 40's depending on how you drive
Also on a 30 mile drive the petrol will warm up quicker, short journeys may mean that you may have to force diesel DPF regens to stop it blocking

[aquazi]

umm.. at that mileage i would say go petrol.

My 435d is my first diesel - with the fake sound in the cabin it sounds ok, still rattles/ body shake of the diesel compared to the petrol - and the petrol is much more refined. The diesel is also nose heavy - so even with ACS wont feel as confident around the twists...

If the 440 was offered as an xdrive i would be all over it... Been stranded one too many times in a RWD BMW that even for the 1 day every few years that it snows i'll never go RWD on my commuting car again.

Also xdrive launch control wins over RWD everytime!!

[doncarlyon]

Originally Posted by aquazi

If the 440 was offered as an xdrive i would be all over it... Been stranded one too many times in a RWD BMW that even for the 1 day every few years that it snows i'll never go RWD on my commuting car again.

Tyres would fix this problem

[aquazi]

Originally Posted by doncarlyon

Tyres would fix this problem

True - i used to run winter wheels on my E85... but had to store them - more hassle than its worth...

while an xdrive on summer tires is more than enough in this climate to get you home in most cases.

[MarkH13]

I haven't driven the 435i, but have road tested the 435d xD and 440i* together.

I did find them very different cars - the 435d felt much heavier than the 440i, both in its steering and suspension, and in the way it went round corners. I also didn't enjoy the engine note - although it's very quick, I was disappointed with the lack of excitement when you put your foot down.

The 440i felt much more nimble, and the noise the engine makes is fantastic - creamy smooth and quiet at low revs, rising to a wonderful howl once you go past 4k revs. The 440i is probably a little slower below 3k revs, but once you go above that, it picks up beautifully and slings you towards the horizon in an exhilarating way that no diesel could match.

Of course the diesel will give significantly better economy, but the 440i (which I bought) is surprisingly good if you can restrain yourself (48mpg on a recent 70mph motorway journey). That's offset a little by the higher cost of diesel though, so the monetary difference between the two cars is probably not that great, unless you're doing massive miles each year.

Anyway, two fantastic cars, I think you will be very happy with either!

* Full disclaimer, the 440i turned out to have the MPPSK option, but the comparisons are probably still valid

[1966-TR4]

Originally Posted by Alscoob

One thing I would highlight is that if you opt for x drive tyres are critical (as discussed many times on here) in general terms you can't just replace two at a time you have to do all 4 together as the system has little tolerance for front to rear tyre wear. Recent topics suggest that you should only use BMW* rated tyres, so a limited and perhaps expensive choice.

Plenty sound advice but re the tyres, I would counter with my experience of having no issues using non run flat, non * marked, Michelin PS4 tyres for 110k miles now, only ever changed in pairs.

[The0pportunist]

Coming from a 640d I too had a similar dilemma when buying my new car a couple weeks ago.

My thoughts:

1) Lack of torque in the 335i is apparent, you really need to rev this sucker out to get it to move.

2) 335i sounds glorious, i have an internal battle everyday whether to listen to my HK sounds or the exhaust note.

3) With the world moving to electric I think this might be our last couple chances to own a 6pot petrol engine. Take it i say

[Rhino at Work]

Originally Posted by S5N

Hello all,

I'm having a hard time deciding which car I'm looking to buy next. My typical journey daily is around 30 miles including town and B-roads, some motorway as well. I've always had diesels (currently 420d) and I've always missed the sound element in my cars.

Unfortunately as we know, we don't get a 435i xDrive in the UK, only the 435d xDrive which is an absolute rocket.

My question is, is the 435d xDrive worth sacrificing the sound for instead of 435i or are they fairly similar in real-world driving?

Any opinions would be much appreciated

You don't actually say but have you driven both? I think it's the only way you'll decide but even then it's not that straightforward.

The 6 pot diesel will feel so much better to drive than what you have now but if you've been driving diesels for a long time the petrol may well take a bit of getting used to as it can feel like you're over-revving it until you get used to it.

At the end of the day they are both great cars just different. I've had a 330d xdrive and now have a 340i and would chose the petrol but it's closer than you might think.

[S5N]

Thank you so much all for your replies, they are very informative and some really interesting views on both models. I agree, the best way to find out about both of these models would be to test drive them.

The nearest 435i to me is located around 110 miles away, I can't find automatic 435i's for sale in Scotland! I've got a good mind to try out a local 440i and then a 435d xDrive back-to-back to see the difference and see what I prefer.

As a lot of you mentioned, either of them will be a sizeable upgrade from the 420d. Will report back with my views as soon as I book a test drive in both cars!

[Alscoob]

Originally Posted by 1966-TR4

Plenty sound advice but re the tyres, I would counter with my experience of having no issues using non run flat, non * marked, Michelin PS4 tyres for 110k miles now, only ever changed in pairs.

I would concur with your comments and would personally use Non RFT non* and have without issue.

However, recent posts on here have shown that some have had issues, as the tolerance with sizing on some manufacturers tyres in a staggered set up have been an issue. I thought it best to highlight the point as the OP was after some advice.

[g9icy]

I own a 435d and have driven a friend's 435i. Both are great cars, but I *really* missed the low down torque of the 35d when driving his. A lot of people seem to say the 435i "handles better", I'd say they handle "differently". I prefer the stability and precision the xDrive brings over the oppurtunity to flick the rear out, but that's just my preference.

Having said all that, if I could go back knowing what I know now, I'd have gone for a 440i with the BMW remap as I didn't really need the MPG benefits of the diesel.

[Rich9600]

I have an F31 340i sDrive and a colleague has a F30 335d xDrive. At my driving skill I can't match his car at road legal speeds. xDrive traction tops 0-62 in reality significantly. However similar on paper the two are. However, paper suggests 0-100 favours my 340i by about a second.

Both are quick cars. I had a 320d sDrive, before a 330d sDrive. So, I've been the diesel route. My petrol is faster than both of these in reality. The power delivery of a petrol makes application of RWD power to the road easier for normal drivers. However, xDrive makes it even easier.

I've driven a number of xDrives. My gut feeling is that a 320d xDrive could potentially beat my 340i sDrive to 40mph under the wrong winter conditions. When I put my 225/45/R18 winters on I have to really feather the throttle sometimes. Just not enough rubber contact on the good days to use the power. A 320d xDrive on summers can use all its rubber contact and until power comes into play torque and traction rule.

Unless my mileage rockets, I'm staying petrol. I enjoy driving my car and the sounds it makes. However, my wife has a Cooper S. Both the 340i and her Cooper S have standard exhausts, but hers sounds ASBO all the time...

Moving back to petrol has made a car more emotional to me again. I never really drove my 330d in sports mode, there was no real benefit, stick left was better... However, the 340i gets sports mode and windows down. My 3 year old shouts noise every time I start up in a confined space or give it a bit of poke. He gets the car thing also...

[Alscoob]

Originally Posted by Rich9600

Moving back to petrol has made a car more emotional to me again. I never really drove my 330d in sports mode, there was no real benefit, stick left was better... However, the 340i gets sports mode and windows down.

I definitely agree with you there. Immensely pleasurable even purring through a town...can't do that in a diesel

[Kev87]

I've previously had a e93 320d which I loved but wasn't quick enough, so got rid of this for an Audi S3. Amazing car when I fancied a 'Drive' but a pain in the arse most days when just commuting etc (it was a manual). Now I drive a 435d .... best car I've ever had ... easy! The effortless torque and go is beautiful, so easy to live with and plenty fast when I want it. When I do want to 'Drive' it's plenty fun in a straight line but does wallow in the bends. And its by far the best sounding diesel I've ever heard (from the inside admittedly) although my wife could hear me coming home from 3 streets away in the S3 but hears very little in the 435d ....

For me it comes down to how often do you go for a 'Drive' and how much are you just driving? Both are amazing cars, really enjoyed test driving 440i's but on a normal day to day drive I would have never rev'd it enough to get the benefits

[APJ]

Originally Posted by Alscoob

I definitely agree with you there. Immensely pleasurable even purring through a town...can't do that in a diesel

Oh i so disagree with you there, any kind of purring, or relaxed driving is so much easier in a diesel, you can go as low as 1100 revs and the car will just tick along effortlessly, any kind of acceleration needed, and again effortless torque will just pull you away, their is very little delay (unlike a petrol), and all this is done in utter silence. It's all horses for courses, and what you get used too. If you want the noise, you definitely go for a petrol, if you want a silent assassin, you go for a diesel !!