- Model driven: BMW 335d Coupé
- Bodystyle: Coupé
- Engine: 3.0 twin-turbo straight-six
- Fuel: diesel
- Transmission: 6-speed automatic
- Date of test: Oct 2006
What is it?
The best model in the expanding 3-Series Coupé range. You can forget the 335i Coupé with its petrol engine, as this 3.0-litre straight-diesel with its twin turbochargers is the model in the range to go for. It’s the same unit that’s impressed us in the X3 and 5-Series and it does more of the same under the bonnet of the Coupé. Don’t think either that it’s just the diesel’s greater economy that’s won us over, even if 37.7mpg on the official combined cycle is very good, but it’s the engine’s incredible performance. With 282bhp and 428lb ft of torque driving through a vastly improved six-speed automatic transmission, the 335d Coupé delivers the sort of performance that makes even BMW’s mighty M6 feel slow off the line.
Where does it fit?
It and its petrol 335i relative currently sit at the top of the BMW 3-Series range. Both engines are available in the saloon and estate 3-Series models, but the two-door coupé is more expensive and more exclusive than its four-door brethren. The 335i petrol will eventually be knocked off the 3-Series top spot by the M3 with its V8 engine, and the cabriolet versions with their folding hardtop roofs will also cost more, but the 335d Coupé will remain the range-topping diesel model. Rivals in this class are few in the coupé sector, the Peugeot V6 HDI 407 Coupé and Mercedes CLK 320 CDI being possible alternatives. But neither can match the 335d Coupé’s performance or poise.
Compare the BMW 335d Coupé, Mercedes CLK 320 CDI and Peugeot 406 HDI
Is it for you?
The BMW 3-Series Coupé takes a huge proportion of the four-seat coupé market. With its wide range of engines and prices the coupé covers a broad spectrum of rivals and customers. Therefore, unlike many competitors it’s not particularly focussed on a certain demographic, BMW 3-Series Coupé buyers ranging right across the age spectrum. Although if you’re female and you buy one you’re bucking the trend, as BMW claims some 82% of 3-Series Coupés are male. Specifically this 335d model is likely to appeal to those buyers wanting the best performance possible, while keeping an eye on fuel consumption.
What does it do well?
Decent consumption is a given, and 37.7mpg on the official combined cycle doesn’t disappoint. It’s made even more remarkable when you consider the performance on offer – 62mph arrives in just 6.1 seconds. But it’s the way the 335d performs that’s so remarkable, the engine’s vast 428lb ft of torque felt from just 1,750rpm. You experience it as a forceful surge that doesn’t seem to let up further up the rev range. Its effect is enhanced by the swift shifting six-speed automatic transmission. It’s been speeded up by around 40 per cent and is so smooth you barely feel it swapping ratios, even when you take control via the steering wheel mounted paddles. Weighty, accurate steering fine body control and excellent handling add up to a hugely capable all-rounder - the rear seats can actually be used by passengers and there’s a useful boot, too.
What doesn’t it do well?
Despite BMW’s constant reminders that the Coupé shares no common sheet metal with its lesser, four-door relatives it still looks very similar. The rear lights are the biggest differentiators visually, but it’s not the head-turner it could have been. That’s particularly true inside, the Coupé sharing its dashboard, instrumentation and trim materials with its saloon alternatives. For a car that’s aimed to appeal to more style conscious buyers it lacks flair inside and doesn’t feel special enough. BMW persists in charging a hefty premium for options, too. Bluetooth preparation costs £535, while BMW charges a fairly scandalous £1,970 for its ‘Professional’ navigation system.
First Drive: BMW 3-Series Coupé
What’s it like to live with?
With its easy performance, excellent handling, fine refinement and decent consumption the 335d Coupé is a very impressive day-to-day proposition. What you lose in emotive high-rev appeal from the 335i petrol engine you more than gain in scarcely believable low rev urgency. Unlike many coupés it’s a genuinely usable proposition, too. The rear seats are suitable for adults at a push, and the boot is huge and can even be increased in usefulness by dropping the rear seat backs. The proliferation of electronic safety and driving aids – which includes DSC+, brake drying, Hill Start Assistant, Soft Stop, Fade Compensation and Brake Pre-tensioning – keep you safe, and are unnoticeable in everyday driving.
Get an insurance quote on a 335d Coupé
How green is it?
37.7mpg on the combined cycle and 200g/km of CO2 emissions are both good enough to keep the environmentalists happy. Well, as happy as today’s car hating environmentalists can be. BMW takes recycling very seriously, so a good proportion of the materials in the Coupé will be from recycled sources, while the majority of the entire car will be recyclable when it eventually buys the farm.
Used 3-Series Coupés from £1,300
Would we buy it?
Certainly. It’s got much of the space and practicality of its saloon relative, lessening the usual coupé compromises. Its six-cylinder diesel engine is also arguably one of the best diesel engines in existence. In the 335i Coupé it offers fantastic performance and refinement with the bonus of decent economy and low emissions. That makes it an able long distance proposition, yet it’s got the ability to thrill when you’re driving for the sake of it. The interior could do with being a bit more interesting, but otherwise the 335d Coupé is a very desirable car indeed.
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