[Lucky1]

N55 335xi sedans w/ 6MT

How rare are these cars in Canada?
Hard to find?

[N54_e90]

why would u want an n55? those motors are garabage. so many 2011 n55s here in canada that broke a rod or something

[Lucky1]

Originally Posted by krazythedon

why would u want an n55? those motors are garabage. so many 2011 n55s here in canada that broke a rod or something

If I want a turbocharged E90 as opposed to an F series what should I get instead? An N54?

[ome91]

I would say there's a lot more Pre-LCI 335s here (N54), a lot of LCI 335s are Auto and N55. I had an LCI 335xi that was an N54 and manual, they're somewhat rare

[N54_e90]

Originally Posted by Lucky1

If I want a turbocharged E90 as opposed to an F series what should I get instead? An N54?

if ur planning on making power u definitely want an n54, find one unmodified with low miles and a good history of oil changes and maintenance done. n55's are pretty slow tuned unless you upgrade turbo or add some ethanol

if u check n55 section, especially here in Canada there's a lot of stories of engine failures with the 2011 n55 if ur modding or even doing the oil filter housing gasket

i would personally go with the n54 as the engine itself is more reliable and could push more power. but n54 also has a lot of failures and maintenance points around the engine as well (injectors, hpfp, lpfp etc)

[Nick.B]

It appears there was only 6792 xdrive N55 E90s built for North America. There's likely more E92s than that.

Manual will be somewhere around 1 in 10 or 20. If M-sport, it's closer to 1:1.

It took me about 6 months to find the one I bought, and I wasn't being picky about it being an N55. N54 was OK too. Had to cross the country to get it.

The 2009 and 2010 are Lci but with the N54. The older you go, the higher the chances of manuals.

A quick check on the trader lists EIGHT manual Lci 335xi's (coupes and sedans) across the country. A few are near you, and at least one M-sport.

[Nick.B]

Your PM inbox is full, so I'll just drop it here:

Both our RWD's are sport pack manual. The xDrives have softer springs and a higher stance, even the sport and M-Sport. It's softer, floatier, and has more body roll than the RWDs. My wife calls it a boat. It's not THAT bad. It is a very different feel though.

That said she'll take the xDrive when there's too much snow on our street, because it just hooks and goes. Our street doesn't get plowed. Ever. It can be continuously snow covered for a couple months. The only time I've gotten the xDrive stuck was when there was so much snow that it was actually floating on top of it, and removing weight from the wheels, and the xDrives look like they have a lift kit compared to a RWD sport.

We moved here from Toronto a few years ago. I sold my RWD sport manual '06 330i to buy an AWD car. That rwd 330i did just fine in a Toronto winter. Go home early if a storm is coming, or stay home the first morning after. After it's plowed, no problem with decent snow tires. I'd work from home at those times primarily to avoid the slow traffic due to the snow, not because the car couldn't do it.

Take your time. Wait for the right one. It took me over a year to find my 335i, and 6 months for the xi, but I had a lot of boxes to tick. Both are Oyster/Black inside. So nice. The i is a unicorn, 1 of 1. The xi is 1 of 6.

If you want sport seats (highly recommend if you're a driver, and not just 'going somewhere'), don't give in to the non sport. Not the same.

Check Kijiji also. I found the xi there.

I hear there's something called Facebook marketplace, but I wouldn't know personally. I don't visit Marks garden.

[Lucky1]

Originally Posted by Nick.B

Your PM inbox is full, so I'll just drop it here:

Both our RWD's are sport pack manual. The xDrives have softer springs and a higher stance, even the sport and M-Sport. It's softer, floatier, and has more body roll than the RWDs. My wife calls it a boat. It's not THAT bad. It is a very different feel though.

Thanks Nick B and sorry about the full inbox. Cleared it.

Based on what you said I'd look forward to the snow performance but I would not appreciate the floaty feeling or body roll. Soft is not so bad if it equates to comfort. I'd really want to be able to modify the suspension to give the feel of the RWD cars to be satisfied with making the switch from my 128i.

[Nick.B]

Originally Posted by Lucky1

Thanks Nick B and sorry about the full inbox. Cleared it.

Based on what you said I'd look forward to the snow performance but I would not appreciate the floaty feeling or body roll. Soft is not so bad if it equates to comfort. I'd really want to be able to modify the suspension to give the feel of the RWD cars to be satisfied with making the switch from my 128i.

Going from the 330i, I was always underwhelmed when I test drove a 335. Yeah, it was a little quicker, but not what I had expected. A lighter 128 without the 3 stage intake may feel about the same as a 330. Maybe faster. I don't know. Never driven a 128.

A simple in-app purchase tune on the RWD made a difference. It's not ridiculous. It's not going to break any records. Lots of torque between 2500 and 4500. Suddenly it felt different enough that it WAS different. 6th gear on the highway at 110 and want to pass someone? Just stomp on it and it goes. 5th gear would be more fun. 4th, 3rd, not really, not enough torque up top. The N52 made you work for it, made you rev it, which is something I thoroughly enjoy when I drive the wife's car from time to time. Not gonna lie.

[kenmar]

I bought my 6mt N54 xi years ago as a CPO, but had to go all the way to Newmarket (from Toronto) to find one on a dealer's lot. Lucky that I bought it as a CPO, because I got the turbos and A/C fixed under warranty (~$8k in repairs!).

Stock, the xi is definitely floaty and for the first few years of ownership I actually kept my old bimmer around just because it handled better. It wasn't until I replaced most rear suspension parts with M3 components that I finally managed to enjoy the E90's handling. However, there definitely are lots of $$$-to-repair oil leaks that seem to afflict every car (even in my relatively low mileage 140k car).

It's been in storage for the past year but I am eagerly looking forward to bringing it out of storage in the spring even though it looks like I will be permanently wfh these days

[ome91]

Hey just wanted to reboot this thread for a second, Lucky1 your inbox is full so I can't message you about the manifold

[Peter Morrin]

I don't have a lot of experience to offer comparisons, but my used 2007 328 xi came with the St-X coil-over suspension (set very low). I just got back from a 20,000 km road trip through the west and had good snow performance with mid-grade snow tires. I will be raising the car this summer to "sport" height.

I think the ST-X (same as the KV-1 except galvanized steel) is a great trade off for a daily/long distance cruiser. My friend thinks it handles close to his E-46 ZHP, but with a little more weight. I ran 18" snows and now run 17x8" Continental DWS Plus in the summer. I will be rebuilding the suspension and having the shocks rebuilt this summer (although it still handles very well).

Based on the drivers manual, the 335xi is 232lbs heavier than the 328xi sedan in 2007. Lower horsepower can be mitigated by reduced rotating mass (wheels and tires).