more about this model
Pros Awesome acceleration, excellent fuel economy and range, outstanding ride/handling balance, high-quality interior materials.
Cons Tight backseat for taller folks, sparsely equipped for this price point, finicky climate controls, short on bins and cubbies.
Hearing that the 2009 BMW 335d runs on diesel won't bring a smile to the typical American's face. On the contrary, it's likely to elicit an expression of distaste. In this country, the word "diesel" evokes images of big-rig smokestacks belching out ominous black clouds, or slug-slow, sulfur-spewing Mercedes 240Ds simultaneously clogging the fast lane and the atmosphere. The prevailing attitude is that diesel-happy Europe can have these presumably primitive, polluting power plants — we're doing just fine with good old gasoline, thank you very much.
Clearly, diesel could use a makeover for the American market. That's where the 335d comes in. Thanks to a preposterous 425 pound-feet of torque at just 1,750 rpm from its 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-6, the 335d dusts most sport sedans off the line — yet it's EPA-rated at a belief-beggaring 36 miles per gallon on the highway, yielding a maximum range of nearly 580 miles. As for emissions, the 335d's sophisticated exhaust system injects a pollutant-neutralizing urea mixture into the exhaust stream, yielding air pollution scores roughly on par with gasoline-powered 3 Series sedans. No one will leave the 335d's driver seat without a newfound appreciation for diesel technology; indeed, most will have spent the test-drive giggling uncontrollably at the colossal low-end kick, not to mention the hair-raising baritone roar at full throttle.
In other respects, the 2009 BMW 335d is every bit a 3 Series, which is to say, it's the automotive version of that annoying kid who's good at everything. What the 335d lacks in standard features and affordability, it makes up for with sports-carlike handling and braking, a supple ride and an intimate cabin awash in high-quality materials. Provided you don't blanch at a starting price of almost $45,000 for a compact sedan, the 335d will win you over with its stunning combination of performance, efficiency and refinement. Drive one — we dare you — and just try to keep that anti-diesel frown from turning upside-down.
Performance The rear-wheel-drive 2009 BMW 335d is propelled by a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged diesel inline-6 that cranks out 265 horsepower and 425 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed automatic is the only available transmission. Our test car's sport steering wheel had the optional shift paddles, but we rarely used them — the transmission's telepathic shift logic means you can just leave it in Drive and let the car do the rest. We recorded a swift 0-60-mph sprint of 5.9 seconds en route to a quarter-mile time of 14.1 seconds at 99.1 mph.
Eagle-eyed readers will note that the gasoline-powered 335i has consistently returned 0-60 times in the low 5s, along with significantly better quarter-mile performances than the "oil-burning" 335d. As is often the case, though, the numbers don't tell the whole story. While the 335i does provide extraordinary low-end torque for a six-cylinder gasoline engine, it doesn't start making landscape-blurring power until up around 4,000 rpm, whereas the diesel-powered 3 Series delivers a seamless wave of face-flattening thrust from 2,000 rpm on up. As such, the 335d feels like a muscle-bound monster in real-world driving, whether accelerating from stoplights or darting around slow-lane dawdlers.
The complexity of the 335d's diesel engine proved to be a disadvantage on our scales. At a portly 3,804 pounds, our 335d outweighed a 335i we tested recently by more than 150 pounds. Perhaps that explains why it lagged a bit through our slalom course, registering 67.3 mph to that 335i's 68.9. Nonetheless, the weight is distributed as evenly as in any other 3 Series — 51 percent front, 49 percent rear — so the 335d remains balanced and predictable in tight corners, with an athletic grace that belies its heft. Everything just comes together remarkably well when you push this car hard: Body roll is negligible, brake feel and performance are spot-on, and the wonderfully precise steering opens a direct line of communication between the contact patches and your palms. If you're looking for a genuine four-door sports car, the Sport-packaged 335d is a compelling proposition.
Just know that the 2009 BMW 335d won't burn fuel like a sports car. Against EPA estimates of 23 mpg city/36 highway and 27 combined, we averaged 29.6 miles per gallon over 1,517 miles. Our best tank — 33.9 mpg — was recorded during rapid highway transit with three adults in the car. These are remarkable numbers for such a powerful sedan.
Comfort The 335d's ride quality is marvelously supple given its handling capabilities — there's hardly any impact harshness to speak of. Wind and road noise are nonissues under most circumstances. The driving position is beyond reproach, with excellent sight lines and a dead pedal that's perfectly placed and tall enough to accommodate larger shoe sizes.
Accommodations are hard to fault, at least up front. The Sport package provides a set of power sport seats for front passengers, and they're among the best you'll find in any car, with firmly supportive cushioning and an extraordinary range of adjustments. We missed the power-adjustable lumbar support, however, which can only be had via the pricey Premium package. At least there were power-operated side bolsters on the seatbacks to hold us in place during spirited driving. Rear-seat comfort depends on passenger dimensions — while average-size adults will be perfectly content back there, lankier specimens will find both head- and legroom lacking. In any case, the rear cushion is nicely shaped, and its occupants are treated to their own air vents with limited temperature control.
Function The traditional analog gauge design is refreshingly clear and simple, though we'd like to see an oil temperature gauge in place of the hokey instant fuel-economy meter. The center stack controls, on the other hand, take some getting used to. This is particularly true of the climate control system, which can only be turned off by tap-tap-tapping the fan-speed "down" button. There is also no "foot defrost" setting — if you want to clear the windshield, your feet are going to be left out in the cold.
Our test car was equipped with the base stereo, and that's fine with us. This is one of the best base stereos in the business — clarity and separation could be better, but low-frequency response from the twin subwoofers is remarkably full and rich, and our ears cried uncle before we could detect any distortion or rattling trim panels. At this lofty price point, though, we'd like to see a CD changer in place of our car's single-CD slot. We were also surprised that Bluetooth wasn't standard, and you'll have to pony up even more if you want a navigation system (and the revised iDrive interface that comes with it).
In our real-world usability tests, the 335d's smallish 12-cubic-foot trunk swallowed our standard suitcase and golf bag without issue, though the narrow trunk opening may impede golf bags containing longer-shafted drivers. Child safety seat installation is feasible, but the small rear door opening can pose a challenge, and the front seatbacks may need to be pulled forward a bit once the seat is in place.
Design/Fit and Finish While the 3 Series still won't win any beauty contests, its numerous styling updates for 2009 were mostly well-received by our staffers. The new taillights in particular were deemed a notable improvement. Inside, the 2009 BMW 335d continues to feature a traditional dashboard layout that some find uninspired, although we're always impressed with the 3 Series' consistently high materials quality. Fit and finish was superb on our squeak-and-rattle-less tester, with consistent panel gaps and an overall sense of solidity.
Who should consider this vehicle Those who like the sound of muscle-car acceleration, sports-car handling and economy-car fuel-efficiency in a refined and stylish package.
Others To Consider
BMW 335i, Cadillac CTS, Infiniti G37, Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec.
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
2009 BMW 3 Series Overview
Edmunds experts have compiled a robust series of ratings and reviews for the 2009 BMW 3 Series and all model years in our database. Our rich content includes expert reviews and recommendations for the 2009 3 Series featuring deep dives into trim levels and features, performance, mpg, safety, interior, and driving. Edmunds also offers expert ratings, road test and performance data, long-term road tests, first-drive reviews, video reviews and more.
Our Review Process
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Consumer ratings and reviews are also available for the 2009 BMW 3 Series and all its trim types. Overall, Edmunds users rate the 2009 3 Series 4.3 on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. Edmunds consumer reviews allow users to sift through aggregated consumer reviews to understand what other drivers are saying about any vehicle in our database. Detailed rating breakdowns (including performance, comfort, value, interior, exterior design, build quality, and reliability) are available as well to provide shoppers with a comprehensive understanding of why customers like the 2009 3 Series.
Vehicle
335i 2dr Convertible (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 6M)
Review
Third BMW I've owned. BMW got a lot right but they also got a lot wrong. The engine, transmission, styling and handling are all incredible. But everybody knows that. The ergonomics and interior leave a lot to be desired. BMW really lost the form follows function on this one. The cup holders are obvious but where do I put my sunglasses? I don't have keyless start so what's the point of the start button? Instead of putting in a key and turning, I now have and extra unneeded step to start the car. And iDrive? Everything on there could be replaced by a $40 burner phone from Walmart. It's pretty useless although it does look pretty.
See all consumer reviews and retings for the 2009 BMW 3 Series
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Available BMW 3 Series 2009 Submodel Types: Sedan, Coupe, Convertible, Diesel, Wagon, Hybrid, Hatchback
Available Trims: 330i xDrive SULEV, 328i, 328i xDrive, 320i xDrive, 328i xDrive SULEV, 335i, 335i xDrive, 328d xDrive, 325i, 328xi, 328i SULEV, 325Ci, 325xi, 320i, 340i xDrive, 330i SULEV, 330xi, 330Ci, 330i, 335xi, 330e iPerformance, 323i, 335is, 328d, 340i, 335d, 323Ci, ActiveHybrid 3, 318i, 318is, 318ti, 325is, 323iT, 328Ci, 328is
Exterior Colors: Jet Black, Alpine White, Black Sapphire Metallic, Mineral Grey Metallic, Titanium Silver Metallic, Glacier Silver Metallic, Imperial Blue Metallic, Space Gray Metallic, Monaco Blue Metallic, Mineral White Metallic, Mediterranean Blue Metallic, Melbourne Red Metallic, Estoril Blue, Platinum Silver Metallic, Blue Water Metallic, Montego Blue Metallic, Orion Silver Metallic, Liquid Blue Metallic, Platinum Bronze Metallic, Crimson Red, Orient Blue Metallic, Steel Blue Metallic, Arctic Metallic, Sparkling Graphite Metallic, Sparkling Bronze Metallic, Jatoba Brown Metallic, Mojave Metallic, Deep Sea Blue Metallic, Silver Gray Metallic, Estoril Blue Metallic, Deep Green Metallic, Mystic Blue Metallic, Sonora Metallic, Atlantic Blue Metallic, Steel Gray Metallic, Tasman Green Metallic, Electric Red, Le Mans Blue Metallic, Bright Red, Oxford Green Metallic, Sunset Orange Metallic, Arctic Silver Metallic, Imola Red, Alpine White II, Alpine White III, Barrique Red Metallic, Black II, Brilliant Red, Calypso Red Metallic, Fern Green Metallic, Madeira Black Pearl Metallic, Samoa Blue Metallic, Siena Red Metallic, Titan Silver Metallic, Topaz Blue Metallic, Vermilion Red Metallic
Interior Colors: Black leatherette, Black SensaTec leatherette, Venetian Beige leatherette, Black premium leather, Black Dakota premium leather, Beige leatherette, Venetian Beige/Black SensaTec leatherette, Black Dakota w/Dark Oyster Highlight leather, Saddle Brown Dakota w/Brown Highlight leather, Oyster Dakota leather, Saddle Brown Dakota w/Exclusive Stitching premium leather, Black, Gray premium leather, Beige premium leather, Saddle Brown/Black premium leather, Gray, Black Dakota leather, Chestnut Brown premium leather, Black Dakota w/Red Highlight leather, Venetian Beige/Black Dakota w/Dark Oyster Highlight leather, Coral Red Dakota w/Black Highlight leather, Black SensaTec w/Red Highlight leatherette, Saddle Brown Dakota premium leather, Natural Brown, Saddle Brown premium leather, Coral Red Dakota w/Black Highlight premium leather, Gray leather, Coral Red/Black premium leather, Black Dakota w/Red Highlight premium leather, Cream Beige leatherette, Cream Beige premium leather, Venetian Beige/Black Dakota leather, Black w/Red Highlight leatherette, Saddle Brown Dakota w/Brown Highlight and Brown Lower Dashboard leather, Oyster/Black premium leather, Sand, Cognac Dakota w/Dark Brown Highlight leather, Dakota Oyster/Black w/Dark Oyster Accent leather, Terra/Black premium leather, Coral Red/Black Dakota premium leather, Venetian Beige Dakota premium leather, Venetian Beige Dakota w/Dark Oyster Highlight leather, Natural Brown leather, Black Dakota w/Exclusive Stitching premium leather, Black leather, Cream Beige Dakota premium leather, Gray/Black Dakota premium leather, Black suede/cloth, Oyster Dakota w/Dark Oyster Highlight premium leather, Oyster premium leather, Oyster/Black Dakota premium leather, Sand leather, Tanin Red, Venetian Beige Dakota w/Exclusive Stitching premium leather
Popular Features: Rear Bench Seats, Stability Control, Auto Climate Control, Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel, Trip Computer, Tire Pressure Warning, Post-collision safety system, Aux Audio Inputs, Multi-Zone Climate Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, Power Driver Seat, AWD/4WD, USB Inputs, Fold Flat Rear Seats, Bluetooth, Sunroof/Moonroof, Alarm, Upgraded Headlights, Heated seats, Electronic Folding Mirrors, Navigation, Parking sensors, Back-up camera, 2nd Row Bucket Seats, Keyless Entry/Start, Leather Seats, Apple Carplay/Android Auto, Heads up display, Blind Spot Monitoring, Upgraded Stereo, Soft Top, Lane Departure Warning, Power Liftgate/Trunk, Hardtop, 360-degree camera, Adaptive Cruise Control
Engine/Mechanics: 4, 6 cylinders
Transmission: AUTOMATIC, MANUAL, AUTOMATED_MANUAL
Fuel Types: premium unleaded (required), premium unleaded (recommended), diesel, regular unleaded
Drivetrains: all wheel drive, rear wheel drive
