£150 a week is taking the michael - especially when all I do is trawl up and down the motorway - fallen out with the porker - plus it has been the most unreliable car I have ever owned (the 993 I had before was such a better built car and had oodles more character and appeal).

 

There's really going to be plenty of cars out there to put the smile back on your face. But as has been mentioned, the 335D really does offer a very well rounded and balanced drive in terms of comfort and toys for your motorway journeys and plenty of torquey performance when needed.

It won't suit all of course and no ones kidded into believing it's the same car as the 996, but if you want a pretty special alternative that matches your current driving, then the 335D M Sport is really a great option...

Have you managed to test one yet?

 

Going off topic slightly what about an Audi A5 3.0 Tdi? with a remap just shy of 300bhp, not sure what they drive like as i've never driven one but the rep in the next building to us has one and he loves it.

 

The Audi's closest rival would be the 330D.

The 335D M Sport does add a significant Performance & Dynamic increase.

 

Have had a test drive of a 335D - very impressed.

real world quick as the porker - there is so so much torque - it just goes.

gearbox is superb

going to part ex the porker.

Sniper

 

Sniper, now that coming from a 996 Turbo owner is a testament to the car's ability. I must admit that the 335D is turning out to be a performance milestone. One that simply cannot be dismissed or ignored as a proper and real alternative to the established performance marques, especially when throwing in 38+ MPG.

I'd be very interested in comparing views on the specifics such as brakes, paddles, handling etc when you get chance...

 

I think you're seeing the car through spectacles that are becoming somewhat rose-tinted.

I'm not looking to diss the 335d - it's certainly the best all-round vehicle I've owned. For the OP's coimmuting needs it'll be a superb tool, but it's most definitely not a real alternative to a proper sports car.

Gary.

 

I never said it was! I said 'it's a proper and real alternative to the established performance marques....'. It's not a sports car at all. Read a few posts down and I also said 'no one's kidded into believing it's the same car as the 996'. I even said I'd go the Caterham route if I wanted to get back into a proper sports car. So I've no idea where you got that idea from.......

You state the 335D is the best all round car you've owned. I said exactly the same thing. Along with stating it's a great all rounder and is an option in a bigger collective.

We are talking a Diesel car here and I stand by my comment that it's a performance milestone in that context and a real alternative to other sports marques (I never quoted which ones). Like the Scoob, you can get various performance add ons to make it that much better than stock and possibly better than most Scoobs.

You have to remember people are looking for alternatives. I never said I'd be in this car in 3 or 5 years time... who knows what the landscape will look like in another 5. But for a D, and the benefits D brings, there's nothing currently around that can touch it...

 

Alan,

Which sports marques would you consider it a real alternative to? Do you ever pick up the keys and go for a blast just in your 335d for the hell of it?

Gary.

 

Gary. A loaded question if there ever was one!!

A question that will only be my opinion (Just like my comments here).

I was initially not going to go down this line as it takes away the focus from the original OP, but I'll put a few definitions together.

It would have to be;

• Performance minded or orientated
• 4 seats (4 door or coupe allowed)
• Touring in ability (not in the estate context but comfortable for 4 on a long journey)
• Not track focussed (therefore not extreme in lightness or single minded for track use only)
• Tunable (to allow for that individuality and flexibility to make it what the driver wants)
• Not over say £60k (ruling out the exotics and high end stuff like Ferrari, Bentley, high end AMG's, Astons etc)

So, this narrows it down to the following picks that spring to mind

Audi A5 / S5/ S4
Audi TT
Lexus IS range (300 etc)
Merc CLK230 upwards
330i or D
M3 or M5
350Z
Volvo S60R
911

I know, I know, this is a first pass guess, but gives some idea of the cars pitched in the area. I'm happy to remove and add items!!

 

When you referred to "established performance marques" it seemed initially you were aiming at the likes of Porsche/Maserati etc. However I'd broadly agree with your list of competitors, though I'd exclude the BMW 'M' cars and the 911 (and the 350Z as it's a 2 seater).

The 330i is an interesting one, especially after the efficient dynamics updates. If I was buying a 3 series again I'd take a closer look at this to see whether the charisma and involvement of the petrol straight-6 is worth sacrificing some of the 335d's torque for.

Gary.

 

I did drop in the 911 as I feel these and even the true 'M' cars are viable targets.

I'd probably add in cars such as the Maser and similar if they can be got for under the target price second hand.

I thought the 350z was a 2+2.

I forgot the 335i too.

 

mapped 535d M sport,

 

I agree with you.

However, I used to go for a Sunday blast in the porker - but now Sunday seems to be a favourite day for the "safety camera" brigade and I haven't really ejoyed driving "with gusto " in any car for some time now. Driving isnt what it used to be

 

Gary. I still love driving and have indeed picked up the keys to go and get some milk via garage or supermatker a good few miles away... like I used to do with my Bike.

My recent Stelvio trip with the club and some great mates also re-affirmed my love of cars and driving for the hell of it.

Though I'm loathe to agree, PB is right in that the PC, nanny state and doo goodders of this country are ruining the pleasurable side of motoring... How goddamm boring are they going to make this country when every you say or do (that is alittle risque or rebellious) is liable to be used against you for a nice fine, points or criminal record....

 

This is going to sound so stupid, but the perfect way to combat the fun police is to get a slow car. I inherited a Fiat Seicento Sporting Abarth, no less, and it is so much more fun than my old STI it's ridiculous. Why not try something similar. Look on ebay and pick up something for peanuts and try it for a month. Nothing to lose.

Just for info, I can afford a 335d and the Fiat is our spare car so I'm not forced to drive it - I just really enjoy it.

 

These diesels are quick, fair enough, but they're not supercar crushingly quick. They feel very fast, and are sufficiently quick that the drivers think they're unstoppable. However I've torn the **** off a 535d on a 50-150 pull, and other 'proper' sports cars will too.

 

No ones said they are 'supercar crushingly quick'.

What the thread points too is that in the current guisse of rep-mobile / comfortable barge they have turned a corner where people can start associating them with the term 'performance' and start stacking them up against some of the the cars I listed below (none of them are supercars).

The optional M Sport kit may be off the STI style of tuning, but the additional perfomance mapping and parts available will move them, worringly for some die hard petrol heads, into the 'proper' performance arena.

I mean, you only have to take alook at the R8 D and the last few results from Le-Mans to see that D performance is now real and I can assure you the R8 wont be the last of a new breed....

 

and what car were you driving mr. beef??

 

A Supra, so reasonably comparable to the 911/350Z in the list.

My point is that compared to many 'normal' cars they are indeed faster, and usefully so. However They manage to be fast 'normal' cars, not 'diesel sports cars'.

 

what was the power output of your supra at the time of the diesel spanking?

 

With the decat, about 295rwhp.

 

if you had come up againest a chipped 535d, there would be a more even match then.

 

Thought I'd post this for your reference... A lad on a BMW BB has just posted these after a £350 remap on his already mapped 335D. However, these figures can be got from a stock Twin Turbo 6 D.

Those are Flywheel figures achieved with the car tied down hard, but 303 RWHP was recorded after this one with a different (more loose) tie down method.

These BHP figures can be improved upon (~355 BHP), but the torque (540 Ft Lbs) is getting to the upper limits before gear box limp home conditions start to kick in.

This is why people are being attracted. Add in some dynamic changes and you do have the start of a great car. All for 38 MPG too...

 

I would love to have seen that.
Having owned 2 STIs with a 330d (remapped) in between, it brings me no pleasure in revealing that from 50 -100 there was nothing in at at all between either my bug/blob and the 330d. If anything the 330d was quicker.
It was a drive in a remapped 535d that really depressed me, it is definately quicker that my scoobs and not far off a prodrive STI.

obviously if we are talking about fun there is no comparison, scoobs win every time and in the wet no point in even trying to keep up!

For me a 335/535d is the way to go. 38mpg is fantasy though. I got a consistant 36mpg out of the remapped 330d (e46) i would expect about 32 from a 335d.

 

Never underestimate the 2JZGTE. Many overestimate diesels, the 0-100mph tell you they are still slow. A mapped x35i would be a better performance proposition.

 

My 335d regularly does 38mpg...

However, spend alot of time in and around the towns it will drop to low 30's.

A nice long motorway stint will see into the 40's even at 80plus....

jon

 

With the Evolve map Alan quoted earlier you also get an increase of around 10% fuel economy! Not bad for £350, whole load more grunt and better fuel economy...

Why would you want to get a 335I if the diesel is so good all-round?...

 

The guys are reporting mid to high 30's on mapped cars.

I'm averaging 38 around town in my 335... getting high 40's on motorway or steady runs. This isn't me eeking every drop either.. just normal driving in manual and auto and enjoying the spaces when I can...

I'd agree that the Scoob was Fun with a capital F....

John - people over use the 0-60 and 100 figures too. These are poor indicators of a car's overall performance and ability and a bad indicator to say they're slow. Great if I'm doing Elvington or Santa Pod.... but I'm not into dragging... never was with the three scoobs I owned... I drive them, I enjoy fast road use and the aspects of smooth car control when driving, which is 99% of my time..

 

A 0-100 around 10 secs feels decent to me. It implies either that it has a lot of traction and a fair bit of power for its weight, or that it has modest traction and a high power for its weight.

OTOH, a good 0-60 could be all traction and no power like a standard Scooby.

30-70 seems too affected by gearchanges.

Diesels seem to be slow at 0-100... they feel faster than they are.

In a thread comparing with a 996 turbo the 0-100 is the most relevant single figure I can come up with to sum up the overall performance.

335i especially mapped fares much better than the 335d. You have to map a 335d for it to go like a stock 335i? On the petrol, torque comes in lower (1300 RPM) and holds flatter, being a lower figure doesn't matter since it revs much higher. 335d is for economy (which is an issue for the original poster), although that is going out the window with diesel prices?