One of the more elusive cars in BMW’s recent history is the E90-Series BMW 335d, at least in America. The last six-cyldiner diesel 3 Series to be sold in North America is also one of the best 3ers in recent years. Its 3.0 liter turbocharged diesel I6 engine developed 265 hp and a mighty 425 lb-ft of torque. All of that torque made the 335d a tire-scorcher and one of the more fun sport sedans on the market.
But aside from its mammoth torque figure, this owner felt it wasn’t enough. So he went out and got a tune to boost both the hp and torque up to 305 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque at the wheels. That’s simply crazy and more torque than the current BMW M3, which makes it very punchy. So Matt Farah, of The Smoking Tire, was able to test out this owner’s tuned BMW 335d to check out its crazy torque.
First thing is first, the E90 BMW 3 Series still looks great all these years later. While this car has lowered suspension and different wheels that help its look, there’s no denying that the E90 is still a handsome car. Even the interior has aged well and looks premium.
When Farah first pulls away, he’s impressed with the low-end punch of the torque. It effortlessly pulls hard and gets the 335d up to highway speeds far quicker than someone might expect from a diesel. It even sounds pretty good for a diesel and is silky smooth. But the tune adds even more high-end power, something that most stock diesels struggle with. This car doesn’t die off before 4,000 rpm, but pulls hard almost to 5,000 rpm.
To go along with all of that power is impressive fuel economy. While mpgs are not typically a car enthusiast’s favorite topics, they certainly make things nicer, especially when they go along with superb power and performance. This owner, after a long traffic-filled commute, averages about 28 mpg, which is impressive considering the performance on tap and the stop-and-go traffic. He also gets almost 40 mph on an open highway. Try that in hybrid.
So even with a tune, the BMW 335d remains one of the best all-around sport sedans, as it’s fast, fun, good looking, comfortable and even efficient. With that total package, it’s hard to pass up on. This owner’s model even handles better thanks to its suspension, wheels and tires. So if you’re in the market for a used BMW 3 Series, don’t forgot about the 335d.
