2011 BMW 135i DCT (N55 Engine) Test Drive Impressions

[Henrylai07281995]

No........335i is faster

[crooner12]

@Henrylai07281995 Faster in what? 0-60? Nope. Quarter mile? Nope. 335i is a heavier car with the same power.

[Henrylai07281995]

@crooner12

...LOL..Did use this shit race a 335i be4 or did u just felt like it was faster..??

I can tell...when u said..... U felt 135i is faster than M3 or M5.....LMFAO..dude..

[Henrylai07281995]

@crooner12

LOL.Did use this shit race a 335i be4 or did u just felt like it was faster ?

I can tell. when u said.U felt 135i is faster than M3 or M5.LMFAO dude.

[krihan66]

@Henrylai07281995 no, is not faster as the 135i. the 335i is using the same engine as the 135i

[drummersoccer1]

@Henrylai07281995 how do u figure when the 335i has the same exact motor but weighs 300 more pounds? i have a e36 m3 and it weighs just as much as the 1series and i smoke 328i all day and the 328i has ten less hp

[roarke135i]

@Henrylai07281995 The 135i N55 is faster no matter what you say!! go dice someone and see how much faster it is! the 135i smokes the BMW M3! its a fact!

[Tabbyf]

Did I heard it right? This 2011 135 does not blip the throttle on down shifts?



[crooner12]

@Tabbyf No, it does. It had the DCT.

[mrcardio9r]

Yeah this new N55 engine seems to be better performing judging by the DYNO'S and reviews I've seen. It still highly under-rated, makes slightly higher HP/ TQ than the N54 but more important it has less lag and better response.

[vipeme1]

@mrcardio9r I noticed lag with the 135i w/N55 but not with the 335i w/N54. The N55 can boost at a low rpm but I believe it is more "laggy" if that makes sense. Very strong torque but you do have to wait for it a bit

[crooner12]

@mrcardio9r I actually thought it had more lag than my N54 135i. But, the power felt stronger when it came on boost than the N54. N45 felt more linear.

[Pezdetz666]

@crooner12 Yes you're right. It has a significant amount more lag than the N54 and the gains from tuning are slightly less extreme than the N54. However, with a JB+ tune, the ECU maps are changed and lag is virtually eliminated, so overall it's a good balance. Hopefully the N55 does not have the same HPFP problems that the N54 did, otherwise it's a solid motor.

[Purepromedia]

@Pezdetz666 Look up N55 HPFP, theres already reported problems, and surprisingly they might use the same fuelpump, but I believe the injector and the software problems are over.

[kingofthejungle]

@crooner12 what about fuel consumption? 

[crooner12]

@kingofthejungle It's not bad. Really depends on how you drive.

[skoovt]

@mrcardio9r I drive the 2011 335I.i feel the lag very long.

[mechmusician]

The reliability problems of the N54 are fixed by the dealer, so that isn't an issue.

The N55's torque curve peaks at a marginal 100-300 less RPM than the N54. But it's at 1200RPM meaning that you pretty much have full torque right off idle. That N55 has slightly lower peak HP and torque numbers. That will be changed when both of the N54's turbos are fitted to it, making it the perfect I6.

Bottom line is that the N55 is now only marginally better than the N54. Wait for the twin-turbo version.

[crooner12]

@mechmusician Yeah, it's really not much of a difference. Knock on wood, I've had zero problems with my N54. I'm actually considering switching to an M6 in a few years, but I'm worried that the car will seem to big 'n heavy...even with 500 HP.

[mechmusician]

@crooner12 M6 means you're set on a coupe. I'm a fan of coupes myself. But if you're considering switching to a sedan, I also recommend switching brands. You may find it absurd, but the Cadillac CTS-V has more power and torque than the M5. It's also simpler mechanically. Suspension is adaptive (not available on M5) means better handling. The interior is amazing. The telematics, well OnStar is the industry standard. It's really a red, white, and blue knockout punch to the Europeans. Try it out.

[vipeme1]

it's not a lot faster than a 335i. It's not a lot lighter than the 335i.

Sweet car nonetheless.

[crooner12]

@vipeme1 It felt significantly faster than the 2011 335i I drove. Both cars empty. Perhaps on paper the difference isn't that great. I could care less.

[DRPLAYER83]

@crooner12 which engine do you think performs better N54 or N55. I have a 2008 135 and want a new one but not sure if i should get a 2010 with the N54 or a 2011 with the N55

[crooner12]

@DRPLAYER83 The N55 is supposed to be slightly more fuel efficient than than the N54. The N54 has had its share of problems with the HPFP, but it's still considered to be a fantastic engine. Your best approach would be to test drive a 2011 model with the N55 and see if you can feel a difference. Since the engine is so new to the market, reliability will be hard to determine.

[aqwayne]

@crooner12 Of course it feels faster, its smaller, lighter, with the same power plant as the 335i. Don't listen to vipeme. :D

[northfulton92]

I agree. It is still a 135i and not a 335i. I had a 135i as a loaner car and I own a 2011 335i. The 135i is very fast and light, but it doesn't have the amenities and space that the 335i does.

[li14lax]

335i has the N54 Engine

[Radd2]

@li14lax 2010 and earlier had the N54. 2011 has the N55.

[li14lax]

@Radd2 Gotcha. I thought it was coming out on the F30. Good to know.