BMW 3-Series Convertible (2007 - 2013) 335i M Sport 2d DCT Owner Review

Nice looking car, but has a few serious flaws. The engine suffered issues with it's valvetronic system at around 30,000 miles which cost almost £2000 to fix. The engine is terrific, with good power, zero turbo lag and a great sound however the convertible body shell isn't the best place for it. The convertible compared to the coupe is significantly heavier, and that blunts performance. It is also a bit flexible over rough roads, especially with the roof down. I am also not a big fan of the DCT gearbox. In Auto mode it isn't as good as a proper auto, and in manual mode it is less fun than a proper manual, however you can get some very fast upshifts, and the car automatically blips the throttle on the down shifts so if you like that sort of thing you may be at home with it. For me though I wished that I had gone for a manual. The other issues I had were to do with the ride and handling, which is very firm, but due to the cars weight it does feel very heavy and doesn't inspire much confidence in the corners. I removed the awful runflat tyres which split on the inner edges and fitted regular tyres and that did improve matters, but was still less than ideal. I think an SE model on smaller wheels and taller tyres would have been a better car on UK roads. I also had issues with the roof leaking along the edge where it meets the windscreen. I tried a few solutions from gummi pledge to rubber inserts (from BMW) but I never did manage to cure the issue. I would consider another 335i, but it would have to be a coupe with manaul gearbox and SE spec wheels and suspension, I feel that would be the best combination on UK roads without the weight that the folding roof and additional strengthening add.