ceb

I really like my current 335. It has the same interior space of the TSX, gobs more power, better handling and lots of nice features (3 blink turn signal, cruise with braking [to keep the set speed when going down hills], puddle lamps under the door handles, front/rear parking sensors and so forth)

Contrary to the popular belief of non-BMW owners, the interior quickly grows on you and the design makes sense and looks modern.

What is the problem is a series of known issues hat BMW is aware of but cannot fix - fuel pumps failing, injectors failing, VANOS (BMW's answer to V-Tec) solenoid failures and lots of rattles that the dealers hear but can't fix.

While maintenance is included and condition based (like Acura) the dealers aren't allowed to do services before they are due. I had my condition based oil change done last month and the "annual oil change" reminder just popped up, so I took it in for its second oil change in two months. The 2 year brake fluid change is due next month but they can't combine it because the car hasn't popped it up yet.

No worries, because I'll probably have another failed fuel pump/injector/solenoid next week that I need to take it in for.

Now that I'm done venting, who has gone from a current 3 series to a TSX and was happy with the change?

KillerG

is this...to make yourself feel better about your cars reliability issue?

just as a heads up, in this part of acurazine you are gonna get some mixed opinions because most of the people in this subforum enjoy their 2G Tsx alot and are passionate about it

If you post in car talk, one of the larger forums, you will probably get all positives for BMWs. Everyone in car talk is a smug piece of shit that cannot get enough of bashing honda/acura and if you mention bmw 3 series, mazdas, or volkswagen GTIs they all get instant boners and then furiously type away about how superior those cars are while they jerk off into each others mouths

so yeah, like i was saying, what is the point of this thread again? The TSX and 3 series arent direct competitors, especially not the 335i. The TSX is less powerful, less sporty, less german, and Less expensive. I think its very, very safe to say that many of us werent cross shopping against the 3 series, let alone the 335, which will easily run you in the mid 40s with decent options.

I am glad you are happy with your purchase though?

pbhak002

man thats a horror story. Here I am complaining that my TSX needs window washer fluid, and an oil change after 10,000 mi, but the TSX still says 20% left. lol
ceb, sorry to hear your troubles, but i believe we do have some members who have came from a bimmer to a TSX. Hopefully they will chime in. If you want power then a V6 TSX might work out for you. Good luck!

ceb

The point was simple. Who here has come from a 3 series and is happy with the change?

I like the 335 but hate the reliability and overall dealership experience.

There are many things more important than sheer power and handling that you might exploit once a year on some back road.

I is obvious that the 335 and the TSX (esp the 4 cyl SportWagon I'm considering) aren't direct competitors but I've decided that I'd rather have a nice car with a good ownership experience rather than a great car that spends all of its time at the dealer.

KillerG

If it helps, i have one of the Fuhrers cars, and i enjoy the TSX more, its got alot of character, and although its hard for me to pinpoint exactly what it is that always draws me to the TSX, it is quite a lovely car and so far my ownership experience has been swell.

Like you said, power is no good if you can never use it, and for DD purposes the TSX definitely does the job. The only issues i can say ive had with my car are the well known brake squeal that all the 09s suffered from, but thats the price of early adoption.

ressling

I came from an '06 330i auto and have been extremely happy with the change. The other week, I totaled up all maintenance costs since owning my '09 TSX (purchased 12/31/08). $330 and change. Granted, I drive much less than a typical driver (only have 19k on the odometer), but you get the idea how easy the maintenance is on these...

This is an easy decision in my opinion. Reliability is everything in a car. It's the same reason why my wifey got rid of her '08 535i at 40k on the odometer: once the standard BMW warranty runs out at 50k miles, the car's value drops over 50%.

In sum, unless you have a money tree in your backyard, the BMW is a bum deal. Don't get me wrong, BMW's are fun as hell to drive, and they perform like a champ, but the cons outweigh the pros, especially with maintenance costs.

LegendL

yes i have right into my 1995 acura legend l coupe old school what are you going to do about that?

denwhat

I think that if you are looking for trouble free driving then the TSX is a really good choice. However you may miss the power and overall higher quality feel of the 335i.

Its mostly subjective but coming from an A4 i really missed the solid feel and the higher quality materials used in that car. However, overall I am still happy with the TSX since its good on gas, handles well for a front wheel drive car, and easy to maintain. I feel like i have much less to worry since less things can go wrong with it. However, if rattles bother you, you should check all the treads about rattles in the TSX...i have some that are starting to get annoying but i havent brought it up to the dealer yet.

If money wasnt an option i would just keep leasing the german makes and not have to worry about long term repairs. If i were to buy and keep a car i would stick to a TSX or other japanese makes.

komplexZ

I was seriously looking at a 335i, xi, to be exact, and your story is exactly why I ended up staying away. I already have one car to play with and work on, I wanted something reliable. Plus 3 series and are a dime a dozen.

I chose the TSX, I like it. I do tell anyone, they are slow as hell.

ceb

This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for - and expecting. I'm a bit concerned about the lack of power but most driving is the daily commute anyway.

Thanks all.

ceb

Unfortunately, my story isn't uncommon. Most x35 (135, 335, 535) owners have had similar experiences.

Aretardedorange

iTrader: (2)

Sorry to hear your troubles with the E90. I have Acura and BMW. The Acura is my DD. Its not a 2G TSX but its a 3G 2008 TL. When driving the Acura compared to my BMW it feels a little cheap and some of the things are tacky.

The gauges are pretty tacky on the 3G TL, its red white and blue but on the 2G TSX its solid white. The multicolor gauges makes the car feel a little cheap. The leather and interior finish is not comparable to the BMW's leather...but if you have leathertte the quality is the same.

As far as handling goes lol RWD>FWD but for a FWD car Acura handle good. The 2G TSX that I have driven and my 3G TL both handle much better then any other FWD car that I have ever drove. Power is not so good when comparing to 335i. Not sure if you had a tune installed or not but even if you did not your going from 0-60 that used to take 5.3 seconds to 0-60 that takes 7.1 seconds.

The 2G TSX is good on gas my 3G TL is not it gets only 18MPG combined so you should be fine with that. I think the 335i even gets around 25.

Now its up to you to decide. Test drive the 2G TSX and see if you like it or not. I hope you do .

Another option for you might be another BMW but like a 328i? We have the E90 325xi and it has over 100k miles now and it has never been to the dealer after 50k miles. Never had any problems with it been a very reliable car.

Let us know what you do .

defconskylude

came from a 98 3 series and im extremely happy with the 2nd gen TSX.

if you get an auto, make sure to test drive it using the paddle shifters.

ed_423

also, may i suggest, if you do want more power but do not want german, maybe a g37 would be a good choice as well?

Professor

I like BMWs, but my jackass neighbors and friends make certain models at the Spartanburg USA plant. They couldn't make a play bbq out of Legos.

russel082581

damn what is it with european (german? i dont hate german i am half lol) cars??? vw's with there fuel and electrical probs, i see brand new audis with a headlight out, my friends mercedes at the dealership every month for some weird little issue, etc, and now a bmw owner with the same old probs
nice cars but geeeez...
i would suggest the tsx v6. its far less expensive than your 335, and it still packs lots of power. not over 300hp but close to 300..kinda, and if you want better handling spend that money you'd be saving on a set of better tires and if your not leasing some suspension components and your all set!
hope this helps!

ceb

European cars tend to be over engineered with bleeding edge technology. German cars don't like any sort of electrical mods with CAN-BUS and MOST harnesses. The circuits not only detect a burned out bulb but will also shut that part of the circuit down to prevent damage.

Accordingly, any electrical mods are off-limits if you want to keep the gremlins away. Even a (on a normal car) simple battery swap requires the new battery to be "registered" to the car or the life of the battery will be greatly shortened due to overcharging (the BMW system increases the charging rate as the battery ages.)

I'm longing for a simpler life with a more reliable car - even if it isn't bleeding edge.

KillerG

^ european car detects bulb out and warns you of it on dash and shit like that too

Aretardedorange

iTrader: (2)

Yes that's a big problems with European cars. Installing even a simple interior LED can be problematic. With our E90 its a 06 so it has the worst system when you do upgrades. I changed all the interior bulbs to LED and after engine turns on they all turn off because LED draws less power then a normal halogen bulb....the computer thinks the bulbs are all out.

Same with my 5. Installing HID fogs was a pain. Had to install error "De-Coders" and had to get the car coded out for the error. Took a few hours. Installing HID fogs on my TL took 15 min and I just had to replace one fuse.

Each time the iDrive chimes my heart skips a beat. Whenever iDrive chimes its usually not good news :p. Every winter though it chimes when the temperature gets below freezing (A useful feature that I can't live without LOL).

I was planning on installing HID fogs in our new 2011 535 when we get it but my friend did it and it was disastrous. The new 5 has a new LCM (Light Control Module). And HID fogs are a big no no if you get a cheap kit. The ballasts kept taking huge amounts of voltage when the fogs were turned on and it fried his LCM/wiring. He paid about 6k to get all that fixed.

OP look at the 328i wagon. You will love the handling performance and reliability. The N52 engine is bulletproof. Trust me! I have one with over 100k miles NO problem.

docboy

A good friend of mine went from a 330i to a Lexus ES330 within <6 months ownership for the things you mentioned above, and then some. Took a financial hit, but the time and agony spent dealing with the crap you mentioned above was not worth it to him; drove him NUTS. Definite downgrade in power, but he was able to go to the office (with a sane piece of mind and focus on his work) daily without thinking whether his daily driver would fail on him.

This. Couldn't have said it any better myself.

KillerG

Jesus christ wtf. On a friends merc each LED costs 20 fucking bucks for a set of 2 (as oppose to 1$ ebay leds) because they need voltage regulators with them or some shit and the leds are special <_<

ed_423

^20 bucks for led? i rather get myself a good meal.

pbhak002

maybe u just shouldnt buy a german car . lol I honestly think if ur gettin a german car, lease it.

KillerG

YEP. its bullshit but 20 is what you gotta pay for the shit that works. the other stuff either blows out, fries ur circuits, or changes colors under voltage shift or w/e.

if you did your whole interior with leds, it would cost like 100 bucks vs. like the 15 bucks for this car lol

also, license plate LEDs, 40 bucks. Though i will say i have never seen sexier license plate LEDs before

Craig-D

My friend has a fully loaded 2011 328i 6 speed and we were cruising in my 2011 TSX tech 6 speed this weekend. She told me she liked my TSX better than her BMW and couldn't believe I have all the equipment she has (save for her all wheel Drive) for over $10k less. She didn't drive my car though, and her opinion was based on what she saw and felt. So I wonder if her assessment would have changed had she driven the TSX and noticed the difference in how they drive.

russel082581

and killerg would rather get some expensive lube

SF Acura TSX

We have a 2010 328i and 2010 TSX in the family. Both have their pros/cons.

BMW 328i
GOOD
- rock solid steering/handling/feel
- linear power/acceleration when you want it
- feels solid
- great visibility in all directions

BAD
- horrible electronics (we had to replace the radio, and despite multiple trips to the dealer, it hasn't worked correctly since)
- not so great delivery/service at time of sale, scratch on the hood (which we didn't notice until we drove the car home), interior panel popped off its clips (and the dealer tried to blame us)
- gas mileage in the city is around 12-16 mpg depending on how heavy your foot is
- small rear seat without much storage space (no pockets on the back of the front seats and no cubbies/bins), which is an issue if you have kids
- small trunk with small opening
- expensive, I dread the expenses when the warranty expires
- steering feel can be heavy around town and for daily driving, it can be tiring to drive in the city in stop/go traffic
- spartan interior (matter of taste, though) and the driver's instrument panel is looking a little dated (although the red dash lighting at night is still cool)
- there are lots of BMWs out there, and they all look alike
- European style turn signals (3 blink for passing) - just seems gimmicky to me and not all that useful, plus the turn signals actually give this plastic-y tactile feedback when you activate them to pass or to indicate a turn
- options packages are annoying, making you buy things you don't want to get the things you do want

Acura TSX
GOOD
- value, technology/options (nav, back up camera, audio system) for the money
- fuel economy
- reliability
- tossable car, fun and easy to drive, forgiving car (more so than the BMW)
- comfortable front seats (better than the BMW 328i)
- exclusivity (not that many on the road)
- relatively large rear seat for its class
- large trunk for its class with a nice wide opening, and the rear seat is easy to fold down

BAD
- visibility over the hood and the rear quarters
- slow acceleration, although quite frankly it's more than adequate for daily driving, but it doesn't compare to the BMW in terms of the numbers of the driving experience
- plastic components in areas feel cheap (e.g., door handles, dash, paddle shifters)
- the Acura brand is bland, not known for luxury (Mercedes or Lexus), performance (BMW), blend of luxury and performance with style/design (Audi), merely value (along with safety and reliability)
- road noise could be reduced (and has been for the 2011 apparently)

Just my two cents - they are both fine cars. The Acura TSX is a thinking man's (or woman's) luxury/import car, while the BMW gets the intangibles for driving experience.

ceb

Great review and just what I was looking for. Technically, both have the same rear seat room - is the Acura really better/larger?

MCDavis

My bro-in-law has a 328xi and I cannot comfortably sit in the rear seat. Not enough head room, and marginal leg room.

I do not have a problem in a TSX.

I'm just under 6'3''.

ceb

Thanks!

Daves1014

Most people will probably say that a BMW 3 series is superior to the TSX and that's understandable. But when I was shopping around for a new car, I ultimately chose the TSX because a comparably equipped BMW would've cost at least $10,000 more. Is a BMW 3 series a fine car? Yes. But is it $10,000 better than a TSX? No.

pickler

i have driven a TSX as loaner for service on my RDX and own a 135i. the 135 is fairly similar to the 3 series except its a smaller coupe version. the TSX is not as fun to drive as the 335i. This is for sure. first off i do not like TSX' electric steering, while its a godsend in traffic its very numb. second the TSX feels like a larger car while the bimmer feels more maneuverable and the suspension is tuned for comfort. throw back in the hydraulic steering with better suspension and the tsx would be a win. Also the 3 series has AWD options, TSX doesn't.

on the other hand my bimmer has been very UNreliable. had a fuel pump failure, water pump failure, stereo died, wipers died on me in snow storm and the engine overheated in a summer' day (note 135i or 335i N54 engine does not have VANOS).

so in a nutshell the 335i is more fun to drive but the TSX is a lot more hassle free and it edges out the 335i i think in comfort, interior, cargo, reliability, fuel efficiency and of course value for money. I really like the TSX I4 manual, i would avoid the V6 version.

YZ450

My next door neighbor has a 335i and it's a beatiful car! I'love the way it handle and feel. His only complain is that he knows by name the tow truck driver! I'm not sure but think the car it's a 09 and he's thinking in trading it for new TL. Basically, the BMW it's a great car for a second weekend car but as daily driver I would think it twice before getting one due to reability. Again, I'm not trashing the BMW as that's a beautiful fast car but you really need to evaluate your needs before getting one. If you can lease it go for it but if you are thinking about keeping it for a few years (after warranty expire) go with the TSX. Also, forgot to mention that he also complains about customer service, that he needs to take the car twice for them to get right unless it's something really obvious.

FLYGUY31

This is exactly why I bought my TSX.. l love the way a 3 coupe looks, but to have it the way I want it, I would have had to go above $40K. Not worth it.

FLYGUY31

Why did you buy a 1 series? I'm curious. From what I read in Car and Driver, for the price, it's probably a better deal to go to the 3. I don't see many around and to be honest, it's not a great looking car..a little "stubby"...I don't mean to offend.

russel082581

just wondering have you driven the v6? is so what did you not like about it?
i loooove mine, could use better stock tires though.

Acura_Dude

If only, if only Acura would offer the 6spd with the V6.

russel082581

^ yeah that! the tl has one so wtf acura?? probably something about sales or whatever..

russel082581

threadstarter and all with bmw experience, a friend of mine has a 5 series, i believe its a 2006 525i and he claims he has no fuel, electrical problems at all, at least not so far, he just got the car about 4 months ago.
is this more of a 3 series problem?

komplexZ

well he's only had for 4 months...

It's probably more of a x35i problem (N54 engine, maybe N55 too?), who wants a boring x25i or x28i..

Bad electronics might be a general BMW issue though, I've only done some research when car shopping, I've never owned, or known anyone with a BMW