I own a 335d and I always tell people they really need to drive one of these to truly appreciate it. It is just nothing like any other factory diesel car I have driven. I have driven the newer Blutec E class a fair amount, some of the VW offerings, some of the newer trucks then of course the older diesel cars in my current fleet. The way the power comes on for just everyday driving is just amazing with how the two turbos are setup and that is in a stone stock car like mine. I really think the key to this driving experience is the twin turbo setup over a single(variable vaned or not) setup. Singles obviously can make just as much power and at WOT maybe not even as obvious a different but everyday driving for me at least almost never sees WOT and partially because zero need in this thing. I have driven one with the JDM box which costs I think $200 or something and it makes a HUGE difference but one I honestly could live without it.

The ride of mine is not all that stiff but I do not have the sports package and I think that makes a huge different in ride quality. It does have some stiffness to it but nothing that I find annoying and I am much more the fan of how an MBZ rides. I also lack the Nav and some of the fancier options that IMHO are just destined to end up costing me too much to fix in the long run when electronics always end up breaking on any car.

Off the top of my head the cons are:
1. Size. We are a family of four and it is really hard to commute 110-170 miles a day with all the things we typically need so we almost always use our truck. We fit fine inside the car, it is the trunk space that is an issue, it basically ends up filled up.
2. Resale value on the 335d is not good in comparisons to other BMW models This is something I have been discovering the past few weeks as I shop bigger cars. My car in near(it has one tiny scratch or two) perfect shape with 20k miles and can net me a whopping $20k trade in value due to very poor wholesale appeal, so figure what maybe $26k private party. Just look at Autotrader for awhile and will notice the cars are not moving at all.
3. Complex emissions equipment although any newer diesel is going to have this. Suppose a TDI at least does not have the exhaust **** but that stuff has not been an issue for me so not sure I care either way.
4. Dealers just are not overly familiar with diesels due to not selling them for long. This can trickle down to the mechanics and how well they can diagnose/fix things or to just the service advisers. This was a big issue for me when I first got the car then I switched dealers and never been an issue since.
5. If you do not like run flat tires then you have no compartment to put a spare tire if going to regular tires. But suppose this too is an issue on the newer E class Bluetecs too.

Personally I say if you can live with the size and want to go into a different car then give it a shot. Definitely though buy a used one and not a new one still collecting dust on the dealer lot unless you can get a great deal. Quite often new ones do go upwards of $10k off when they have a fair amount of options on them. The way I look at the used ones though is BMW sells their 100k mile warranty for around $3k and that makes you just like if not better than the coverage on their CPO cars. So might as well buy a nice used one still under warranty and before the warranty is up go and buy their extension if worried about expensive repairs. I'd stay away from the 2010 model though because it had some standard options that were inferior to the 2009 and 2011 cars such as a crappy stereo.

Ehh.. scratch that idea. The dealer only wants to give me 21K for my trade-in.. I see them selling for much higher with fewer options, so I was a bit bummed. Oh well, I'll have to live with the bluetec. Maybe in the spring the 2011's sitting around will drop enough that the price differential won't be as bad.

Why not just try selling via Autotrader or some other convenient place?

Try CarMax. I had good luck when I sold my 2010 JSW TDI to them.
They paid $18K for it and after they had cleaned it up, put it on their lot for $21,998.
It sold in only four days.

Judging for what they are selling 335ds, they must have
paid more than $20K or $21K for the those?



Derrel

2005 :

Three turbochargers in the SLK-Class

The SLK 320 CDI tri-turbo is based on the new V6 diesel engine, which achieves new levels of performance thanks to a two-stage supercharging system. It consists of three turbochargers, of which two are located on the outside next to the cylinder banks while the larger third turbocharger is situated between the V of the cylinders. At low engine speeds and loads, air flows through all three turbochargers (i.e., large and small), with the small turbochargers doing most of the work. When engine speed increases and the flow is continuous, the large turbocharger takes over supplying the greatest share of the charge pressure and the smaller turbochargers are turned off by means of a bypass system. At high engine speeds and loads, only the large turbocharger is running. Performance is further heightened as a result of an enlarged intercooler and larger pipe diameters for the charge air and the exhaust.

Sporting a modified tachometer with a red zone extending from 4,500 to 5,000 rpm and the self-confident appearance of the SLK 55 AMG, the vehicle is a proud member of the Mercedes-Benz diesel family. The new engine gives the roadster an impressive boost and allows it to perform prodigious feats: It takes the car but 5.3 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h, and it can travel a distance of 1,000 metres in just 24.4 seconds from a standing start. The top speed is meanwhile electronically limited to 250 km/h. With this kind of performance, the SLK 320 CDI tri-turbo has a unique standing even among thoroughbred sports cars. And fuel economy is just as impressive, since, despite the incredible driving performance, the diesel roadster consumes only 7.5 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres (NEDC overall consumption).

Didn't happen because off production cost.

Your engine can be easyly moded to 300HP

Sadly that sounds about right. Back in Decemeber I tried to trade my 335d in on a C63 via a friend. He had trouble even finding a wholesaler willing to buy a 335d and most he could get me was $20k. At the time my car barely had 20k and still is in perfect condition. I decided to just keep the car until I have problems or unless work moves us due to poor resale value of the 335d. Although kind of a good thing for people looking to buy one used.