I'm trading in my 335i for an 09 SLK55, my 335i was bought new @ 200 over dealer invoice almost 4 months ago and I got a great deal on the SLK plus a very high trade-in value on the 335i, I couldn't resist and will be picking it up tomorrow. And it has a story behind it, I ordered the SLK half a year ago through MB Manhattan, the car reached port of US in April, but because MB kept delaying the release date, I was on the edge of cancelling it. I canceled the order in early May when my heart was set on an CLK BS, traded in my E550 for it which was intended for the SLK. And now, after almost 4 months of owning the 335i, I grew tired of dealing with its interior built problems, lots of squeaking & cracking noises, I'm once again going back to the AMG family. It's funny how things work out.

 

Best of luck with the new ride. Can't wait to see pics of the '09.

 

Congrats on the new ride!

 

Congratulations on your new car, I must say the SLK is the best car I've ever purchased I love it more than my newer car which is a Jaguar.

 

Yeah ! wish you will enjoy your new ride, and welcome back to the AMG family! I also think the SLK 55 AMG is the best ride I ever had!!!

 

Thanks for the kind words, come to think of it, this car would probably be the best for NYC in my lineup where smaller is better.

 

Yes, small with big engin, perfect!!

 

Congrats on the new car. Funny. I have been contemplating switching from the SLK55 to a 335i just because I thought I might need a 4 seater.

I know they are two completely different cars but I'd love to hear your thoughts on how they compare.

 

DSB,
You will regret it if you trade in your SLK for an 335i. The 335i might impress you for the first few minutes when you're test driving, but trust me on this, it runs out of breathe after 5000rpm and you wonder why BMW gives you tiny turbos, not to mention mine had exhaust, intake, intercooler, & reflash. It's just not that fast, but maybe I'm spoiled by my other AMGs. On the other hand, why would you downgrade from an AMG to a regular BMW.

 

Well, I didn't do it... at least not yet. I've contemplated it a lot though. I want performance. I kinda need more seats but it's not an absolute necessity. I thought of the M3 but don't want to take another big depreciation hit along with the high cost of another new vehicle. So, the 335i seemed like a good solution.

But, there are reasons I haven't done it.

1) Like you said, it would be a downgrade. There are plenty of 335i out there but you hardly ever see a SLK55
2) Hardtop convertible... nuff said
3) Quality has been great so far. My wife's X3 has a so-so interior. Of course, it still looks better than the bland 335i interior
4) Performance. AMG is insanely quick and stops extremely well. In fact, I think the SLK55 is a great value when you factor in everything.
5) Is there any more reason?!

Anyways, what performance increase did you get out of the 335 with all those mods? How much did that stuff cost? What type of gripes did you have with the interior? Any pics?

 

DSB,
I got around 325whp out of the mods, car baselined @ 270, so not too shaby, consider I spent less than 3Gs on mods alone. Interior is so-so, at least I don't get the same sense as I'm driving an MB in the BMW, kind of feel like driving a Honda Accord with leather interior. The interior trim pieces are quite squeaky when traveling on rough roads, but it might due to the sport suspension. Worst things on this are you have to pay 695 for a CD changer & 595 for the alarm, reason given by the dealer was it's a 3 series, what do you expect. For the same sort of money, the C350 would have cd changer and alarm on the car installed.

I think the SLK is a better car overall, not to mention the aftermarket is right there and with the right upgrades from Kleemann, which I'd already ordered, it can hang with most of the big boys on the roads.

 

Did you ever have any engine problems? I've been hearing quite a lot about 135/335 owners having some issues... something to do with fuel lines breaking or overheating etc...

 

No problems what so ever, it's mechanical parts had been running beautifully. I haven't heard of any fuel line issues or alike, but there's a wastegate ticking issue, which is most likely caused by piggyback ECU and/or downpipe fitment issue. Most piggybacks out there requires a detour of the wastegate vaccum hoses to get more boost out of the turbos thus making more power. The one I used is Split Second Turbo Tuner which does not mess with any of the hoses and ECU wiring. It simply plugs in between the air sensor and factory sensor wiring plug. If you choose your mods wisely, your car should not have any problem, but the issue with the 335i is you can only go so far that leaves you want more but the parts do not exist.

 

2MANYCARS,

Thanks for the comparison. I need to go test drive a 335 some time. Like I said, I haven't pulled the trigger and I probably never will. When I first purchased the SLK, I thought I would eventually replace it with a Porsche or something new like the R8 or GTR. I have a difficult time with the notion of downgrading. Maybe I'm getting too materialistic. WTH. It's my money right?!

 

DSB, I perfectly agree with you! Only the Ferrari, Porsche or GTR can motivate me to change my ride!! I love the SLK 55 so much!!

 

I have test drive the R8 last week! It's fun to drive around corners, but kind of lack of power!!

 

Lack of power? Wow.. Didn't expect that. How did you get to test drive one? I didn't think a dealer would allow that.

 

I have a friend who is the owner of an Audi Dealer in Vancouver!!

 

I'm so glad I got rid of the 335i!!! The SLK drives so much better, feels more connected to the road, and it turned as many heads as my Black Series. One thing I noticed which was the charcoal filter plague from the 63's had spread to my SLK. I opened up the filter boxes and there they were, for a second there I thought I was working on one of my 63s. So I took them out, replaced the stock paper filters with K&N units and throttle response was instant, and I was surprised the filters changed the exhaust note a little bit too. Can't wait to get my Magnaflow x-pipe installed next week then the car would sound truly amazing. I was so busy driving today and didn't get to shoot some pictures, but I will tomorrow, first thing in the morning.

 

Really the K&N filter have so much difference!! Sounds good to me, but I heard that the BMC is more better than the K&N! Is someone using the BMC can tell me the difference??

 

I use them and I can't really tell a difference. Of course how could I?

 

I had BMC filters in my other cars before, and I can say they are very very good, the reason I go with K&N this time is because I can get them right away and don't need to wait for shipping.

 

Congrats 2MANYCARS. Yes, the Xpipe does make the car sound a whole lot better yet still refined. You'll like it alot.

 

I believe the charcol filters were also applied on the 2008 models, getting an x pipe and airfilters really makes the car perform better.

 

my other car is a 328i..it already has 14K miles and I have zero complaints about the interior, I actually think its held up beautifully... i dunno ...
on the other hand, a friend of mine has a 335i with the same mods you mentioned and we dynoed it at 370-375 to the wheels... the car pulls haaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrdddd ..... Im not trying to contradict you in anyway, the SLK55 to me is deff. a better buy, more enjoyable car... but for a Daily driver the 335i is deff. up there when it comes for bang/buck.