2009 BMW 335i Coupe

2009 BMW 335i Coupe2009 BMW 335i Coupe Side View2009 BMW 335i Coupe Rear View2009 BMW 335i Coupe Interior

The BMW 335i Coupe smartly blends luxury and sport; it’s as content zooming along a winding country road as it is motoring along the bleakest of freeways during those endless road trips. Part of its flexibility can be attributed to BMW’s much-lauded twin-turbo straight six under hood. It’s an engine that’s not long for this world, as a more fuel-efficient, single-turbo version is in the offing from Munich. We’ll miss the twin-turbo’s stout powerband and overall tractability. It’s deceivingly smooth — you’ll find yourself climbing well above posted speed limits if you don’t pay attention. It’s docile at low rpm, but surges through the tach with immediacy at a squeeze of the throttle. The EPA rates the two-door 335i at 17/26 mpg. We averaged 25.3 mpg hwy/hooligan combined.

Interior styling puts the emphasis is on business, not glamour. The sole embellishment is LED illumination along the doors, adding a graceful line along the cabin. Quality materials are apparent with every touch, from the plush leather to the dash. Our car featured iPod integration and a USB adapter ($400), but not the improved iDrive system and its 8.8-in screen. Yet the tiny radio display proved surprisingly adept at scrolling through 30 GB of music.