# Trade in 2011 Audi a5 for 2011 BMW 335d ??



## ericwarren (Dec 11, 2004)

Hi all
Almost bought the BMW in dec 2010 but opted for form over function. Getting the itch to revise decision. Local dealer will sell 51.5k msrp leftover for 40k and give me 35k for my a5.
Full 4 yr warranty.
Seem like a good deal?
My only concern i the age (BMW sitting for 2 yrs) and the fact that the BMW interior seems a bit dated vs the 2012 3 series.
Really appreciate your thoughts


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## Pierre Louis (Oct 23, 2011)

ericwarren said:


> Hi all
> Almost bought the BMW in dec 2010 but opted for form over function. Getting the itch to revise decision. Local dealer will sell 51.5k msrp leftover for 40k and give me 35k for my a5.
> Full 4 yr warranty.
> Seem like a good deal?
> ...


40 k is a great deal on a car that has all the classic styling cues. Did you look at the build date? 2 years?

The interior is only "dated" if you don't like the full wood dash, the proper front end reminiscing the 2002, and the smaller size of a compact sport sedan. The new 3 has about the same fuel economy and power from an engine that is arguably less smooth and more "peaky."

The new 3 is more mid-size now, so its a question of how much you like the changes vs the more classic car the 335d represents. I'm happy with mine but wouldn't toss the new one out of my garage.

PL


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## ericwarren (Dec 11, 2004)

thanks.
i think it is primarily the seats that give it a feeling of being "dated".
the sport seats seem to make a big difference vs. the regular ones.
the rest of the interior seems classically elegant.

build date is mid 2010, so it is 2 years old and counting.
warranty clock hasnt started, so that is good.

he said they also just did a recall.

if i go this route, is it wise to have them do an oil change or is the "break in" oil still desirable even if it is 2 yrs old?


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

I'd be very surprised if the original oil is in it. If you buy it then make them change anything that worries you. My truck was around 2 years old and still new when I bought it, so I had them do all updates and oil before I signed the papers.


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## Pierre Louis (Oct 23, 2011)

ericwarren said:


> thanks.
> i think it is primarily the seats that give it a feeling of being "dated".
> the sport seats seem to make a big difference vs. the regular ones.
> the rest of the interior seems classically elegant.
> ...


The seats may look dated but should be OK if comfortable. I don't think I would worry about them too much, even though most would agree that the sports seats are great.

Coming from an A5 to a 335d is interesting. I personally would love the diesel power and economy, but in NYC getting diesel at a good price and availability would be more challenging, no? The torque would make the 335d the best commuter car there is.

The difference between the new 328i and a 2011 335d would be in the options that come on the leftover as well as some of the newer ones available on the 2012 car. If you are OK with the color and what comes on the 335d, and it runs well, I would recommend it as perhaps a classic.

My $.02.

PL


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## ericwarren (Dec 11, 2004)

thanks.

i need to update my sig.
the NYC days were when we had an X5. 
we now are in the western burbs of philadephia.
i have a 25 mile daily r/t commute to work.

the audi a5 was purchased for the style and the uniqueness. now they are quite common.
performance is just ok....

the only thing i dont like about the config of the 335d is the seats. if i was to select seats i'd pick sport. if i was to pick non-sport they would be the saddle. this car has black leather.

anything else i should be factoring in?


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## Pierre Louis (Oct 23, 2011)

ericwarren said:


> thanks.
> 
> i need to update my sig.
> the NYC days were when we had an X5.
> ...


Since it lists for 51K it might already have the HK stereo, which IMO is a must and the NAV. I would ask for the dealer to update the maps, which are somewhat dated. The live traffic is great on this car if you have it (I believe you need the Sirius XM to get it but could be mistaken).

When I first started driving it, it was such a torque monster, that I over-accelerated at an intersection turning too quickly and bashed the corner bending a right rear control arm on it. Be careful with the dimensions when parking - it needs some getting used to. The car is short for parking so you can leave some distance to avoid scraping the front apron.

Some are surprised when they hear the fan going for either the urea injection pump or the soot/particle trap after you turn the car off. This is normal as is a slight burning smell - like cotton candy or popcorn. The clean diesel setup periodically burns off the particulate matter it traps.

The run-flat tires really are sensitive to how much air is in them so keep it perfect and the suspension/steering will shine. The steering loosened up a bit after about 10,000 miles.

I've had diesels now for over 10 years and only buy branded fuel - the additives that are put in at the station are better. Chevron/Texaco are my favorite. Sunoco also is very good. Shell uses biodiesel as does Love's as an additive at least in some areas. Exxon/Mobil, BP, Conoco, and others are good too. I don't buy from stations owned by countries I don't like. Using aftermarket additives is a waste of money and time since the fuel suppliers are much better at tailoring them to the base stock, which varies by local refinery, than you are.

Winter driving might be a challenge but that wouldn't dissuade me either. I had a Mercedes E320 CDI before and it was really good in the snow believe it or not with all season tires and the new traction control software. If anything, I would buy 4 snow tires for your car should it become an issue.

PL


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## boooomer (Apr 23, 2010)

ericwarren said:


> thanks.
> 
> i need to update my sig.
> the NYC days were when we had an X5.
> ...


I would echo everything written. I would only add that if your 25 mile commute is in stop & go traffic, you will be disappointed in the fuel mileage. OTOH If you're commute is mostly cruising, the 335d will shine. It's best mileage is in the 45 to 65 mph range in top gear. At that speed you can generally beat the epa highway numbers. And the engine is only "loafing" at around 1500 rpm. It's very quiet at that speed.
Also, I read somewhere that Pa is going the route of mandatory biodiesel. Keep in mind that all german car mfg are limiting the percentage of biodiesel to around b5 to b7 (5% - 7%). I'd want to know where Pa is headed with that.

Another very nice luxury - all models of the 335d have an electric space heater that comes on almost immediately in very cold weather.

With respect to the oil change, most dealers will go with the on board computer service interval. Some of the OBCs are showing a date limit of 12 months - others at 24 months - from the car's build date. When you first start the engine, it will flash the date for the next oil service.

One other intangible - once you go diesel and seduced by the incredible instant-on torque - it's really hard to go back.:thumbup:


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## Pierre Louis (Oct 23, 2011)

ericwarren said:


> thanks.
> 
> i need to update my sig.
> the NYC days were when we had an X5.
> ...


Would be curious to see what the car you are looking to buy/lease has.

Mine:

2011 335d Alpine White, Chestnut Brown Sport Package
Harmon Kardon, Premium, Nav, Sirius, Fold-down rear seats, iPod/USB, Heated Seats

PL


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## ericwarren (Dec 11, 2004)

this one is black/black with:

nav
premium
cold weather
ipod
sat radio
htd steering wheel


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## Pierre Louis (Oct 23, 2011)

ericwarren said:


> this one is black/black with:
> 
> nav
> premium
> ...


My last car was black/black - very elegant.

The only thing not there is the HK stereo - not a real problem if you understand that BMW has usually good stereo's in their cars and that there are shops that can put in high end stuff like speakers/amps etc.

The heated steering wheel in my last car was fabulous. I purchased mine late in the production cycle off the dealer lot so I couldn't order it.

Good luck!

PL


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## hotrod2448 (Jun 2, 2007)

ericwarren said:


> this one is black/black with:
> 
> nav
> premium
> ...


Which black? Jet black or Black Sapphire. JB swirls terribly if you even look at it wrong. It will require a little extra maintenance. Not saying that is a deal breaker or anything but, since you bought the Audi based on appearances you might care. The base stereo is pretty bad but, BSW and a few others have options to remedy that if you feel the need later.

Other than that I agree with getting the oil changed as a dealer probably isn't going to do maintenance on a car that's just sitting on the lot. It is just sitting and not a demo/loaner right? And also getting the maps updated to current.


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

The dealer also though is not going to allow a car for sale to have warnings/alarms about overdue service. So if it had a one year oil change interval then they either changed it or reset the the interval. Now if it came with the two year oil change interval which some people have been saying they are getting on their cars then it could be another story. Base stereo in a 2011 should be not be all that bad, the base in the 2010 or for awhile in 2010 kind of sucked.


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## Pierre Louis (Oct 23, 2011)

I agree. What I've heard in other posts was that the stereo isn't bad at all. I would be excited about this car. Black leather is very nice in a Northern climate.

Agreed that plain black is a little harder to keep up with but that is what detailing is for, eh?!

Let us know how the transaction goes!

My only other $.02 is not to go with the wheel insurance. I gave my right rear wheel such a wallop I thought for sure it would be bent, but no, it only had a surface scratch which was not covered, and no, the suspension damage was only covered by my collision insurance! BMW has likely fixed the fragile wheel problem for this series.

PL


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## boooomer (Apr 23, 2010)

Snipe656 said:


> The dealer also though is not going to allow a car for sale to have warnings/alarms about overdue service. So if it had a one year oil change interval then they either changed it or reset the the interval. Now if it came with the two year oil change interval which some people have been saying they are getting on their cars then it could be another story. Base stereo in a 2011 should be not be all that bad, the base in the 2010 or for awhile in 2010 kind of sucked.


+1 on the oil service. The bench mark for the CBS is the build date.

My early '2010 335D stereo sucks in comparison to other cars that I've owned. Probably the only disapointment in what is an otherwise a spectacular car. It really hit home when I got the Sat Radio installed. Listening to the same stations on my A3 and 335D really highlights the difference in the quality of the two base stereo systems. Some of that might be due to the difference between XM (Audi ) and Serius (BMW). I always thought the base A3 stereo was mediocre. But the BMW brings new meaning to the term. And I am not an audiofile.
Glad to hear that the '11 base stereos are improved.

Sorry for the off topic rant....


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## Pierre Louis (Oct 23, 2011)

Yeah, I read that 2010 was a low for the 3 series base stereo. I guess its still not anywhere as good as the Harmon Kardon. But that can be easily fixed as is also pretty well documented in other threads with speakers and subwoofers/amps. Some say better than the HK.

But not everyone's taste is the same. I for one always play the stereo "flat" - my 1988 Carrera 3.2 base stereo was just OK and it seemed good enough. I do love a "killer" stereo though. Its really the content that matters. I would start with high end speakers first if the stereo wasn't up to snuff.

PL


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## floydarogers (Oct 11, 2010)

boooomer said:


> ...My early '2010 335D stereo sucks in comparison to other cars that I've owned. Probably the only disapointment in what is an otherwise a spectacular car. It really hit home when I got the Sat Radio installed. Listening to the same stations on my A3 and 335D really highlights the difference in the quality of the two base stereo systems. Some of that might be due to the difference between XM (Audi ) and Serius (BMW). I always thought the base A3 stereo was mediocre. But the BMW brings new meaning to the term. And I am not an audiofile.


I had to spend over $1K to upgrade my 2010 base to an appropriate level. Really pissed me off, too.


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

boooomer said:


> +1 on the oil service. The bench mark for the CBS is the build date.
> 
> My early '2010 335D stereo sucks in comparison to other cars that I've owned. Probably the only disapointment in what is an otherwise a spectacular car. It really hit home when I got the Sat Radio installed. Listening to the same stations on my A3 and 335D really highlights the difference in the quality of the two base stereo systems. Some of that might be due to the difference between XM (Audi ) and Serius (BMW). I always thought the base A3 stereo was mediocre. But the BMW brings new meaning to the term. And I am not an audiofile.
> Glad to hear that the '11 base stereos are improved.
> ...


I think the basic radio in the 2011(or post whenever the lesser 2010 was out) is the same or very similar to the basic in the 2009. I too am no audiophile but definitely have noticed these sound differences between the three years.


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## rmorin49 (Jan 7, 2007)

OP: My car is almost identical to the one you are considering except my interior is Oyster instead of black, exterior is BS. I had a 335i vert with the sport package and agree that the sport seats are nice but I have found the standard seats to be very comfortable. I also have a 25 mile(one way) commute to work and have found my car to be very comfortable while having the performance I enjoy. The 30+ mpg is also nice. I can't compare it to an A5 as the only Audi I have owned is an old 4000S.


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## Pierre Louis (Oct 23, 2011)

rmorin49 said:


> OP: My car is almost identical to the one you are considering except my interior is Oyster instead of black, exterior is BS. I had a 335i vert with the sport package and agree that the sport seats are nice but I have found the standard seats to be very comfortable. I also have a 25 mile(one way) commute to work and have found my car to be very comfortable while having the performance I enjoy. The 30+ mpg is also nice. I can't compare it to an A5 as the only Audi I have owned is an old 4000S.


So, how do you like the base stereo? Would you go for improved speakers or an extra amp or subwoofer(s)?

I always have trouble keeping the very light leather clean. How do you do with that?

Cheers.

PL


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