TDIclub Secret Society of BMW Owners (SSBMWO)

PeteZ06

Veteran Member
Joined
May 16, 2012
Location
Algonquin, IL
TDI
E320 CDI
Dropped off the 2014 535D at the dealer today to do the EGR cooler Recall since mine was definitely effected... it cracked and I was loosing minimal coolant.

They gave me a 2020 330xi with 2400 miles as a loaner.... I like the rear tail lights... and thats it. My 6 year old 5 class is such a better car in every aspect than this brand new 3 class.
 

Sinner

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2002
Location
Greenville, NC
TDI
none
I have a 2014 Passat TDi SEL with 124k.
I was getting bored and decided to check prices on used BMW Diesel vehicles.
For those of you that have driven both, what are the pros/cons of BMW Diesels (330d/535d) compared to Passat Diesels?
Would it be worth it to switch to BMW? What do you give up? What do you gain? How expensive is their maintenance?
Thank you in advance.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Those aren't easy questions to answer. BMWs and VWs are completely different cars, from the basics of the drivetrain layout, engine size, suspension sophistication, interior appointments...you name it. Kind of like apples and elephants.

I don't have an NMS Passat, but my son does, and I've driven it some. The BMW, at least the 3 Series, is quite a bit smaller, better finished (although not a lot), far, far faster and smoother, feels more solid, steers and stops better, gets fewer MPG. I've had few problems with mine but if you use a dealer for repairs get out your wallet.

Best thing to do would be to find the BMW you're interested in and drive it. See what you think.
 

tomo366

TDI Lifer, Member #68
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Location
Kensington, Maryland USA
TDI
2015 Jetta SEL TDI
I own a 2015 Jetta SEL TDI fully optioned and Stick shift.....and a 2014 BMW CPO 328D Xdrive the BMW is superior to the Jetta in nearly ever way and both are primarily in Town and MPG is very similar the VW gets a little better MPG on the Highway but I would much rather take the BMW last trip was 43.7 MPG the car is heavier has more HP and Torque
But I love both cars! And I tend to drive my 10 MPG Grand Cherokee most days
 

Owain@malonetuning

Associate Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Jul 1, 2016
Location
Vancouver
TDI
PD jetta wagon
Think I'd go for a manual cjaa golf and a 335d myself, a dsg would make the 335d feel too dated and the practicality of a hatchback is hard to give up. The 328d wagon is a great all rounder and faster than the VWs, still high for depreciation and maintenance though. M57 X5 is also worth considering, they handle surprisingly well.

They're very different cars and the build philosophy reflects it, the 335d isn't all that practical and is small inside. Folding rear seats were optional and the trunks about the size of a mk1 jetta. Proper German muscle car with a ton of performance. Only cons I'd give it vs a passat would be interior space, fuel economy, and maintenance expense. There's no comparing the performance, 335d is a 110mph 12 second car with an exhaust and remap. M57 is by a long shot the highest performing german diesel in north america.

check out the facebook group, probably someone local that'd take you for a drive https://www.facebook.com/groups/NABDOG/
 

Tin Man

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2001
Location
Coastal Empire
TDI
Daughter's: 2004 NB TDI PD GLS DSG (gone to pasture)
535d's are apparently scarce on the used car market. Some like me think they are far enough better than 3 series or VW diesel that they are worth the extra cost. Long term repair costs are as expected higher due to the premium nature of the car. Service by all means at a BMW specialty shop. Dealer service and cost leave much to be desired.
 

pdh

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Location
Newfoundland, NJ
TDI
2015 Golf TDI, 2014 BMW 328d, X Drive
I have a 2015 Golf TDI which I bought new after they became available and I have a 2014 BMW 328d X Drive bought as a CPO 2 years ago with 38K miles.
Both are great cars but the BMW is far superior in comfort....especially on long drives.
On the highway I get 51 mpg with the VW & 46 MPG with the BMW.
The BMW has better seats & many more features.
I bought a 2 year maintenance warranty for about $2K but IMP it was not worth the cost. The dealer only takes care of what & when the on board computer tells them what needs attention....and the car calls THEM before it tells ME!
What I should have bought was wheel & tire warranty but that's another story.
Bottom line for me is that BOTH CARS ARE GREAT. The BMW however will cost appreciably more to maintain as it ages.
 

jck66

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 4, 2001
Location
Greenwich, CT, USA
TDI
12 Passat SE / 14 BMW 535d
I have a 2014 Passat TDi SEL with 124k.
I was getting bored and decided to check prices on used BMW Diesel vehicles.
For those of you that have driven both, what are the pros/cons of BMW Diesels (330d/535d) compared to Passat Diesels?
Would it be worth it to switch to BMW? What do you give up? What do you gain? How expensive is their maintenance?
Thank you in advance.
I have both an NMS (2012) Passat TDI and a 535d. After two years with the BMW, it's still a bit of a treat to get behind the wheel.
- I'm getting roughly the same mpg's between the two cars (mid-30's).
- Passat has more rear seat room and a slightly bigger trunk.
- The BMW is hands down a better road trip car, much more comfortable seats and very stable at high(way) speed. But I tend to drive the Passat during the week on my commute.
- Torque and Power are very different between the two cars but IMO the Passat's power is sufficient. I might have been satisfied with a four-cylinder 5er if it had been offered.
- The six-cylinder engine makes a cooler sound than the four.
- Maintenance is (so far) roughly similar between the cars, but you need to stay on top of the BMW and make friends with a good independent. The dealer service folks will smile and give you snacks as you sit in a leather chair in the waiting room but guess who's paying for all that?
- I haven't found a BMW-focused online forum as good as this one is for TDI's. Bimmerfest is the best I've found so far but there's a lot of "wheels and tint" talk which is not up my alley at all.

I could go on but you get the gist. Hope this helped and good luck!
 

tomo366

TDI Lifer, Member #68
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Location
Kensington, Maryland USA
TDI
2015 Jetta SEL TDI
I have a 2015 Golf TDI which I bought new after they became available and I have a 2014 BMW 328d X Drive bought as a CPO 2 years ago with 38K miles.
Both are great cars but the BMW is far superior in comfort....especially on long drives.
On the highway I get 51 mpg with the VW & 46 MPG with the BMW.
The BMW has better seats & many more features.
I bought a 2 year maintenance warranty for about $2K but IMP it was not worth the cost. The dealer only takes care of what & when the on board computer tells them what needs attention....and the car calls THEM before it tells ME!
What I should have bought was wheel & tire warranty but that's another story.
Bottom line for me is that BOTH CARS ARE GREAT. The BMW however will cost appreciably more to maintain as it ages.
My 328D CPO had 32K on it....and I bought the same 2K warranty and I as a rule do not buy Extended warranties....I happy with it! 3 Weeks ago the Warranty paid for itself Brake Pads Rotors Sensors and 4 new injectors....and really am happy I bought it
 

pdh

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Location
Newfoundland, NJ
TDI
2015 Golf TDI, 2014 BMW 328d, X Drive
I can see in your case the optional warranty was worth it. It's always a crap shoot when purchasing any extended warranty.....sometimes it pays off/sometimes it doesn't. It all depends on "risk tolerance".
My dealer had rotors etc installed before I bought it.
Anyway, I'm happy your as satisfied as I am with the BMW. Always reassuring when others have made the same purchase decision.
 

tomo366

TDI Lifer, Member #68
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Location
Kensington, Maryland USA
TDI
2015 Jetta SEL TDI
I have both an NMS (2012) Passat TDI and a 535d. After two years with the BMW, it's still a bit of a treat to get behind the wheel.
- I'm getting roughly the same mpg's between the two cars (mid-30's).
- Passat has more rear seat room and a slightly bigger trunk.
- The BMW is hands down a better road trip car, much more comfortable seats and very stable at high(way) speed. But I tend to drive the Passat during the week on my commute.
- Torque and Power are very different between the two cars but IMO the Passat's power is sufficient. I might have been satisfied with a four-cylinder 5er if it had been offered.
- The six-cylinder engine makes a cooler sound than the four.
- Maintenance is (so far) roughly similar between the cars, but you need to stay on top of the BMW and make friends with a good independent. The dealer service folks will smile and give you snacks as you sit in a leather chair in the waiting room but guess who's paying for all that?
- I haven't found a BMW-focused online forum as good as this one is for TDI's. Bimmerfest is the best I've found so far but there's a lot of "wheels and tint" talk which is not up my alley at all.
I could go on but you get the gist. Hope this helped and good luck!
Agreed the BMW Forums Suck.....pretty sad
 

mjez

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2012
Location
Fox Lake, IL
TDI
00 Jetta
Sounds like a perfect time to start a new forum. Anyone here with some knowledge on how to?

Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk
 

Owain@malonetuning

Associate Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Jul 1, 2016
Location
Vancouver
TDI
PD jetta wagon
Everyone got banned from e90 post. aarod, whitbread, dudmd etc are all over on the facebook group "nabdog" posting dyno graphs 1/4 mile slips, it's pretty active and any new developments will be on there first. Two guys broke into the 11s on stock turbos this month and aarod has been posting all his turbo updates.
 

Blue_Hen_TDI

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
Location
Slower, DE
TDI
owned: 96 B4V, 06 Golf, 12 NMS, 15 GSW
My 335D is a treat to drive. Deleted, tuned, suspension upgraded. I love getting behind the wheel every time. A true sleeper. And if I drive like a sane person, it gets 42mpg.
 

mjez

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2012
Location
Fox Lake, IL
TDI
00 Jetta
Most of the BMW folks don’t really get it or want to when it comes to Diesels
I don't think it has to do with BMW folks, truth is most people in North America don't get diesels. One reason behind it is the fact that we have relatively cheap gasoline. I too would not even think about buying a diesel several years ago if it wasn't for the fact that I started commuting long distances. On several occasions I've met people and they were surprised that there are diesel powered cars, they thought only big trucks have diesel engines and that falls on marketing department not letting people know what diesels are.

Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
BMW diesels here are pretty rare birds. In the 2 plus years I've owned my 335d I don't think I've seen more than one or two on the road. And if I mention it people are very surprised that a diesel BMW exists. Kind of funny, because they're almost the default drivetrain in Europe, unless you're buying an M.
 

tomo366

TDI Lifer, Member #68
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Location
Kensington, Maryland USA
TDI
2015 Jetta SEL TDI
I don't think it has to do with BMW folks, truth is most people in North America don't get diesels. One reason behind it is the fact that we have relatively cheap gasoline. I too would not even think about buying a diesel several years ago if it wasn't for the fact that I started commuting long distances. On several occasions I've met people and they were surprised that there are diesel powered cars, they thought only big trucks have diesel engines and that falls on marketing department not letting people know what diesels are.

Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk
Let me rephrase what I said, people on the BMW Forums don’t seem to care much about about the Diesels.....I live in the DC area and I see More of them but still a rare beast the 328D came out n 2014 and most of them ended up in Leases which is why there was a good selection when I started looking in 2017
 

pdh

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Location
Newfoundland, NJ
TDI
2015 Golf TDI, 2014 BMW 328d, X Drive
I believe the popularity of leasing is the main reason there are so few diesels on the road. Especially BMWs. Why pay a couple of thousand dollars extra for a diesel car that is going to be returned in 2-3 years? With the extra cost of fuel and the higher cost of the engine it's almost impossible to get a payback on a leased diesel.
Diesels only make ECONOMICAL sense if the car is held onto as long as possible OR if it driven a lot. When I bought my first TDI (2006) I figured "Break Even" was 15k-20k miles per year, in about 2 years (I was driving 30k a year).
So when I found a 2 year old 328xd (48k sticker) for 24k I grabbed it. It may be the last car I ever buy since I'm 69 years old.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
I think there are few diesels on the road because most drivers aren't aware of what they spend on fuel or what they can save with a diesel. The number of pickup trucks out there as daily drivers shows that many owners are indifferent to fuel costs. And most people are apprehensive about trying something new.

I think this is also way EVs will always be a niche product.
 
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tomo366

TDI Lifer, Member #68
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Location
Kensington, Maryland USA
TDI
2015 Jetta SEL TDI
I believe the popularity of leasing is the main reason there are so few diesels on the road. Especially BMWs. Why pay a couple of thousand dollars extra for a diesel car that is going to be returned in 2-3 years? With the extra cost of fuel and the higher cost of the engine it's almost impossible to get a payback on a leased diesel.
Diesels only make ECONOMICAL sense if the car is held onto as long as possible OR if it driven a lot. When I bought my first TDI (2006) I figured "Break Even" was 15k-20k miles per year, in about 2 years (I was driving 30k a year).
So when I found a 2 year old 328xd (48k sticker) for 24k I grabbed it. It may be the last car I ever buy since I'm 69 years old.
Yep mine was a neat 51 K sticker car.....I found it spent it’s lease time 8 miles away from me and was delivered through and serviced by the dealer I use now....I bought it 90 miles away for 32K love this car! Making my last payment next month!
 

dogdots

Vendor
Joined
Sep 4, 2002
Location
Kansas City
TDI
None
I think there are few diesels on the road because most drivers aren't aware of what they spend on fuel or what they can save with a diesel. The number of pickup trucks out there as daily drivers shows that many owners are indifferent to fuel costs. And most people are apprehensive about trying something new.
I think this is also way EVs will always be a niche product.


We just replaced the wife's X5 35d with a new Jeep Grand Cherokee Hemi Trailhawk, and it is averaging only 5 mpg less. She drives a very short commute and the X5 was approaching 100k miles. Since I fly every week for work now some minor maintenance and repair was getting pushed back.

Items that needed attention included failed module for auto lift of tailgate, 2 injectors going bad causing intermittent stalling, trans shifting issues were developing, I had never pre-emptively replaced the harmonic balancer, tires and brakes were due, and the rubber cushion on the transfer case was getting worn.

We decided that its better to spend more on a new car with a factory warranty and maintenance included than have her call me when I'm in Mexico City or Manitoba telling me she's broken down on the side of the road. For us its a necessary evil resulting from me taking a lucrative traveling position.

The new Jeep will hit the time before the mileage on the warranty since she has had it 3 months and it just turned 900 miles on the odometer today. She was interested in some of the EV offerings but our older house isn't setup for adding any high amperage circuits for the charging station.

For now I am keeping my 335d, it lives in the covered parking at the airport for the most part. It has 125k miles on it, and is running perfectly but I refuel so infrequently I have to add winter powerservice every time because I don't know how long the fuel will be in the tank. For us diesel no longer makes sense.

Before my territory expanded from 7 states to the entirety of North America I made good profit driving diesels for business mileage.
 

nicklockard

Torque Dorque
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Location
Arizona
TDI
SOLD 2010 Touareg Tdi w/factory Tow PCKG
I have fallen out of the SSBMWO club. That's okay, I never knew how to pronounce it anyway. Today I closed the sale of BlueD and saw him shipped off to his new home in VA.

Saturday I bought a 2010 Touareg Tdi with 4 corner air suspension and Lux Limited package for towing my food trailer. This will be my new daily ride. The Touareg is the King of towing. I towed the trailer 100 miles on Sunday and got 21 mpg doing it (mostly level ground). Not bad.
 

mjez

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2012
Location
Fox Lake, IL
TDI
00 Jetta
What do you guys use for diagnostics/coding and whatnot for your BMWs? I have INPA that I use for my M3 but i can't seem to get it to work with my 2014 535d. Any ideas?

Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk
 

tomo366

TDI Lifer, Member #68
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Location
Kensington, Maryland USA
TDI
2015 Jetta SEL TDI
I have fallen out of the SSBMWO club. That's okay, I never knew how to pronounce it anyway. Today I closed the sale of BlueD and saw him shipped off to his new home in VA.

Saturday I bought a 2010 Touareg Tdi with 4 corner air suspension and Lux Limited package for towing my food trailer. This will be my new daily ride. The Touareg is the King of towing. I towed the trailer 100 miles on Sunday and got 21 mpg doing it (mostly level ground). Not bad.
V6? Or 10
 

tactdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2010
Location
North Carolina
TDI
2005.5 Jetta
What do you guys use for diagnostics/coding and whatnot for your BMWs? I have INPA that I use for my M3 but i can't seem to get it to work with my 2014 535d. Any ideas?

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I think you need ISTA+ and an ENet or ICOM cable for F-Series Cars?

Check the BMW specific Coding forums.
 

jck66

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 4, 2001
Location
Greenwich, CT, USA
TDI
12 Passat SE / 14 BMW 535d
What do you guys use for diagnostics/coding and whatnot for your BMWs? I have INPA that I use for my M3 but i can't seem to get it to work with my 2014 535d. Any ideas?

Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk
I bought a Carly dongle and app and it does the stuff I need / know how to do. I'm not a hardcore coder though.

I've read good stuff about something called a "rheingold" but don't know firsthand.
 
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