01 · Overview
The Sedan that set the standard
The E90 is the starting point of the model line. World premiere in Geneva, market launch on 5 March 2005, and everything that came after — Touring, Coupé, Convertible — is built on its wheelbase of 2,760 millimetres. Compared to the E46, the Sedan grew by 49 millimetres in length and by 78 in width.
Two things are new technically: a double-joint front axle made entirely of aluminium, developed specifically for this model line, and a five-link rear axle in lightweight steel construction. Active steering was available as an option, but only for the six-cylinder models. In 2006, the E90 was named World Car of the Year.
Caution is advised with the engine data. The German Wikipedia table on the E90 is not reproducible on repeated retrieval and contains demonstrable misattributions — it lists engines for the 316i that never existed in this model line, and incorrectly identifies the 335d as an N57S with 560 Nm. We have checked every figure against a second source.
02 · History
Six and a half years of the Sedan
- 2005 World premiere in Geneva, market launch on 5 March. The start of production is given as either December 2004 or January 2005 depending on the source; BMW itself does not name a date.
- 2006 World Car of the Year. The same year sees the 320si emerge as a WTCC homologation model — 2,600 units, Sedan only.
- 2007 In September, the 325i and 330i switch to the N53 engines, with the 330i rising from 258 to 272 PS.
- 2008 Facelift with sales start on 20 September: new front end, LED tail lights, larger exterior mirrors, new iDrive controller, crash-active head restraints. The 330d receives the N57 with 245 PS and 520 Nm. In March, the M3 Sedan launches.
- 2011 End of production in October.
- 2021 In January, BMW recalls approximately 430,000 vehicles in Germany due to a corroding blower control unit — all four body styles of the model line are affected.
03 · Model overview
The engines of the model line
This table applies to all four body styles; not every engine was available in every body style. The German Wikipedia engine tables on the E90 are erroneous and were not used as a source of figures.
Technische Daten anzeigen — komplette Modellmatrix
| Modell | Motor | Hubraum | Leistung | Production |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 318i | N46B20, ab 09/2007 N43B20 | 1.995 cm³ | 129 PS (95 kW), ab 09/2007 143 PS (105 kW) | 2005–2011 |
| 320i | N46B20, ab 09/2007 N43B20 | 1.995 cm³ | 150 PS (110 kW) | 03/2005–10/2011 |
| 325i | N52B25 | 2.497 cm³ | 218 PS (160 kW) | 03/2005–09/2007 |
| 325i | N53B30UL | 2.996 cm³ | 218 PS (160 kW) | ab 09/2007 |
| 330i | N52B30 | 2.996 cm³ | 258 PS (190 kW) | 03/2005–09/2007 |
| 330i | N53B30 | 2.996 cm³ | 272 PS (200 kW) | ab 09/2007 |
| 335i | N54B30 | 2.979 cm³ | 306 PS (225 kW), 400 Nm from 1,300 rpm | 2006–03/2010 |
| 335i | N55B30 | 2.979 cm³ | 306 PS (225 kW), 400 Nm from 1,200 rpm | ab 03/2010 |
| 318d | N47D20 | 1.995 cm³ | 143 PS (105 kW) | ab 09/2007 |
| 320d | M47TU2D20 | 1.995 cm³ | 163 PS (120 kW) | 03/2005–2007 |
| 320d | N47D20 | 1.995 cm³ | 177 PS (130 kW), ab 03/2010 184 PS (135 kW) | ab 2007 |
| 325d | M57TU2D30 UL | 2.993 cm³ | 197 PS (145 kW) | 2006–03/2010 |
| 325d | N57D30UL | 2.993 cm³ | 204 PS (150 kW) | ab 03/2010 |
| 330d | M57TU2D30 OL | 2.993 cm³ | 231 PS (170 kW) | 2005–09/2008 |
| 330d | N57D30OL | 2.993 cm³ | 245 PS (180 kW) | ab 09/2008 |
| 335d | M57TU2D30 TOP | 2.993 cm³ | 286 PS (210 kW), automatic only | 2006–2011 |
04 · Body variants
Body variants
Four-door Sedan
4,520 mm long, 1,817 mm wide excluding mirrors, 1,421 mm high, wheelbase 2,760 mm. From the 2009 model year, de-Wikipedia gives the length as 4,531 mm. Track widths, kerb weights and boot volume could not be verified in any BMW or Wikipedia source and are therefore not listed here.
05 · Engines
The engines in detail
N54B30 · 2,979 cm³ · 306 PS — 335i up to 2010 verified
BMW's first inline six-cylinder with two turbochargers and direct injection. 400 Nm from 1,300 rpm. It made the 335i an unofficial M3 substitute and is also the engine with the longest list of defects in the model line — high-pressure pump, injectors, wastegates.
Technische Daten anzeigen
| Hubraum | 2.979 cm³ |
| Leistung | 306 PS (225 kW) at 5,800 rpm |
| Drehmoment | 400 Nm at 1,300–5,000 rpm |
| Getriebe | Six-speed manual, six-speed automatic, seven-speed DCT from 2008 |
BMW PressClub, Wikipedia — BMW N54
N55B30 · 2.979 cm³ · 306 PS — 335i ab 2010 verified
Replaced at the facelift in March 2010: a twin-scroll turbocharger instead of two, plus for the first time the combination of single turbo, Valvetronic and High Precision Injection. Same output, around eight percent lower fuel consumption, torque plateau from 1,200 instead of 1,300 rpm.
Technische Daten anzeigen
| Hubraum | 2.979 cm³ |
| Leistung | 306 PS (225 kW) at 5,800 rpm |
| Drehmoment | 400 Nm at 1,200–5,000 rpm |
| Besonderheit | turbo, Valvetronic and direct injection combined for the first time |
BMW PressClub T0076998EN_GB
M57TU2D30 TOP · 2,993 cm³ · 286 PS — 335d verified
The most powerful diesel in the model line, exclusively with six-speed automatic. 580 Nm from three litres. Caution when researching: the German Wikipedia page on the E90 lists the 335d as an N57S with 560 Nm — this is incorrect; the same Wikipedia's own M57 article correctly lists it under M57TÜ2D30 TOP with 580 Nm.
Technische Daten anzeigen
| Hubraum | 2.993 cm³ |
| Leistung | 286 PS (210 kW) at 4,400 rpm |
| Drehmoment | 580 Nm |
| Getriebe | six-speed automatic only |
Wikipedia — BMW M57, BMW PressClub UK
N57D30OL · 2.993 cm³ · 245 PS — 330d ab 2008 verified
Arrived with the facelift in September 2008, replacing the M57 in the 330d: 245 PS and 520 Nm compared to 231 PS and 500 Nm before. The N57 is considered the more mature of the two six-cylinder diesels.
Technische Daten anzeigen
| Hubraum | 2.993 cm³ |
| Leistung | 245 PS (180 kW) at 4,000 rpm |
| Drehmoment | 520 Nm at 1,750–3,000 rpm |
BMW PressClub T0020081EN_GB
06 · Weak points
Known weak points
- Timing chain of the N47 diesels (318d, 320d). The chain sits on the transmission side, meaning the engine must be removed to replace it. BMW has revised the gears, chain and chain tensioner several times and extended the goodwill programme to eight years and 200,000 kilometres in early 2014. There is no BMW source that acknowledges the defect.
- High-pressure pump, injectors and wastegates of the N54 (335i up to March 2010). In October 2010, BMW recalled approximately 130,000 vehicles from the 2007 to 2010 model years and extended the warranty on several of these components in the US. The warranty extensions applied explicitly only to the US market.
- Blower control unit. In January 2021, BMW recalled approximately 430,000 vehicles in Germany and over 500,000 worldwide due to corrosion of the blower control unit and the resulting risk of short circuit and fire. All four body styles of the model line are affected.
07 · Engineering
Engineering
Achsen
How to recognise the facelift
The 320si
Caution with data sheets from the internet
08 · Motorsport
Motorsport
The Sedan formed the homologation basis for the WTCC with the 320si. The model line’s M3 was also available as a Sedan — 9,674 units. The racing variants M3 GT2, GT4 and DTM, by contrast, are all based on the E92 Coupé.
09 · Buying guide
What to look out for when buying
The model line is well available and inexpensive. There are three things to know.
The 330i with the N52 and the 330d with the N57 from September 2008 are the most unremarkable six-cylinders in the model line.
10 · The competition
The competition
Audi A4 (B7/B8)
The direct rival, from 2007 with the new B8 platform and significantly improved axle load distribution.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W204)
From 2007, and thus two years after the E90 — tuned for more comfort, less focused on driving dynamics.
Alfa Romeo 159
The more emotional outsider, with significantly higher weight.
11 · Galerie
Galerie
Other BMW 3er generations
5 model lines with an E-number, from 1975 to 2013.
12 · Sources
Sources & Further Reading
The German Wikipedia engine tables on the E90 are demonstrably erroneous and were not used as a source of figures.
- BMW PressClub — The new BMW 3 Series (T0048254EN)
- BMW PressClub — The new BMW 3 Series Saloon and Touring, 09/2008 (T0020081EN_GB)
- BMW PressClub — The new BMW 3 Series Coupé and Convertible, 03/2010 (T0076998EN_GB)
- Wikipedia — BMW E90 (production periods, plants, production figures)
- Wikipedia — BMW M57 and BMW N57 (correction of diesel attribution)