I like to complain about our 2008 BMW 135i, because it proves that it's possible to for a very quick car to be boring. The torque curve is just too flat and accessible, I've argued, and the suspension too soft and/or too compromised by this particular run-flat tire compound.
Then, I went and put on a bunch of miles over the weekend and realized what an easy life I could have with the apparently boring 135i. Even with the twin-turbo inline-6 its de-reflashed state, the car accelerates from 70 to 130 mph on a closed course with ridiculous ease. Mountain passes might as well be tabletop plains.
Plus, I love driving this car at night. As often as I lament the cheapy leatherette upholstery and nonexistent Bluetooth (got the buttons but didn't the buy the option), it delights me that adaptive bi-xenon headlights are standard, because they address the one big problem about driving at night: not being able to see far enough ahead. Add in some precise steering and you've got a car that feels incredibly adroit and secure on dark roads.
Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 26,672 miles
adavis2493 says:
06:41 AM, 08/17/09
I was going to buy one with 4,000 Miles, Fully Loaded, and a Salvage Title for $22,000, but I passed because my insurance provider would not even consider insuring it.
But, I promise that if you remove the run-flats, you will experience a completely different ride. I had the X3 which had Pzero Rosso's on it, which were terrible tires from the start, add run-flats onto that, and on the highway, it's the equivalent to driving on cobblestone. Before I sold it, I put a pair of Yokohama Advan Sport's on it, and it was a World of difference. Going over a speed bump was not like driving into a wall anymore.
For you BMW Execs Reading this: NOBODY LIKES RUNFLATS!
carguy622 says:
06:47 AM, 08/17/09
Headlights are very important when purchasing a new car. It's one of those things you don't really think about but they make a huge difference if they are done wrong. Early multi-reflector lamps (I'm looking at you Intrepid) were very fashionable but when the technology was new many of them were spotty and dim compared to complex reflector.
ucla95 says:
07:50 AM, 08/17/09
To the poster 2 above this one - well I have a 335i and I LOVE my runflats. So you're completely incorrect that nobody loves runflats. Just have one friend get killed when his tire blew out and you'll understand why I LOVE runflats...
ahightower says:
07:57 AM, 08/17/09
There's nothing wrong with a nice car that is "sporty" when you want it to be, yet comfortable and easy to commute in. But, if that's what you want, don't you think the 128 would be a better choice? Is the twin turbo overkill? Sure the 128 doesn't get from 70 to 130 as easily, but how often do I do that in real life?
bkochuk says:
08:05 AM, 08/17/09
So...are you guys gonna sell it to Caroline and give her a sweetheart deal?
And why did you de-flash it? To sell it?
stingray454 says:
08:52 AM, 08/17/09
Cool picture - the camera flash reflecting off the projector headlamp lenses makes the car look like it has evil eyes staring back at you. Evil. Very evil. I love it.
old_volvo says:
09:16 AM, 08/17/09
I'm with Erin on this one. I don't care how much of a prick driving a bmw would make me, they really are fun to drive! Sadly my current hobbies are not conducive to a little coupe, when is bmw going to bring the 5 door version of this to the states? Hell I would even sacrifice some of that acceleration for a 123d m-sport, 40 mpg still feels like a bmw around corners.
roscoe108 says:
09:40 AM, 08/17/09
Driving a BMW doesn't make you a prick unless you are prick to begin with. Then you become unbearably prickish...
I have a 135i and love it. No, it's not a true sports car, and no, it's not a GT car either. Rather, it tries to do both simultaneously and does so pretty well. For those of us who cannot afford two or three cars to suit our changing moods, the 135i is a great compromise.
Most of these auto journalists are critiquing cars with a level of nitpicky-ness that 99.99% of consumers never, ever exhibit. The fact is, the 135i is enjoyable to drive, is fast enough, and handles well enough for the vast majority of drivers. Period.
Yeah, it's expensive, but only if you go overboard on the options. I got mine with the M Sport package only for $1,300. Now I've got a car with an amazing drivetrain, suspension and build quality, that goes as fast as the last-generation M3, and embarrasses many so-called muscle cars. What's not to like about a car like that?
Oh yeah, and I get 20/30 mpg.
bkochuk says:
11:37 AM, 08/17/09
@roscoe:
any problems so far? how's the leatherette? how's the stereo?
do tell!
tcd223 says:
12:59 PM, 08/17/09
@roscoe
What color did you get? I'm pretty deadset on Le Mans blue, because otherwise I don't feel like I'd be getting my moneys worth with the M Sport package. Although everyone wants a set of the 261M rims.
adrean8j says:
02:39 PM, 08/17/09
@bkochuk
@tcd223
I have not had any problems as of now with 12k miles on the clock. (Ok minus the 3rd brakelight issue...there is a TSB and fixed under warranty). I have the Boston Leather and it is pretty nice...not quite as nice as the leather in the 3er's though. My stereo is the BMW Premium Hi-Fi and I think it is pretty good. The bass is ok but nothing in the neighborhood of Hertz subs. The mids and highs are functional but once again the clarity could be better.
The color of mine is here:
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=290315
bkochuk says:
05:39 PM, 08/17/09
@roscoe: thanks for the feedback. thought you only got the M sport package, but sounds like you sprung for a couple of other goodies...
adrean8j says:
05:43 PM, 08/17/09
LOL...you are welcome...but I am not Roscoe!!!!
;-)
mopho says:
06:36 PM, 08/17/09
It's too bad the xenons aren't standard on the 128i ($900 or so last time I checked), but I'm glad leatherette is. From my [admittedly limited] observations, it's more durable than leather, resisting cracks and wrinkles.
blueguydotcom says:
08:09 PM, 08/17/09
Runflats... I've had three cars with them. In every instance they have the same impact: numbing the feeling and creating crashing chassis jolts that could break the hip of 50 year old.
As for the torque curve - quite simply it robs the 135/335i of the wheeeeee factor one can find in the 128/328/M3. The engine sounds great on paper. After 6 months I can say without a doubt it just grows old that you never have to shift.
bkochuk says:
08:14 PM, 08/17/09
sorry adrean8j. can I call you roscoe??
adrean8j says:
08:09 AM, 08/18/09
As long as you add "P. Coltrane" on the end of it ;-)
135iguy says:
02:26 PM, 08/18/09
@roscoe...
agree with you 100%...this is a hard car to define on paper, but a great car to drive on the street...
I had an aggressively tuned Acura RSX before my 135i and, although it was a blast to track - I couldn't live with it....
@ blueguydotcom...i agree that runflats are poop...but i think that "wheeee" only comes at illegal speeds in the US....living in Germany and driving 'unlimited' autobahn to work every day...."wheeee" happens @ 7:00AM every morning at about 140 mph...
jazzmanstv says:
05:47 PM, 08/18/09
I'm in love with Erin. She's an automotive genius, and a great writer.
07mx5 says:
08:02 PM, 08/18/09
i think the shopping experience for BMWs is simply frustrating. I was in the market for 128i price range car, with manual tranny and lightly optioned, but you can never find those cars in the dealers. They're all heavily optioned automatics. So instead of low 30k for a 128, they're all high 30s. What looks like a good deal on paper, stops making sense in real life. I honestly don't know who they configure these cars for. Sure you can order one, but that's for MSRP, there's an uncertain wait, and you can't ever test drive the manual version!
in the end, i went for an '08 spec b for 27k.
joemoretti says:
05:39 AM, 08/19/09
@07mx5 while I agree that it is a sad day when the Ultimate Driving Machine only comes with a joy-killing automatic off the dealer lot, I spent 1 week shopping at the local dealership and calling neighboring cities (Nashville and Birmingham). After all was said an done, we had a deal at $500 over invoice on a build-to-order 128i which I got in less than a month. It just takes finding out which dealer has a car about to go into production to minimize the wait.