Quote:
Originally Posted by AW128i
And then there are the reviews that tout the 128i as the BMW of choice because of its "purity," neither overwhelming nor underwhelming power, and more equal balance over the 135i.
|
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...take-road-test
Shhhh - we're not supposed to mention these.
Personally, I feel that for my purposes the N52 has more than adequate power for this chassis. In fact, I felt it necessary to upgrade the suspension,
especially after starting to track/auto-x/etc. Considering the 135i has the
exact same suspension, but +70 hp and a heavier front end, how could it not be unbalanced? Sure, you can upgrade a 135i's supension just as easily, but many owners don't - they just get a tune and call it a day, making the gap between power and control even wider. Good for them.
At my last track day, my instructor (who was there tracking his own 135i and also tracks a Cayman) remarked that he thought my car was more balanced.
Also, when I bought my 128i, the HPFP issue was huge and I wasn't interested in buying a $40k car that might decide not start one day during the first year of ownership. Add the carbon issue that's cropping up, and the simple fact that those two turbos are going to require attention eventually, and you have a car that will absolutely be a bigger headache for the long-term owner than anything with an N52 in it.
Finally, price. I paid off my 128i in two years, so it's not like I couldn't have afforded a 135i. But at the end of the day, I didn't want to spend that much, particularly for a car that was going to be more expensive to operate and maintain. For the car enthusiast, every purchase is an equation between price and performance, and when I weighed my options I found the 128i to be a better value. But it's still very much a performance vehicle, despite the tacky 135i owners who seem dead set on convincing us that we bought a commuter appliance.