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      06-16-2012, 02:37 PM   #1
1speedbike
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Car & Driver: BMW 128i vs Mazda RX-8 R3

Haven't seen this posted yet, so I'm sorry if it's a repeat. Just great that the 128i won over a more "focused" sports car.

Link to article

Quote:
The least-expensive BMW, the 128i, isn’t new, either. It represents a different genre of sporty coupe altogether. It’s an upright two-door notchback with its wheels pushed out to the corners. It is, basically, a 3-series left too long on tumble dry.

And, like the RX-8, the 128i has an uncommon engine, a 3.0-liter inline-six of hybrid aluminum/magnesium construction. The specs on paper scream modesty: 230 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque, which pushes the 0-to-60-mph time on this 3200-pound car up near six seconds. In these impatient times, that qualifies as merely “peppy.”

BMWs aren’t about the quarter-mile. Both the charm and the justification for the high price lie in the everyday delivery of excellence, from the pleasing heft of the wheel to the enchanting lightness of every other control and sensation. The 128i is a hole-jumping minx in traffic when you want it to be and a fortress of mile-eating tranquillity when you don’t.

True, we haven’t met many who think the 1-series is handsome. The ride is firm, the back seat penny ante. The 328i coupe would lease for not many more bucks a month. This BMW may be small, but driving it is a bona fide occasion. It’s our pick. What else do you need to know?
They didn't say too much about either car, but the 128i came out on top as their pick for coupe under $35k
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