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Will add a 128i perspective here, I am a couple months shy of 2 years in my 128i (bought a 2010 sport package in May of 2015).
I went through a similar back and forth process on what car to get. Was coming from a slower car, like you, so a 128i still represented a good performance jump for me. I found a low mileage 128i with sport package (susp, seats, 18" wheels - that's how they came in Canada) but not the M-sport which I was fine with as it's super rare here. Saved about $6K from an N54 135i, and maybe $8-$10K from an N55 (Canadian dollars). I needed the car to be a daily driver, reliable, and relatively good on fuel while still fun. The fact that it's the last NA inline-6, compact, manual sporty BMW car that they have made really appeals to me, sort of the classic BMW formula.
The car has been dead reliable so far, and I have used the money "saved" to upgrade it on a number of fronts, using an "OEM+" mentality:
- 135i muffler with golf tee mod: Deeper sound, a few pops/burbles, but subtle. A PE muffler sounds fantastic on a 128i as it doesn't take much to get sound out of this engine as it is normally aspirated
- 135i front brakes: on the lighter 128i, they work very very well
- CDV delete, rouge transmission mounts: should've come this way from the factory, a 135i benefits just as much from these mods
- Bilstein B12 kit: nice daily driver performance, 15mm lower than stock M-sport, and much improved body control
- Dinan camber plates, and dinan shock mounts, went in same time as suspension
- Whiteline 2 piece subframe bushings: went in same time as suspension
- 10mm/12mm BMS wheel spacers
- BMW performance shift knob & boot
- AKG Shifter DSSR, Bronze clutch pedal bushings, and refreshed OEM shifter parts
- MFactory Helical Diff, 3.23 (stock) ratio
Next mods/plan:
- 3 stage intake manifold with software
- who knows what else....??
The car is a ton of fun right now, great as a daily driver and occasional DE/lapping day car. Happy with my choice....
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