Quote:
Originally Posted by justinnum1
...I most likely will be having them put me in a new car and am thinking about the 135i so I have some questions for all you 1 series owners
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I've only been a 135i owner since December but test drove a 128i, 135i and DCT so I'll take a stab. These are only my opinions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by justinnum1
-for those that had an e90, how does the 135 compare?
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I drove a friend's 335i and also had a 2011 335d loaner from the dealer. Simply put, the e90 and e92 are bigger, heavier, and less tossable. They're great cars, but very different feeling from the 135i. The 135i is an enthusiast's car and with the same power train and lower weight, faster.
Quote:
Originally Posted by justinnum1
-I know the next 1 series will be out shortly but I can't wait, what do you guys dislike about the current 1 series?
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The suspension could be better. It's one of the things first modded by enthusiast drivers. But it's fine for me with the type of driving I usually do here in Hawaii.
Quote:
Originally Posted by justinnum1
-how is the suspension on the car? How does is handle compared to an e 90?
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I felt even with a suspension that could be improved it handled better than an e90. As I said, its lighter, more tossable, and feels more eager. Again, these are just my impressions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by justinnum1
-I am also considering the 128 manual, thoughts on how that compares to a 135?
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Very different because of the huge power differential. The 128i is a quick car, even a fast car, but the 135i is scary fast with a higher limited top end (155 vs. 135). Some say the 128i with Sport package suspension is a slightly better handling car, maybe because of some weight savings with no turbos. But I don't know. As far as the manual transmission, it's available in both cars so that shouldn't be part of your decision making between the two models. But if you're looking at automatic, the DCT is only available in the 135i and it's different from the triptronic in the 128i. I'm a stick guy so I'm not up on the relative merits of each.
Quote:
Originally Posted by justinnum1
-how is the dct in the 135?
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This subject has caused no small amount of blood letting on this forum. I'll just give you my own opinion which is biased toward manual transmissions in general since I've always been a stick guy. The DCT is an amazing piece of work, but it's far from perfect. I test drove one and experienced a fair amount of lag and confusion in certain driving conditions like jockeying for position in traffic. And off the line you have to learn to feed the power in rather than hit it hard or it will think you're going to spin the wheels and cut your power. That being said, it's probably the nicest auto that I've ever driven and is lightning fast in straight up flat out acceleration. But it still won't give you the control and feeling of connection with the car and road that the 6MT will. DCT enthusiasts will feel otherwise.
Quote:
Originally Posted by justinnum1
-how is the base stereo in the 135? I have the HK in my 328 and love it
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I ordered the HK system without listening to the base stereo but my experience with base stereos in other cars vs. a Bose or other high end upgrade is that it's well worth it to go for the better system. If you really value your tunes and like to cruise in a more concert hall like environment, it's a must upgrade IMHO. A lot of folks think the base stereo is fine, and it is for a base system. The question is how important is really quality sound in your car to you?
Quote:
Originally Posted by justinnum1
-I loved loved loved my n54 engine. How does the n55 compare?
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I don't have any kind of answer to this one. I included your question in this list because, in fact, it's something I'd like to know more about myself. n54 owners are passionate about their engines. My understanding is that it can be modded to a higher degree than the n55 so you can get more power out of it after the mods are done. But performance differences between a stock n54 with twin turbos and a stock n55 with a dual scroll single turbo? I don't know. On paper they're supposed to be the same. I'd like to here from folks with experience compare the stock versions of these engines in street driving, canyon carving, and tracking.
Just one final note. If you decide to go with a 135i you will not be sorry. These days it seems every body and his or her brother-in-law has an e90 or e92. There are at least 3 of them on every half level in our condo parking garage. The 1er is unique.