Interesting review, with some very valid points in my opinion, opinion I said.
Caution: LONG post.
Of course, we all don't have too agree on everything.
It doesn't take much drive time to realize the overall suspension tuning on the 1 is not it's best feature. You did test drive the 1 before deciding, right?
Overall, it's a decent sport suspension, though not BMW's best attempt.
I feel the 3 series sport suspension is better sorted.
It's more fair to compare within the brand, for their ability to give a better suspension, or compare it to equal cost vehicles to determine what you get for the money. Should the Porsche, that costs more than the 1 series have better build and a better drive? Yeah, it should.
So the converse to your comparison is, the 1 gives you a tremendous overall performance level for the money spent.
I must completely disagree that this car leans like a 70's muscle car. C'mon!
I think you went a bit too far in that comparison.
I feel my 135i corners relatively flat compared to a lot of cars out there that claim to be "sport" suspended.
Everything in my 135i feels solid and well put together, just like most BMW's I've driven. I've only owned 2 of them, an E46 325i sport, and my 135i, and 2 Audi's, a 5000S turbo, and a 2006 A4 S-line quattro, as far as German automobiles go.
Even though BMW could have upped the quality of materials and little niceties, what is there is put together quite well. Just take a look at the engine bay and how the various parts are designed and engineered. BMW knows how to build and engineer components. That, to me, IS quality.
However, ergo's need more work too.
The comparison to the IS350, where the IS350 is "better" in drive and handling, makes me question your overall take on the 1's ride and handling. I've driven the IS350 auto, the IS250 auto and the IS250 manual.
The 350 HAS power. The 250, not so much. The manual in the 250 simply, SUCKS. It's nothing like the former IS300's manual.
The ride on the 350 is smooth, but very soft. Any idea of spirited "sport driving" is quickly and decidedly put to rest on the first hard right, where the car will corner as flat as a basketball. If Lexus really wanted to compete with BMW in terms of sport performance RWD cars, then they should have refined the IS300, which was much closer to how a BMW drives and handles.
Instead, they decided to put more luxury in this segment.
In the final analysis, I agree the sport suspension in the 1, needs work.
As it is right now, the 1 "sport" suspension seems too much a compromise.
If they were to have simply tuned the 1 as they do the 3's sport suspension, we would be signing it's praises.
IMO, BMW's shift to RFT's in their whole line has lessened their former "magical" suspension tuning.
As far as their "free maintenance" being disingenuous, I couldn't disagree more. It's a major PLUS that BMW still does this.
BMW has been doing this extended oil drain interval since the E46. If this were so bad, then we'd be hearing of BMW engines failing much earlier than other brands that do it sooner. However, that is NOT the case.
It's been at least a decade that BMW has done this method, and their engines are still regarded as some of the best, even in longevity.
Have you heard that BMW engines over the past decade are to be avoided due to major engine failure attributed to long oil drain intervals?
I haven't. So, why the concern? It's proven itself.
Yes, it's not constructive to give misinformation to those who may be considering purchasing one. But then, you have some "opinions" here that I feel are misleading as they really are your opinion. Of course, you're entitled to it, but so are those who don't agree with you.
Is there more confidence in Lexus reliability? Sure. The stats show this. But, I knew this well before I decided on which car to buy. I'll take the added 10% chance of something going wrong, to get a car that drives better, handles better, and gives me a greater level of driving satisfaction. For me, drive-ability trumps reliability.
Others don't agree. That's cool. Everyone has to decide what they value more.