128i love

[TheSt|G]

Bought this issue yesterday, a bit pricey, but definitely worth having around.

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by TheSt|G

Bought this issue yesterday, a bit pricey, but definitely worth having around.

Where'd you get you copy?

I didn't see it at my local Barnes & Noble.

[TheSt|G]

Top shelf of the car section at my Barnes and Noble. Took a bit of looking as there isn't much in the way of organization.

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by TheSt|G

Top shelf of the car section at my Barnes and Noble. Took a bit of looking as there isn't much in the way of organization.

I thought I did some pretty good digging at the magazine stand... Maybe I'll try a different store.

[Uptempo80]

Mike is a close family friend...I'm 31 and I've known him for 16+ years...
He is a great guy. I'll attest to the E82 1 series M coupe comment....he was always suggesting the 1M to my Dad. After a few weeks my dad was hooked into the 1 series M. He took delivery of his 1M in November 2011.

Recently they took a "nice" ride in the 1M to Vermont. DSC off.

Mike was always high on the 128i when it came out in 2008. He loves E30 M3's, 2002's, E30 318is's...just Pure driver's cars.

When ordering my 2011 128i convetible, I really didn't even have to test drive one. Mike had highly recommended it and my mom already had a 2009 128i convertible.

side note
--My dad is the president of the BMW CCA Pocono Mtn. Chapter

[Uptempo80]

Originally Posted by JimD

The Roundel is the magazine of the BMW Car Club of America. You get it if you are a BMWCCA member. (The Roundel has Mike Miller as a contributor every month for his car care information and it published his favorable article on the 128i)

Jim

He published an article sometime in 2010 all about the E82 128i. Another great article with high praise for the 128i. (forget what magazine it was in).

[TheSt|G]

Originally Posted by Uptempo80

He published an article sometime in 2010 all about the E82 128i. Another great article with high praise for the 128i. (forget what magazine it was in).

Try to figure out which? I'd love to have them all.

[CentralPA E82]

Originally Posted by tritonx

http://roundel.imirus.com/Mpowered/i...ssue=7&page=45
click next page

Not sure if this link will work. It was the July 2010 issue of Roundel. Click next page for the beginning of the article.

[TheSt|G]

It works, but it is jiggling around the screen.

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by CentralPA E82

Not sure if this link will work. It was the July 2010 issue of Roundel. Click next page for the beginning of the article.

It works... Good article.

Quote: "The 128i is arguably the purest driving experience offered in BMW's North American lineup today."

[andrey_gta]

Originally Posted by CentralPA E82

Not sure if this link will work. It was the July 2010 issue of Roundel. Click next page for the beginning of the article.

PDF attached.
Loved the article, makes me want to go drive it

[TheSt|G]

^^^

Perfect, thank you!

[bmw1racer]

Not sure if this review has be posted before, but here it is: http://www.motivemag.com/pub/feature...agen_R32.shtml

[DanG]

Interesting article. Thanks for posting the link.

[Black Prinz]

from: http://www.insideline.com/dodge/chal...r-reports.html

Consumer Reports said "sporty car reliability has shifted into reverse," with fewer cars showing average-or-better predicted reliability.

The top sports car is the Nissan 370Z, according to Consumer Reports. The Hyundai Veloster, Mazda MX-5 Miata and BMW 128i also made the "most reliable" list.

[andrey_gta]

Originally Posted by Black Prinz

from: http://www.insideline.com/dodge/chal...r-reports.html

Consumer Reports said "sporty car reliability has shifted into reverse," with fewer cars showing average-or-better predicted reliability.

The top sports car is the Nissan 370Z, according to Consumer Reports. The Hyundai Veloster, Mazda MX-5 Miata and BMW 128i also made the "most reliable" list.

Pick up any Consumer Reports and the 128i is all red circle/semi circle happy. i think water-pump/engine cooling is the only issue mentioned

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by Black Prinz

The top sports car is the Nissan 370Z, according to Consumer Reports. The Hyundai Veloster, Mazda MX-5 Miata and BMW 128i also made the "most reliable" list.

[Gray_Panther]

Originally Posted by Uptempo80

Mike is a close family friend...I'm 31 and I've known him for 16+ years...
He is a great guy. I'll attest to the E82 1 series M coupe comment....he was always suggesting the 1M to my Dad. After a few weeks my dad was hooked into the 1 series M. He took delivery of his 1M in November 2011.

Recently they took a "nice" ride in the 1M to Vermont. DSC off.

Mike was always high on the 128i when it came out in 2008. He loves E30 M3's, 2002's, E30 318is's...just Pure driver's cars.

When ordering my 2011 128i convetible, I really didn't even have to test drive one. Mike had highly recommended it and my mom already had a 2009 128i convertible.

side note
--My dad is the president of the BMW CCA Pocono Mtn. Chapter

why are all the cool people on the west coast...

[andrey_gta]

Found this, not 128i but close enough


http://www.bmw130i.nl/1/post/2010/01...-autobild.html

Persbericht BMW:
The BMW 130i is the big winner of the long-term test ranking by one of Germany’s leading car journals, Auto Bild. Covering 100,000 kilometres or more than 62,000 miles without the slightest problem, BMW’s sporting compact not only achieved the best result throughout the whole of 2009, but also took over overall leadership among all cars ever tested over this distance. In response, the professional car testers gave the BMW 130i their 1+ grade (equal to AAA) and acknowledged BMW’s sporting performer as the “Best Auto Bild Long-Term Test Car of All Time”.
Apart from highlighting the car’s supreme reliability, the testers also lauded the outstanding driving pleasure offered by their car, waxing lyrical time and again in particular about the powerful, fast-revving and very efficient straight-six power unit.

This immaculate result achieved by the BMW 130i is the most outstanding outcome of the numerous long-term tests conducted by Auto Bild in 2009. BMW’s five-door athlete completed its 100,000-km marathon within approximately 1 ½ years, covering both short trips and long journeys on the autobahn. The car completed this demanding challenge without the slightest incident and with both oil consumption and brake pad wear remaining extremely low throughout the entire test period.

In their final report the testers also acknowledged the high level of quality they consistently enjoyed with the BMW 130i even after its ongoing stress test. Their bottom line was that this “zero-defect car” did not show even the slightest signs of wear and tear.All models in the BMW 1 Series combine exemplary reliability with premium quality and fascinating driving pleasure. The BMW 130i offers particularly impressive sportiness and performance with its 3.0-litre straight-six power unit featuring fully variable VALVETRONIC valve management and maximum output of 190 kW/258 hp. Accelerating from a standstill to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds, this outstanding five-door compact, thanks to its wide range of technologies based on BMW EfficientDynamics, consumes an average of just 8.5 litres/100 kilometres (equal to 33.2 mpg imp) in the EU test cycle.

A further feature equally unique in the compact segment is rear-wheel drive typical of BMW which, together with the car’s demanding suspension technology, precise steering, powerful and highly responsive brakes as well as DSC Dynamic Stability Control with its equally smooth response, helped to make the BMW 130i not only the most reliable, but also a particularly popular contender within the fleet of test cars driven by the editors of Auto Bild.

Another BMW also in production today already came right at the top of Auto Bild’s ranking in 2008, the BMW 320i Touring covering the entire distance of 100,000 kilometres without one single breakdown or any unscheduled visits to the workshop. Registering just three minor defects in the course of the entire test, the BMW 320i Touring likewise scored the top grade awarded by the editors, a “1”, thus currently ranking No 5 in Auto Bild’s eternal list of long-term test cars.

Notice 130i has no secondary cat converters...hmm
And the exhaust looks like 128i, perhaps its 1:1. I recall "flinchy" said something about that

[Greenkirby21]

slightly off topic but today I got to test drive a mini cooper coupe s since my dad is thinking about buying a JCW for himself(but they didn't have any in stock to test drive).

It's an awesome car. Felt a bit quicker then the 128i initially mostly due to better throttle response and turbo. Although where it died out(high RPMS) my car would win(higher RPMS).

The biggest issue I found was the torque steer and made me appreciate RWD cars much more. I put the car in first gear and went through first in a corner and the entire time the car was just tugging against me and didn't want to turn. I do that in my car and its able to turn with no problem, and the rear starts to drift a bit :P. However, driving like a normal everyday citizen the mini has no issues, and has the true go kart feeling people talk about. It felt great!

Since they were about the same MSRP, I would still get a 128i. Although I did find the materials in the 2013 JCW to be of higher quality for some places. All of the "soft touch" plastic in our cars is a lot harder and less squishy then the Mini. I also preferred the steering wheel in the mini. The steering wheel was firm but squishy, while ours is hard and firm. Also, I preferred the smaller wheel in the mini. The transmission also seemed to go through gear changes quicker(it was an auto).

I also noticed a few things about the 1 series in general.

Not sure why, but I found the seating position in the mini to be much more comfortable. I am a pretty tall person, and I had more headroom in the mini then the BMW.

Sometimes, my fauhawk scrubs against the roof of my BMW but in the mini it did not do this. With this in mind, the way the mini seats are made the headrest actually covered my entire head. In the BMW, even on the highest position, the headrest does not fully cover my head. Its most likely since I have the electronic seats on the BMW and I heard that they are higher then the non-electronic ones.

Anyways, in the end if I had to buy a car again, I would still pick the 128i because of RWD. I never thought RWD vs FWD was such a big issue until I test drove the mini with my dad.

[Motohip]

Mine doesn't start off in second gear?

[Greenkirby21]

Originally Posted by Motohip

Mine doesn't start off in second gear?

it should if you have an auto. If you put it into manual mode, it never goes into first unless you specifically shift down.