Hey guys. Please help

[justinnum1]

Hey guys. I am a longtime BMW owner and currently in an F30 328 spot line

Nice car, a little softer than my previous E90 N54. Anyways, I am having a steering wheel vibration that the dealer can not fix and several other F30 owners are experiencing as well.

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

-I loved loved loved my n54 engine. How does the n55 compare?
-for those that had an e90, how does the 135 compare?
-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?
-how is the suspension on the car? How does is handle compared to an e 90?
-I am also considering the 128 manual, thoughts on how tHat compares to a 135?
-how is the dct in the 135?
-for those with e92 experience, how does the 135 compare power and handling wise?
-can the angel eyes be modded to look purple?
-how is the base stereo in the 135? I have the HK in my 328 and love it

Thanks to anyone who replies!!!
Drive safe
Justin

[ejm3]

Test drive a 128 & a 135 and all your questiosn will be answered!

[2012_135i]

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

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.

Originally Posted by justinnum1

-for those that had an e90, how does the 135 compare?

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.

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?

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.

Originally Posted by justinnum1

-how is the suspension on the car? How does is handle compared to an e 90?

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.

Originally Posted by justinnum1

-I am also considering the 128 manual, thoughts on how that compares to a 135?

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.

Originally Posted by justinnum1

-how is the dct in the 135?

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.

Originally Posted by justinnum1

-how is the base stereo in the 135? I have the HK in my 328 and love it

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?

Originally Posted by justinnum1

-I loved loved loved my n54 engine. How does the n55 compare?

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.

[ken1137]

-for those that had an e90, how does the 135 compare? The e90 drives like a sedan. I am back in one, not by choice. The e90 is feels disconnected compared to the 135 with handling, but the ride comfort is 1000x better, even on run flats.

-how is the suspension on the car? How does is handle compared to an e 90?
the suspension is terrible as stated above and if you have RFTs its very bad. You will need to mod the suspension in the least with coilovers, sway bars, and rear subframe bushings. The overall steering response of the 135 is pretty good.

-can the angel eyes be modded to look purple? Any color, but only a few are legal.

-how is the base stereo in the 135? I have the HK in my 328 and love itThe 135 base stereo sucks, get the upgrade for the 135 sound system.

Overall, if you are a true BMW enthusiast you will love the 135, and even more if you upgrade the suspension. I would pass on the 128 if you were not 100% satisfied with the power and torque of the 328. Yes, it is lighter than the 328 but there is no comparison to the 135 regarding overall power and torque. Good luck with your decision.

[justinnum1]

Thanks for your replies guys. Looking forward to what others say

[FIRST1]

If you enjoy the thrill of driving, get a 135i. You will be very pleased.

[ShocknAwe]

Cant comment on the suspension compared to the E90, but for a daily driver the 135i is very capable. I have noticed a little bit of body roll during hard cornering, but outside of track use I'm not sure where all the negative comments about it are coming from.

Definitely understeers a little, though I think I'd rather have that than oversteer on the street.

[Section147]

-I loved loved loved my n54 engine. How does the n55 compare?
N/A

-for those that had an e90, how does the 135 compare?
N/A

-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?
I haven't found anything to dislike at this point.

-how is the suspension on the car?
If you're not tracking the car every weekend, the suspension is fine unless you're fanatical. I'll probably lose the
RFTs at some point, however.

-I am also considering the 128 manual, thoughts on how that compares to a 135?
I drove both and preferred the 135. You'll need to do the same to form your own opinion.

-how is the dct in the 135?
Those of us that have it, love it. Some of the lunatic "purists" here wouldn't be caught dead in anything but a MT.
Their loss.

-for those with e92 experience, how does the 135 compare power and handling wise?
N/A

-can the angel eyes be modded to look purple?
Yes. But why?

-how is the base stereo in the 135?
The base "BMW Professional" system in the 135 suits my purposes just fine (in a vert), and I'm not easily satisfied
audio-wise. I can't speak to the HK's performance, but I believe it is still tied to another package (Nav?) making it
insanely expensive unless you want everything else that's included.

Best of luck with your choice and welcome!

[justinnum1]

Thx for the new responses guys.

Let me clarify, i dont mean the color purple as in barny...i mean instead of the yellow that it comes with to the angel eyes that are on the e92, m3, new 5 series, new 6 series, the whitish color.

thx again everyone!

[Section147]

In that case, you have two "basic" options:

1). Rob a bank and replace both entire headlight assemblies.

2). Remove the stock halogens and replace them with an LED unit.
The LUX H8 V3 is the replacement of choice.

[ATSR]

I previously owned an E92 335xi and now I have a 128i.

Of course you can't compare the power between the N54/55 and the N52, however, I do find the naturally aspirated inline 6 extremely satisfying. It is also the last (for the foreseeable future) naturally aspirated 3 liter inline 6 engine available from BMW, which is IMO, BMW at its very best. Also, the 128i gets my vote when it comes to reliability. A manual 128, with M-sport package, xenons, and a BMW performance exhaust would be a very tempting proposition (add 18in wheels). You will also have some extra cash to add some CF goodies.

One area where you will find a dramatic difference will be in the interior quality and finish. Not saying that the interior in the 1 series is crap, but it does have a cheaper feeling when compared to the 3 series (as expected). It comes down to personal taste and preference.

My car has the sport suspension and it is quite hard. It can get uncomfortable if the roads around you are on the rough side. Personally, I don't mind it but I understand the people that say it's too hard.

I had the HK premium sound system in my 335 and I have the regular one in my 128. The difference is night and day. The standard one is OK-ish, but the HK is SOOO MUCH better. Worth every single penny IMO.

Auto transmission on the 128 is absolutely HORRIBLE, so don't even consider it. Mine has it (with paddle shifters) and I hate it. Can't comment on the DCT on the 135 since I've never driven one with it.

As others have said, go drive them both and see what you think.

Best of luck with your new purchase OP