Drove the 128 after the 135...

[Dr_Jones]

correct choice imo....

"horsepower is for the heart...torque is for the balls"

[plosta]

For those on the fense between the 135 and 128 I ordered a 128 with sport suspension, heated seats and upgraded radio. Was out the door for 32k. I now have 600+ miles on the car and I could not be happier with the car. The handling is very close to the previous edition M3 which I had 2 of. I test drove a 135 6 speed and did not like the induction/turbo noise. Besides I have a K1200S for go fast.

[Steve135i]

Good thread. But besides the engine, I prefer the looks of the 135i much more than the 128i. Wheels, front end, rear end of the 135i. I just wonder if the 135i is just too fast for fun driving.

[mkaresh]

Originally Posted by Dr_Jones

correct choice imo....

"horsepower is for the heart...torque is for the balls"

Nice.

And you know how most men supposedly do their thinking...

[vjordan]

I had that type of an experience recently, when i traded in my mbz ml55 for the 'o7 x33.0si...straight line power..rocket-like torque...but ...this little x3 can corner..accelerate..and really give you road-feel, far better..The balance of this car is so matched to the drive train,that you really don't miss that acceleration rush of the ml55. This engine is superb....

[Omega Man]

When I drove the 135i it felt like the car was putting a jihad on the road. It had balls. Accept no substitute. Endorsed by Gary, actor, deep cover operator, puppet.

[mkaresh]

Originally Posted by vjordan

I had that type of an experience recently, when i traded in my mbz ml55 for the 'o7 x33.0si...straight line power..rocket-like torque...but ...this little x3 can corner..accelerate..and really give you road-feel, far better..The balance of this car is so matched to the drive train,that you really don't miss that acceleration rush of the ml55. This engine is superb....

And yet how much better would X3 sales be if the TT6 was available in it?

[jkp1187]

Bump for this thread...the OP states my own dilemma pretty well.

[morgie2]

Never settle. IMHO if you are reading this you are not just an "average driver". You, my friend, are an enthusiast. If you get a 128, every day you will question whether or not you should have gotten the 135. You will try to convince yourself it has "enough" power for you. If you get the 135, you will be annoyed you had to shell out more money...... for maybe 5 minutes. In a week's time all you will be concerned about is finding another reason to jump in your vehicle and go. I had this same argument with myself about 8 years ago when deciding about a 3 series convertible. I settled for a 325i and "lived" with it for 18 months. I then decided that was it. I changed for a 330i. I never thought about the $ again. 6 years later (and 105,000 miles) and I'm looking for my next BMW. It will definitely be a 135.

[GigEm93]

Always better to have the extra power and not need it than not have it and need it, if the cost difference is reasonable...

[arrutled]

Get the 135! and buy a beater 93 camry that doesnt lock, cd player doesnt work, ripped cloth, long gone clutch, and wonderfully scratchy speakers and drive that around!

[jkp1187]

Heh, the question isn't what I want so much as what I can reasonably afford. We're buying a house right now, and between that and the much talked-about price increase for the '09 model year, I don't know if I should spend the extra money on a 135i. (And yes, I MUST have an '09 MY, because I am DEFINITELY doing Euro-Delivery, and our trip is going to be next spring/summer).

[1ATTIC]

"If you get a 128, every day you will question whether or not you should have gotten the 135."


Nope, haven't found that at all......

Extremely happy with my choice.

[dmboone25]

Depends on what you want really.....

Had an e92 328i (same engine) for a year and change....and it was totally fine. Nice car. Good power...

Then my pops got his M Coupe....and I was PISSED....no satisfaction from the 328 after that....it felt so pedestrian....

I had been interested in the 1 series already, but then to drive the 135 and feel how much smaller and more nimble it felt (similar to the M coupe in performance, but much more comfortable) compared to the 335....and so I made the switch....

Now, lag issue aside, it is one of the best decisions I have ever made....the car is much more agressive than the N52 motor...if you like to really give the car some hell--I would go with the 135....

[135iPSU]

I drove the 128 before i drove a 135 vert, and it was about a month between the two test drives, once i got in the 135 and put the top down, started up the engine, i felt like there was a monster in the engine compartment, the deep purr of the engine at the red lights, the sudden jolt of power from the gas peddle when pressed, i just fell in love with the car...Now im 20 with my dad buying me this car to go back and forth to school, he chose the car for me because he said it was a small pocket rocket that he would enjoy driving also. At first I thought the 1 looked ugly and too much of a blast from the past in exterior styling, but slowly after 2 months from ordering the car how i liked it to now 1 day before we pick it up, i went from not liking the car to loving it. Mainly from two reasons
1.) The coral red boston leather just blew my mind with the sportiness accompanied with the silver trim
2.) The Monsterous feel of the 135, its pulling power threw me back in my seat, one stop sign i even spun the tires around the turn, i felt like i was in a race-car ready for launch
If i take what i know now and go back 2 months or even 3 months i wouldnt have chosen the car anyother way, this is a true BMW with racing dreams running through its blood, always wanting to be released and waiting for you to come back for more

[Perfect128]

"If you get a 128, every day you will question whether or not you should have gotten the 135."

I disagree. I've driven my 128i for over 2500 miles since my original post stating my dilemma. Obviously I chose the 128i. Even after coming off a high performance V8, I do not regret the 128i. It is a great daily driver that makes me happy each time I drive it. So far I have never wished for more power, and in fact I am itching to use all it because I'm always up against the speed limit or traffic anyway.

Would I enjoy the great TT power just to know it was under the hood and on tap? Probably, but not worth the delta for my driving requirements.

[BeamerDreamer]

Originally Posted by jkp1187

Heh, the question isn't what I want so much as what I can reasonably afford. We're buying a house right now, and between that and the much talked-about price increase for the '09 model year, I don't know if I should spend the extra money on a 135i. (And yes, I MUST have an '09 MY, because I am DEFINITELY doing Euro-Delivery, and our trip is going to be next spring/summer).

I am in a nearly identical situation to you. I bought my house last summer and I'm going with Euro Delivery too in the late spring/early summer of 09 as well. At first I thought about the 128. I went to the dealership and drove the 135 and fell in love.

Over the years I have learned to be wise with my money. Cars are not investments. The first rule of buying a car is.... Don't do it! If you don't need a car, don't get one. A car is a money pit. When you consider that in 3 years, your car will lose ~40% of it's value its hard to swallow. Your money would serve you better if you put it in something else.

If you are in the market for a BMW, you already know that you are paying a premium for a car that is more than basic transportation. It's an experience. If you wanted basic transportation, you would be buying a Honda Civic or a Toyota Corolla. And if you are going to go with Euro Delivery, you know that it's not an ordinary car or an ordinary buying experience.

I would compare the choice between the 128 and the 135 to buying a Whopper VS a Whopper with cheese. Should you pay the extra 50 cents on top of your $4 burger? Neither one is a wise choice. If you want to be smart, you would order a salad (Civic or Corolla) but you are at a fast food restaurant (BMW dealership). You are there because you want to enjoy what you are getting and not because you want to be practical.

My advice to you is this: Look at your finances very carefully. Determine exactly how much you can afford and set a hard upper limit and promise yourself not to go beyond that. If you can manage to get a 135 in that budget, do it. You might want to consider a 135 with a little fewer options to get below that limit. If you can't enjoy the 128. It's a fine car and maybe your next car will be an M3 or something even more fun.

As you may have guess, I decided not to get a 128. If I am going to waste my money, I am going to have fun doing it. I call it SPD or Smiles Per Dollar Factor. To me, the 135 has a much higher SPD than the 128. I am also considering the 335 but feel that it has a slightly lower SPD than the 135. Its clearly a subjective measurement.

[yourfriend]

Originally Posted by morgie2

If you get a 128, every day you will question whether or not you should have gotten the 135. You will try to convince yourself it has "enough" power for you.

simply put, this is ignorance. i don't know what makes people say things like this sometimes. it's just stupid.

[Noize]

Its really simple: Drive both, buy the one you like best.

[hector]

Originally Posted by BeamerDreamer

...
Should you pay the extra 50 cents on top of your $4 burger? Neither one is a wise choice. If you want to be smart, you would order a salad (Civic or Corolla)...

what an idiot I am!; all this time i've been ordering the $1 double cheeseburger thinking that it was the most bang for the buck and now I find out that the salad is actually a better deal.

[jkp1187]

Originally Posted by BeamerDreamer

My advice to you is this: Look at your finances very carefully. Determine exactly how much you can afford and set a hard upper limit and promise yourself not to go beyond that. If you can manage to get a 135 in that budget, do it. You might want to consider a 135 with a little fewer options to get below that limit. If you can't enjoy the 128. It's a fine car and maybe your next car will be an M3 or something even more fun.

Thanks. Puts it into perspective very well!

[marvenmassey]

Originally Posted by ethermal

In canada the price difference starts at $10000 and quickly goes up so the price difference is very serious.

I didn't find it was that much (trust me, I have a whole spreadsheet I did..)

Originally Posted by Steve135i

Good thread. But besides the engine, I prefer the looks of the 135i much more than the 128i. Wheels, front end, rear end of the 135i. I just wonder if the 135i is just too fast for fun driving.

This is exactly my issue..I have no problems with the 230bhp. I drive a 2005 3.0 X3 (for the wife..) and it has 225 bhp so 230bhp is more than enough for a small vehicle like the 1. However, I love the look of the 135 Sport including the MSport Steering wheel, shift knob, BMW piston brakes etc. When I factor all the extra's I would do to make a 128 look like that the differance is a little less than 3K. To do some of these items afterwards is very time comsuming, expensive and sometimes it just doesnt come out right. Well at least in my case b/c I would have to pay someone. So for that amount and no headache I will wait a while longer and go for the bigger engine with everything stock from BMW. Not to mention the from Xenon/Adaptive lights. If they made the 128 available with the MSport kit (as in Europe) I would buy it. I guess that BMW's way of getting you to buy
the more expensive model :bs:


PS Even my wife who knows nothing about bimmer's picked the 135 without knowing what the real differances are between the 2. She thought it looked much more sportier. I'll just have to remind her when it comes time to buying

Originally Posted by Dr_Jones

"horsepower is for the heart...torque is for the balls"

I've been laughing for 5 mins on this one..

M.