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05-04-2018, 06:14 PM | #1 |
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Nothing compares
I will keep it brief - my reviews are usually way to long to read, so here:
I just test drove a 2018 WRX, 2018 GTI and 2017 370Z back-to back. I did not drive the MX-5 RF, because I did not fit. With the seat all the way back and as low as it goes my right knee was firmly jammed against the lower bottom edge of the dash. Okay, that one is now crossed off my wish list. Then I drove back home in my 1er. Wow. It will be really tough when the time comes to replace this one. Nothing really compares and all of those cars had unforgivable flaws. I think as much as we complain sometimes about 1-series shortcomings, we have been spoiled. This car feels special. None of the cars I drove today felt like it. Bummer. |
05-04-2018, 09:03 PM | #2 |
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I had a 2010 GTI and sold it for my 2011 128i about 5 years ago. The GTI was a more refined car, better thought out and a more put together design. To me, the BMW has some unforgiveable flaws as well. The 2nd cupholder under the armrest? I know, I know - you're not supposed to be drinking in the car. Why is the cupholder there, then? The 1er is just a bit half-assed in a few ways, but not enough to ruin the experience. My GTI started falling apart immediately and I nearly sued VW under the NJ lemon law. I ended up in the BMW after the GTI came off warranty and immediately started consuming coolant (second water pump in 70k miles).
It took me a long time to like my 128i as much as I liked my GTI. The driving dynamics are clearly better in the BMW, but the transmission is absolute crap compared to the VW. The GTI and 128i are pretty well matched power-wise, but the BMW confidently builds power whereas the GTI is a bit frantic. The 128i is not nearly as practical as the GTI. I think it comes down to how you value the car. Do you put more emphasis on the driving dynamics, or on comfort and practicality? If the former, the GTI will not compare. Can't speak to the WRX. In 2010 I test drove one and it was a no-brainer to go with the GTI. I'm afraid to test drive the new MX5 because I know I'll end up buying one. |
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05-04-2018, 09:37 PM | #3 | |
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And that second cupholder......it's so dumb! If I get my car reviewed by DeMuro, I'll be sure that that gets into the video...
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2012 BMW 328i 6-Speed Wagon | Deep Sea Blue with Grey Dakota Leather | Manual Swap, 330i Intake + Tune, 3.15 Helical LSD, Öhlins R&T
(SOLD) 2009 BMW 128i 6-Speed Coupé | Monaco Blue with Black Sensatec | chris_flies' 128i thread |
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05-04-2018, 10:11 PM | #4 |
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The MX-5 is a nice car. I had a "club" for a while, but it was way too cramped for my frame.
While my 135i is not perfect in some ergonomic issues, the drive train and chassis are better than the Mazda's in my mind. I am a fan of RWD rather than FWD and appreciate the balance of my 135. |
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05-04-2018, 11:31 PM | #5 | |
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It's possible the first owner of my car used it to teach his/her kid how to drive stick, and messed it up. But I'm not so confident in my own shifting to say the GTI's transmission had a perfect life. I certainly ground a few gears while I had it, as it was my first manual car. Objectively, the 1er's manual gearbox is just not that great honestly. I will rebuild it in the next year or so and expect it to get better, but I doubt it will ever be good. All that said, everything is subjective. My new DD is an automatic Tacoma. It's a great truck but by far the worst transmission I've ever driven, and I drive a shit ton of rental econoboxes when I travel for work. The new Tacoma automatic is hateful. I actually prefer my wife's old Subie CVT. Getting in the 1er I just smile as I go through the gears, even though in the back of my mind, I know it's not a good transmission. I follow Jalopnik and miss Demuro's stuff. Are you looking to get your car reviewed? He's a funny guy, I would like to hear what he has to say about a 128i! |
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05-04-2018, 11:45 PM | #6 |
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It is true that the GTI had a great shifter. Also it took me a whole 2 minutes to learn the clutch/throttle relationship for smooth take-offs and flawless shifts. I felt like I knew this car pretty well, even though this was a very first time I drove MK7.
What I could not get used to was that it is absolutely gutless below 3000rpm and although light on its feet it still feels much bigger than it is. I was expecting to love everything about it, but honestly it had nothing on the new Mini JCW I drove recently. That was a blast. I had so much fun driving that car, it surprised me and made me want it. GTI simply felt like a good all-around fairly quick and well put together car. But not a single "holy shit" moment. The other two cars I drove today were... unremarkable at best. |
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05-05-2018, 01:54 AM | #7 | |
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Not that I'm looking. Perfectly happy with my 1er, but I like to test drive other cars every now and then too.
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05-05-2018, 07:26 AM | #8 | |
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05-05-2018, 08:50 AM | #9 |
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not sure if its relevant in this thread, but its all about perspective. I love my 135i. I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread when it comes to feel and road manners until I bought my S2000 the other day. After driving that car, my BMW feels "loose" and not all that planted. Obviously nothing some Ohlins won't fix, which its seems will happen sooner rather than later, but I'm just saying that perspective changes things, and newer cars just don't have the involvement of the older cars, unless you spend silly money.
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05-05-2018, 12:04 PM | #11 | |
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05-06-2018, 04:55 PM | #12 |
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A manual 2017 M240i with 6,000 miles just showed up in Vancouver... could not think of a better way to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon, so I went for a drive.
Okay, that was more like it. Very nice indeed. And I got to drive it by myself. Cool beans. So then we talked money and here's where it gets interesting: they offered me $17K for my car and their "absolute bottom line, loose money on it" price for the 240i was $43K plus some bullshit fees. After tax that would amount to nearly $31K difference (in Canadian funds). Thanks, but no, thanks. M2 is outside of my budget and I was told there's no way I would find a stripper 230i with a stick anywhere. So that concludes my search within the BMW line-up. Next - Golf R and Focus RS. And a Genesis G7 if I can find one with 6MT. Will check back in when done, but it looks like this is becoming just another fun way to waste some spare time. I just cannot fall out of love with this car. |
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05-10-2018, 08:52 PM | #13 |
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Thanks for reminding us why these little cars are awesome. I wouldn’t call it a dedicated sports car (the steering rack is noticeably slower than most cars with sporting intentions: s2000, Cayman, Nissan Z, etc) but it makes for the ultimate daily driver or GT car and there is nothing remotely close. The newer 2er doesn’t compare.
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05-11-2018, 06:20 AM | #14 |
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I wrote up my adventures of replacing the '08 135i - it went unpublished. Here's an excerpt:
"She Who Must Be Obeyed (SWMBO) decreed that I would shop for a 'new' car, used cars for her are “somebody else's problems for sale”, oh and I would have to look for other marques besides BMW. The challenge in front of me was determining what could be lived with over the long haul. I hadn't really wanted to replace the '08 135i anytime soon – in fact, not long before the accident, I'd written down a list of items that I wanted to improve or replace in order to keep it running indefinitely. The news that the car would be a write-off came five days after the wreck – not official, but the insurance claims representative said that the claim had been turned over to the total loss department. The pressure was on to find a new car. My rental car was a Hyundai Elantra GT (garbage truck?), and it sure wasn't a 135i – tires howling in protest around almost any fun curve it was tasked to take. Thursday, day six, was the first day of searching for a replacement. The local Subaru dealer was the starting point, a WRX and BRZ being potential candidates. I was in luck, the salesman that met me at the Subaru store was a car guy. We hit it off and looked at the WRX. I asked about the all wheel drive – particularly torque split, and he mentioned that the max split was 50/50 with normal mode being a 90/10 front/rear split, so not quite what I was hoping for, better than just FWD, however a compromise nonetheless. The WRX is a good car but its economy sedan pedigree shines through in the interior. For grins I drove the BRZ, and it is a hoot. Eco-weenie tires and great chassis dynamics make for an entertaining car. But there is no, zero, zip, low end torque in the BRZ, it has to be revved hard to launch decently – not the smoothest of transitions from an N54 engined BMW. Great car though, cheap interior, and an H-point so low that SWMBO would not be able to manage getting in and out, so it dropped off the list. Onto the VW store, a GTI being the target. I've always been a sucker for the plaid seats in the GTI and the dealership had a brand-spanking new, just off the boat, four door metallic blue GTI still in it's shipping wrappers calling my name. The drivetrain in the GTI is really good, the 2.0 liter four pot and six-speed manual are well matched. In sport mode the steering feel wasn't bad but once out of sport mode it got sloppy, and it too is front wheel drive. Another point about the VW, on the base model GTI a navigation system wasn't an option. Move up a model and you surrender the plaid seats. VW has 'connected apps' which allow smartphone apps to be displayed in the center stack screen, OK except when there is no cell coverage, say in the middle of Idaho. It was a shame that the GTI had to be excluded because, for some reason, VW is offering really good deals on their cars at the moment. Regardless, driving the GTI reinforced my desire for a manual gearbox, the rental had a six speed auto and I missed the ZF manual in the 135i. My family may be a bit of a rarity, there was a point not long ago that both of my sisters and I owned cars with manual gearboxes. Having always owned cars with manual gearboxes it would be a painful transition for me to go to an automatic gearbox. A quick check of the local Ford dealer's inventory showed they had a Focus ST in stock. So that was next up. Fun, yahsir youbectha! Many years ago I had driven a Ford one-off turbocharged Focus at Las Vegas Speedway, part of Ford's SEMA show. With gobs of torque on tap it was like finding yourself inside a pull toy being yanked by a deranged two-year old. Exciting, but for how long. The Focus ST promised more of the same. I would have enjoyed it, before it became tiring, which would probably be pretty quickly. Did I mention the ST sounds great though!! SWMBO wasn't heart broken when I told her the Ford wasn't a good fit, her relationship with Fords is just marginally better than her relationship with GM products (and subsequently Buick was off the shopping list, phew). It was at this point that I started looking for a used M235i or 135i on the inter-tubes. And there were a number of interesting possibilities. There was a '14 M235i with an 8-spd auto on an FCA lot in the Seattle area and, more intriguingly, a '15 M235i, loaded with packages and options and a manual gearbox, sitting on a Honda dealer's lot in Norman, OK. I leaned on [a friend at] BMW Manhattan, for advice and he helped me winnow down what I was looking at. And he also pointed me at the BMW Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) site. It was then that I caught wind of a Le Mans blue 2013 135i, well equipped, with a manual gearbox at BMW of Tri-Cities in Richland, WA. Friday was the day for Baron BMW's, one of the two Kansas City BMW dealers, 'Drive for a Cause' event. I had signed up for it well in advance of the accident. . . . While there, I took advantage of Baron's co-located MINI store and drove a three cylinder MINI. It was a really good drive. That turbo three cylinder may be the sweet spot for MINI, a perfect match, the engine well sorted and more than adequate for the chassis. Unfortunately, as much as I liked it, getting one in the configuration I wanted would take too long. However, driving the BMW 340i during the 'Drive for a Cause' event was the true revelation. The car had the Track Handling Package and the exhaust note on the new straight six was outstanding, great 'snap, crackle, and pop' on lift-throttle. But lousy steering feel, the Track Handling Package is equipped with Variable Sport Steering. Substitute 'sloppy' for 'variable' and you'll have my opinion of it. Ugh. That was something that made me pause in pursuit of a new replacement for the 135i." Last edited by atr_hugo; 05-11-2018 at 07:37 AM.. |
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05-11-2018, 08:58 AM | #15 |
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Being new to the 135i, it’s been interesting to read posts from people who are considering a change. Coming from a 911 and then Cayman, I was forced to find something with a usable backseat, and I can’t really think of another car out there from the last decade that I’d pick over a 1er, regardless of price.
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05-11-2018, 10:28 AM | #16 |
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128i tranny is not as strong as the 135i and has forged innerds + turbos...
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Metallic Black on Black 2009 135i, new waterpump, OFHGs, and VC gasket...RB turbo PCV valve (ooo), NGK performance plugs...V3Cobb access port stage 2+FMIC, Injen intake, Mishimoto clone FMIC, ARM charge pipe, ARM downpipes, Whiteline subframe bushings
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05-11-2018, 02:07 PM | #17 |
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A buddy of mine is picking up a Rousch Mustang from a family member this weekend. It is about 4 hours from here on the other side of the Rockies.
He asked if I wanted to drive him in my new to me Cayman S so he could pick up the E39 6M he drove out there. I said sure. Then i got to thinking how much nicer the 128i would be for an 8 hour drive than the Cayman. Then I got to thinking how much nicer the Cayman would be on the twisty part of the drive. First world dilemma.
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05-11-2018, 02:57 PM | #18 | |
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05-11-2018, 03:01 PM | #19 | |
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I agree. For a fun, competent, performance-oriented DD with a modicum of practicality, I can't think of a single thing in its class.
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"Hrothgar": 2012 135i: 6MT M-Sport, BSM/Blk; Nav, Premium, Convenience, HK Dinan Stage 2 +PPK /// BMW PE /// VRSF CP /// K&N /// Koni Sports /// RSFB Inserts /// MPS4S 225/255 /// Other Stuff |
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05-11-2018, 03:23 PM | #20 | |
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05-11-2018, 03:51 PM | #21 | |
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05-11-2018, 05:23 PM | #22 |
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Yeah, don’t get me wrong, stock vs. stock, a Cayman is a more planted, better race car, and the turn-in is ridiculous, but the 135i steering is still nice IMO. My Porsches were twitchy, which would make me a little nervous in the left lane of the 405, when they were doing work on it and the boundary wall was right next to the lane line. One sneeze and you’re in trouble!
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