N55 135i 25,000km Review

[stylish.]

Engine

From 2000 rpm to 6000 rpm, you're hit with a relentless wall of torque that hauls the respectable 1455kg mass forward. From 6000 rpm, you can feel torque starting to taper off whilst power still plays its role until 6500 rpm, where it plateaus. It's sort of a slight compromise with all this low-mid range torque. I do not blame other fellow N54 or N55 owners labelling their cars "too tame" or "lacking in character" due to the non-frantic nature of our cars at high rpms. But in my opinion, anyone complaining about the lack of character at high revs should have bought the M3.

Turbo lag you say? Well, yes... there is a minimal amount of turbo lag below 1800 rpm. But after that point, hellooo torque. The sound of the turbos spooling is a lot more evident compared to the N54, without sounding 'ricey' like an evo or R34 skyline. The exhaust also delivers a deeper, sexier snarl that convinces everyone that it isn't stock!

I find slipping the clutch @ around 2000 rpm achieves more consistent, clean getaways. TIM YOYO makes a regular appearance on dry roads, whilst DTC is only activated when it gets damp. Default mode cuts too much power!

Now the boring stuff... It takes 10-15 minutes of driving for the engine to warm up. Engine temperature has never exceeded 119 degrees Celsius even after hard driving through the Spurs. Fuel economy ranges from 9.3L/100kms to about 9.9L/100kms. That's pretty good considering I drive with WOT majority of the time. Always had a diet of BP Ultimate and never had any long cranks.

Handling/Suspension/Transmission

The Runflats have been universally disliked, and I totally agree. They make the car ride like some P plater's lowered rice rocket... Not to mention they are a magnet for punctures. 2 punctures in 8 months! I was going to order some Michelin Pilot Super Sports from TireRack but a local tire shop happened to have Dunlop Star Specs in the right size (225/40 and 255/35). Wait 3 weeks for the PSS and drive around in the family Camry or Star Specs? Star Specs it is! The price wasn't too bad either.

I thought the anecdotal comparisons between RFTs to proper tires were over exaggerated. I wouldn't say it's a night and day difference, but the way everything is noticably better really substantiates a strong argument against the RFTs. Subjectively, there was a 20% increase in grip/traction, 15% increase in steering feel, 15% improvement in ride quality and 10% reduction of road noise. Moderate understeer is now a thing of the past! When you do reach the limit with the Star Specs, it lets go progressively in a linear fashion. It reveals the M Sport suspension's true character (ie: a bit soft). But hey, this car is a daily driver for me, so it's a fair compromise.

Pre-CDV modification, clutch feel was a bit artificial with the friction point feeling inconsistant at times. With the CDV mod, it's definately more managable.

Transmission has always been slick, yes even slicker than an MX-5's or even an S2000's. The brakes always receives compliments on how big they are. I adore their strong, progressive stopping power during spirited driving.


Interior

Lemon leather interior has held up pretty well, requiring the same amount of TLC as any other colour leather, but it's just more obvious when it needs a clean. The colour really brightens up the cabin, even without a sunroof! The seats are very comfortable and supportive; laterally and posteriorly. No complaints with the climate control.

The Harman Kardon sound system really makes it feel like you're in a club (with the right settings of course). The bass is strong without dominating the treble, whilst clarity is maintained without distortion, even when you crank up the volume. I was slightly underwhelmed at first, but once the equaliser has been tweaked, the Harman Kardon really shines. The 135i easily accomodates 4 average-sized people and visibilty has never been an issue when changing lanes or parking.

Final Impressions

For me, the 135i is the ultimate all-round daily driver. It's still in a class of its own. No other car provides the sweetest balance of power, torque, handling, driving dynamics, steering feel, ride quality, aural delight, running costs, refinement, class, luxury and practicality. I love its understated, passive-aggressive stance. It's a real sleeper!

Issues? Well the fuel tank could be bigger and the interior plastics could be of higher quality... Other than that, it's been reliable and without fault from day one.

[Stuart@BMRAutowerkes]

My thoughts/agreements:

- Good fuel consumption! must be an N55 thing...
- Manual BMWs with stock CDVs are pretty crap
- I think on a dyno graph you'll see torque going downhilll around 5k rpm... and I agree in that the redline isn't very exciting, rarely visited in my car in fact..
- Cool number plates
- You got white on white?

[stylish.]

I wrote a review to share some insight for prospective owners out there lurking in the forums.

Yeah Lemon on Alpine White! It does sound unusual at first, but it works pretty well. I have a thing for vanilla and snow I guess...

Angel eyes are Lux V3. They seemed to be the most reliable/best looking brand so far.

I'm actually itching for Procede V5, but waiting until warranty runs out. No-one in Melbourne seems to have Procede on their N55 yet. Any issues so far ianf2002?

[RaihaX]

Originally Posted by stylish.

I wrote a review to share some insight for prospective owners out there lurking in the forums.

Yeah Lemon on Alpine White! It does sound unusual at first, but it works pretty well. I have a thing for vanilla and snow I guess...

Angel eyes are Lux V3. They seemed to be the most reliable/best looking brand so far.

I'm actually itching for Procede V5, but waiting until warranty runs out. No-one in Melbourne seems to have Procede on their N55 yet. Any issues so far ianf2002?

Hmm white on white would be an interesting combo! what is your trim?

man waiting for the warranty to run out is going to be a while

[WAY]

I just bought a 740i to replace our ageing (lol) X3 30d. I wonder if that is N54 or N55?

[stylish.]

I went with the Brushed Aluminium. Wasn't a fan of the fish scales or the fake wood.

I've been in contact with Andrew regarding N55 Procede. He hasn't done any :/ I'll see how long I can resist.

WAY you seem to change cars like you change underpants. If it has 'TwinPower Turbo' on the engine cover, it usually means an N55.

[BMW86]

Originally Posted by WAY

I just bought a 740i to replace our ageing (lol) X3 30d. I wonder if that is N54 or N55?

Bored of the 30d already!! The 35d has been added to the line-up in the Europe.. hoping it makes its way here soon!

[WAY]

Originally Posted by BMW86

Bored of the 30d already!! The 35d has been added to the line-up in the Europe.. hoping it makes its way here soon!

The 30d lasted 3 months lol. I think I will skip the 35d (doubt it would come here anyway) for X3M. Or M3 sedan if that comes soon. I also want to replace our Polo GTI which is going to Alpine soon with a 125/128i when that comes.

[WAY]

Originally Posted by ianf2002

There will be an "N55" as part of your car's engine number code on your rego

Cool thanks. Will look it up when I pick up the car next week. Or I could ask the dealer.

[BMW86]

Originally Posted by WAY

The 30d lasted 3 months lol. I think I will skip the 35d (doubt it would come here anyway) for X3M. Or M3 sedan if that comes soon. I also want to replace our Polo GTI which is going to Alpine soon with a 125/128i when that comes.

Lol 3 months, I bet it's not even broken in properly yet! I think the 35d will be a cracker and there's a JB out or it already I think the X3M will be a special car, although not sure how big the difference will be over the N55 version. How come you're replacing the GTI with a 125i? I thought you had a 1m on the way too?

[JB4-335]

I saw Terry's X5 last week in LA with the 35d engine and he claims he can pull a mid 5 seconds 0-100klms. I think stock is about 7.5 or something. In any case that's a quick X5 diesel.

[stylish.]

Originally Posted by WAY

The 30d lasted 3 months lol. I think I will skip the 35d (doubt it would come here anyway) for X3M. Or M3 sedan if that comes soon. I also want to replace our Polo GTI which is going to Alpine soon with a 125/128i when that comes.

Hey WAY, how does your X3's engine compare to our N54/N55 cars? I'm curious to know as they are both quite torquey...

[WAY]

Originally Posted by BMW86

Lol 3 months, I bet it's not even broken in properly yet! I think the 35d will be a cracker and there's a JB out or it already I think the X3M will be a special car, although not sure how big the difference will be over the N55 version. How come you're replacing the GTI with a 125i? I thought you had a 1m on the way too?

Most likely not going to pick up the 1M as I picked up a full spec Spyder (again lol). Why replacing GTI with 125i? I don't know, guess I just want to try the new 160kw version of the 4 cylinder turbo. Afterall the Polo is now 4 months old lol. We have other cars too but the GTI is the missus' city car.

[WAY]

Originally Posted by stylish.

Hey WAY, how does your X3's engine compare to our N54/N55 cars? I'm curious to know as they are both quite torquey...

The X3 engine has more low end torque compared to a stock N54, but my modded N54 in my old 135i felt comparable especially because the car is much lighter. But, the N54 throttle response is 10 times better than the 30d. Partly why I'm abandoning the idea of turbo diesel.