my initial thoughts of the 135i after test driving

[jasyn]

so i just got back from new century bmw here in socal .. they just got in today a 128i and 135i. the 135i was a black/red boston leather auto with premium & sport package.

coming from a 2003 330i this is what i have to say about the car.

the engine is beastly i was so afraid to launch it just kuz i didn't know how powerful the twin turbo was. i eventually got use to it and that bad boy can haul ass.

brakes are very sticky and sensitive. i can without a doubt say this car will stop when you want it to stop.

the m-wheel feels great! nice and fat .. feels great to hold onto it and take turns. i didn't really get into the whole shift paddle thing, but the zf transmission does feel much smoother compared to the crap i have in my 330i auto.

as far as space goes - the trunk has plenty of room imo. space inside is do-able. i would prefer perhaps 1-2" on each side, but everyone can get use to it. i think it just takes time to adjust.

in regards to the backseats. i didn't have to move my seat back just kuz i'm 5'7", but honestly i don't get how people who are taller then me say that there will be enough room back there for people. honestly if i were to move my seat even further, it wouldn't be comfortable for any back seaters. my 330i is already small imo. but this car imo is a 2 seater with 4 seats just for insurance purposes.

pricing wise .. with everything the paper said $46,xxx --> base $34,xxx. so premium + sports package + auto transmission taxes on a lot.

anyways the sun was going down and the way the car parked didn't provide me any great picture angles. so here's what i got.

a side view, the oil cooler, front brake, and rear. enjoy :thumbup:

[slipkmaggot]

nice insights, first analysis of the auto i think.
everyone is making we want to drive one so much

[E82tt6]

Thanks for the insight! It sounds like a lot of dealers are brining in cars that are loaded to the gills.

[slipkmaggot]

Originally Posted by E82TT6

Thanks for the insight! It sounds like a lot of dealers are brining in cars that are loaded to the gills.

I think demos are always fully loaded to show everything the car can do

[gregthegr8]

I think you'll be hard-pressed to find a dealer with any sort of stock 135, so while they have a base of 35K, almost every dealer is getting ones with the premium and/or sport package on them, raising the price well over 40K. That's why I had to go ahead and order one if I even wanted to consider getting it since I knew no dealer would have one as stripped as I'd need it to be to be able to afford that bad boy. Went in looking at the 128 and possibly getting that pretty loaded for 33, but after driving that engine in the 335ci, boy oh boy, how could i not get that?! Bastards! I was cursing the entire test drive cause it was so nice and I knew I had to fork over the extra 5K to get that damn thing, for I was in love.

[jasyn]

yah that's true. these were just 2 demo cars that are more for buyers to see what exactly they can purchase.

after testing out the car .. for sure i'm getting the sports package kuz that m-wheel is just to die for. i could live without some of the premium stuff .. but they do some in handy when i think about it.

for now though i'm contemplating on whether or not to get the navigation with i-drive.

[pumaknight]

nice review.

[Oregon]

Many dealerships, including my own, are loading up the lot cars. Thanks for the review, jasyn.

[BMW Dreamer]

Very nice Sir. I guess if I sprain my left ankle 1 more time, I will find out how good that auto is. I sure hope not, but good to hear the auto is nice.

As time goes on, the dealers will start sneaking in more 135i manuals with less options. But at first they want people to see whats available, plus cutting back production doesn't help.
You will see more manual equiped 135i's vs 335i's, it will just take time. I can't wait until I can go to the dealer and see 4,5,6, 135i's in diff colors and equipement. Thats when I will sell my car outright.

[jasyn]

Originally Posted by Jeff1962

Very nice Sir. I guess if I sprain my left ankle 1 more time, I will find out how good that auto is. I sure hope not, but good to hear the auto is nice.

As time goes on, the dealers will start sneaking in more 135i manuals with less options. But at first they want people to see whats available, plus cutting back production doesn't help.
You will see more manual equiped 135i's vs 335i's, it will just take time. I can't wait until I can go to the dealer and see 4,5,6, 135i's in diff colors and equipement. Thats when I will sell my car outright.

i've come to think about the whole auto vs. manual thing to. seriously from the auto in my 330i which is only a 5spd .. to the now sports packaged zf transmission 6spd .. i must say it's a great improvement. while i didn't mess around with the paddles, i did have a test with the manual switching of gears and it was really really smooth. with my 330i there is a slight lag between gear switches, but with the zf transmission it's flawless.

and after re-evaluating the 0-60 times (at least given by bmwusa) .. the manual vs. auto is just off by .1 of a second. so personally it all comes down to personal feel. i don't like how people knock on the auto transmission just because it's an auto. it really has come a long way from the e46 series.

and btw i hope u don't sprain ur ankle again haha :headbang:

[infinitekidM2C]

i can see exactly what mines gonna look like..i.e. the black one...

[1er Trojan]

What is the deal with these ducts, I have seen them in a few pictures:



Obviously for brake cooling, but where do they induct air from?

[plien69]

Actually, those are the exhaust vents for the secondary oil cooler, which has been added to the 135s due to overheating issues with the N54 engine in the 335s.

The presence of a secondary oil cooler was the topic of much debate and speculation leading up to the vehicle's release, and this picture was actually a very important piece of evidence in the discussion.