Just drove "it"

[Sherifftruman]

I test drove an auto 135i and agree with pretty much everything in the OP, except I thought the standard stereo was surprisingly good. I did notice the boominess, but figured it could be dialed out through the adjustments, which I did not attempt. It may just be a difference in expectations though. I did think the system was better than the H/K sytem in my MINI, which has never gotten quite loud enough for my tastes.

Overall, I was quite happy with the car. The CA took the car out first as we needed to get gas and did his best to make me crap my pants by whipping down some pretty narrow 2 lane roads that had quite a few potholes on them at around 90-100 mph to demonstrate the handling capbilities and I was duly impressed.


I also whipped a couple of nice ramps and noticed no understeer issue that I could see. Any oversteer was also nicely controllable, even rolling into a tight ramp at about 35 and gunning it to end up about 70.

I did also notice some of the odd button placement high on the dash and also up high for the airbag light and sunroof controls. I practically had to lean all the way forward to read them, but one you use them a couple of times, you will have no problems.

All in all, teh Auto trans was nice, but it is not going to make me want to change from stick.

BTW, this car had less than 50 miles on it and was run as hard as a car would be run on the track, so in a couple of years it willm ake a nice test bed for whether you should run the car hard fom the start.

[BMW Dreamer]

Very professional write-up. Thankyou. NOW I wish I could find $20k on the ground somewhere. I can't wait 324 days, crap.

[colonel1961]

Originally Posted by onehots2k

Perhaps he didnt get a chance to tweak with the bass and treble settings.

I agree. When I first got in my car with the 'standard' radio, it sucked pretty bad. But, after adjusting the bass, treble, and fader, it sounded pretty darned good...

[happywalmartcustomer]

I just got in from testing a 135i in sapphire/coral...It's been an hour since I got out of the car and I'm still smiling.

Will try to add some more later, headed to the gym while I'm still pumped!

[adc]

To clarify the radio thing - yes, it definitely is a question of expectations. As I mentioned, the standard radio was better than the HK system found in the E46 cars (at extra cost). So if that's where you come from, you'll like it.

If you come from a better system - like the L7 in the 335 - you'll find it inadequate. There is no dedicated subwoofer, which makes the regular woofers work extra hard and I think generates that boominess. And as I said I thought it lacks clarity. I did play with the controls but it was merely shades around the main color.

Then again, the Premium radio should be measurably better: it has better speakers and 2 dedocated subwoofers - probably the same items from the 3 series L7 system. Also has DSP which could mean the graphic EQ (I truly hope). It won't have the central dash speaker but that's not a tragedy in my book.

[adc]

Had some more (random) thoughts about yesterday's drive.

I think the throttle mapping is a little snappier than in the 335 - I'd love to try a manual car to confirm this.

I dreamt about wringing this car around the Nurburgring and how much lively it would feel there compared to the 335 - then I woke up and realized I'll have to wait another year or more before I can do this in real life.

I forgot to check if it has an exhaust valve like most recent BMW's.

The outside temp was in the mid 50's if I remember correctly and the oil temps hovered around 240, same as the 335. I'm still a little worried about the oil/engine temps, I'll follow with interest here what happens with tracked cars...

I loved the way the car's flanks curved out of sight when I was adjusting the side mirror. The complex shape will be a joy to wash and hand-wax. :wink:

[Ringleheim]

ADC,

I'm in DC too. Which dealer did you drive the car at? Was your experience positive? Where did you buy your 335 ? Who do you recommend around here?

By the way, I was out at BMW of Sterling on Sunday (3.16.08) and they had a couple M3s and five 1ers. Three convertibles and 2 coupes, in various guises. All five cars were autoboxes however.

BMW of Fairfax and Arlington had zero 1ers that I could find.

[adc]

Originally Posted by Schumi71

ADC,

I'm in DC too. Which dealer did you drive the car at? Was your experience positive? Where did you buy your 335 ? Who do you recommend around here?

By the way, I was out at BMW of Sterling on Sunday (3.16.08) and they had a couple M3s and five 1ers. Three convertibles and 2 coupes, in various guises. All five cars were autoboxes however.

BMW of Fairfax and Arlington had zero 1ers that I could find.

Went to VOB, they'll usually have the latest cars in and they're close to me. I am not sure I'd buy from them, they typically have the highest prices.

Last 2 cars I tried to give them my business, considering the painless test drives they always gave me (plus access to their park so I could check colors, interiors etc). But both times their quotes were way up there (one time by about $1500, the other time about $700). If they would manage to come within a reasonable difference (say $500 or less), I'd think about it...

Fairfax has got to be the worst dealer in the area, for everything. Attidude, inventory, price, even service if some stories are to be believed.

My last 2 cars have been Euro Deliveries, and for that the absolute go-to man in the DC area is Joern Esser at Passport. Low profile, best price/no haggling necessary, native of Munich and expert in all the intricacies of the ED process.

[imported_Dodgy]

Originally Posted by adc

Just came back from driving a Jet Black/Coral 135i with sport, premium and automatic. Some have asked 335i owners to comment on the 135i if given a chance to drive it, so I thought I'd post my own comments on the differences.

I won't comment on looks other than to say that it definitely looks less challenging in the metal, and I would not hesitate to buy it for even 1 sec because of this.

I didn't trash the car with just 25mi on board, but you don't have to if all you want is to compare to a known quantity.

The engine
It was probably the auto tranny with a shorter final drive, but this car felt positively faster than my 335i, roughly the equal of my 335 with JBS1. There seemed to be more engine vibration transmitted to the interior than in the 335. There seemed to be less lag than in the 335, perhaps also a consequence of the automatic.

The sound
There is slightly more wind noise from the A pillars. There is more intake/engine noise coming from the front, which is a plus for me. The exhaust sounds a little deeper than the 335, but it doesn't have that exotic warble the 335 has. I'd say the 335 exhaust sounds more exotic and tenor-like, while the 135i sounds more business-like. The 1 is also a little louder too, but not as loud as an aftermarket item.

The suspension
I didn't particularly feel there was more understeer than the 335, then again this was a limited drive. There was a decreasing radius ramp to 270 in which I was able to induce some 4 wheel drift (via trail braking) followed by extremely controllable oversteer on exit (via the gas pedal). The fact that I could do this in total confidence after only 15 min with the car is absolutely remarkable.

The suspension is a little tauter than the 335 SP. You feel more of the road, in a good way. There still is a little float in high speed stuff, but far less than the 3. Brake dive is similar to the 3.

The car feels significantly more alert than the 3. It's a joy. There seems to be less roll and all movements are better controlled.

If it were me, I'd address the RFT tires and sway bars first, before deciding on anything else.

The steering
Turn-in is really good, lots better than the 3. Steering effort is reduced, but more importantly it lacks that initial stickyness of the 3 - this steering column does not seem to rotate in glue.

Steering wheel is nice to hold, but I think too thick and it removes that extra layer of feel. The rack seems a little quicker - it may just be an artifact of the lighter effort, but I thought I didn't need as much lock on the tight stuff as I did in the 3.

The brakes
A tad touchy, but so were the 335 ones in the beginning. Otherwise very strong and maybe easier to modulate - not sure about this, I'd need more time.

The body
Seems even more solid than the 3, if that's possible. Maybe because it's new? :iono:

The sound, part II
Avoid the standard radio, if you can. It sucks. I hope the Premium radio is better.

Accomodations
The seats are all but identical to the ones in the 335 SP, which is a good thing. The leather was smoother on the edges of the seat (bolsters) and rougher in the middle. Rear seating is sufficient for my 4.5 year old, adults will complain after 20min. Trunk space is good, all things considered. You loose what looks like 1-2" width, 2" depth and 1" height, compared to the 335 Coupe.
Dash/instrumentation are great - with one exception: the DTC button is so high up, it requires a stretch to push. That's not good for someone like me who prefaces most drives with the DTC-disable ritual.
The side mirror surfaces seemed smaller than the 3 series - maybe just my imagination at work.
The B pillar is closer to the front seat, making seatbelt grabbing quick and mindless - I came to hate the slow and polite seatbelt valet in the 3 series.

Overall
This is my next car, without a doubt. The required suspension tuning doesn't have to be extensive or expensive, the car is strong and just the right size for me.

And more importantly, it delivers that agile, intuitive handling-of-one-piece that previous BMW's were so good at (and the latest 3 series so completely misses out).

It will put a smile on your face on every drive, guaranteed. It's that type of car.


This is about it, if you guys have specific questions please let me know.

You should write for the LA Times!

Well done and thanks.

[adc]

Originally Posted by Dodgy

You should write for the LA Times!

Well done and thanks.

You're too kind, I'm not sure words like "sucks" would fare well in the NY Times. :wink: I had a very enjoyable test drive and wanted to reassure those waiting for their turn that the car is well worth it.

[Yearofthe1]

Originally Posted by Schumi71

ADC,

I'm in DC too. Which dealer did you drive the car at? Was your experience positive? Where did you buy your 335 ? Who do you recommend around here?

By the way, I was out at BMW of Sterling on Sunday (3.16.08) and they had a couple M3s and five 1ers. Three convertibles and 2 coupes, in various guises. All five cars were autoboxes however.

BMW of Fairfax and Arlington had zero 1ers that I could find.

Just test drove a 135i at Fairfax yesterday.