125i or 135i

[Steveointo]

I meant to say the price would be steep with the 135 convertible (amounting to $100k) with all the options.

[Tintin]

I didnt want to dig up an old thread but it did help me so I wanted to contribute incase it helps anyone else.

Been lurking for a while now and debating 125i, 335i, 135i, 325i, e46m3. All coupes. Requirements were less then 60,000kms, priced around $50ish and ofcourse - must like the test drive. All I had to go off was my experience with 6cyl 3 series and the countless reviews of 135i on youtube.

135i test drive came first. There was a sea of effortless torque everywhere. Even after all the reviews I had seen, I was not prepared for the power. Infact, I realised that it was just too fast for me. I like power but I prefer a smoothly accelerating car to 60 or 70 kmph with a creamy engine noise ie. your typical BMW sound. I like a quick burst of speed here and there but mostly get pleasure from smooth driving with good chasis and responsive steering. When I drove the 135i, I was just overwhelmed. It shot upto 70 in no time. It didnt give me that creamy revving engine that I like from BMW.

As the creator of the MX5 said "JINBA ITAI" is very important in a car. That is, there must be unity between horse and rider. I'm afraid the 135i was too good a horse for this rider..

So then I drive a 125i and 325i and that really hit the spot for me in terms of power to chasis balance. It was also $10k cheaper and (the 125i) had the msport pack as well. Which was really important to me in terms of looks.

i had a few last minute thoughts about just forking out the etc for the 135i. I do like some of the other goodies that would have given me eg. those gorgeous 18inch wheels they come with. I have loved those from when I first saw them. In the end, I couldnt justify the extra I was paying though when I preferred the 125i test drive.

So, in summary, I went with 125i because I loved the test drive more than the 135i and also because of the savings. The 325i coupe was also very nice but I ruled it out because it would be an older car for the same money and also because the 125i suits my daily commute and car park better due to size. Also, I love msport and 325i in msports are rare and pricier.

Should pick up the 125i this weekend and will report back with more thoughts later....

Hopefully I made the right decision..

[RaihaX]

congrats

[flinchy]

Unless you really dislike the hatch look, why 125 over 130?

[BBK]

Think he was specifically after a coupe?

[VGR00]

Have to agree with you Tintin ..... Just picked up my new 125i and its got plenty of power for what I need it for. No question about the extra ponies and torque the 135 has but the 125 hits the sweet spot for me. You will love the E82

[Moocow]

i drove both before making my decision.

The 125i first, it put a smile on my face, really enjoyed it, was surprised at its performance, very nice to drive.

Then I drove the 135i manual and fell in love!!!!! The engine will win you over!!!

[jksgoh]

congrats, tintin. I'm sure you'll love your new wheels.
I've had my 125 for er... nearly 4 years now and still enjoy it.

bit of caution tho - this isn't 1addicts, it's 135addicts!

[TimMc]

Sounds like you made a good choice Tintin. Enjoy!

[UR25IO]

Originally Posted by sparoz

If that's the case, 135i is the way to go to avoid regret. .

[sparoz]

Congrats tintin! Funny that your last post on this thread was almost two years ago.

[flinchy]

Originally Posted by BBK

Think he was specifically after a coupe?

mm i thought it was purely a looks thing, fair enough i guess ^_^

[John_01]

I think 125i and 135i are both great cars, so you can't really go wrong with either.

I chose 135i because:
1) Availability of DCT, although manual is a good choice too and cheaper to maintain.
2) Bigger brakes, 125i brakes aren't very big for the weight of the car.
3) Cast iron cylinder liners are more durable for sustained heavy use.
4) Hydraulic power steering. 125i is electric PS.

If there was the option of S54 Naturally aspirated engine - I would have rather got that. The N55 has soo much mid-range torque it needs a really light touch to drive smoothly around town. Unfortunately the turbo engine doesn't give me the same high RPM buzz as a naturally aspirated engine. 125i with manual transmission is surely a winning combo.

[Blauweisser]

Do I regret buying the 125i? Not a bit of it. I have a car which suits my driving style, and I have absolutely no interest in driving on a track. I have a guilty secret, though. When I'm parking my car under cover at work, I wind down the window so I can hear the exhaust note. The NA N52 sounds really great, and as someone else has said, it is creamy smooth.

[Tintin]

Originally Posted by sparoz

Congrats tintin! Funny that your last post on this thread was almost two years ago.

i know mate. Life gets in the way of buying cars sometimes. I have had to deal with building a house after my builder went into liquidation and then my job being surrounded in uncertainity around the GFC and even as late as last month. So there were a lot of factors due to which I have to put it off. Considering I was a fan of the 1series from when first saw pre-prod pictures, its been a long long wait. cant wait to pick her up..

[Mechz]

Originally Posted by Blauweisser

Do I regret buying the 125i? Not a bit of it. I have a car which suits my driving style, and I have absolutely no interest in driving on a track. I have a guilty secret, though. When I'm parking my car under cover at work, I wind down the window so I can hear the exhaust note. The NA N52 sounds really great, and as someone else has said, it is creamy smooth.

Yeah the noise from exhaust and engine at high revs is something that I really love in my 130i.

Although supercharger whine and turbo-spool noise is pretty damn sexy too.

[Tit]

It's a funny irony that if they didn't put the N54/55 into the 1'er, the 125i would be more revered. On it's own merits it really is a great car.

I think the real 'dark-horse' star is the 123d, though - dosen't get the cudos it deserves.

[_Ryan_]

Originally Posted by Tit

It's a funny irony that if they didn't put the N54/55 into the 1'er, the 125i would be more revered. On it's own merits it really is a great car.

I think the real 'dark-horse' star is the 123d, though - dosen't get the cudos it deserves.

130i>125i

135>130i

[jksgoh]

Originally Posted by _Ryan_

130i>125i

135>130i

130i = rear ended 125i

[jozeff]

Guys, this is actually a very good discussion and some very valid points have been raised.

I'm currently deciding between changing my 130i either to a Megane 265 Cup or waiting for the new M135i hatch to come out -yes i have a hatch fetish.

So my question is, is the 135i more about the massive, torquey OMG i'm going to die engine? or can it actually handle well? From most of the posts i've been reading, most 135i owners admit its the engine that wins them over more than the handing.

I know the Meg 250 is in a different class, but even compared to the 130i it seems outstanding for the price. Yes its no rear wheel drive, but i guess the question also is: is a brilliantly sorted FWD car more enjoyable than a mid spec RWD car?

[jksgoh]

Originally Posted by Ian///M

Handling in a stock 135i is average. Floaty at high speed and not firm enough with too much body roll. I ended up installing the BMW PS, which annoyed me as shouldn't be required on a $80k sports coupe!

How did you find the PS ?

[BMW86]

Originally Posted by jozeff

Guys, this is actually a very good discussion and some very valid points have been raised.

I'm currently deciding between changing my 130i either to a Megane 265 Cup or waiting for the new M135i hatch to come out -yes i have a hatch fetish.

So my question is, is the 135i more about the massive, torquey OMG i'm going to die engine? or can it actually handle well? From most of the posts i've been reading, most 135i owners admit its the engine that wins them over more than the handing.

I know the Meg 250 is in a different class, but even compared to the 130i it seems outstanding for the price. Yes its no rear wheel drive, but i guess the question also is: is a brilliantly sorted FWD car more enjoyable than a mid spec RWD car?

Originally Posted by Ian///M

Handling in a stock 135i is average. Floaty at high speed and not firm enough with too much body roll. I ended up installing the BMW PS, which annoyed me as shouldn't be required on a $80k sports coupe!

Whilst I agree with Ian's comments about handling, I still think a stock 135i handles very well and has an excellent chassis. It's not meant to be an all out performance car, even though it has a performance engine. Compared to all the RWD Mercedes I've driven, the BMW's have felt like they're on a whole new level.

Also because the engine is so brutally fast you find yourself pushing the car to its limits (more often) and can see where it needs improvement. I think the majority of us on this forum drive fairly enthusiastically and occasionally track our cars so you will notice the body roll and understeer, also it does float above 130km/hr and it progressively gets worse the faster you go.

With that being said, if you change the tyres out to non-RFT tyres in slightly bigger sizes (225/255) you will notice a decent improvement. Also the M3 FSB is a cheap investment that dials out some of the understeer on an otherwise stock car. At this point the car a lot of people would be content with how the car handles and you could easily have some fun at the odd track day. However, if you went a step further and did coilovers and/or LSD, you'd have a car that handles very very well.

It depends on how far you want to go and what is the purpose you will use the car for. As I said, changing the tyres and FSB is a relatively small investment that are bang for buck mods in this area. If you don't track the car or participate in drive days etc, I don't see the point in going any further. Just my 5 cents!