2013 135is owners discussion and photos thread!

[MaxVasc]

I have 26,500 miles on my is. I'm tempted to sell it before it gets too much more on it and step into a 2010 e90 M3. That makes me crazy right?

[PopsnBurbles]

Originally Posted by MaxVasc

I have 26,500 miles on my is. I'm tempted to sell it before it gets too much more on it and step into a 2010 e90 M3. That makes me crazy right?

Nope, definitely not crazy at all. I love E90 M3's (LCI ones) especially stripper ones with only ZCP. I've never driven an M3 before but the thing you'll miss from the 1er is the its perfect size. Aside from that, I'd imagine the M3 is superior in every aspect. Not to mention, E90 M3's are pretty darned rare too!

[MaxVasc]

That's what I was afraid of haha. I have always wanted an LCI e90. I just have to convince my fiancé that I need 4 doors. Even though we are about to get her a Mercedes gla. I can pull it off.

[gregthegr8]

Originally Posted by MaxVasc

That's what I was afraid of haha. I have always wanted an LCI e90. I just have to convince my fiancé that I need 4 doors. Even though we are about to get her a Mercedes gla. I can pull it off.

Have you driven the e90 M3 after driving your 135is? I haven't personally driven those M3's, so have no firsthand experience, but I know some people on the forum have said that it's hard to go from a 135i to the e90/e92 M3 due to the real lack of torque and they've said just driving around town it feels heavy and slow compared to our cars and not fun to drive unless you're REALLY on it and revving that engine. I guess their take home message was that our cars were probably better suited as daily drivers than those M3s is all.

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts then in comparison after coming from ours.

[MaxVasc]

That is a main concern of mine. I come from modified 6.6l turbo diesels making 800lb-ft of torque. I am used to driving torque oriented vehicles rather than high revving HP. I am pleased with the torque from our little 3L motors. The desire for the e90 is the looks and four doors. Which means it's probably not worth spending $40-50k on. But it is an intriguing idea.

[gregthegr8]

Originally Posted by MaxVasc

That is a main concern of mine. I come from modified 6.6l turbo diesels making 800lb-ft of torque. I am used to driving torque oriented vehicles rather than high revving HP. I am pleased with the torque from our little 3L motors. The desire for the e90 is the looks and four doors. Which means it's probably not worth spending $40-50k on. But it is an intriguing idea.

Well you may still like it and it IS an M car. Or just get the batshit crazy AMG GLA45 for the other car. =P

Let us know what you think though if you end up driving that e90 M3 though. I went from a 135 to an S5 with its 4.2L V8 and then back to the 135is and I'm so much happier with this power delivery. That V8 sounded great, but aside from 14 mpg, never seemed to come alive until you were over 3k rpm. With these lil suckers, I'm FLYING by the time I get to 3k rpm. Obviously it's all personal choice, but man you sure do get used to that low end torque.

[Chunner]

Originally Posted by 3002 tii

That was me, should've told me you were interested. I just sold it lol.

Review and your thoughts please. A fellow 1er would like to know!

[MaxVasc]

Had to get the is "towed" into the shop. Started up and idled a little rough, wanted to die under normal first gear acceleration, bogged in second gear. I limped to the parking lot and shut it down. Hard start after that. It was missing. Like a bad coil pack or bad fuel. We will see what they say tomorrow.

[gregthegr8]

Originally Posted by MaxVasc

Had to get the is "towed" into the shop. Started up and idled a little rough, wanted to die under normal first gear acceleration, bogged in second gear. I limped to the parking lot and shut it down. Hard start after that. It was missing. Like a bad coil pack or bad fuel. We will see what they say tomorrow.

Hmm, maybe that M3 is coming sooner than we thought? Or you pissed it off and it sought revenge?

Hope it's nothing too bad though.

[MaxVasc]

Originally Posted by gregthegr8

Hmm, maybe that M3 is coming sooner than we thought? Or you pissed it off and it sought revenge?

Hope it's nothing too bad though.

Ya, it's almost as if it heard me. I hope so as well. Thank goodness for warranty.

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by Chunner

Review and your thoughts please. A fellow 1er would like to know!

Despite the numerous reviews you find from others, unless you hit the drag strip or drive like an a$$ you rarely notice it on normal driving conditions. I have a Quaife on my Z4 and I didn’t notice the effects till I started tracking it. For everyday driving, the LSD will most likely act like an open diff because getting the inside wheel to spin is a rare occurrence.

The only time I found the MFactory (and Quaife) to be beneficial was during snowy conditions and the 1-2 times I wanted to floor it from a light. So yes it works, but I just didn’t benefit from it enough to justify the cost. I wanted to focus on working on my Z4 which is why I sold it. But at your power levels, the open diff may be more intrusive and noticeable as compared to my car, which in that case I can see why you'd want to pick up one. I personally did not have trouble with breaking traction during my normal driving.

FYI I know I still owe everyone an update on the exhaust tips. We’ve just had a string of bad weather and things are now finally looking decent in the forecast. Hoping to get it done soon.

[grnbean]

Originally Posted by gregthegr8

Have you driven the e90 M3 after driving your 135is? I haven't personally driven those M3's, so have no firsthand experience, but I know some people on the forum have said that it's hard to go from a 135i to the e90/e92 M3 due to the real lack of torque and they've said just driving around town it feels heavy and slow compared to our cars and not fun to drive unless you're REALLY on it and revving that engine. I guess their take home message was that our cars were probably better suited as daily drivers than those M3s is all.

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts then in comparison after coming from ours.

I went from E90 M3 to B8 S4 to a 135is. I agree completely with the statement above. With the lack of torque at the bottom end of the RPM range you're going to have to rev it higher to experience that torque you are used to. Can you imagine constantly going to near redline driving around town? That's just asking for a ticket and you just look like an asshat while doing it. The M3 is a great track car and that's where it really shines and where you can get the most out of it.

I highly suggest test driving a C63 or even the new C400 4matic. The B8.5 S4 is also a good choice but I personally did not feel connected with my S4. After driving the 135is I'm really enjoying the 'driving experience'

[gregthegr8]

Originally Posted by grnbean

I went from E90 M3 to B8 S4 to a 135is. I agree completely with the statement above. With the lack of torque at the bottom end of the RPM range you're going to have to rev it higher to experience that torque you are used to. Can you imagine constantly going to near redline driving around town? That's just asking for a ticket and you just look like an asshat while doing it. The M3 is a great track car and that's where it really shines and where you can get the most out of it.

I highly suggest test driving a C63 or even the new C400 4matic. The B8.5 S4 is also a good choice but I personally did not feel connected with my S4. After driving the 135is I'm really enjoying the 'driving experience'

I had the same experience with my S5, pretty, but never quite felt connected to it remotely in the same way I do with this car, and that was with the V8. In retrospect, I think it my be the electric steering in the Audi that left me feeling such a disconnect. And while all the various modes and what have you seemed novel and fun at first, in the end I grew tired of them, especially since the steering always felt numb and then artificial and weird when boosted into dynamic mode. I had a similar experience when I drove the M235...just felt NOTHING, which I think may have been the steering as well.

I'm now scared that basically any newer car will feel completely detached compared to ours. So, I'm afraid to ever let it go in some ways, tempting as that new TTS is.

[MaxVasc]

Almost got myself into an S5 but went with the is instead because of the connectedness yall are talking about. In fact, I wouldn't mind some stiffer bushings to get a little more of it.

[gregthegr8]

Originally Posted by MaxVasc

Almost got myself into an S5 but went with the is instead because of the connectedness yall are talking about. In fact, I wouldn't mind some stiffer bushings to get a little more of it.

Never driven the supercharged V6 in the S4 and 2013+ S5, so can't compare our engine to those, and while on paper it's as fast as the V8 S5, the 135is sure feels a hell of a lot faster, or perhaps just in daily driving around town with the low-end torque. Though, even when doing 50 or 60 on the freeway and giving it a tiny amount of gas, it still just takes off like a rocket. I like the size of our cars much better, too. Perfect size. Heck, I'd be happy if it were even a few inches shorter.

[socal135]

My lease it up on the 135is. I've been test driving cars all week.

C300, CLA45 amg, Q50s (infinity), Lexus n200 and ct200, Audi S3, Audi Q3 and Audi A4. Nothing in the price range feels as premium inside and feels as great motor wise as the 135is.

Alas i'm moving on. Will probably go with the Spartan A4 and look into a sporty weekend car when finances allow.

I posted the 135is in the for sale thread if any of you 1addicts are interested. It's listed at my buyout price.

[gregthegr8]

Originally Posted by socal135

My lease it up on the 135is. I've been test driving cars all week.

C300, CLA45 amg, Q50s (infinity), Lexus n200 and ct200, Audi S3, Audi Q3 and Audi A4. Nothing in the price range feels as premium inside and feels as great motor wise as the 135is..

Wow, how time flies. 3 years already?

Curious what you thought of some of those cars like the S3 and CLA45. Sounds like none of them did a thing for you. Not a fan of the M235i either I assume. Sadly, there just aren't really any cars like ours currently out there it seems.

Just know that the A4 is redesigned for 2016 and is unveiling soon. What about a GTI or Golf R? Granted, the Golf R is identical to the S3, though I like its interior better.

Will be sad to see one of the first owners go.

[socal135]

Originally Posted by gregthegr8

Wow, how time flies. 3 years already?

Curious what you thought of some of those cars like the S3 and CLA45. Sounds like none of them did a thing for you. Not a fan of the M235i either I assume. Sadly, there just aren't really any cars like ours currently out there it seems.

Just know that the A4 is redesigned for 2016 and is unveiling soon. What about a GTI or Golf R? Granted, the Golf R is identical to the S3, though I like its interior better.

Will be sad to see one of the first owners go.

You reminded me, I did test drive all the BMW's from the 2 to the 4. The 428i gran coupe m sport is a beauty. I am seriously considering it. The dealer is offereing it on MSRP 52k at around 48k. 36month/12kmiles before tax is looking like $520 a month. I also visited VW, but didn't like anything on the lot.

The S3 is fantastic. The magnetic ride suspension quattro was insane. I gave the sales rep a heart attack taking a turn at 40mph. The S3 felt like it lowered and suction cupped as I entered the corner. The S3 would be a homerun if the interior wasn't so damn ugly. It does not feel like you are sitting in 50k car. The rear view mirror is not auto dimming and looks like something that belongs in a 17k car. The interior is littered with plastic and the steering provides little to no feedback. Also the backseats do not accommodate anyone over 5'8. At 5'11 I had to duck when sitting in the back.

The CLA45 AMG is a fun car. The posted gas milage is supposed to be better than the 135is. The acceleration is great and it has a nice baby CLS look to the exterior. Now the things I hated about the car. Again the backseats are cramped. The GLA45 AMG offers great rear headroom, but the GLA45 AMG would only work if your into hot hatches. The interior looks like shambles when compared to the newly redesigned C class. Below the Nav screen is a 1-9 keypad. C'mon Mercedes... are we in the 90's? Get rid of it. Visability is low from the tiny rear window and the overall feel in the cabin is cramped. Also coming from the m sport leather steering in the 135is, the CLA 45 AMG fake leather steering wheel felt rubbery and cheap. C'mon it's an AMG, whynot put a sporty alcantara steering wheel? The engine is running at 26psi. For long term ownership, this engine sounds like it's a ticking time bomb. At 62k, I think there are much better options in the segment than the CLA45 AMG. Also, just like any AMG model, they do not lease well.

The Lexus NX200 (crossover) was the only vehicle that surprised me. From the pictures on the Lexus website, the crossover looks ugly. In person, the crossover is a beauty. But as with most Japanese cars, the build quality and materials leave one wanting more. The interior was full of plastics and the overall feel of the car was cheap and flimsy. My friend who came along for the test drive actually broke something in the center console, just by trying to open the compartment.

I didn't know about the redesign. I'll look into it.

[UK2USA]

Hello everyone, just been reading through this great thread, looks like I'm a little late to the game.

Anyway, I bought my wife a carbon Black with Black/Blue back in October 2012, time flies, it's her DD and has about 16k miles on it. Had new stock Tires put on it at CMW in Irvine, we were debating about not getting the Run-Flats, but she drives up and down the freeway every Day alone, so it just made sense to put the OEM Tires back on there, just under $1700 though, oh well.

Anyway, the Car itself is fully loaded, the only thing it didn't come with is the $400 alarm.
When I bought it from Sterling, Newport Beach I was told it was the first in California, I never bothered to verify so have nothing to back this up.

Anyway, nice "meeting" you all.

[gregthegr8]

Interesting. I may drive an S3 this weekend. It feels/looks like a sedan version of our car almost with it's seemingly bulldog like squatty stance. I hate the interior of it too though. The TTS though will have almost identical mechanics and probably the best interior I've seen/sat in under $100k, but it's not out til fall. And the Golf R is identical to the S3, but probably with more room in the back.

Still no clue why they made both a 3-series and 4-series gran coupe. Just make that gran coupe the 3-series design! And everything is so darn expensive these days.

Keep us updated. The 2016 A4 unveiling is at the Frankfurt Auto Show in fall though, as I read that article today.

[Nemco]

From socal135: "I posted the 135is in the for sale thread if any of you 1addicts are interested. It's listed at my buyout price."

Quick question about the logistics of someone else buying at your lease-buyout. I'm happy with my new-to-me 135is, my brother is driving my leased 135i and probably wants to buy it out when the lease is up - very low mileage, probably 12K of the 30 allowed.

Do I have to convince BMW to let him buy it? (since it's my name on the lease, I thought only I had the contractual option).

I'm concerned BMW would raise the asking price since it's low mileage, and I'm trying to avoid having to buy it myself and then transfer to him, which will lead to double sales tax in NY.

[Marc08EX]

Originally Posted by Nemco

Quick question about the logistics of someone else buying at your lease-buyout. I'm happy with my new-to-me 135is, my brother is driving my leased 135i and probably wants to buy it out when the lease is up - very low mileage, probably 12K of the 30 allowed.

Do I have to convince BMW to let him buy it? (since it's my name on the lease, I thought only I had the contractual option).

I'm concerned BMW would raise the asking price since it's low mileage, and I'm trying to avoid having to buy it myself and then transfer to him, which will lead to double sales tax in NY.

First, congrats on your new 135is! Color and specs?

No you don't need to convince BMW and they will not raise the buyout price. The buyout price is the price you need to pay to make it yours. What will happen is that You pay it off and then BMW will send your the title of the car. Then you can transfer the title to your brother. What do you mean double sales tax? Private party sales have sales tax? But you're just transferring the title. Is that considered a sale?

Don't worry, BMW financial services won't know the car's mileage anyway. They will only know that if you plan on turning in the lease.