135i vs 2010 Mustang/Camaro ?

[Mnst3r]

My wife wants to get a 2010 CamaroSS until she drove my 135i. Now she wants to look at a BMWs. I guess it will be better than her brothers 2008 SRT8 Challenger.lol I would test drive them all, If you plan to Mod, see what's available. I think it comes down to your personal choice and do you want to stand out or have a car that may be all over in your area. There are only 2 Black 135i's in my area, but a mess load of New Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers. Good luck with your decision.

[ptack]

I think the camaro will get old real fast. The outside has a look, but the inside is not that great and that's where you'll be.

[TexasKid]

It comes down to one basic principal...when you drive a BMW you feel like you're in a car to DRIVE, but when you drive an American car you feel nothing but bumps rattles & shakes. I'd never subject myself to another American car.

[BoostedTerp]

Originally Posted by TexasKid

It comes down to one basic principal...when you drive a BMW you feel like you're in a car to DRIVE, but when you drive an American car you feel nothing but bumps rattles & shakes. I'd never subject myself to another American car.

A lot of American cars have improved quite a lot. The build quality of my last 05 Mustang GT was quite good. You'd be missing out on a lot of good cars by stereotyping them all based on past experiences.

[Michael A]

I just got home with my new 135i....I am pretty exhausted. There are unexpected pros and cons. I will admit I definitely should have gotten the navi with power seats. The premium audio does not sound that much better to me than the standard audio, although I have not had time to fiddle with the settings. In addition I have not found the perfect settings for the manual seat which I am sure the power seat would have solved this problem quickly.

HOWEVER the bright red with tinted windows looks awesome and where the black car would have not been anywhere as dramatic. It looks almost like an exotic car in red.

The driving experience is AMAZING. The handling and braking phenomenal and the power is downright perfect. The car has almost no traction in 1st and 2nd gear. To me the car ALMOST feels as quick as a Vette or Camaro SS, the power is that impressive to me.

Fuel economy seems to be slightly better than my is350 however the car feels smaller and is smaller. Which can be a pro or con.

I had no idea the premium audio only takes one CD and that Satellite radio is NOT standard ???? The Satellite radio antenna is on the roof so I assumed that it was standard not an ala carte add on option.

The dealer only had one key fob so unless they find the second one I will have to pony up the cost. Does anyone know the cost of buying and programming a new or additional key fob?

At 15k miles the OEM runflats only have about 5/32's of tread life left ... so I was not necessarily expecting to pony up an additional $1,000 over the next few months for tires on a car that is basically brand new.

Oh and the tiny radio display really sucks ... I know someone mentioned that the '08 IDrive was great for at least displaying track info.

Overall I really do think the car is amazing despite some of its minor shortcomings.

I cannot wait to really drive the car in the daytime when I become a little more comfortable with the driving dynamics.

[jeremyc74]

Congrats. I'd push the dealer for that second key fob. They're pretty damn expensive IIRC, like $200, and it takes a while to do the programming because of some safety features to prevent people from being able to easliy steal the car.

If you've got an iPod, the single CD becomes a non-issue, and you'll get used to the small screen. I thought the same thing coming from my previous car, but after a month or so I didn't even notice it.

Replacing those run-flats will make a world of difference in the traction. They're pretty good when they've got 5k miles on them, but by 15k they're complete crap. With a decent set of performance tires on a stock vehicle, you'll rarely break loose in first gear, and never in second (of course that kind of power is just a JB3 away when you want it).

[Michael A]

I just threw a jump drive with some music on it and realize that this is the simple and better solution than carrying around a few cds with mp3's. I will either reconfigure an external drive or just buy a 16gb jump drive. Is there any advantage or having an IPOD over a Jump drive ?

The dealer was sure they either had or could get a second remote ... we will see on Monday.

Originally Posted by jeremyc74

Congrats. I'd push the dealer for that second key fob. They're pretty damn expensive IIRC, like $200, and it takes a while to do the programming because of some safety features to prevent people from being able to easliy steal the car.

If you've got an iPod, the single CD becomes a non-issue, and you'll get used to the small screen. I thought the same thing coming from my previous car, but after a month or so I didn't even notice it.

Replacing those run-flats will make a world of difference in the traction. They're pretty good when they've got 5k miles on them, but by 15k they're complete crap. With a decent set of performance tires on a stock vehicle, you'll rarely break loose in first gear, and never in second (of course that kind of power is just a JB3 away when you want it).

[jeremyc74]

Originally Posted by Michael A

I just threw a jump drive with some music on it and realize that this is the simple and better solution than carrying around a few cds with mp3's. I will either reconfigure an external drive or just buy a 16gb jump drive. Is there any advantage or having an IPOD over a Jump drive ?

.

I think the iPod indexes the songs a lot faster at startup, and has the advantage of letting you create playlists in iTunes. The jump drive will certainly do the job though, and for a lot less money. I like the iPod because I've got a 120G version, and it lets me put my entire library on it and keep it in the car with me. I used a 4G Nano for a while, and it just seemed like a PITA figuring out what to keep on it. I know there are some people here who are using the small USB powered hard drives and doing the same thing, but I remember hearing some of them talk about how long it takes to go through all the directorys.

[Michael A]

Here she is ....

[bbadillo]

congrats,, i didint notice much difference with the upgraded audio system, but i did get the ipod adapter because i can control my ipor via my steering wheel, which rocks. Get a chip, and you will drop dead and roll with happiness, or get a piggyback tune( BURGER!)

[Michael A]

I have had time to tinker with the audio controls and it definitely sounds much better. I would say the sound quality is on par with my Lexus and it definitely belts out a bit more volume along with much stronger bass. In fact the bass is fairly impressive at higher volume levels.

I threw together some music on a jump drive and I can definitely see how once I get used to it I will love it.

Cant quite get comfortable yet with the manual seat though ... still tinkering with that.

[vjordan]

I lost my key and when I tried to buy a new key over the internet..I couldn't because BMW requires proof of ownership before they will release the key. That key was 350.00 ..then to program the access was another 150.00..total of 500.00...no discounts of ANY kind and can take up to a week after ordering....Go back to that dealer and get that key!!!!

Nice looking car!!..You will be happy with your decision.

[Michael A]

Great .... so I have had the car for 1 day and already I have to spend $500 on a second key and buy 2 new tires.

Originally Posted by vjordan

I lost my key and when I tried to buy a new key over the internet..I couldn't because BMW requires proof of ownership before they will release the key. That key was 350.00 ..then to program the access was another 150.00..total of 500.00...no discounts of ANY kind and can take up to a week after ordering....Go back to that dealer and get that key!!!!

Nice looking car!!..You will be happy with your decision.

[NYC6]

What dealer did you purchase from?

[emtrey]

you are entitled to 2 keys..make the dealer pay for the addt'l one. Nice car--same as mine except I do not have the black out windows--but, it sure looks great.

Enjoy..its a great little car. I love mine. Just have to buy a set of winter tires since its my daily driver.

[HPFREAK]

Originally Posted by Michael A

Here she is ....

That is nice lookin. I have yet to see a red one in the wild still.

[Michael A]

I bought it used from Torrington Hyundai in Torrington CT....it was a long trek there and back.

I am starting to wonder if the tint is too dark and illegal in NY ?

Originally Posted by NYC6

What dealer did you purchase from?