Why did you choose the 135 over a 335?

[undisclothesed]

For those of you that went back and forth between these two cars, what made you go with the 135 in the end?

I'm trying to decide between a 4dr 335 xdrive 6mt w/ M sport and a similarly optioned 135 w/ DCT. Both cars are loaded, pricing is nearly identical.

I drove the 335 and prefer it over the S4. I haven't driven a 135, they are impossible to find. I like the 335's AWD capability, but I also want a DCT (vs. 6mt). The 135 is 450 lbs lighter with better brakes, it seems like it would be a blast to drive, but the 335 is such a refined ride with a great interior.



Pros of 135:
Lighter weight
Bigger brakes
Double Clutch!
Unique on the roads

Cons of 135:
RWD only
2-3 month wait, needs to be ordered

Pros of the 335:
AWD
Better build quality
Better looking (my opinion)
Sitting in the showroom ready to take home

Cons of 335:
3800 lbs
6mt only (no DCT option)

[doublevanosrc]

Honestly, after test driving both I just felt more connected to the 135 than the 335. Also I prefer the looks of the 1 series, it looks like a true BMW. If you look closely you can see design cues from previous BMW models.

[cooler2442]

Go drive both. Drove both and felt that the 135i was way more fun.

[bigEC]

I drove my friends 135i and LOVED every second of it and then when his lease was up he got a 335i and I just didnt feel as in love with it. It didnt excite me that much and I'm not the biggest fan of the 3 series, minus the m3 of course. Once I was ready to move on from my evo it was a no brainer and I went straight to the BMW dealer and bought this AW 135 i had been eyeing when my friend brought his car in for services and what not... I love my car and everything about it, but its all about your preference and feelings. try them both and decide for yourself!

[blschaefer1]

I like your pro/con list. For me, the DCT was the deal breaker for the 335.

[chachacha28]

i could afford the 135 and not the 335. not saying i would have preferred the 335, i just never considered it because of the cost.

i wanted a small, fast, rwd car with heated seats. i got everything i wanted from the 135.

[///S55]

135s are more rare
335s or 3 series in general are everywhere

Also the reason why I didn't get an STi or EvoX

[Red Bread]

Tough call. My wife and I went looking at either a 135i or 335i convertible and found the 135i convertible to be too small in the back seats and the 335i convertible to be less than beautiful. We agreed that we don't like the feminine style of the E92 and settled on the E82 after driving one.

Funny, but we're now discussing an F30 335i or possibly 328i as we'd really like to have a full set of doors. I would not touch an E90 right now with the F30 three months away, but would certainly consider an F30 over the long in the tooth E82. While it isn't as overtly sporty as the DCT in the E82, the 8s auto in the F30 appears to be much quicker shifting than the old 6s and you could also get awd on an F30.

[juliansorl]

The 335 looks like a boat to me. The design just seems very dull and amorphous. The 1 looks very purposefully designed with more than a hint of attitude. I'm also coming from a Mini and the 3 was just too big on the outside without what felt like much extra room on the inside over what the 1 offered - the 3 just seemed a tad wider. Also the 1 is a sportier ride. I went for the 1, but I still want a M3 or M5 - someday.

[ejm3]

I wouldn't think many people cross-shop the 135 & the 335.
Price and size differences are pretty big.

Even disregarding the $$'s, if you ever have to transport 4 adults for any period of time the 135 would be off the table. So if you have a family the 135 is unrealistic unless its just used as a toy and you have other cars to drive on a daily basis.

Again disregarding price I would think the the 135 would compete more directly with the Z4 as a Z4 buyer wouldn't care about a rear seat and is looking for something more sporting.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by ejm3

I wouldn't think many people cross-shop the 135 & the 335.
Price and size differences are pretty big.

Even disregarding the $$'s, if you ever have to transport 4 adults for any period of time the 135 would be off the table. So if you have a family the 135 is unrealistic unless its just used as a toy and you have other cars to drive on a daily basis.

Again disregarding price I would think the the 135 would compete more directly with the Z4 as a Z4 buyer wouldn't care about a rear seat and is looking for something more sporting.

Interesting, we carry three folks in the 135i quite frequently and it works quite well at that. The 135i is our "real" car and the M Coupe is the toy. Maybe I missed the sale on 1ers, but it sure didn't seem like it was much cheaper than a 335i when I bought mine, it was just smaller, a smidge lighter and more unique.

Comparing a 1er to the current Z4 is a bit silly too, as the price difference is huge and functionality is very different, an E82 compared to an E92 is probably 5% different in terms of utility. An E82 compared to an E89 is about 300% more functional.

[TX78666]

335

• Stupid CD tray cupholders.
• Flat, Buick-like dash.
• Mismatched door handles.
• Horrible lack of attention to detail in designing the junction of the A-pillar, hood, fender, and door.
• Too big.

I never really even considered the 335. It had just come out when I got the e46, and I ruled it out way back then.

135

• All of the above design flaws were addressed.
• Most fun car I have driven in years (ever?).

[TX78666]

My choice came down to the 135 and the Z4M, actually. Just because you can afford to pay more, doesn't mean you need to pay more. The visibility in the Z4M killed it, in the end, although I still think about it, a lot.

[Sylon]

For me, the 135i was cheaper, lighter, and more unique. Everyone has a 3 series, regardless if you get the 335i, its still a 3 series and therefore too damn common. That, and I couldn't afford spending all that extra money for what came down to a heavier car.

The 135i is quicker, lighter, and cheaper. I got everything I wanted from my 135i with the exception of iDrive, which Im fine without. I had basic desires with my new car: 300hp, turbo, unique, fun. My 135i M-Sport checked all those boxes and some.


Sure, I had to order it, but frankly that was part of the experience. I was already in Germany at the time, and still had to wait a month for it. This is my 2nd new car, but the first car I've ever ordered just for me. Makes me feel great that I really didn't have to settle, and that this was MY car. It was pretty wild telling my friends that I just ordered a car, lol. It was definitely not something I was used to.


There is a downside, if you want to mod the car, the choices out there are slim. But its slowly getting better. The 3 series has a bigger market, therefore a wider range of aftermarket parts for it.

[bryce]

i bought an '08 135i because it was more aggressive looking and very rare- you hardly ever see 135i's while the 3-series sedans and coupes are all over the place. the 135i was more fun to drive.

i needed teh practicality of the 335i sedan though, so i traded up to my current car. the looks have definitely grown on me. it seems more "planted" around corners and at higher speeds.

i do miss my 135i though. although i have the same mods on my 335i (catless dp's, intercooler, procede, dci), the 135i was more fun to drive and faster.

here's my 335i for reference. they can be made to look pretty aggressive (not picured are black window trim and front splitters now installed)

[Mr. Nice]

I prefer the look of the 335, I prefer the performance of the 135, made offers on a few 135's and a few 335's, went with the best deal, no regrets

[infinitekidM2C]

Originally Posted by bryce

i bought an '08 135i because it was more aggressive looking and very rare- you hardly ever see 135i's while the 3-series sedans and coupes are all over the place. the 135i was more fun to drive.

i needed teh practicality of the 335i sedan though, so i traded up to my current car. the looks have definitely grown on me. it seems more "planted" around corners and at higher speeds.

i do miss my 135i though. although i have the same mods on my 335i (catless dp's, intercooler, procede, dci), the 135i was more fun to drive and faster.

here's my 335i for reference. they can be made to look pretty aggressive (not picured are black window trim and front splitters now installed)

nice!

[ptack]

The 3 is so common it's like a Camry. It's now big and heavy and fine - if you need a sedan. The 1 is way more fun to drive and the best choice for a DD that still needed 4 seats.

[singular]

I was shopping for a convertible. Although I like the idea of a hard-top convertible, the 335i cab is heavier and has less trunk space than the 135i cab.

[audimotion]

I was in the market for a 335 coupe or sedan for a while trying to find the "perfect" one for me. Sick of looking and dealing with dealers, I took a 135 for a test drive cuz my wife liked the look. Let's put it this way, my search for a 335 was done and the new search was on...for a 135. I fell in love with the size, looks and driving experience. You gotta test drive a 135. Seriously. I think I would have gotten bored with the 335 fast, but the 1er makes me want to drive for no reason but to drive and enjoy.

[Pangloss]

My exact same options in a 328 would have run an additional $3,000.
135i -> 335i: $9,000.
135i -> 335is: $14,000.

[ken1137]

The 135i had a better feel and was more like a sports car after my test drive. The 335 felt like my 328 with about 60 more hp. Yes, I know it is a sports coupe, but my only experience resembling a sports car feel & drive was my modded Datsun 280z. One day I will have my 911 turbo