128i vs 135i Slim price difference....

[Black Prinz]

Originally Posted by the1andonly

Ill be honest and the first one to say it. There are really THREE choices for the 1 series...the 128 auto, the 128 manual, and the 135 (auto or manual)...

the 128 gets a bad rap because 90%+ are autos, and lets face it, you're not going to get close to experiencing what the 128 really was designed to be...sorry but its true

then there is the 128 manual...THIS is what all the hype about! the 128 manual is an amazingly balanced and fantastic almost perfect driving bmw with LOTS of instant on tap power, high reving engine with a perfect gearbox.

then there is the 135...which has gobs of torque and is all about power and engine, which isnt a bad thing

so lets stop this 128 vs 135 argument and call it for what it is! get behind the seat of a 128 with manual and you will see the choice between 128 and 135 becomes much harder. i made my decision, it was easy

If I may add to this observation based on my anecdotal evidence, there are also 3 kinds of 1series buyer/leaser.

1) Females – just love the badge (yes I’m generalizing) don’t care between na/turbo, vert FTW!
2) Young males – turbo powaaaaa FTW! Must show up my pals WRX, EVO, V-6 Stang/Maro/Charger/Challenger/BRZ/FRS/etc.
3) Mature males – looking for the BMW of their youth, former e30/36/46 owners looking for the last of the old school BMW’s – 128 FTW!

[shah269]

Power in a car is like fake tits on women...can there ever be too much?
Yeah!
will you complain?
YEAH!
But will you still smile?
YES!

I just wish the 135 would have a little different look than the 128.
Maybe a bigger turn spoiler or something that says...yes we have a little more.
Maybe some hood vents =)

[Kontra]

Compensating for something?!
(I keed i keed)

[rrinorl]

The problem is people say they won't use the extra power, but its not just about the peak power but the extra torque and the power curve. The 135i has TONS of useable power all throughout the rev band, torque down low and a decent high end at least till 6k. Thats what the boost gives you and why I think most prefer it over the NA 128i. I remember driving a 328i loaner and I felt like i wasn't driving a bmw, especially cause of the engine. Now, the f30 328i with that new turbo four, it felt similar in power to my car and it felt in the same league. When they have the turbo 4 for the 2 series I think that will actually be a comparison to the n55/n54 as the torque curves are similar.

[angler]

Originally Posted by Black Prinz

If I may add to this observation based on my anecdotal evidence, there are also 3 kinds of 1series buyer/leaser.

1) Females – just love the badge (yes I’m generalizing) don’t care between na/turbo, vert FTW!
2) Young males – turbo powaaaaa FTW! Must show up my pals WRX, EVO, V-6 Stang/Maro/Charger/Challenger/BRZ/FRS/etc.
3) Mature males – looking for the BMW of their youth, former e30/36/46 owners looking for the last of the old school BMW’s – 128 FTW!

Or some folks might just like the power of the 135 better then the 128 and its that simple.

[phobic]

guys, this thread was from 2008. Im almost certain OP has made a choice by now.

[vertebra]

I have a 135i and want MORE power! Do I use it on a daily basis? NO. Is it fun to have when I do use it? HELL YEAH! The whole 128i vs 135i vs 1M reminds me of when I had MKV GTI. The Golf owners said their car was powerful enough as a daily driver with no turbo lag and less repairs. The R32 owners thought they were top dawg. The GTI owners would add a few bolt ons and say they could beat the R32. Same crap different manufacturer. I can say this... I didn't buy the 135i for its looks or badge. It's the engine that is my favorite part of the car. Engine, handling, looks then maybe badge. I suspect that many 135i owners feel the same way.

[Black Prinz]

Originally Posted by shah269

Power in a car is like fake tits on women...can there ever be too much?

If it's more than a mouthful it's wasted

[angler]

Originally Posted by Black Prinz

If it's more than a mouthful it's wasted

Depends how big your mouth is

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by Black Prinz

If it's more than a mouthful it's wasted

Depends what you are doing with them.

[phobic]

Originally Posted by Black Prinz

If it's more than a mouthful it's wasted

I feel like this could be a challenge...

[angler]

Originally Posted by phobic

I feel like this could be a challenge...

A high class challenge

[fullboost]

By this point the OP has probably already made a decision, purchased, driven for 80k miles, and traded it back in for something else.

[angler]

Originally Posted by fullboost

By this point the OP has probably already made a decision, purchased, driven for 80k miles, and traded it back in for something else.

Spoil sport

[Suprgnat]

Originally Posted by LittleVik

In the end, if you want something with uncompromised performance, get the 135i over the 128i,

135i compromises balance/weight/handling in the name of more HP. Pick your poison. The ONLY thing the 135i does better than the 128i is accelerate. Everything else, the 128i does as good or better.

[vertebra]

Originally Posted by Suprgnat

135i compromises balance/weight/handling in the name of more HP. Pick your poison. The ONLY thing the 135i does better than the 128i is accelerate. Everything else, the 128i does as good or better.

I don't agree. The 135i stops better since it has better breaks. It also handles better since the sport suspension is stock(128i can upgrade). It also has better visibility since it comes stock with Xenons. It also is more tune-able. It has more performance upgrades available. It is faster than a Hyundai Genesis. The weight/balance ratio driving experience is minimal at best.

[Hops128i]

I was on car sort and found:

common strengths of the 128i and 135i
Both vehicles have above average braking abilities for this class of vehicle: 105 ft vs 105 ft
Both vehicles have good cornering ability: 0.98 g vs 0.98 g
Both very efficient on the highway: 28 mpg vs 28 mpg

[Suprgnat]

Originally Posted by vertebra

I don't agree. The 135i stops better since it has better breaks. It also handles better since the sport suspension is stock(128i can upgrade). It also has better visibility since it comes stock with Xenons. It also is more tune-able. It has more performance upgrades available. It is faster than a Hyundai Genesis. The weight/balance ratio driving experience is minimal at best.

No, it doesn't have better breaks, it has different BRAKES
Yes, I paid extra for the sport suspension, so?
I've never been able to drive faster than my high beams, so your point is what?
You've never "tuned" anything, you've only installed software and, YES, more software is written for the N54/N55 and?
Again, your only metric is acceleration. My 18 year old sport touring Beemer in stock form is faster than 98% of the cars on this forum. It's slow by modern motorcycle standards...
To some (not you) that whole weight/balance thing is not a minimal issue.

[vertebra]

Originally Posted by Suprgnat

No, it doesn't have better breaks, it has different BRAKES

Thanks for the spelling correction...its been a long day. So your telling me that the 128i brakes are just as good only "different"? 128i has 11.8-inch vented discs. The 135i's if I read correctly are made by Brembo- have six-piston calipers at the front and twin-piston calipers at the rear, with 13.3-inch front discs and 12.75-inch rear discs and a built-in brake drying and anti-fade feature.

[vertebra]

Originally Posted by Suprgnat

To some (not you) that whole weight/balance thing is not a minimal issue.

The 128i is 51/49. The 135i is 52/48. Again, very minimal difference. Most people would not be able to tell any difference at all. If you want to cling on to that one performance spec being better... I concede.

Maybe you should head over to the 1M forum next and tell them about how the 1M compromises balance/weight/handling too.

[Suprgnat]

Originally Posted by vertebra

The 128i is 51/49. The 135i is 52/48. Again, very minimal difference. Most people would not be able to tell any difference at all. If you want to cling on to that one performance spec being better... I concede.

Maybe you should head over to the 1M forum next and tell them about how the 1M compromises balance/weight/handling too.

Gosh, no. I'm sure the M specific suspension pieces make a world of difference. It's also funny how the 28 and 35 stop in the same distance. Though I'd bet the 135 has better modulation, it's only up to the point the pistons crack and seals fail. At least it's enough of an issue to have a "sticky".

[vertebra]

Originally Posted by Suprgnat

Gosh, no. I'm sure the M specific suspension pieces make a world of difference. It's also funny how the 28 and 35 stop in the same distance. Though I'd bet the 135 has better modulation, it's only up to the point the pistons crack and seals fail. At least it's enough of an issue to have a "sticky".

I wouldn't take carsort as a good comparison for the 128i vs 135i. They have a nasty habit of listing the same results for different models. Edmunds tested both cars and found the 135i stopped from 60-0 in 109 feet and the 128i in 113 feet. 113 is very respectable, but it took 4 feet longer to stop than the heavier 135i. Again, bigger better brakes.

http://www.edmunds.com/bmw/1-series/...oad-test4.html
http://www.edmunds.com/bmw/1-series/...oad-test3.html