Buying a 128i soon

[peterinjapan]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for this forum. I've been lurking and reading posts for a while, and everyone's information and advice has been quite welcome.

I'll be buying a 128i in a couple weeks, a car for me to use while I'm in San Diego during the summer. I live in Japan most months of the year and need a car to use while at home, and the 128i has the styling I want and also it's nice and small. I have a condo in downtown San Diego and want the smallest 4-seater convertible available, to fit in my small parking space. It's also nicely affordable.

Coupla questions...

a) Can anyone give me a subjective review of the "fun quotient" of the 128i with standard transmission? I found one available and might pick it up, though my wife will whine since she can't drive a stick. I'm a former Mazda Miata owner (owned four of them over the past 15 years) and the ones with manual transmission have always been incredibly fun to drive. I'm hoping for something similar with the 128i, even though it's a bigger, more conservative car.

b) Does anyone have any general advice on how to make a dealer come down on his price? I plan to have 2-3 cars in mind to look at when I go car shopping, and will choose the one that's closest to what I want.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

[Mach1er]

a) Fun quotient in a standard much greater than an auto for this car. However, the shift is a little notchy due to how it's constructed. It is still very solid. It's a little worse rev-matching with the A/C running, imo. Still, get the standard while they still exist

b) I contact numerous dealers by phone and email and asked for their "best price" on the car that I was looking for. I took those prices to the dealer I actually wanted to buy from to get his price lower.

[peterinjapan]

Cool. I'll do a test drive and see how I like it. The Miatas I've driven had been super fun, took my mother's 2002 Miata all the way to South Dakota from San Diego last summer to say goodbye to it.

It's a shame they're so darned rare. Literally there seems to be one available in California, unless there's a lot of inventory that doesn't get posted to the Internet car sites for some reason.

[bmw1racer]

I'd agree with what Mach1er said... The 6MT is the only way to go.

Good luck!

[Gray_Panther]

I have a coupe 128i in 6MT and my parents have a cabriolet 128i in auto.
The 6MT is definitely more fun than the auto. However the auto is still a joy to drive also especially with the top down!

[hernandez706]

I don't know how hard it is to find one with the sports package in CA, but I'd strongly recommend it!

[Sedona_Red_128]

I too am an ex-Miata guy. I had my 2000 LS for 13 years. It's tough to compare the two. Miata is in a class by itself. But I can tell you that I love my 128 MT, as was stated it doesn't shift as quick and smooth as the Miata but it's much more refined in every day driving and fun to push a little when the urge hits. My only regret is I don't have the Sport option, as I bought this one used since it was a 2009 with 10K (bought 2013).

[Tuxedo]

from a guy who when looking for 128i conv and found one that was a MT the Mrs said well thats fine but if I ever wear heels and go out your not gonna drink then right? Oo that Mrs convinced me of an Auto yah know. My advise get an Auto and keep the Mrs happy!

In the late 90's I drove a Miata and was a 5speed MT and my Auto 128i is so much better unless I was on a country winding road. No way to compare the 2 cept the noise levels from the soft top is unbelievable how quiet the 128i is.

[KNTDRV]

^^^My wife knows I'm a "stick guy"....so she got the vert Mustang and I got the 6MT 128i. She drives when I'll be drinking (she doesn't drink booze)

[cvandenhaute]

I had a 2007 Miata. The gearbox is not as "direct" in the 128i as in the Miata but I find it really pleasant, after test driving pretty much everything RWD on the market at a decent price point, I can tell that except the Miata and the RX8, the 128i had the best shifter I found.
I would recommend finding one with the sport package also (seats, suspensions and especially tires and wheel, even more for the convertible).

[peterinjapan]

Just wanted to say thanks for the comments. Got the 128i with MT, and loving it so far. It's actually more fun to drive than my Miata, which I did not expect. No sports package or other options, as this was the only standard transmission car in California pretty much, but I'm happy with it!

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by peterinjapan

Just wanted to say thanks for the comments. Got the 128i with MT, and loving it so far. It's actually more fun to drive than my Miata, which I did not expect. No sports package or other options, as this was the only standard transmission car in California pretty much, but I'm happy with it!

Congrats!

[Mach1er]

Originally Posted by peterinjapan

Just wanted to say thanks for the comments. Got the 128i with MT, and loving it so far. It's actually more fun to drive than my Miata, which I did not expect. No sports package or other options, as this was the only standard transmission car in California pretty much, but I'm happy with it!

Glad you like it! You can always change the suspension later if you like. Seats are a little more difficult to come by...

Consider doing the CDV delete and getting a clutch stop. Plenty on this forum about both.