I'm getting a 135i coupe (MT) - sport package? iPod integration?

[tazzydnc]

I went to the BMW dealer near me today to see if they could find me a ride that is to my liking. So far, no such luck. I have a few questions though 1st:


If I understand correctly, the difference between the sport package and the M sport package are the wheels and some minor aesthetic changes. It seems like a lot more cars have the M than the sport but I'm not a fan of not being able to rotate the tires... I could care less about the aesthetic differences.

Is there a noticable difference in handling/ride quality between the non-sport, sport, and M sport packages? I really like the sport seats though so I'd prolly get 1 of the sport packages.


Does the nav system version come with a hard drive in the car? Or more importantly, is the sound quality noticeably better if my music is stored internally rather than via an auxiliary cable?


I'm trying to decide on a color as well, but it looks like I'm gonna have to be pretty flexible if I want the upgraded sound system. It seems like there are A TON of jet black vehicles available. Though I love the car in jet black, I know I'm not gonna wash it often enough to protect the paint and keep it looking good... Which of the 2 reds do people tend to prefer?

Thanks!

[Dackelone]

The best thing to do is decide on what options you want and then special order the car to your liking. BMW will build the car in about two weeks, and four to six weeks later you will get you car. I think most people wait about two months max to get their car.

The M sport package is what all us die hard guys get. I think its quite a deal. I think the M-steering wheel and headliner are the reason why most of us go with the M-package - m-wheels are just an added perk. I did notice on BMW website when you configue a car now... the M-wheels are an extra $400 option now. So it looks like you could get the M-sport option now with the smaller same (std.) square setup wheels.

I don't think anyone has noticed a performance advantage with the M-wheels. Although anytime you put on wider wheel widths... there is a performance/handling advantage. And don't kid yourself about rotating tires... you will most likely burn thru your tires in 15K to 22K miles. That is what most of us see.

I do not have iDrive/Nav. But when I play MP3;s thru my USB port the sound quality is way better than when I listen to the radio! I don't use the AUX input - only a flash drive thru the usb port. The usb is a must have option for me.

Color was the hardest thing for me to decide on. Just get what you like best. I don't think anyone can tell you what color to buy.


Dackel

[plasar]

Do some research on tire rotation... Consensus is that it's not worth the effort for any gain.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by tazzydnc

... Though I love the car in jet black, I know I'm not gonna wash it often enough to protect the paint and keep it looking good... Which of the 2 reds do people tend to prefer?

Thanks!

FWIW, regardless what color you get, I've observed that applying the whole Zaino "system" does an amazingly decent job of making the car look decent longer. I've been using it for about 2 years now and I can stand what my car looks like for as long as 2 months without washing. I'm not saying it's showroom shiny, but it's good enough that I don't need to feel bad about it.

I use the whole system from Z2 to Z8 every time I wash the car. (normally every 3-6 weeks)

The one time that it didn't help was during pollen season, but then I don't know that anything short of a car cover would have helped, and I can't drive it with the cover on, so....

Good luck...

[cwg]

The wheels and tires from the M sport package are the exact same size as the standard 135i wheels and tires - front 18x7.5 215/40 and rear 18x8.5 245/35. The difference is only in the style of the rims. The tires are the same brand and model.

Niether the sport or M sport package provide any upgrade over the standard 135i suspension - all of the 135i come with the sport suspension. BMW performance parts has a performance suspension which is about 35% stiffer than the sport and drops the car 10MM. It can be installed on an ordered car at the VPC or by your dealer. It does not void the warranty and can be installed on a leased car.

[tazzydnc]

@cwg: "Niether the sport or M sport package provide any upgrade over the standard 135i suspension - all of the 135i come with the sport suspension"

That's exactly what I thought, but the guys at the dealership keep telling me the suspension is different.


@plasar: Good to hear. I haven't even thought about rotating my tires in 5+ years; my current car also has wider rear wheels

@tony20009: The zaino system does sound pretty cool, but if I'm honest with myself I'd probably only get around to using it a couple times a year. I'm happy to wash my car once a week at the quarter wash. Waxing it is another story.

@Dackelone: Looks like from BMW's site (and from what cwg said) that the wheels are the same on all trims, so that makes my decision easier. USB is a must have option for me as well. Will the music I purchased on iTunes play if I have it on a flash drive? I bought a lot of it before iTunes went DRM free.

Thanks all!

[Thaddy]

The M-Package is definitely worth the $200 over the Sport Package. The headliner really sets off the interior and you also get the M wheels, even though they are the same size as the stock 5 spokes.

I was faced with this decision last month and went for the M-Package. After seeing the wheels in person I'm glad I did.

[cwg]

@thaddy - I ended up liking the stock rims better than the M sport when I saw them side by side, for some reason, to me the design of the m sport wheel makes it look smaller and I like the clean look of the stock rim best. That said, the M sport wheel still looks great and if the car I bought had the M sport package I would have bought it just the same. Here in Hawaii, to order a car it takes a full 3 months and some times 4. I ordered a 550i in 2007 and it took 3.5 months for me to get it. This time I decided to see if I could find a car I liked on the lot. I probably would have ordered the M sport if I did a factory order.

I got the HK audio - decent sound but not award winning. All of the new cars have the ipod as part of the value package

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by tazzydnc

That's exactly what I thought, but the guys at the dealership keep telling me the suspension is different.

They are confused as it is different on the non ZSP 128i. However, all 135i models come with the "sport suspension". (See the BMWUSA website for confirmation.)

Re rotating tires, even on those few models with non-staggered wheels, BMW recommends against it - unless you are willing to rotate every 3,000 to 5,0000 miles. Since rwd BMWs seem to go through rear tires twice as fast as fronts, replacing just the rears when needed seems to work pretty well.

Tom

[midlands]

Originally Posted by tazzydnc

@Dackelone: Looks like from BMW's site (and from what cwg said) that the wheels are the same on all trims, so that makes my decision easier. USB is a must have option for me as well. Will the music I purchased on iTunes play if I have it on a flash drive? I bought a lot of it before iTunes went DRM free.

So this question I can answer, being a tech nerd (more than a car nerd)…

Any DRMed music you bought on iTunes won't work unless it's playing directly from an iPod (or iPhone, or iPad, or iTunes on a computer). (It's sort of the point of their DRM, annoying though it may be.) Definitely not from a flash drive.

You need to un-DRM it — the easiest way is to burn it to a CD (as music tracks, not as .m4a files) and then rip it back; you'll lose a (very) little quality, and it's simple. An alternative is to use software (http://hymn-project.org/ was the state of the art last time I checked, but that was years ago) that will strip off the DRM without losing any quality. Harder to use, but works fine (or at least used to).

Sorry for the disappointing news! I personally play stuff directly from my iPod Classic always (controls are much better IMHO than anything I've ever found in a car — although my 135i is awaiting PCD in two weeks, so I can't honestly comment on it yet), so it's not an issue for me. (I also un-DRMed everything right after I bought it, but just 'cause I'm paranoid like that…)

[tazzydnc]

Originally Posted by midlands

So this question I can answer, being a tech nerd (more than a car nerd)…

Any DRMed music you bought on iTunes won't work unless it's playing directly from an iPod (or iPhone, or iPad, or iTunes on a computer). (It's sort of the point of their DRM, annoying though it may be.) Definitely not from a flash drive.

You need to un-DRM it — the easiest way is to burn it to a CD (as music tracks, not as .m4a files) and then rip it back; you'll lose a (very) little quality, and it's simple. An alternative is to use software (http://hymn-project.org/ was the state of the art last time I checked, but that was years ago) that will strip off the DRM without losing any quality. Harder to use, but works fine (or at least used to).

Sorry for the disappointing news! I personally play stuff directly from my iPod Classic always (controls are much better IMHO than anything I've ever found in a car — although my 135i is awaiting PCD in two weeks, so I can't honestly comment on it yet), so it's not an issue for me. (I also un-DRMed everything right after I bought it, but just 'cause I'm paranoid like that…)

Exactly what I thought, unfortunately. I'll check up on some software to remove the DRM. I've know about the trick of burning it to an audio CD for a while, but good lord I'd have to burn A TON of cd's. Maybe I'll buy a cheap used iPod on ebay (I only need like 16gb of storage) so I don't have to plug in my iPhone.