My Decision to get a 1-series

[FinalDrive]

Hi all - well my 135 coupe finally arrived and I was thinking about the long decision process that led to me finally purchasing a 1-series. I know I've found so much helpful info from others sharing their thoughts, opinions, and experiences, so I wanted to share mine with you in hopes that it might help those considering a 1-series. I know that 1addicts was invaluable to me during the process.

Anyway, so starting back in March I'd say I was planning to order a 335xi sedan. I narrowed it down to BMW simply based on the consensus I gleaned about the various sport/luxury car brands and my own experiences on test drives. My car at the time was a 07 Lexus IS 250 (RWD, AT) which I had bought somewhat in a hurry almost 1.5 years prior when my lease (+ extension) had expired and my 335i coupe had not come in (this was when they first came out and orders were taking forever). I ultimately was not happy with the IS 250. Without digressing too much into the IS, I will say that it is just not really a well-handling, capable, car. It is a luxury car, with a nice, plush interior, the ride is comfortable, and the seats, in my opinion, sucked (I'm 6'4"). I was looking forward to getting a bimmer like I had originally planned.

I wasn't 100% sure though if I wanted the 335i or xi and whether or not I wanted the coupe or sedan. I switched to wanting the 335i coupe for it's styling and the fact that it was a bit lighter and more performant. I had initially dismissed the 1 because I really disliked its styling, but as I read more and more about it and how reviews and members on this forum kept saying how much more fun it was to drive compared to M3s and 335s, I began to give it a serious look.

After vacillating between the two (335 coupe and 135 coupe), I finally decided on the 135. Although I think the 335 is beautiful, I was able to get a good test drive in with the 135 and 335 and the 135 really just felt more fun to me to drive. Sure I thought it was a bit uglier, the backseat was crappier, and the price difference wasn't that much vs a 335 (esp. considering a good deal was easy to get on a 3 while hard to get on a 1), but after tossing it around a few corners, it was clear to me which one I should order.

I did cross shop a fair amount of cars and here are my thoughts on them and the info I gleaned. The most important thing I was looking for was driving enjoyment (within the range of practicality - so I did not really cross shop small sports cars with non-existant trunk space and no back seats, although there were a few exceptions).

Audi (A4, A5, S5): I got to test drive an A5. It looks fantastic but the drive did not compare to the bimmers (335 or 135). It did not have the same level of pickup at all and really just felt like a cool looking boat to cruise around in, but not a fun, fast little car to whip around. I figured the A4 wouldn't be any better (never test drove one though). And while the S5 also looks badass, after test driving the A5, seeing the 5th Gear (or was it Top Gear?) episode where the 335 out performs the S5, and thinking about the price (in the mid-to-high 50k range), I just couldn't go for it. Plus it has a V8 and the gas mileage isn't so hot. Also, in general, I seem to see criticism of "mushy" brakes with Audis (this is in reviews that I have read). I never spent enough time with one to say for myself. Lastly - while this is hearsay, just about every time someone talks to me about Audi, they mention how unreliable they are. I kid you not, just about every time - so I would be VERY wary of purchasing one.

Infiniti G37 coupe: I never actually test drove one but after the Lexus, I wasn't really keen on going Japanese again simply because I was worried that I'd just think to myself: "Man I really wish this drove like the bimmer" and "Ugh these seats must have been designed for shorter Asian people" (no racism intended). Also, again the overwhelming consensus in reviews seemed to be that while the G37 was a great car and great value, it still did not topple the BMW 3 series in driving enjoyment. Also, I was so-so on the G37 styling.

BMW 335i/xi coupe/sedan/convertible/M3: I'd say my biggest problem really was just trying to determine which BMW I wanted, as mentioned earlier. It really came down to the fact that it seemed like the 135 was the most performant, and also the most fun to drive. I literally came away grinning from my (spirited) test drive. The "tossability" of the car had me hooked. I also couldn't stop thinking about the fat M steering wheel which the 3s would not have. I did however lament the fact that I would not have the beautiful (imo) 3 coupe styling (+ the financial savings they were offering). I live in NY so some consideration was given to the XI, but I ultimately thought I'd be ok if I just drove safely and many forum members had also mentioned their success with simply using winter tires during bad months. So I ultimately decided not to go XI for this round to save the weight, performance, and fuel economy. Although I personally do not feel I am experienced enough with cars to perceive the difference between the i and xi versions.
I did really come close to getting a 335 convertible. The styling plus the thought of having the top down during nice days was so enticing. I did test drive one and did feel that the difference between that and a 335 coupe was noticeable. Also, it seemed a bit more prone to throwing its tail out (not sure if that was just do to bad weather at the time of test driving). In the end my hardest choice was between the 335i convertible (for decent performance + the enjoyment of a drop-top) and the 135i coupe (for pure fun + better performance). Ideally I'd have both ;-)
I was somewhat debating moving up to the M3 but it really was a financial decision for me not to go there. Although one day I would love to get one. It would probably be 25k more to get an M3 coupe, plus - some reviewers have even mentioned that they found the 135 more fun to drive even though the M3 a very awesome and powerful car.

350Z, STI, Evo, Honda S2000: I did think somewhat about all of these (I never test drove any of them). They all didn't pass, for me against the 135 because they seemed imbalanced in some way. 350Z - very sporty but just not practical. STI + EVO: great cars I'm sure and great performance but perhaps really just focused on those things with no sense of luxury or interior quality. I just didn't feel those two fit me well. They can probably rock my 135 performance wise, but all-around, day-in, day-out, I doubt I would have enjoyed them as much as the 1 which seemed to be at just the right spot in terms of what I wanted in a car. The S2000 was a no-go pretty quickly - I'm over 6 feet and couldn't fit in the car. I've heard lots of good things about it but it also is not very practical as an only car. Plus the interior looked really eh and the steering wheel was not very fat :-)

Beyond that, my experiences with the 135 have been very positive. Love the steering wheel, the engine is awesome. The seats (premium + sport) seem very supportive (haven't had any drives more than 30 minutes in them though). One area I think American cars do well in is seating. The few American cars I've been in recently (Ford Fusion, Pontiac GTO, Mustang) had really comfortable seats for a tall person such as myself. The BMW seat isn't unsupportive and overly plush like the Lexus, it's not as 100% comfortable as the American cars, but it's comfortable and supportive in a sense that it feels like you are locked into the seat. I haven't driven too long in one shot with it so I will post more info if my experience changes after a decent trip, but so far the seats are well-bolstered and supportive but not exactly what I'd say flat out comfortable like the American cars.
The engine is really powerful - as many have mentioned, torque is there through such a wide-range. Part of me, dare I say it, almost feels like it's too much, that I'll never get to really push it on a normal road or even highway. On the highways I'm up at 60-70 before I know it and then I just have to tell myself to take it easy so as to not get a ticket.
For those that got a 128i, I wouldn't second guess your decision at all (nor should 135 owners second guess theirs). I think there is a nice spectrum of enjoyment to be had with both engines and I could easily see myself having a blast with a 128i and having to work the car a bit more. The 135 almost seems lazy it's so easy for it to pick up speed. Prior to getting my car I was considering the DINAN flash but given how powerful it already is, I'm not in any rush and will wait to see if I feel any extended need for more power.
The shifter (I got a 6MT) is ok. Shifting is easy enough in this car and I've heard that BMWs are pretty forgiving cars to get in stick. I'm not planning on going Mod Crazy, but I can see myself picking up a Short Shift Kit sooner than later. Again, for those that got Autos, I imagine they are just as enjoyable as their MT counterparts.

I think that's about it. A bit of a long post but I hope it was helpful (if you read this far). Overall I am really happy with the car and have no regrets and I think it's really enjoyable to drive and feels very capable and confident on the roads.

[jmb1509]

Astounding review... You answered alot of my questions with your great thread.

[FinalDrive]

Thanks :smile: glad it was helpful.