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07-09-2010, 02:46 PM | #1 |
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PKumarM3: 135i Review from an E46 M3 Owner/Track Enthusiast
hey guys.
for the longest time, 2 years, I have been admiring your cars. I find most of the new bmw's quite unattractive and only 3 BMWs really float my boat these days - the E60 M5, the Alpina B7, and the 135i. You may be asking, "why do you have a 335 4 door?". The answer to that is that I need a 4 door daily driver with all wheel drive, and BMW makes the best sports sedans so I went with one. Like I was saying, for the past 2 years, I have been admiring your 1 series cars. The main reason is that they are the only bmw that look like the previous generation E46 body. I like how the car is small and the n54 motor is a piece of engineering genius. I also like the rear of the car, as I usually think BMW makes a car look great from the front, the side, and usually fail in the rear. The CSL E46 M3 was the only great looking car from the rear. I was having some suspension issues with my 335 so I brought it in to my dealership and I was given a 135i as a loaner. I was so excited my malaise of being awake at 6am quickly disappeared. I walked outside the service center and this is what I was greeted by - a 2010 135i Yum! I opened the car and adjusted the seat. For non-sport seats, the bench like seats were alright. I found myself struggling to sit tight in them, as I have Cobra Suzuka Pro GT fixed back racing shells in my e46 m3 and the sports seats in my e90 335. The car was also automatic, which is nice because I have heard that the n54 motor mates the best with the automatic transmission. I put the car into D and immediately the torque pulled me out of my parking spot. It felt nice just being able to cruise in D and then Sport Mode and finally into manual drive. I do wish that the car came with sport paddles, but the shifting by the gear knob was fine. I came to a stop sign and was turning left. I wanted to see what this car had so I floored it and as expected the rear came out and the tires spun and I giggled myself. God this car has power. I have the same motor in my 335i, but this seems so much quicker. Is it the 300-400lbs? or is it this car is RWD? Probably a combination of the two. I got onto the highway and started cruising back home. I decided to myself, why should I drive on the highway. Let me turn around and head to Harriman State Park in Rockland/Orange Counties, NY. There are some beautiful roads at Harriman and they are very quiet and most importantly - twisty. Now I am not the type to condone or admire driving like a twat bag on public roads, especially roads with wild life (deer > car) or people (fear of going to jail and taking it in the butt > ego). I just wanted to drive the car on roads where I could get a good feel of this car. Maybe it would want me to buy it! Anyways, I turned the car around and head to Harriman. Thirty five minutes later I enter the park. This is the first time that I get to look at the car since I was barely awake when I took the keys. The car is beautiful. Some people think it looks squished but I absolutely love it. THe hood is the right size, the doors are not too big, and the butt is perfect especially w/the matte black diffuser. I enter the park and go through the first section. There are some blind turns so I wasn't really gunning it too hard, but the car felt great. The turn in was very nice and so was the track out. The car does have a natural tendency to understeer but that can be fixed with a proper set of coilovers and some better tires. The car absorbs bumps wonderfully and the traction control, which I keep on, was not too intrusive. There were points where I was going over bumps and the car felt a bit "airy" and thats when the DTC kicked in. Otherwise, the car was really enjoying itself and I was the entire time. After the first section of twisties I really started to speak to myself saying BMW did a fantastic job with this car. This section was composed of a right handed turn that was blind, and a nice S turn which led to a long sweeping left where you could see oncoming traffic, so you could raise the speed here. The car really turns in beautifully and tracks out wonderfully as well. The weight balance is great as most BMWs are. The throttle response is a lot better than my e90's, I can tell you that. The next part of the drive was driving by lakes and mostly straight roads and slight turns. I really enjoyed this car at this point because I got to really soak in the interior. As most BMW cars do, the interior was well laid out and has the driver in mind. The dash are simple and effective - rpm on one side, speedo on the other. I do like the e9x m3 lighting more - the white background, but the orange is easy on the eyes. My father has an IS Lexus and the bright dash just burns my eyes at night. The steering wheel felt smaller than the sport steering wheel in my 335, but it probably was an optical illusion. The weird thing is that the interior felt roomier than my 335. it may be because the seats were the non-sport and did not hug me as much, but I could reach for the seat adjustment without clunking my watch on the door arm rests. The center console looked a tad cheap, but probably because there was no iDrive. it is a smaller car so the center console can not be as nice and big as it is on the e9x. The cupholders are nice and fit a small Coolatta from Dunkin Donuts, so this car would be perfect to drive to and from and AT the race track I put both the windows down and opened the "frame of refence" massive sunroof. The car was a joy to drive on these scenic roads and the air rushing through my dense indian hair was a site for sore eyes. I got to the next section of Harriman where there were some nice elevation changes and sweeping turns. This section starts off with a nice set of esses. I left the car in 2nd gear and I experienced a lot of tire screeching. The run flats were definitely doing there job and the DTC was lighting up like Rudolph's nose. There was then a huge drop in elevation and a long sweeping right. This was a tricky area as right after this there was a sharp left but it was also a sweeper, so this was a nice point to feel these 1 series brakes that everyone has been raving about. As expected, the bite was sharp and precise. This car has failed to disappoint me all day! I was trying to find a reason NOT to order one in the coming months. But everything I did was leaving me I did this section of the park about 15 times before I got tired and had to go home. Compared to an E46 M3 stock v.stock Compared to my e46 m3 when I had it stock, 3 years ago and not as track oriented of a driver as I am now, this car is on par if not slightly better. The steering ratio is quicker, the throttle response is there even though its a turbo car - you can keep it in the sweet spot in 2nd and 3rd gear and probably 4th gear on a race course. The suspension is the only part of the car that I find a desire to modify if I were to get this car. I would go with a basic single adjustable TC Kline Koni w/ 500lb / 500lb spring set up and probably an upgraded sway bar. The motors in these cars are so perfect I wouldn't mess with one - maybe an upgraded front mount intercooler and a catch can to keep things clean and healthy up front The turn in compared to an m3 is quite similar. The only differences may be that the m3 feels larger on the road and the lack of torque, but shares the same identical waftiness in turns that the 135 has. Compared to my track prepped E46 M3 This comparison makes no sense as I have spent a boatload on my M3 not including the price of the car so comparing a modified car to a stock car would be useless. I will say though - the 135 well prepped will be a MONSTER on the track. BMW has done it once again. Summary BMW is truly the ultimate driving experience. This car is splendid. From the exterior look, to the interior ergonomics, to the stock suspension, and to the splendid motor, this car is absolutely tremendous. I did find a few flaws, but at the end of the day every car has its own quirkiness. For the price point ~high $30k~ this car is splendid. I have driven a 328i, 335i, e90 m3, and 335xi. This car really is in its own class. I found the balance to be excellent. I found the turn in to be spectacular. The car tracks out wonderfully as well. Like I said, as most BMWs do show, the car exhibits some understeer. There has been some comments made on m3forum.net about guys coming from a 135i to an E46 M3 and there is no comparison. I would have to respectfully disagree. The 135i stock is on par or even better than the e46 m3. And I have both the cars. The 135 turns in and tracks out the same, if not better than a stock e46 m3. There obviously is a form of rawness that the E46 m3 exhibits, but that is mostly due to the harsh suspension as well as the high revving S54 motor. The M3 does at sometimes feel extremely connected to the driver, but the 135 does not lack in any form in that department. I believe that when properly equipped (coilovers, lsd, sway bar, sports seats), the 135 will be a serious competitor to the E46 M3 On the other hand, the mighty 135 has the muscle to get through quick turning segments and also has the perfect throttle response to make you forget the car is even turbo charged. That is what makes BMW geniuses. They built this mighty little 1 series and made it absolutely spectacular. I am so glad that I had this experience as I am in the early stages of placing an order for a 135. My ideal build - Black/Red, DCT, M Sport, Navigation, 2 red leather recaro sportsters, bmw perf steering wheel. I was considering ordering one and going for the euro delivery, or possibly picking up a CPO one in 2012. 2 years seems too far away! Anyways, thanks for the read guys and I will continue admiring your cars! Here is a quick video of a portion of the drive:
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PKumarM3 Last edited by PKumarM3; 07-09-2010 at 11:38 PM.. |
07-09-2010, 03:29 PM | #4 |
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My thoughts exactly on everything you said though.
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07-09-2010, 03:56 PM | #5 |
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wow, that was an awesome review and quite an enjoyable read. -as if it could be published in a magazine for enthusiasts!
What kind of mods have you done to the e46? (suspension-wise, alignment, etc..) |
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07-09-2010, 04:53 PM | #8 | |
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Thanks guys. I usually write about my E46 M3 in my blog http://pkumarm3.wordpress.com
I love the 135. I can't wait to either order one or buy one. Quote:
Lightwerkz TFX Quad Projector Retrofit Bimmerworld Brake Cooling Kit Mason Engineering Strut Brace TC Kline Single Adjustable Coilovers 500lb/600lb springs (-3.5/-2.0 camber/0 toe) H&R Sway Bar Turner Adjustable Endlinks Stoptech ST40 Yellow Calipers w/pfc 01 brake pads all around Volk TE37 18x9.5 et35 bronze wheels Momo Mod 78 Steering wheel Jaffster Shift Knob EAS 1x1 Carbon Fiber Trim Cobra Suzuka Pro GT Raven Roll Bar Schroth 6 point harness Rear seats/trim/sound deadening/panels removed CSL Headers / OEM Section 1 / Supersprint Resonated section 2 / Supersprint Race Muffler Ground Control Adjustable Rear Control Arms Powerflex RTAB Ground Control Delrin Hybrid FCAB Vorshlag Nylon Motor Mounts Vorshlag Nylon Transmission Mounts Turner Stud Kit H&R Spacers Traqmate GPS Data Acquisition I love the idea of a 1M. But what it seems like, the 1M looks like an intro level M car. I always think the M3 will be BMW's flagship and benchmakr M vehicle - shared w/the m5 in their respective classes. I think the 135 is a bargain for its performance! I have no intentions in replacing my e46 m3. I love it too much!
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07-09-2010, 07:14 PM | #9 |
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Nice write up and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although I haven't driven the E46 M3, based on what I've read and heard the M3 seems much more involving to drive and the handling is on another level which slightly contradicts your opinion. I've recently added KW V2 coilovers to my 135i and it's day and night compared to stock. I find myself taking the long way home all the time and going for drives for no reason other than to take the car for a spirited drive and take corners hard and fast. Put simply, this is the best handling car I've ever driven.
If I were you, I would dead-set hold out for the 1M though. I have no regrets in purchasing the 135i. I've had it for almost 1.5 years, no HPFP failure, no faulty tail-lights, no cracked brake lights, nothing. I've been experiencing long cranks for the past 8,000km's but no CES light... yet. Anyways, my point is that if I was purchasing a car today I would hold out for the 1M as I know in a year from now I'd be spewing. You are in a different position than those of us who have had this car for a couple years. The 1M will address all the flaws in an otherwise already fantastic car being the 135i. The M3 will finally be dethroned and it's by none other than BMW themself. In purely a performance orientated terms, the 335i dominated it's competitors since it's introduction to the market, just like the M3. In the end it took another BMW to dethrone it. If you want the better performing car than the 335i get the 135i, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Who would want to the bigger, slower and heavier car that costs more money? Sure the M5 is one hell of a monster compared to the M3 but many enthusiasts experience the same rush for a fraction of the cost in the M3. I have no doubt the 1M will be the most sensible choice for the hardcore enthusiast over the M3. It's going to be Pure M. From an economical standpoint you could buy a 135i and do a couple mods and replicate close to what the 1M will be for a fraction of the cost. JB3 and set of coilovers plus sway will do wonders. I guess you need to work out what you want first. You've already got a weapon of a car in your stable, there is no harm in holding out for 6 months to place an order for what I think will be the best car BMW has made in a long time. Or alternatively, you could throw a supercharger on your E46 M3 and call it a day. |
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07-09-2010, 09:09 PM | #10 | |
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Quote:
Honestly, a real PURE m car should be a high revving naturally aspirated motor. The spy shots show a red line of 7000rpm and all rumors lead to turbo charged motors . The e9x m3 revs to 8000+rpm. I want a cruiser that will give me power lower in the rpm range, rather than me continually having to keep the car in the higher rpms - hence the choice of a 135. My main goals is to not touch the motor of the car. I trust BMW engineering over basement engineering, but that is my decision. I am sure the JB3 and Procede are great, but I think bmw made the car the way it is for a specific reason. Its one of the main reasons I made this thread! The motor feels more active than it does in my e90! I love this car! No f/i for the e46 m3. I don't trust a turbo car on the track - as that is the E46 M3's main purpose
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PKumarM3 Last edited by PKumarM3; 07-09-2010 at 09:28 PM.. |
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07-09-2010, 09:29 PM | #12 |
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Thanks sir! I just hope that e9x m3 prices havent dropped to the point where it will be as cheap or cheaper to get one over a new 135i
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07-09-2010, 11:50 PM | #14 |
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great review man.
I have the 135i and did KW v2 and JB3 and honestly after doing these mods I LOVE my car 10x more than when i bought it. I have also taken the hariman state park route before and it is AWESOME! I find myself doing triple digit speeds now a days with my upgraded power / suspension though... I guess that's what happens when you turn an awesome daily driver into somewhat of a super car!
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07-10-2010, 08:29 AM | #15 | |
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07-19-2010, 06:31 AM | #17 |
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nice writeup! it should be submitted to your local BMWCCA club magazine to printing. I too, am falling in love with the 135i, in SG and red interior with 6MT and my mods.
thnks for sharing!
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07-19-2010, 08:48 AM | #18 |
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The 135i is a very attractive car in terms of size and performance, and I've been looking at it on and off. The review, written by a competent driver familiar with the track and an owner of a track tuned E46 M3, is something I've hoped for. Very good report content and excellent writing and visuals - pleasure to read. Thanks, PKumarM3.
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07-19-2010, 08:55 AM | #19 |
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Seven Lakes dr. is an awesome road. Every time I visit my family I take a trip there for some cornering fun. Awesome write up!
I'm already saving to add another 1er to the family (128i and 135i/1M) and make one a track car. Last edited by tgxmike; 07-19-2010 at 09:07 AM.. |
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07-19-2010, 09:13 AM | #20 |
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Great review
You should see my track build 135i I was going to build an e46 m3 like this but since I fit better in a 135i and since I had another one, I built a 135i Check out this link http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=409607 |
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07-19-2010, 09:35 AM | #21 |
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I disagree with this entire statement.
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