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11-21-2012, 05:45 PM | #67 |
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I'm 23, Have owned a 95' Eclipse GSX at 285whp. It was my first turbo charged engine, and I fell in love. Then I traded that in and went for the 08 EVO X, and again I was in love. There is just something about a turbo charged engine, the buildup of the turbo that just gets me every time, and essentially gets me in trouble with the fuzz.
I then went to the 350z as my first naturally aspired engine, though it was nice to have more low end torque, it was just a bitch to squeeze any power out of it. Actually with the Z most down pipes and exhausts actually hindered the car and getting any power out if it was expensive and if you wanted any real gains you have to twin turbo it anyways. So coming back to a turbo charged engine was all I could think of and as I was getting older and work in investment banking, I needed to get a car that was a little more respectable (BMW) yet an undercover enthusiast’s car! And the 135i was PERFECT! Get the image and the fun! And as for issues with the engine, well that’s why I got the extended warranty and by the time that the warranty is depleted, I will be in a new car anyways…. And BMW always provides a loner car for me anyways. It was just the perfect car for my needs at this time in my specific situations, and that said I do not look down on anyone for having a 128i at all, on the contrary Everytime I see one on the road I honk! |
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11-21-2012, 06:03 PM | #68 | |
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I can't answer your request - there is no good reason at all. These purchases are wants, not needs. It made no sense for me to dump my ZHP and move into a 135is, but after I drove one, I wanted one, reason-be-damned. I've driven E36 Ms and 128s; while I understand what the statistics say, I don't think the 128i offers the same experience. That's not to say the 135 does, but it does add some thrill to the equation for those who are thrilled by such things like HP and torque. I'd be interested to hear your report after test driving both. And if you can get your hands on a 135is to test drive, DO IT, and make sure you're around for the cold start up exhaust noise .
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11-21-2012, 08:24 PM | #69 | |
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I am 68, going on 21. My current car is a 2012 135i MSport DCT. As my sig says, I have had several other BMWs in my recent past, including a 2009 M3 Sedan, DCT. I am on my 16th BMW. I cannot speak to the 135is, as mine is only a 135i. However, I find I am enjoying the power, quickness, and handling of the 135i as much, if not more than my M3. In town, where most of my driving is, the 135i is very fast off a light, and easy to toss around. Although it is blasphemy for some, I find the 135i to be more fun in town than the M3 ever was. And it does it for far less money, and less fuel. I may put a Dinan Stage 2 in it in the Spring, and a BMW PE; although no real reason to do that. It is plain fun, right off the shelf. Why buy a 135i (or 135is) over a 128i? It's a personal choice, but, for me, I drove both, and bought the 135i for the additional power, the thrust of the turboes, and the extra goodies that are standard in a 135i over the 128i. As far as reliability goes, if you do the regular servicing/maintenance, the turbo engines should be good for a long run. In the past five years, I have owned a BMW with the N54 engine, and now 2 BMWs with the N55. I have not had any problems with either engine (whereas a 2007 328xiTouring I drove for 8 months needed a warranty fix for engine problems, well documented). Personal call, you will not go wrong with either the 128i or the 135i (or even the 135is, although you can make more power for less money by adding a Dinan Stage 2 to a 135). The 135is is not the car the 1 Series M Coupe is, another beast altogether. But that is not the topic here. I think the current 1 Series is one of BMWs best-ever cars.
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11-22-2012, 02:12 AM | #70 |
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Price along with a manual transmission.
- For what a new 135is or the 1M costs I could have purchased two '10 128s. In other words I would have been crazy to pass up on this deal.
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Last edited by smellthebeans; 11-25-2012 at 09:48 AM.. |
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11-22-2012, 09:50 AM | #71 |
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Actually since I purchased the car as a CPO, the price difference was only a couple thousands, so that was not the main reason for me.
I researched the car for about 3 month prior to purchase and was just really taken off but the failures of the turbo engine. Yes I know most if not all issues were solved, but it did leave a taste of unreliability in my mouth and the 128 was deemed very reliable at several published magazines. Since it is my daily driver I was also very happy with the gas milage. I only wish I would have gotten a manual, even though the automatic in 100% manual mode works just fine. When buying a CPO, you just don't have that many choices, and new did not make any financial sense to me. Would I do it again, probably yes unless the reliability of next generation engines improves a lot and gas mileage would not be an issue anymore since I started to work full time from home.
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11-23-2012, 08:51 AM | #72 |
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The 128i with 6speed manual transmission is a blast to drive. Mine has only sport package (not M), comfort access and moonroof. It was on the lot already, and I probably wouldn't have ordered it with the comfort access package but I honestly love it now and am glad I have it. As for HID lights, I don't miss them. Auto dim mirrors, happy I don't have them. Also, the loaner car I had with iDrive confirmed that the base head unit is all that is needed. I do wish it had Bluetooth, but I was finally able to completely solve that issue.h
This car is crazy fun to drive. The manual transmission transforms the car, especially with the sport suspension. The loaner 128i with auto (any) was a big disappointment to me, I realize why the offer the 135i here is mostly to compensate for the auto transmission. My 2011 came in around $33k which is crazy considering what that gets you elsewhere. A lot of the features are just not needed is what I leaned from my car. Things I thought I wanted are just not necessary. Getting the 6 speed manual however is a must ... and I live in NYC and commute 80+ miles a day. Funny thing is that I put my car in gear and use the gas pedal to regulate my speed - evy automatic drive in front of me is on the gas & brake constantly. All over the world has worse traffic than the US and they all drive cars with standard transmissions ... food for thought. |
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11-23-2012, 10:49 AM | #73 |
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A colleague's son had just got a 335i, when I was looking for a new car. She insisted I look at BMW's. I went to the BMW dealer, and fell in love with a Water Blue Metallic 128i. I drove several other cars, some with more power, but this car just fit me, and 2 years later, it still does. I have had 335's as loaners, and I love the power on the highway, but I still just like my car better. It's an intangible feeling. This is the first car I've ever had, that I plan to keep forever, even if I get a newer Bimmer some years from now.
Sometimes buying a car is bout stats and practicality, other times it's emotional. I loved the car, got a great price, the MPG is acceptable given the amount of highway driving I do, it all just fit. Both the 135 and 138 are great cars, so I guess as they say, "if it feels good, do it!" |
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11-24-2012, 02:04 PM | #74 |
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Both the 128i and 135i felt like they lacked power from what I was used to driving before, but I knew I could 'fix' that issue easier with the 135i, and so I did and have no regrets.
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11-24-2012, 02:08 PM | #75 |
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Well i have a 74kw polo tdi bought it since its very light on fuel, 5.2L / 100km.
My next car will be a bmw 135i vert. I will buy it second hand cash. I cant afford one right now so when i do get it il be able to afford one so i see no point in getting bmw 128i before i get my dream car. All the power i need, being a vert for sunny southafrica capetown cruises.
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11-26-2012, 12:35 PM | #76 |
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I'll weight in on this one. I am a recent 135 owner. 2009 M Sport. I drove these cars when they first came out but, ended up getting something else. Fast forward a few years and a couple of cars and I decided it was time to get a 1 series.
I drove a new 128 prior to purchasing my 135. In some ways, I attribute this to the revy engine, smaller wheels and presumedly lighter overall weight that the 128 was more lively than my 135. However, when you push a 135 hard it becomes pretty exciting. I HAD to have that extra thrust and some of the other things...brakes, etc. I would drive them both and see which one floats your boat! They're both fun cars....although I was surprised at how different the personalities were. Have fun shopping! Jack
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11-27-2012, 06:40 AM | #77 |
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I wanted the convertible top a lot more than the extra horsepower. I am still very satisfied with that choice. I drove the 135i on the performance center track when we took delivery and it was fun. But when my 128i gets up above 3k rpm, it feels pretty quick too. Big difference is down low. The 135i has peak torque under 2000 rpm. That's nice but I feel compelled to use the power at least occasionally and the 135i has enough more to get me in more trouble.
I didn't know of the hpfp issues when I bought my 128i I just knew that early turbo motors seemed to require turbo replacements before 100k miles. I think turbo motors are a lot better now but I also think a turbo motor will always require more maintenance. I suspect I'm going to have to "get over it" but for now I will enjoy my NA 6. Jim
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11-27-2012, 03:35 PM | #78 |
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I just ordered/preferred (today) the 128i over the 135i.
As a long term DD, it's what I really wanted/needed. I ordered the car as plain as possible. Perfect point A to point B, Daily Driver (DD). No regrets. Enjoy your choice of vehicle(s). Cheers/BB |
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11-27-2012, 04:18 PM | #79 |
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why?
1. because it was 8-10K more.
2. because it was hard enough for me to swallow the 128 without a freaking LSD, on the higher powered car that would just have been to freaking annoying...stupid BMW. |
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11-27-2012, 04:29 PM | #80 | |
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m sport
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The sport seats are great. Especially if you get the manual version....because the manual seats have a great range of adjustment than the power. I gave up the lumbar so I could have the manual seats! |
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11-27-2012, 04:36 PM | #81 |
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Choose 128i- I love fast cars- especially off the line- and yes the 135i is way faster although the main concerns for my selection of the 128i were extra maintenance with the turbo, reliability and the higher price tag. So I opted for a well equipped 128i, automatic with M Sport Package and 18 inch wheels. Love the handling and power is plentiful for even spirited driving and it cruises easily at 80 mph of the freeway.
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11-28-2012, 05:39 AM | #84 |
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Honestly, Price. I wanted a New 1 series and wanted to pay cash, no payments. Now , I love my 128, I really do but honestly if I could have afforded it I would have bought a 135
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11-28-2012, 12:07 PM | #85 | |
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We drove the 135 harder because we could and in deference to whoever eventually buys the 128, we didn't flog it. Neither had the M Sport and both felt very nice during a normal in town / out of town typical test drive loop. In comparison with our E36, I particularly like the slow speed maneuverability of the shorter wheelbase 1 series. It also sits up a bit higher and the viability seems quite a bit better than the E36. Although our M3 is very impressively fast, for most purposes I've always considered our E30 the more pleasurable drive at legal U.S. highway speeds. That's the primary reason I kept it. In town it simply has better ergonomics and perfectly adequate "point and squirt" for almost all conditions. On the track or waaay too fast on the open roads....M3, no question. The 135 is undeniably a powerful and impressively fast car but in terms of balanced engine response, the 128 appeared to be quite similar to our present cars including the M3. I can't offer a fully accurate comparison though because I came away feeling that the 128 we drove was somewhat crippled by the AT. My wife truly hated it and couldn't stop comparing it to her 89 year old mother's Taurus.....a little over the top, I though. My wife is in love with power and immediate response so she was enamored with the 135. For me though, it's all about handling and living with the car in the real world. I don't track anymore, the race car has been apart for at least 25 years, and I guess I no longer have an interest in that hobby. Realistically, as much as she loves the power, the M3 is a waste for her and frankly she wouldn't be able to handle 10/10 ths of our old 325is. I'm in agreement with doublevanosrc above. What I think we really need, and would be happy with is a 123d like our friends in Paris have. It's no slouch and when we drove it a few years ago, enjoyed it a lot at over 40 mpg. But that isn't an option in North America. A modern equivalent of our E30....a 128iS..... would be just about right but in their infinite wisdom, BMW doesn't offer such an option. It seems as though a 128i, M Sport, MT car is a very rare combination. I called five dealers in our major metro area and found exactly none. Same thing on a nation-wide search. Two salesmen confirmed "If you want one, you'll have to order it.....". If we order it, we may as well pick it up in Europe. If it's being built for us anyway, I may as well try to get the exact car we want. Is there any way I could add upgrades...especially better brakes...as an option over the normal M sport suspension? I know from way too many hours reading this forum that the parts exist. I don't see it as a listed option in the build codes and dealers I spoke to don't seem to be interested in going to the effort to find out. It's a little frustrating doing the waltz with them and that's a big reason why I tend to keep cars a long time. Anybody? Thanks in advance.
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11-28-2012, 02:49 PM | #86 |
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As a commuter car, reliability was paramount
As an owner (not leasee), long term durability was paramount with a long commute, fuel economy was important As a long time admirerer of the brand, I'm glad I've got a chance to sample and enjoy what maybe the last remnant of the original brand values in the current lineup. Hence the 128.
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11-28-2012, 04:00 PM | #87 | |
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PM me for his e-mail address.
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11-28-2012, 08:13 PM | #88 | |
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