The 135 is boring.

[stampchez]

Part two...

http://jalopnik.com/5048618/2009-bmw-135i-part-two

[VFX]

"Overall: **
A nice little car that’s insanely overpriced, sacrifices practicality and space for a longitudinal inline-six and rear wheel drive, which it then fails to take advantage of to become a real driver’s car. Great engine though."

The reviewer seems to be comparing the 135i to Subaru's when assessing value.

Maybe he should look at the real competition - 335, G37, Cayman etc.

The 135i would then look like good value instead of being 'insanely overpriced'

Practicality would also fare better compared to those cars.

Not a driver's car? I kind of agree with the reviewer in some ways but I think it also depends on your expectations...

If you come into a 135i expecting it to handle & respond like a Cayman then forget it.

Jumping from the Civic I had before it, the 1er felt like a go cart. But drive it after a stint in my Boxster & it feels a bit inert.

As for being 'boring'? I'm sure even a 911 would seem boring after a day driving a LP640 Superleggera.

Didn't some motoring hacks also call the Bugati Veyron boring?

.

[AchtungF80]

That's not a 2009.

[EspressoBoy]

Originally Posted by JB135i

No idea what point you are trying to make here...

*****

I think someone nailed in another post. My expectations were incorrect/flawed.

The BMW marketing and then the reading I did, mostly here on 1Addicts.com, lead me to believe it was a sports car rather than a sporty coupe.

The test drives that I was able to take were not long enough either. Again that's on me, I should have waited until the dealers were more willing and able to allow longer test drives.

Don't misunderstand I am not saying it's a bad car. It's just not what I thought it was going to be, and for me, it's not the car I wish I still had.

My wife loves it though...

El Bulli is and has been rated the best restaurant in the world for a few years now. The food from there is well I'll let you read about it yourself...

http://www.theworlds50best.com/2008_list.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Bulli

It's what most if not all Chef's dream of.... To be El Bulli... and that's no bull.

I was comparing it to food.

Corolla = good old family meal....
BMW 1 = like an El Bulli tasting menu, wine pairing, food that didn't exist before... not boring!

[JB135i]

The Cayman S is a possibility, but not right now. We were literally less than $1,000 apart on a Cayman S when I read the article in Road & Track about the 135i. I said to my wife, wow, we should take a look at this, we did, and obviously we bought the 135i.

The performance on paper was so close I could not justify the additional @ $20,000 for the Cayman S. If money were no object, or less of an object, the Cayman S would have been the car of choice for me, no doubt.

I did like the Cayman S better and I even had a chance to take a much much longer test drive in it, but again, it wasn't and still isn't worth $20,000 more IMO.

****

The comment about disrespecting the people on this board insults me frankly.

The people who agree with the premise of the 1 being boring were/are responding to a review, someones opinion. This opinion is obviously not that of the majority of the people on this forum, not a suprise. None of us insulted the people themselves. And I never would, as a matter of fact, in my case, I went out of my way to explain (in short form) what my thought processes were when buying the 135i. I (emphasize I) made the mistake of buying a car I did not research enough, again for MY tastes and preferences.

I am glad you like the car, I don't, this has nothing to do with any of you personally.

****

To the Mitsu(EVO) question. I bought a 2003 EVO 8, new. The clutch started slipping and was replaced at 2,000 miles, and yes I know how to drive a stick, been driving one since 1979 in on road vehicles and well before that in dirt-bikes etc. I have never replaced a clutch in any other vehicle I have owned. I had the front end clunk issue, never resolved. I had the PO300 issue, never resolved. The dealerships (Max Madsen in the western burbs of Chicago area) were nothing but a bunch of tools. Mitsu(EVO) combs the net specifically to gather names to void warranties.

I can provide links to MANY threads that had these same issues spelled out with their EVO's. In fairness, these issues may not even exist in the more modern versions of the EVO, but I don't care, I hate Mitsubshi now. If you want to hit the search button yourself here is the main forums for many Mitsu vehicles-

http://forums.evolutionm.net

By the way, the EVO 8 rocked, when it was working properly....

[Bringinthewolf]

Originally Posted by mistermojorizin

the guy who said he'd never get another Mitsu (EVO), why?

the guy who said he hated the s2000, why?

as for evryone who thinks the car is boring, i bought the car for 1 reason - how mod friendly those twin turbos are.

At no point did I say that I hated my S2K and I did not mean to give that impression. To me the 135 is just so much more car for almost the same money that it is a no brainer. The 1'er is so confidence inspiring that it makes me a better driver. The S2000 was a much more exhausting (involving) experience and is a true sports car.
Maybe I'm getting old but now that I have experienced the ultimate grand touring car I have no desire for the true sports car.

[uofmtiger]

More sporty (Lotus/Boxster - I'm in Aus) and you lose all pretense of practicality and comfort, cheaper (350z/RX8) and you lose all the refinement and are still, ultimately, lower in the performance foodchain.

Agreed! I also think a lot of the haters would prefer a Miata.

The thing that I like about the 135i is the combination of quickness, speed, refinement and the practicality of having a backseat (for dogs, backpacks, etc..). I also like the maintenance agreement that is part of the price... not something you get with an older M3 that people want to compare with the 135i.

[mistermojorizin]

Originally Posted by JB135i

****
To the Mitsu(EVO) question. I bought a 2003 EVO 8, new. The clutch started slipping and was replaced at 2,000 miles, and yes I know how to drive a stick, been driving one since 1979 in on road vehicles and well before that in dirt-bikes etc. I have never replaced a clutch in any other vehicle I have owned. I had the front end clunk issue, never resolved. I had the PO300 issue, never resolved. The dealerships (Max Madsen in the western burbs of Chicago area) were nothing but a bunch of tools. Mitsu(EVO) combs the net specifically to gather names to void warranties.

I can provide links to MANY threads that had these same issues spelled out with their EVO's. In fairness, these issues may not even exist in the more modern versions of the EVO, but I don't care, I hate Mitsubshi now. If you want to hit the search button yourself here is the main forums for many Mitsu vehicles-

http://forums.evolutionm.net

By the way, the EVO 8 rocked, when it was working properly....

Thanks. FYI, BMW Combs the web to void warranties too. Also I spoke with someone who's clutch on their 335i had to be replaced at 14,000 miles. BMW didn't want to do it, but he somehow got them to cover it under warranty (he's a tech).

[mistermojorizin]

Originally Posted by stampchez

Part two...

http://jalopnik.com/5048618/2009-bmw-135i-part-two

i see why he found it boring, in this particular test he was driving the auto.

however, i do find the steering a bit disconnected. but what bothers me more, coming from NA cars, is the turbo lag.

before buying the bimmer i had posted on this thread that the car seems like a muscle car. after owning it since april, i've decided that its a muscle car with exceptional handling (better than my corvette was even though that was a dedicated sports car).

if they could fix the numb steering and the lag, i would be 100% on this car.

[Spook]

Where's the argument? The 135 if a GT/performance daily driver. Car reviewers are not to be taken too seriously. On the one hand they say how much they loved their 325 (a daily driver with decent performance) and then they slam a car that way (waayyy) outperforms a 325 by saying it's not a sports car. Sigh. I don't supposed he mentioned the hundreds of thousands of 3 series drivers he doesn't want to piss off. There are only 8500 of us to aggravate with his true vision of the ultimate back-to-basics BMW weighing 2300 lbs and costing $27K. Oh, but it still has to be a modern BMW with all the amenities, be great on long trips, and liveable every day. Would you really want a 2002 to drive 20 miles each way every single day through big city traffic today?

As for our buddies and comrades that miss their true sports cars when they drive the 135, I totally understand. Our requirements evolve as we hone in on the things we find most valuable over time. I miss the utility of my WRX wagon and may opt for something with more utility (wish we had the the 135 hatch as a choice) next time.

All that being said, I'm a little pissed at BMW. How hard would it have been to spec a decent sway bar, tires, and suspension bits? Damn accountants.

-Spook

[will]

Not sure where these bored drivers have been driving the 135i, but here in Germany I'm not bored:-)

[IUpod]

"The 2009 Subaru WRX starts at just $24,850, has real driver involvement, similar performance numbers and in hatchback form, real practicality. We couldn’t justify a 135i for ten grand more, but especially not for 20 grand more."

That's ridiculous. I have an 08 WRX STi and the biggest complaint in most reviews of it (which I can confirm) it the specific LACK OF ANY driver involvement. Very dead steering. And a simple WRX isn't even close to as fast as a 135i nor is the interior even in the same category as any of the BMWs. I get a few of the reviewers criticisms but this comparison is laughable.

[edge350]

Originally Posted by atr_hugo

I've written this numerous times (included the last big review of the 135i I did a week or so ago and is floating around here somewhere). The 135i is a Grand Touring car. A great two place, occasional rear seat passenger, GT. A carver of mountain roads, a conveyance that is both comfortable and capable. Two people and their luggage in a semi-luxurious interior with great seats - chews up the miles and the twisties con brio.

But if you think it's a sports car, well you might then think it's boring.

I traded my 135i in for an '06 Carrera S.
I have to agree with the OP and Hugo's post above.
It's a lot more money, but having never owned a true sports car, I realized it was what I was looking for. The Porsche made the 135i feel like a Lexus.

[ExMX5]

He "took a star off" for expectations on handling and "took a star off" on value because it's way more expensive than a WRX.

Erm, surely it handles as it handles - WTF has expectation got to do with the handling of a car?

[Yearofthe1]

Originally Posted by Balls

The motor is too torquey...

That's the fact, jack!

I'm sorry Balls, but this is hilarious

I never thought I'd hear that as a complaint

[1Ronnie]

To me, I find it interesting to see his last comment:
"Is the 135i the simple, well-engineered driver’s car that will recapture the hearts of enthusiasts everywhere? I’m sad to report that it isn’t."

This is such a subjective article ... but on this one point he is patently wrong ... he obviously hasn't checked out 1Addicts, as I can see a large number of captured hearts around here !!

[volk613]

A review with a slightly different opinion http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...2574C20013281F

[uofmtiger]

Originally Posted by volk613

A review with a slightly different opinion http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...2574C20013281F

The fact of the matter is that there are tons of great reviews in a sticky on this site. However, the occasional bad review gets its own thread because it is an anomaly.

(You should add the link to the sticky if you have not already done so.)

[mtla4]

Originally Posted by Balls

It is a bit boring. There's no real cool factor either, like any of the previous generation M3s. Exterior isn't the best BMW has ever conceived. Neither is the interior. There's no cool sound from the motor. The motor is too torquey and flat on top (boring). Handling is OK but not great. These are the facts. All adds up to a car that will never be as fun as a dedicated 2 seater, such as the S2000 or Z4. But then again, it was never meant to be one. In hindsight a 128 with a BBK, KW coilovers, and tuned exhaust would be far more fun than a standard 135i. At least you would get to hear the motor and the lack of turbos means you'll visit the upper rpm range, and you'll never worry about turbo melt down. Nonetheless, a E46 M3 is a far better choice for the same money. It's night and day cooler, far better looking inside and out, and exponentially more capable than a 135i.

That's the fact, jack!

I always see a bit of myself when I read your posts...I never know what gear Im in, I never look at the tach(Ive looked yesterday and shifting passed 5000 is useless) The thing is that this car has amazing brakes, crazy fast but not raw enough. I love my car but if I had money it would be a nice daily and I would have something else as a summer car.
On a side note I notice that this car is not aimed at enthusiast because the majority of the posts that I see are about options,warranty,cupholders. When I drive my car I dont even know what color it is. I could drive on a wooden crate I wouldnt give a crap. To each is own my I find that this car is not what I expected.
For the money (gas,price) I exepected something a little better(I took a stripper M-pack 135I) I could have gotten a used Cayman S.
my 0.02$
Future E90 M3 owner

[imported_mega]

I think the steering wheel definitely needs a more raw feeling, I am not a fan of electric steering

but the brakes and handling are fine for me for daily driving

[stampchez]

Part three...

http://jalopnik.com/5048785/2009-bmw-135i-part-three

[gio]

He should have gotten active steering. It makes it way more fun.