It's all relative...

[NerveBag]

Hey... I'm new here. Just introducing myself. I've driven sub-$20,000 new cars all my life because that's all I could (conservatively) afford. Nissan Sentra, Mazda MX-3, 2000 Si, 2006 Si. They were all okay cars, at least at the time, but the '06 Si is the first car I've ever owned with 0-60 < 7 seconds -- and that's just barely. And there is NO torque in this car.

Anyway, I recently got a nice raise at work, and now $30,000-ish cars are comfortably in my price range. To go from a Civic Si to the 135 -- there's no comparison. I've been shopping ever since I got my raise: Volvo C30, RX-8, 350Z, G35, Altima coupe, Mazda 3/6, Saturn Sky. I've tried them all and more, and every one of them left me feeling like I should just keep my Civic. I need a reliable daily driver AND a ride with some style and power. Nothing has fit that bill like the 135.

I put down a deposit at my local dealer Friday for their second allocated 135. Will it be perfect? No. But if I could go a year forward in time, I'd get my a$$ blown off the road by my future self, and I'm sure my future self would be grinning from ear to ear as I choked on his tire smoke.

So... that's all I've got to say. I, personally, am very excited about owning a smoking damn BMW, regardless of a few nits it may have here and there. After all, I'm coming from Hondaville.

Can't frickin' wait 'til spring.

NerveBag

[NerveBag]

Oh.. and I DID drive a 335 to get the feel for a BMW and the I6 TT engine. Awesome. Absolutely awesome. Blew away the G35 IMHO and was serious competition for the 350Z.

[atr_hugo]

NerveBag - good to have you here and it's nice to have someone from 'Stoplight City' on the board. ; -)

[fishbulb]

I agree with you - the TT in the 335 is stunning. Can't wait for the 135!!!

[slyx620]

I'm kinda in a similar boat here. . . Going from a 96 Prelude to a 135 or possibly a 335. Hope you enjoy the 1 in a few months.

I have yet to test the 335. Well either way, one of them will be my graduation present (paid for myself, no parental funding)

[MikeT]

Hey,
I'm also an '06 Civic owner (lx coupe). If the 1-series had been out a year ago, I'd have probably bought one. Now, I'm fantasizing about a trading in the Civic next year and perhaps even doing Euro delivery on a 128i. The Civic is a decent vehicle and good basic transportation, but I'm not in love with it. In some ways, I like the Civic less than my previous car (a Saturn SC). Honda's got a great reputation, but I'm not sure it's all that well-deserved.

[BForbes]

Originally Posted by MikeT

Hey,
I'm also an '06 Civic owner (lx coupe). If the 1-series had been out a year ago, I'd have probably bought one. Now, I'm fantasizing about a trading in the Civic next year and perhaps even doing Euro delivery on a 128i. The Civic is a decent vehicle and good basic transportation, but I'm not in love with it. In some ways, I like the Civic less than my previous car (a Saturn SC). Honda's got a great reputation, but I'm not sure it's all that well-deserved.

Oh its well deserved. My two best friends have hondas, my brother has a honda. My roommate has one. My best friends roommate has one. My friend/neighbor had 3. And we all dog the shit outta our cars. I use to hate these cars for the no apparent reason for the first 18yrs of my life. Now, I absolutely adore and respect what they stand for.

[Disasterpiece]

I own a 2007 Honda Fit Sport as of now and I love the thing! Its my first car(I'm 16)and it works great for me! But ive been a car enthusiast all my life and would love to upgrade to more of a drivers car in 08! The 128i is the only new car that i want i can probaly afford so im really leaning toward it at the moment. Other cars im looking at are 04-05 G35c, 06-07 civic si coupe and afew others but the 128i stands out by far. Hopfully it will be priced around 27k and i think it could happen!

[MikeT]

Originally Posted by onehots2k

Oh its well deserved. My two best friends have hondas, my brother has a honda. My roommate has one. My best friends roommate has one. My friend/neighbor had 3. And we all dog the shit outta our cars. I use to hate these cars for the no apparent reason for the first 18yrs of my life. Now, I absolutely adore and respect what they stand for.

I don't know. The Civic is a solid car and a good value, but to some extent, I'm disappointed with the quality of the materials. For example, my car has cloth seats, and the fabric is already wrinkling. The car is only one year old, and I don't even drive it every day, as I walk to work sometimes. Also, their gas mileage estimates are a joke. No one is getting 40 mpg highway with this car.

[ducati]

Originally Posted by MikeT

I don't know. The Civic is a solid car and a good value, but to some extent, I'm disappointed with the quality of the materials. For example, my car has cloth seats, and the fabric is already wrinkling. The car is only one year old, and I don't even drive it every day, as I walk to work sometimes. Also, their gas mileage estimates are a joke. No one is getting 40 mpg highway with this car.

That's not Honda, you can blame the EPA

Bummer about the seat material quality. I drove an absolutely craptastic Chevy Trailblazer rental last week, and even with 13k miles the velour seats were wearing quite well.

[ducati]

Originally Posted by NerveBag

Will it be perfect? No. But if I could go a year forward in time, I'd get my a$$ blown off the road by my future self, and I'm sure my future self would be grinning from ear to ear as I choked on his tire smoke.

Love the "future self" bit! Congrats, be careful and learn RWD slowly. It's a gas!

[NerveBag]

I like my '06 Civic Si okay, but...

The engine holds on to revs in a really odd way (which I've heard they changed in the '07s) the shifter is a renowned POS (3rd pops out, lots of grinds, etc.), the seat belts are WAY too sensitive (you can't even lean forward without being 'trapped' in your chair), both driver and passenger must have seat belts on at all times or the car beeps VERY loudly at you (I'm a staunch seat belt wearer, but don't YELL at me if I take it off a bit early in my neighborhood to check my mail out the passenger window), there's NO torque in the engine until 4500 RPM, the upholstery is crap (mine is horribly wrinkled already also), there's a terrible grinding noise when the A/C is on, and there have already been a couple of recalls.

The plusses are: the cupholders are awesome, the resale value is unbelievable (a used one on a dealer lot goes for more than I paid new), and it's about the best car one can buy for $20k.

I think Honda and Toyota quality have waned lately, and I'm looking forward to my first BMW. I can't imagine you're going to find a faster, better-handling car for $35k. I'm not proud of the materialism in me, but I want to be one of the first to own one in my little town.

If I hate it, I'll be the first to come here and eat my hat online. And if I love it, I'll be the first to come here and rub it in all the latecomer's faces.

LOL

Just kidding.

I think it's gonna be awesome though. Some people play the lottery. I choose to gamble on first-run cars. Makes me feel like I'm living on the edge.

:-)

NerveBag

[MikeT]

Originally Posted by NerveBag

the upholstery is crap (mine is horribly wrinkled already also)

On one of the Honda boards, someone claimed that Honda's fabric wrinkles when wet. I don't know if that's the cause, but it makes a certain amount sense. I guess that thing to do when it's raining is to take off any wet jackets, etc. as soon as you get in the car. I'm thinking about complaining and see if they'll reupholster my seats under warranty.

[ducati]

Originally Posted by MikeT

On one of the Honda boards, someone claimed that Honda's fabric wrinkles when wet. I don't know if that's the cause, but it makes a certain amount sense. I guess that thing to do when it's raining is to take off any wet jackets, etc. as soon as you get in the car. I'm thinking about complaining and see if they'll reupholster my seats under warranty.

They may. My old Integra Type R seats "pilled" (they were a suede/fabric mesh combo), and I was able to get a new seatcover under warranty.

The hanging-revs issue sucks. There's nothing I hate more than an ECU acting like a bum clutch. Our 1.8T VW does it, too, albeit not as badly as the Si.

[Legion5]

350Z and G35 are the same car with or without a luxury body and trim... this really makes your opinion ambiguous saying that you like BMW because it is better than Infiniti but worse than Nissan. Taking that into account, just get the 135, your opinion is nonsensical so all you can do is take up what you are dead set on, and you are dead set on this car so there's no backing out now at all.

Go for what you like, it's going to be a good decision no matter how you look at numbers or feel about the brand compared to others.

It's a BMW for christ's sake.

[pxd]

Originally Posted by Legion5

350Z and G35 are the same car with or without a luxury body and trim... this really makes your opinion ambiguous saying that you like BMW because it is better than Infiniti but worse than Nissan. Taking that into account, just get the 135, your opinion is nonsensical so all you can do is take up what you are dead set on, and you are dead set on this car so there's no backing out now at all.

Go for what you like, it's going to be a good decision no matter how you look at numbers or feel about the brand compared to others.

It's a BMW for christ's sake.

Truth be told, I don't see any ambiguity from it.
He merely stated that he liked the feel of the Z compared to the G, which, in fact, is frankly obvious seeing that the Z is a more performance-oriented car with less body weight, although some may prefer the softer ride of the G.
Anyways, you will all in all enjoy the new 135i seeing the correlation of the Z and the G and your adoration of the 335i.

[Legion5]

Originally Posted by PrototypeX

Truth be told, I don't see any ambiguity from it.
He merely stated that he liked the feel of the Z compared to the G, which, in fact, is frankly obvious seeing that the Z is a more performance-oriented car with less body weight, although some may prefer the softer ride of the G.

The G has no softer ride, the suspension components are the same if I recall. The G35 actually is more aerodynamic believe it or not and compared to a loss of 150 lbs in the 350z that can be quite a trade off. The main point is a loss of 150lbs of sound dampening material will make a car seem much more different but it's a placebo so it would then seem silly to ever pass up a genuinly awesome car (135i) if we are judging on mostly imperceptible differences performance wise like driving position on the car's axis and noise. If anything BMW has the placebo effect and looking fast from both inside and out covered on 1st 2nd 3rd and home plate.

Anyways, you will all in all enjoy the new 135i seeing the correlation of the Z and the G and your adoration of the 335i.

yep.

[NerveBag]

Thank you, PrototypeX, for your defense. That's exactly what I would've said in my own defense.

Legion5... whatever. I dismiss your entire post as provocative, small-minded and immature. Are you even old enough to drive? You don't sound like it.

[Bourbon]

... and so the downward spiral into the flames begins.

[Legion5]

Originally Posted by NerveBag

Thank you, PrototypeX, for your defense. That's exactly what I would've said in my own defense.

Legion5... whatever. I dismiss your entire post as provocative, small-minded and immature. Are you even old enough to drive? You don't sound like it.

I'll give you small minded, but you can find a nice cock for yourself in commemoration on insulting me on the other points.

I get that some people MAY like the look of a inferior car from a less established brand better and that this car makes them very happy... they are idiots however.

Don't get what you want, make the right choice.

[Feli_330i]

Don't pay attention to Legion5 ... the guy is like a virus in this forum he destroys every thread he posts on.

[pxd]

Originally Posted by Legion5

The G has no softer ride, the suspension components are the same if I recall. The G35 actually is more aerodynamic believe it or not and compared to a loss of 150 lbs in the 350z that can be quite a trade off. The main point is a loss of 150lbs of sound dampening material will make a car seem much more different but it's a placebo so it would then seem silly to ever pass up a genuinly awesome car (135i) if we are judging on mostly imperceptible differences performance wise like driving position on the car's axis and noise. If anything BMW has the placebo effect and looking fast from both inside and out covered on 1st 2nd 3rd and home plate.

Same suspension components do not mean same suspensions.
The stock suspensions for the Z and the G have very different rear spring rates and different rear shock valving, making the ride feel much more different.