Give some love to the 128i

[Jobes]

removed

[ttdmac]

Aren't those sport seats in the pics? They have the thigh support and side bolsters.

[Khobin~]

Thanks again for more pics...

Is that trim just shiny black, or is it the grey poplar?

[Brandon26pdx]

So that car must have had the sport package then...

[igofast]

jobes: I think you are the first to report on the Auto transmission on the 1er. What are your impressions? Is it comparable to the 3 series?

[bimmerfile]

Originally Posted by jobes

Hey guys... so I got to take the 128i today as mentioned in my other post...

I think if I had not driven the 135i first, the 128i might have been more fun. Don't get me wrong it was still a nice ride, but you don't get the same pull from the 300 horses (obviously)

The car was a 128i coupe Sparkling graphite, beige leatherette interior... auto with paddles. It was pretty basic in options. Immediately you do miss the sport seats with the nice leather that the 135 had... the handling was good but a tad better with the 135. The drive itself was still enjoyable... keeping it in manual mode and hearing the engine.

The one thing about the 1 series in general compared to the 3 series is that you seem to be able to hear the engine more... you could say the 3 seems more refined. I am sure the manual 128i would have been more fun but I could not get it.

Other than that there is nothing really new to report.... the 128i is still a hell of a fun car... and you would save yourself a good 10K or more. If you don't need all that power and 230hp is more than enough for you in a small car you'll love this thing...

snapped a few quick pics..

jobes, thanks for all your informative posts.
As someone who is very interested in the 128i (albeit the Cabrio), I was interested in your statement (highlighted above) regarding the price delta between the 128i & the 135i.
Is the $10K diff your educated opinion or is this based on the scuttlebutt around BMW Canada HQ?:iono:

[emm3tt]

Two things I notice:

128i sport package has chrome exterior trim and 18" wheels. US apparently gets shadowline trim and 17" wheels.

[autobahn]

Love the 128i. Thinking about trading in my 330xi for 128i convertible. How about a closeup pic of that center console. Looks like some real cup holders instead of the i-drive knob.

[Propagator]

Originally Posted by jobes

educated guess... i really don't have any info on price... the buzz from reviewers and whatnot are all guessing 32ish for 128 and 42ish for 135 MSRPs right?

You mean the 128i will cost the same as the 328i sedan and the 135i will cost $4K more than the 335i sedan?

I know this is a 1er site and all, but let's not forget that the 1er is BELOW the 3er folks.

[redwood]

He's in Canada. From what I've read, it seems Canadians get screwed on car prices, even though their dollar is stronger than ours in the U.S. For instance, BMW.ca lists the 328i sedan at a base of $41,000 and 335i sedan at $49,900. $42,000 isn't sounding so bad now is it?

[Propagator]

Originally Posted by Redwood

He's in Canada. From what I've read, it seems Canadians get screwed on car prices, even though their dollar is stronger than ours in the U.S. For instance, BMW.ca lists the 328i sedan at a base of $41,000 and 335i sedan at $49,900. $42,000 isn't sounding so bad now is it?

Oh I didn't reallize that he's from Canada. My apology. :frown:

And it's really not that Canadians get raped on cars, I think Canadian price is more in line with pretty much everywhere else but the US. We are just lucky I guess.

[128er]

A few things i noticed..

1)Sport Seats
2)AWESOME RIMS!!?? Hopefully those are the sport package rims!
3)Taupe Leatherette in pics

[imported_sbw]

I will give the 128i some love! I think it will be a fantastic car. It'll be interesting to see which sells better, the 128i or the 135i. People who could never afford a BMW will be jumping into a 128i.

All those poor VW GTI owners can now upgrade into a real car. Hehehehehee...

I like that the 128i, with no aero M kit, is more understated than the 135i. And that you can get foglights with the 128i.

Nice pics, jobes!

[bimmerfile]

Originally Posted by sbw

I will give the 128i some love! I think it will be a fantastic car. It'll be interesting to see which sells better, the 128i or the 135i. People who could never afford a BMW will be jumping into a 128i.

All those poor VW GTI owners can now upgrade into a real car. Hehehehehee...

I like that the 128i, with no aero M kit, is more understated than the 135i. And that you can get foglights with the 128i.

Nice pics, jobes!

My guess is that the 128i will outsell the 135i by a margin of 2 to 1.
When the Z4 was first introduced it was the 3.0i which got all the press attention and most of the posts on forums such as this one.
Yet the 2.5i consistently outsold the 3.0i by a wide margin..
Personally, 230 ponies upfront will be enough for me. :biggrin:
Actually, the 128i has 5 more HPs than the early 3.0i Z4s
OTOH, the 128i does weigh approx 200 lbs more than the Z4..

[ChrisK]

Originally Posted by carnut

My guess is that the 128i will outsell the 135i by a margin of 2 to 1.
When the Z4 was first introduced it was the 3.0i which got all the press attention and most of the posts on forums such as this one.
Yet the 2.5i consistently outsold the 3.0i by a wide margin..
Personally, 230 ponies upfront will be enough for me. :biggrin:
Actually, the 128i has 5 more HPs than the early 3.0i Z4s
OTOH, the 128i does weigh approx 200 lbs more than the Z4..

I agree, the 128i will outsell the 135i by a lot. The 128i will bring lots of people in from other brands.

[ChrisK]

Back in the day, a 1.9L Z3 handled much better than the 2.8L Z3. Wait until the 128's hit the track. Could be interesting.

[128er]

Originally Posted by jobes

educated guess... i really don't have any info on price... the buzz from reviewers and whatnot are all guessing 32ish for 128 and 42ish for 135 MSRPs right? I'd say the general public is pretty well educated especially nowadays with the intreweb With that said... i am curious at what the official price is as well and to see how close everyone's speculation actually is.

i've been driving a 328xi while i wait for my 335xi... it happens to be auto as well. Yes the transmissions are comparable definitely... the 128 had paddle shifters which i did not have on my 328xi. The auto transmissions in the bmws are so so much better than other slush boxes i have driven. So smooth... although i must say it seemed smoother in the 135.

The rev matching is enjoyable...

There is an 8K difference between the 328i (American) and the 328i (Canadian). Hopefully this is true with the 128i...I really doubt it though!:headbang:

[jayparry]

That is EXACTLY the car that I want!!!!!! Amazing! I was going to go with black or white but this convinced me to go sparkling grey. Auto or manual i actually dont care, but the taupe/poplar interior looks so warm and inviting, and i LOVE the 263 wheels, ill have to get as an accessory.

[Yeti]

What is your impression of the engine torque or dynamic?
Do you have to keep the 128i at higher RPM compared to the 135i to have say fun with it?

[Yeti]

I'm coming from a diesel car and I love the ability to accelerate or be able to climb a hill without downshifting.
I would love to see the 120d or 123d here but even though BMW is bringing some diesel over the pond rummer has it it will be in the bigger more expensive models like Mercedes did with there R class.

[bimmernotbeamer]

I hope BMW does bring the 120d or 123d over as well. That would be sweet!

[mts261]

Originally Posted by chriskurn

Back in the day, a 1.9L Z3 handled much better than the 2.8L Z3. Wait until the 128's hit the track. Could be interesting.

What was the weight differences between those two engines and what will the weight difference be between the 128 and the 135?

It seems like that would be a big contributor to the difference in handling between the two Z3s.