New 128i

[LcossE82]

Hey all! I've owned a 2013 bmw 128i auto for 3 years now and have learned a lot from it. But soon I will be selling it and buying another 128i with a 6 speed. What should I be looking for? This would be my first manual so how do you define a healthy transmission? Also, I know the n52s don't die but, as most cars, do they lose power with more miles on it? I've been looking for some time now and the only 6 speeds that come up for sale are either over priced by miles or have 100-175k miles on it. Also, I know there's the sport package for these cars. From my research is the only main difference the seats it comes with? Im really excited for a new start. Ive made a lot of mistakes with my original bimmer but the impatient builder in me has died down and wants to do things right. I have looked at 135's with 6 speeds as well and yes there's more power but I'd rather not play with turbos just yet. Any help is appreciated!

[BMWCCA1]

I'm sure you'll get plenty of feedback, and good luck with your search.

I've hunted for and purchased two 128i's in the past year or so. First, and automatic for my wife (arthritic left knee) and, because that one was so much fun, a 6-speed for me very recently. Hers is a "sport" package and mine is an "M-sport".

The seats are a big deal for me. I just much prefer the sport seat and never considered any without them. One hint if you're looking on-line and want sport seats, skip over any that don't have shadow-line (black) trim around the windows. Shadowline is only standard on the Sport and M-sport packages and so are the sport seats. Often you can't get a good look at the interior and this is a quick way to separate the wheat from the chaff.

In addition, you'll get a sport suspension in both Sport and M-sport, along with staggered wheel and tire sizes (wider in the rear) with different and larger diameter wheels. M-sport also gives you aerodynamic body work with different front and rear bumpers with larger intakes in the front and slightly different rocker panels.

I can't imagine why anyone interested in a manual wouldn't want either a Sport or M-sport. They just seem to go together. As to price, yes, they command higher prices because of those options. And, yes, manuals are usually priced over average "book" prices because generally the "books" deduct around $2k for manual when most people who want a manual would gladly pay $2k more to have them. That's potentially a $4k difference from book value.

I would alway shop for condition and maintenance history over just price. Stretching your comfort envelope may get you a much better vehicle that will pay that difference back to you in repairs already done, and longevity from past careful maintenance. In the words of Benjamin Franklin: "The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten."

I'm always more than willing to pay at the top of the market for an exceptional car. I value no body repair or repaint as highly as options. I also won't buy a BMW without leather interior. I find vinyl, Sensatec, or whatever they're calling it to have a very short lifespan and the earlier the 1-series the more leather you get with that option. My wife's '08 has leather sides on the sport seats that are still perfect and my '13 has vinyl side panels on the sport seats that are already cracking.

If you pay a little more for something you really want, you may only regret it for a short period of buyer's remorse, which will soon be made up with the smile that purchase brings every time you drive it. Get what you want. Pay a fair price for a good car. Mileage under 100k is nice but how long will it take you to run a 90k car up to 100k anyway? It's a psychological barrier. In a well-maintained car it doesn't really matter.

I paid top of the market price for both of mine. For my wife and daughter I wanted Sport seats, Alpine White, iPod/USB, and black leather. I ended up with Nav and park-distance and a few other things. My drive home was 22-hours during which I never experienced buyer's remorse. My 6-speed I ended up with M-sport, Nav, H/K sound, and a few more items I appreciate. If you search for what you want as long as I have, you'll find pricing all over the place and eventually you'll be able to tell a good one from a bad on. I work for a BMW dealership and I would only consider privately owned vehicles for myself. That might tell you something! I made fair offers on both, and both offers were over the "book" value. Short negotiations had me paying maybe $1,000 over my first offer but I just figured I'd have to enjoy it that much more to make up for it. No big deal when you find what you really want

They're really not making much of anything these days with manual transmissions and finding them used on the secondary market will get even more difficult in the future. Grab one while you can!

[LcossE82]

Originally Posted by BMWCCA1

I'm sure you'll get plenty of feedback, and good luck with your search.

I've hunted for and purchased two 128i's in the past year or so. First, and automatic for my wife (arthritic left knee) and, because that one was so much fun, a 6-speed for me very recently. Hers is a "sport" package and mine is an "M-sport".

The seats are a big deal for me. I just much prefer the sport seat and never considered any without them. One hint if you're looking on-line and want sport seats, skip over any that don't have shadow-line (black) trim around the windows. Shadowline is only standard on the Sport and M-sport packages and so are the sport seats. Often you can't get a good look at the interior and this is a quick way to separate the wheat from the chaff.

In addition, you'll get a sport suspension in both Sport and M-sport, along with staggered wheel and tire sizes (wider in the rear) with different and larger diameter wheels. M-sport also gives you aerodynamic body work with different front and rear bumpers with larger intakes in the front and slightly different rocker panels.

I can't imagine why anyone interested in a manual wouldn't want either a Sport or M-sport. They just seem to go together. As to price, yes, they command higher prices because of those options. And, yes, manuals are usually priced over average "book" prices because generally the "books" deduct around $2k for manual when most people who want a manual would gladly pay $2k more to have them. That's potentially a $4k difference from book value.

I would alway shop for condition and maintenance history over just price. Stretching your comfort envelope may get you a much better vehicle that will pay that difference back to you in repairs already done, and longevity from past careful maintenance. In the words of Benjamin Franklin: "The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten."

I'm always more than willing to pay at the top of the market for an exceptional car. I value no body repair or repaint as highly as options. I also won't buy a BMW without leather interior. I find vinyl, Sensatec, or whatever they're calling it to have a very short lifespan and the earlier the 1-series the more leather you get with that option. My wife's '08 has leather sides on the sport seats that are still perfect and my '13 has vinyl side panels on the sport seats that are already cracking.

If you pay a little more for something you really want, you may only regret it for a short period of buyer's remorse, which will soon be made up with the smile that purchase brings every time you drive it. Get what you want. Pay a fair price for a good car. Mileage under 100k is nice but how long will it take you to run a 90k car up to 100k anyway? It's a psychological barrier. In a well-maintained car it doesn't really matter.

I paid top of the market price for both of mine. For my wife and daughter I wanted Sport seats, Alpine White, iPod/USB, and black leather. I ended up with Nav and park-distance and a few other things. My drive home was 22-hours during which I never experienced buyer's remorse. My 6-speed I ended up with M-sport, Nav, H/K sound, and a few more items I appreciate. If you search for what you want as long as I have, you'll find pricing all over the place and eventually you'll be able to tell a good one from a bad on. I work for a BMW dealership and I would only consider privately owned vehicles for myself. That might tell you something! I made fair offers on both, and both offers were over the "book" value. Short negotiations had me paying maybe $1,000 over my first offer but I just figured I'd have to enjoy it that much more to make up for it. No big deal when you find what you really want

They're really not making much of anything these days with manual transmissions and finding them used on the secondary market will get even more difficult in the future. Grab one while you can!

Wow huge tip on differentiating sport and m-sport with the trim. I wasn't really sure how to tell the difference without a loon in the interior. But you do make good points on paying more for what you want. I'm hoping to get a decent deal but I don't want to cheap out on something that I will be wrenching on and building for the rest of my time. Im searching for a forever car here and am hoping to find it soon. I have lived without navigation and electrical features like that. But I wasn't aware that the 1ers has a Bluetooth iPod option? For me I hade to connect it via usb. Do you still do that? Thanks for the response!

[SmallDave]

I don't have a whole lot more to add on top of what was shared (well spoken BMWCCA1!) but since I've owned my sport package 128i, I've seen some killer deals on m sport models. They seem to pop up once in a while at dealerships when the dealers don't know how rare they are. If you're willing to travel I'm sure you will find a good one.

The sport package is great but the extra m sport details are really great too.

Definitely save some of your budget for a few mods, they really make the car enjoyable to drive!

[NorthernDancer]

I had to fly/drive 1200 miles to get my perfect car 10 years ago.

[gjm120]

You can find non-sport 128i's with sport seats. So don't let the chrome trim stop you from looking at the interior.

[desertman123]

I'd like to add, even if you're a purist and like to keep the car 100% bone stock, I would still very highly recommend a small assortment of mods to massively improve the shift experience.

- CDV (clutch delay valve) delete is a must. It's a piece in the clutch hydraulic line that slows the flow of the fluid. It's supposed to be there for preventing hard shocks on the drivetrain (ie. slows dumping the clutch) but in reality I found it made operating the clutch really inconsistent. Made my experience learning stick harder than it needed to be. While you do this it's a great idea to pump fresh fluid through the whole circuit, I doubt it was done for most cars you'll fine. No need to buy anything (except fluid), the hard and soft line will plug straight into each other once the CDV is gone.
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29828


- BMW Performance short shifter level + some type of upgraded knob (preferably weighted). I found it was a little tough to get from 1st to 2nd quickly, along with revmatching/heel-toe. The short shifter shortened the time between gears so the revs didn't drop too quickly. The weighted knob is to counteract the extra effort required by the short shift lever.
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...er-25117542200

- BMS clutch stop (or eBay equivalent). For the stock clutch most of the bite was towards the top of the clutch pedal's travel so I felt the entire bottom half was useless. There's an adjustable rubber pad you can install to make the clutch stop a little bit earlier. The clutch is still fully disengaged, but you lose an inch or so of travel.
https://burgertuning.com/products/bm...06-mini-cooper


Other recommendations:

- 3 stage intake manifold. The 128i was given the 328i tune, meaning it has decent power but BMW left like ~30hp on the table when compared to the 330i, Z4 3.0si, X3 and X5. There's an intake manifold that has 2 valves inside of it that adjusts the airflow based on your RPM (and a few other conditions). It's a 100% genuine BMW piece that's very easy to find (just go to a junkyard with modern-ish BMWs). You'll need a tune for it, but a tuner called Bimmerlabs created a free-to-use tune you can flash yourself. Basically it's all the benefits of the 330i tune ripped out and stuck inside the 128i tune. It's quite easy if you're decent with computers. No programming or anything, you just install the BMW factory floor software suite (INPA, Winkfp, NCSExpert, etc.), run a Bimmergeeks cable from your car to laptop and run a batch file to have the program do all the hard work. You can also pay someone a small amount to do it for you remotely. Bimmergeeks also makes a very high quality scan and coding tool for your phone.
https://www.bimmerlabs.com/
https://www.bimmergeeks.net/

- 3.73 automatic diff. Basically you just take a differential from the automatic 06 325i, any E9x 328i or 128i and drop it in your car. Zero modification needed, the whole carrier just bolts up like stock. The stock rear end ratio for the manual is a 3.23, so the 3.73 has a bit shorter gears. This is a lot more based on preference and driving habits. It helps acceleration a fair bit, makes the car feel a bit faster, but also has the downside of raising RPMs on the highway. I think I'm at like 2900 or 3100rpm at 80mph indicated? Can't remember exactly. It'll drop your hwy mpg just at tiny bit. But if you're not zooming on the hwy you really won't notice.
https://www.1addicts.com/forums/show....php?t=1418770

[LcossE82]

Originally Posted by desertman123

I'd like to add, even if you're a purist and like to keep the car 100% bone stock, I would still very highly recommend a small assortment of mods to massively improve the shift experience.

- CDV (clutch delay valve) delete is a must. It's a piece in the clutch hydraulic line that slows the flow of the fluid. It's supposed to be there for preventing hard shocks on the drivetrain (ie. slows dumping the clutch) but in reality I found it made operating the clutch really inconsistent. Made my experience learning stick harder than it needed to be. While you do this it's a great idea to pump fresh fluid through the whole circuit, I doubt it was done for most cars you'll fine. No need to buy anything (except fluid), the hard and soft line will plug straight into each other once the CDV is gone.
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29828


- BMW Performance short shifter level + some type of upgraded knob (preferably weighted). I found it was a little tough to get from 1st to 2nd quickly, along with revmatching/heel-toe. The short shifter shortened the time between gears so the revs didn't drop too quickly. The weighted knob is to counteract the extra effort required by the short shift lever.
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...er-25117542200

- BMS clutch stop (or eBay equivalent). For the stock clutch most of the bite was towards the top of the clutch pedal's travel so I felt the entire bottom half was useless. There's an adjustable rubber pad you can install to make the clutch stop a little bit earlier. The clutch is still fully disengaged, but you lose an inch or so of travel.
https://burgertuning.com/products/bm...06-mini-cooper


Other recommendations:

- 3 stage intake manifold. The 128i was given the 328i tune, meaning it has decent power but BMW left like ~30hp on the table when compared to the 330i, Z4 3.0si, X3 and X5. There's an intake manifold that has 2 valves inside of it that adjusts the airflow based on your RPM (and a few other conditions). It's a 100% genuine BMW piece that's very easy to find (just go to a junkyard with modern-ish BMWs). You'll need a tune for it, but a tuner called Bimmerlabs created a free-to-use tune you can flash yourself. Basically it's all the benefits of the 330i tune ripped out and stuck inside the 128i tune. It's quite easy if you're decent with computers. No programming or anything, you just install the BMW factory floor software suite (INPA, Winkfp, NCSExpert, etc.), run a Bimmergeeks cable from your car to laptop and run a batch file to have the program do all the hard work. You can also pay someone a small amount to do it for you remotely. Bimmergeeks also makes a very high quality scan and coding tool for your phone.
https://www.bimmerlabs.com/
https://www.bimmergeeks.net/

- 3.73 automatic diff. Basically you just take a differential from the automatic 06 325i, any E9x 328i or 128i and drop it in your car. Zero modification needed, the whole carrier just bolts up like stock. The stock rear end ratio for the manual is a 3.23, so the 3.73 has a bit shorter gears. This is a lot more based on preference and driving habits. It helps acceleration a fair bit, makes the car feel a bit faster, but also has the downside of raising RPMs on the highway. I think I'm at like 2900 or 3100rpm at 80mph indicated? Can't remember exactly. It'll drop your hwy mpg just at tiny bit. But if you're not zooming on the hwy you really won't notice.
https://www.1addicts.com/forums/show....php?t=1418770

Oh trust me this car will be far from stock 😅. That's the main reason why I'm looking for a 6 speed. The auto on the 128s is boring. I have a lot planned and I will be taking my time. This year will be the year haha!!

[LcossE82]

Originally Posted by SmallDave

I don't have a whole lot more to add on top of what was shared (well spoken BMWCCA1!) but since I've owned my sport package 128i, I've seen some killer deals on m sport models. They seem to pop up once in a while at dealerships when the dealers don't know how rare they are. If you're willing to travel I'm sure you will find a good one.

The sport package is great but the extra m sport details are really great too.

Definitely save some of your budget for a few mods, they really make the car enjoyable to drive!

I hope to find something within driving distance but if I have to go farther I will! Unfortunately In Florida convertible are all I'm getting lucky with.

[BMWCCA1]

Originally Posted by gjm120

You can find non-sport 128i's with sport seats. So don't let the chrome trim stop you from looking at the interior.

I've never seen a US-spec car that was built that way from the factory unless is was a military order picked up overseas.

[gjm120]

Originally Posted by BMWCCA1

I've never seen a US-spec car that was built that way from the factory unless is was a military order picked up overseas.

There's one in my garage

I bought it as a CPO and it was a US ordered car. I have the original sticker - seats were a $400 option.

[krhodes1]

A good manual will shift smoothly and not make any funny noises. You should have no issues downshifting to second gear - the second gear syncro is normally the first to show wear in most manuals.

I'll add that I MUCH prefer the way mine shifts with Redline MTL in it vs. the factory oil it came with (or the freshly changed factory oil in my wagon), but my car won't be driven in cold temps (it will be moving to FL when I fly south for the winter).

I'll second what someone else said about price. Don't be concerned so much about price, be concerned about condition and history. Even the most expensive of these cars is a bargain now compared to what they cost new, buy the best condition you can find. I paid FAR above "book value" for my '11 convertible, and it has been worth every penny. Absolute minter with 46K on it, full service history with all the right things done already. I haven't had to lift a finger on it since I bought it, other than additions I wanted to make.

Good luck with the hunt!

[Ric in RVA]

17 months was how long I looked to replace my 135i that I bought foolishly thinking that if my 1st 128i was fun more HP would be better. Sold the M sport 135i manual on and eventually found the 128i sport 6mt.

Be prepared to move when you find one.

The dealer I bought mine from said "What is with this car we got like 15 calls on it!"

When you find a good one it won't last long.

Good advice in above posts.

[Olgeezer1]

Lots of good advice here. I can only echo what's been said. For a 6 speed/Sport Pkg. car condition and maintenance history is what matters. Besides seats and trim there's also an upgraded/ lower suspension. I looked for 6 months for mine. Be willing to travel and pay anything close to reasonable. Forget book values, these are rare cars and that purchase price will soon be forgotten once you start driving. One last point - maintenance and ALL fluid changes (oil, coolant, trans., diff. ) is critical. "Lifetime fill" as any mechanic knows is a flat out lie.

[BMWCCA1]

Originally Posted by gjm120

There's one in my garage

Well, there you go! So you're the one.

[LcossE82]

Originally Posted by krhodes1

A good manual will shift smoothly and not make any funny noises. You should have no issues downshifting to second gear - the second gear syncro is normally the first to show wear in most manuals.

I'll add that I MUCH prefer the way mine shifts with Redline MTL in it vs. the factory oil it came with (or the freshly changed factory oil in my wagon), but my car won't be driven in cold temps (it will be moving to FL when I fly south for the winter).

I'll second what someone else said about price. Don't be concerned so much about price, be concerned about condition and history. Even the most expensive of these cars is a bargain now compared to what they cost new, buy the best condition you can find. I paid FAR above "book value" for my '11 convertible, and it has been worth every penny. Absolute minter with 46K on it, full service history with all the right things done already. I haven't had to lift a finger on it since I bought it, other than additions I wanted to make.

Good luck with the hunt!

Thanks for the tip on the Manual check. I've personally haven't driven a manual yet so I'm excited to learn. So any advice is good advice to me. (Yes I will take someone else with me to pick up the car lol)

[LcossE82]

Originally Posted by Ric in RVA

17 months was how long I looked to replace my 135i that I bought foolishly thinking that if my 1st 128i was fun more HP would be better. Sold the M sport 135i manual on and eventually found the 128i sport 6mt.

Be prepared to move when you find one.

The dealer I bought mine from said "What is with this car we got like 15 calls on it!"

When you find a good one it won't last long.

Good advice in above posts.

Well I've got 6 months to really be looking for a replacement. So I'm hoping I get some luck there. Gotta stay on my toes!

[LcossE82]

Originally Posted by Olgeezer1

Lots of good advice here. I can only echo what's been said. For a 6 speed/Sport Pkg. car condition and maintenance history is what matters. Besides seats and trim there's also an upgraded/ lower suspension. I looked for 6 months for mine. Be willing to travel and pay anything close to reasonable. Forget book values, these are rare cars and that purchase price will soon be forgotten once you start driving. One last point - maintenance and ALL fluid changes (oil, coolant, trans., diff. ) is critical. "Lifetime fill" as any mechanic knows is a flat out lie.

Im more focused on a 6peed then I am with the other add ons. Suspension, seats, and other things are replaced and upgradable. An auto to manual swap is to much money and time to worry about for me! (I've done the research...)

[Bobs_Blue_E82]

BMWCCA1 - Just wondering what sites/services did you use to find your cars? I searched for cargurus nationwide for serveral weeks before I bought but didn't hardly any 128i manual cars. I just tried again last week, there were a few one looked pretty rough and at least a couple of the others were manuals but no sport package.

Funny thin is though the day after I found and purchased my car from Kansas City's craigslist, there was a blue 6spd with sport package but it was high mileage 150K and heavily modded. I was/am looking for something close to stock.

[carscatscoffee15]

Originally Posted by LcossE82

Im more focused on a 6peed then I am with the other add ons. Suspension, seats, and other things are replaced and upgradable. An auto to manual swap is to much money and time to worry about for me! (I've done the research...)

I wish I had the same outlook.. I would have to undo all the mods and trinkets I added to my auto before selling to get a manual and that's not happening

[LcossE82]

I figured I'd update the thread on my search and new goals that have come up. No luck on finding the right 1er all that I could find were high mileage base models with a clapped out stereo system! But while doing my searches for a 6 speed manual inline 6 I came across the z4m. With more reasearch I began to realize that the z4 is the platform for me and it hits every point on my list that the 1er couldn't. I will be keeping the 1er as the ultimate daily and waiting a year or so to get the z4m. Stay tuned because this 1er will be ultimate and thanks for all the help on the search!!

[BMWCCA1]

Originally Posted by LcossE82

With more reasearch I began to realize that the z4 is the platform for me and it hits every point on my list that the 1er couldn't. I will be keeping the 1er as the ultimate daily and waiting a year or so to get the z4m. Stay tuned because this 1er will be ultimate and thanks for all the help on the search!!

I don't mind the Z4 (I already own six BMW convertibles) but the amount of plastic in the interior and how cheap and breakable it all is, really turns me off. I see plenty of them come in as trades since many owners have them as second- or third-cars. I always end up patching and refitting plastic panels until I finally give up and sell them as-is. Not BMW-impressive. The 1-series is an anvil by comparison, especially after owning an E36 Ti where everything on the inside is a cheaper version of the regular 3-series. I find the 1-series actually holds up better than the same vintage 3-series.

To answer other questions in this thread, the iPod/USB option simply means the car will control an ipod through the iDrive just like a CD. Real iPods only have USB anyway, so the Bluetooth I wanted only for the phone. I don't think thee were a lot of BMWs pre-2014 with wireless music transfer, though I think my '13 does it with my iPhone. Haven't used it enough to remember.

As for sites to search, my 6-speed came from here. My Sport Auto I found on Cars.com, though I'd searched AutoTrader, CarGuru, CarFax, Facebook, Craig's List, and most others for some time. That's my second purchases from Cars.com.