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      10-24-2006, 07:47 AM   #1
Brookside
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BMW 130i Car&Driver Test- US prices/models hinted

Mini Test: 2006 BMW 130i - Mini Test Road Tests
BMW’s smallest is one of its best. Think of it as a lighter, sharper, quicker 3-series.




BY MARK GILLIES, Car&Driver, October 2006


Think of all the worst excesses of current BMW design in a smaller package, and you can see why the styling of the compact 1-series is so controversial.
But looks aside, the 130i M Sport we drove recently is one rocking automobile.

The 130i shares the same basic layout as the rest of the range: MacPherson strut front suspension, a multi-link rear arrangement, and vented anti-lock disc brakes.
With an overall length of 166.4 inches, the 130i is 11.8 inches shorter than a 328i sedan, which is reflected in a cramped rear seat that is marginal for medium-size adults.
The hatchback, decent trunk space, and 60/40 folding rear seat give the vehicle plenty of utility, however.


The six-cylinder versions of the 1-series are marked out from the fours by chrome kidney grille slats, a darkened window trim, large-bore twin exhaust tips, and seventeen-inch wheels and tires.
The M Sport gets a deeper front airdam, side skirts, and rear valance, and eighteen-inch alloy wheels.

The 130i interior looks a lot like a 3-series sedan’s or coupe’s, with the same basic instrument panel shapes and much of the same switchgear.

Heavily bolstered sport seats, a chunky steering wheel that’s covered in the same perforated leather as the handbrake lever, and aluminum trim pieces are part of the M Sport package.
If you order the pricey navigation system, you are doomed to get iDrive: on the 1-series, the screen pops up out of the center of the dashboard, just as in the Z4.

The 130i can be ordered with Active Steering, BMW’s variable-ratio setup, but fortunately we drove a car fitted with the standard rack-and-pinion arrangement.
Another available high-end feature on the 130i is adaptive headlamps, whereby electric motors swivel the light units up to 15 degrees left or right to help illuminate the path ahead.

As one might imagine, 261 hp in a car that weighs about 3200 pounds makes for a lively ride.
BMW claims that the 130i runs 0 to 62 mph in just 6.1 seconds on its way to a governed top speed of 155 mph.
That number seems quite conservative to us, as we’ve hit 60 mph in 5.6 seconds in a 3458-pound, 255-hp 330i.
The engine sounds great, especially under hard throttle, when a valve in the rear muffler opens up for better breathing and for enhanced aural quality.
The six also provides plenty of mid-range thrust, almost making the six-speed manual moot.
Well, except that the shifter and the clutch pedal are so well honed that you end up changing gears just for the heck of it.

Across country, the 130i M Sport reminded this writer of the E30-series M3 he used to own—compact and poised.
The steering is near telepathic, the brakes are easy to modulate and powerful, and the chassis is beautifully balanced.
In the wet it’s possible to hang the tail loose in slower corners with the stability system disabled,
but for the most part the chassis is neutral and immediately responsive to small throttle and steering inputs.
It feels like a wieldier and more chuckable 3-series, although the ride isn’t as supple or compliant over bumpy roads, where it can become quite choppy.

But that’s a minor complaint. Overall, the 130i M Sport is a fabulous car, providing you can live with the looks. (And trust us, we could understand if you didn’t want to.)
Luckily, it will come to the States in much more attractive coupe guise. The big issue with the car here, however, is going to be pricing.
The car we drove cost the equivalent of $41,500, without leather, navigation, Bluetooth phone preparation, and metallic paint, which added up to an additional $4500.
Even taking the vagaries of the UK/US exchange rate into account, it is difficult to see how BMW can get the 1-series here at considerably less cost than a 3-series coupe.
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      10-25-2006, 12:53 AM   #2
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If it can stay price competitive with the likes of the 350z, upcoming R32, and such, I see no reason why this car will not be a home run.

BTW, is this in the november issue? I do not see it in the october.
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      10-25-2006, 07:54 AM   #3
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Hi Longhorn, yeah, I think it's from the November issue but I'm not sure...
I got it digitally as a recent story...filed yesterday. I wondered about the timing of the story...why publish it when there's nothing to report since the 4-door hatch isn't (apparently) coming to the US?
The only thing I can think of is it keeps the 1-2-er in the news.

And I don't understand the complexities of the dollar's value compared to euro's...but it does seem that we in the US get BMW's priced comparatively much lower than the rest of the world.
Add the relatively low cost of gasoline and you've got a pretty good deal for American consumers.
The "2" coupe I expect to see come in around a couple grand under the base "3". Start adding some options and pretty soon you'll be in "3" territory.

I noticed the writer, Gillies, takes 2 swipes at the 1-ers design.
I'm surprised because the car seems to be boiled down to the essence of BMW mainstream design rather than some sort of wild extension.
I'd love to see a 1-er on our shores as a hatch....the sooner the better
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      10-25-2006, 02:14 PM   #4
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He takes swipes at the design, with no real design analysis... not particluarly good journalism. It would have been a more useful article had he explained why an American magazine is testing a car not availalbe here. May as well be testing a Renault or a Fiat...

From what I've read elsewhere, I seem to recall Euro prices being substantially higher than North America, buy a factor of around 20% currency adjusted. I think part of it is due to smaller markets. Also, the English need the right-hand drive version, which has to drive up costs. A third factor is the greater variety of models in Europe, what with a variety of deisel engine, small gas engine to duck engine capacity taxes, and then the big engines that we get.

In Canadian $$ the 335i starts at $49,000, the 328i is $41,000 and we have a 320i at $35,600 (not available in the US). I would expect a base 2er (223i, lets say) to come in at around $32,000, then a well equipped 228i at about $38,000 and a 235i M Sport at about $45,000. Any higher than that and they'd be priced out of the market. An Audi A3 or Mercedes B200 (also not yet in the US, me thinks) both come with good equipment, around 200hp and turbo 4-bangers for under $35,000. Even if the 2er is really special, the market won't have the patience to find out if the pricing far exceeds the competition.

I'll let someone else convert that to $US...
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      10-25-2006, 04:07 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brookside
Hi Longhorn, yeah, I think it's from the November issue but I'm not sure...
I got it digitally as a recent story...filed yesterday. I wondered about the timing of the story...why publish it when there's nothing to report since the 4-door hatch isn't (apparently) coming to the US?
The only thing I can think of is it keeps the 1-2-er in the news.
IMO, it is because of the latter. BMW is smart about marketing and advertising and with the coupe's supposed launch in ~12-15 months, they may be simply trying to build enthusiasm. IIRC, they also tested a 120d (or 120i) a couple months ago as well.


And I don't understand the complexities of the dollar's value compared to euro's...but it does seem that we in the US get BMW's priced comparatively much lower than the rest of the world.
Add the relatively low cost of gasoline and you've got a pretty good deal for American consumers.
The "2" coupe I expect to see come in around a couple grand under the base "3". Start adding some options and pretty soon you'll be in "3" territory.



I noticed the writer, Gillies, takes 2 swipes at the 1-ers design.
I'm surprised because the car seems to be boiled down to the essence of BMW mainstream design rather than some sort of wild extension.
I'd love to see a 1-er on our shores as a hatch....the sooner the better
asdf
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      10-25-2006, 04:12 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spudwest
He takes swipes at the design, with no real design analysis... not particluarly good journalism. It would have been a more useful article had he explained why an American magazine is testing a car not availalbe here. May as well be testing a Renault or a Fiat...

From what I've read elsewhere, I seem to recall Euro prices being substantially higher than North America, buy a factor of around 20% currency adjusted. I think part of it is due to smaller markets. Also, the English need the right-hand drive version, which has to drive up costs. A third factor is the greater variety of models in Europe, what with a variety of deisel engine, small gas engine to duck engine capacity taxes, and then the big engines that we get.

In Canadian $$ the 335i starts at $49,000, the 328i is $41,000 and we have a 320i at $35,600 (not available in the US). I would expect a base 2er (223i, lets say) to come in at around $32,000, then a well equipped 228i at about $38,000 and a 235i M Sport at about $45,000. Any higher than that and they'd be priced out of the market. An Audi A3 or Mercedes B200 (also not yet in the US, me thinks) both come with good equipment, around 200hp and turbo 4-bangers for under $35,000. Even if the 2er is really special, the market won't have the patience to find out if the pricing far exceeds the competition.

I'll let someone else convert that to $US...
The English get saddled with some pretty high taxes and this is often the reason why their prices are so much higher, even currency adjusted.

I expect BMW will not even bother with the coupe unless they can get the base significantly below the 3 coupe (i.e. ~30K).
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      10-25-2006, 10:11 PM   #7
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The Audi A3 is available in the U.S....tho you sure wouldn't know that in my neck of the woods - where it's virtually non-existent on the roads...
and I think it has a lot to do with price point....the 3.2L w. Quattro version with Sports pkg. tops a whopping 39k (US$) which puts it in direct competition with the A4 and 3-er.



I agree with both you guys about this article basically serving as pre-publicity for the 2-er. And as for Gillies, the writer, condescendingly
dissing the 1-er design....what's that? It's a car that car people love.
Maybe it's that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I've always thought
of the 1-er hatch as a car for car people...an insider's choice. I can't think of a brawnier more "guy" small car than this little bimmer.
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      10-31-2006, 06:25 AM   #8
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This is weird...Just got my November issue of Car&Driver and there's no 1-series article....
so I'm at a loss to explain exactly when the Mark Gillies review was published.
I'll do a search to find out.
Meantime the real current issue lauds the BMW 335-
in the article Mark Gillies (the same) knashes his teeth and admits he usually hates BMW design...other than the 3-er coupe....
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      10-31-2006, 08:35 AM   #9
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The 1er article was poor. Maybe CD felt it didn't merit going to print.

I have very little respect for any auto journalist who states categorically that he "usually hates BMW design". Perhaps not his favorite marque, but would it be credible for a Wine expert to state that he "usually hates Austalian wines"...
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      10-31-2006, 01:57 PM   #10
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Good point Spud, my wife writes for a daily newspaper and oversees a coupla part-time writers who also cover her beat...the not-so-good stuff never gets cut...
"kill fees" pretty much approximate the same amount as a regular payment (miserable wages).... they end up on their web-page.
Maybe this is what happened.
Strange mystery.
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      11-05-2006, 02:26 AM   #11
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i think bmw might actually give a turbo 4 in the 1er when it hits states or an i6 which produces around 200hp for about 25k - 26k
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      11-06-2006, 06:38 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BEE-EM-VAY
i think bmw might actually give a turbo 4 in the 1er when it hits states or an i6 which produces around 200hp for about 25k - 26k
I think it would be a great move by BMW to do this..
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      11-06-2006, 12:55 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmwfreak
I think it would be a great move by BMW to do this..
I agree. It would be really sweet if they made the 4-cylinder out of the R6 architecture for extra light weight....
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      11-07-2006, 07:00 AM   #14
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From EniLab on GCF.com..... "First 3dr 1er & 5dr 1er facelift in March (2007), then 2er cabrio, and after cabrio a 2er coupe. It takes time ...
BMW is known for gradual delivery of new models.
It will be a minor facelift - with very minor design changes (eg. redesigned bumpers)."

Also...(from another source) cab will have a traditional folding soft-top rather than the retractable hard-top recently introduced on the 3-er cabrio.

In other words...no real surprises- except the weird plan to introduce the cabrio before the coupe is re-confirmed.
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