My Thoughts After 6 Months of Ownership with my 2008 E82 135i

[chadillac2000]

After purchasing this mint condition 2008 BMW 135i back in late May with 54,000 miles on the odometer, I know find myself 6 months into ownership after turning 66,000 miles earlier this week.

Within those 6 months, I became very well acquainted with my new obsession. I documented every mod, repair, and preventative maintenance along the way in my build thread (which is linked in my signature). Some of these experiences were brought upon myself, and others forced.

The difference between the day I drove this car home and the car I drive today is immense. My modified version of the E82 135i not only looks menacing in stance, exterior improvements, and color scheme, but it sounds and plays the part well. Every opportunity I could find this spring, summer and fall to fully lower the windows, I took. The stereo was powered off, and still, the soundtrack never got old. Driver's side upgraded inlets, an ER charge pipe equipped with an HKS BOV, a fully catless and resonated exhaust finished off with a Maddad Whisper axleback provided a sensational combination of sounds no matter the driving situation. The BMS clutch stop, ZHP weighted knob, and CDV delete had made operating the 6-speed transmission far more precise and easier to operate every day. What used to be a loose, uninspiring handle was quickly remedied with a slightly lower stance complete with Koni shocks, wider wheels, and more rubber. Aesthetic interior mods, aero parts, and blackout accents brought everything full circle.

Some quick, stream of thought pros and cons:

Pros: For the money, the complete package can't be beat. The power, the looks, the overall build quality is pretty great. I invested $16,500 initially, and probably closer to $21,000 the way it sits now. With somewhere in the neighborhood of 450HP/475TQ on tap, and the ability to easily add a bit more down the road, there's not another car I would ever consider at the present moment for my wants and needs. That's something I've only been able to say once before in my life. The ride is great. This suspension setup is super street-able every day and most of the time I forget how low to the ground this car really is. Car gets great gas mileage, obviously much better with 93 than with high E85 blends. Transmission is both challenging and satisfying. It took me longer than most cars to get a full grasp of the engagement points, rev matching points, and heel toe positions, but now nailing, seamlessly smooth shifts is really rewarding. My girlfriend is not a car enthusiast in the slightest, but she can't seem to tell any differences between the stock version of the 135i I originally purchased and how it sits now; which is a big win in my book. The sport seats are the best I've ever had the pleasure of sitting in and keep my frame perfectly aligned behind the wheel. Mod-ability is great. If I get bored there's always something to tinker with, DIY repair is fairly straightforward, and the platform only seems to be growing.

Cons: Cost of parts, mostly OEM repair related. Aftermarket parts, some of which I've purchased used, didn't really break the bank, but a complete set of index 12 injectors plus coding software wasn't fun to buy unexpectedly. OEM radio is subpar, and mine suffers from pixelation loss when left in any kind of heat for an extended period. Knowing my water pump and thermostat will leave me stranded more than likely over the year and will cost another $500 plus my weekend isn't comforting. I'm now on my second 3rd brake light that I'll need to replace because of cracking. Coming from a car with heated seats and steering wheel, not having either in the 135i is already sorely missed even though it's only November. My brakes squeak under light braking and always have despite having plenty of pad, no debris stuck between the pad and rotor, etc. Dual mass flywheel is noisier than I'd like.

As you can see, the cons are practically nonexistent compared to the pros. This car has my heart and will for the foreseeable future. And I used to think only M cars had soul. I was able to capture one last photo in front of the fall foliage before we fade into Winter here in North Carolina. It's been an absolute pleasure thus far!

[doublevanosrc]

Originally Posted by chadillac2000

Coming from a car with heated seats and steering wheel, not having either in the 135i is already sorely missed even though it's only November.

It's tough coming from a car with heated seats to one without especially when winter arrivals. I experienced this once and vowed to never again buy another car without seat heaters!!

[1N4ttro]

Good to know, thanks.

[Matticus91]

Glad to hear the positive outlook! I second most of what you said as well, the car has been great and I expect that will continue to be the case.

I'm on one year with my current 135i and had 6 months in my last one (a flood ended that party early). My only complaints are OEM parts/some maint items (brakes are ). Oh and the bluetooth functionality is awful lol.

Also just FYI, you can get heated seats/wheel with the non-M sport version. And the base radio is really crap but the HK in mine has been pretty slick with some fine tuning.

[1N4ttro]

Originally Posted by Matticus91

Glad to hear the positive outlook! I second most of what you said as well, the car has been great and I expect that will continue to be the case.

I'm on one year with my current 135i and had 6 months in my last one (a flood ended that party early). My only complaints are OEM parts/some maint items (brakes are ). Oh and the bluetooth functionality is awful lol.

Also just FYI, you can get heated seats/wheel with the non-M sport version. And the base radio is really crap but the HK in mine has been pretty slick with some fine tuning.

How do I determine which radio is on the one I am looking at?

[Matticus91]

Originally Posted by 1N4ttro

How do I determine which radio is on the one I am looking at?

Decode your VIN. You can see mine here, click the back button to enter yours.

https://www.bmwdecoder.com/decode/vm13476

My car has option S688A for the HK system, you'll either see HiFi or BMW Professional.

[1N4ttro]

Originally Posted by Matticus91

Decode your VIN. You can see mine here, click the back button to enter yours.

https://www.bmwdecoder.com/decode/vm13476

My car has option S688A for the HK system, you'll either see HiFi or BMW Professional.

Found option S677A (HiFi System Professional DSP), is this it?

[Matticus91]

Originally Posted by 1N4ttro

Found option S677A (HiFi System Professional DSP), is this it?

Yup exactly, that's the "mid grade" system. They sell speaker upgrade kits if you get the urge to upgrade your tunes. Luckily since you have the HiFi you already have tweeters so you'd just need to swap the speakers themselves throughout the car without having to add any extra housings.

[Dylanize]

Originally Posted by chadillac2000

Knowing my water pump and thermostat will leave me stranded more than likely over the year and will cost another $500 plus my weekend isn't comforting.

I'm sorry but this a silly way to look at this and be worried about...

Why not replace it preventatively and not have to worry? Or at least pick up a kit so you're ready. 90% chance it's gonna happen eventually anyway.

Also nice ride man, where in NC are ya?

[1N4ttro]

Originally Posted by Dylanize

I'm sorry but this a silly way to look at this and be worried about...

Why not replace it preventatively and not have to worry? Or at least pick up a kit so you're ready. 90% chance it's gonna happen eventually anyway.

+1

[1N4ttro]

Originally Posted by Matticus91

Yup exactly, that's the "mid grade" system. They sell speaker upgrade kits if you get the urge to upgrade your tunes. Luckily since you have the HiFi you already have tweeters so you'd just need to swap the speakers themselves throughout the car without having to add any extra housings.

Danm. Why would there be a half upgrade to an option. Grrr!!! Any recommended speakers in particular?

[chadillac2000]

Originally Posted by Matticus91

Decode your VIN. You can see mine here, click the back button to enter yours.

https://www.bmwdecoder.com/decode/vm13476

Very informative site that I hadn't heard of before. Thanks for sharing!

Originally Posted by Dylanize

I'm sorry but this a silly way to look at this and be worried about...

Why not replace it preventatively and not have to worry? Or at least pick up a kit so you're ready. 90% chance it's gonna happen eventually anyway.

Also nice ride man, where in NC are ya?

Originally Posted by 1N4ttro

+1

I agree. If you check out my build thread I've done plenty of preventative maintenance in my short time with the car -- HPFP was replaced right before I took ownership, 6 new injectors even though only 1 failed, valve cleaning, oil filter housing gaskets, externalized the PCV system with catch cans, etc. Felt those were more important than replacing a fully functioning water pump and thermostat.

BUT heeding everyone's advice, now that I am fully caught up on maintenance, hopefully won't need to make any repairs in the near future, and have the car looking and running exactly how I want, I will probably pick up a pump/thermostat to keep on hand for the time when it goes. Then I can have the car towed directly home, replace it, and not be without a vehicle for more than half a day. Still won't make shelling out big money feel any better on a part that's working perfect at the moment.

And I'm up in Asheville, NC. Not many N54/N55 BMWs up in the mountains.

[tommyb13662]

I Also have the HiFi. Special ordered a set of alpine. They sound much better and dont get the distprtion i had when cranked up. Also added a nice oem looking 12" sub and box mounted to the back of the driverside rear seat that allows it to still fold down. The amp fits nicely in the trunk next to the battery with its cap. Also bough a nice usb powered aux input bluetooth adapter that sits under the armrest. One of the best sounding systems i have had... probably the best.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Great looking car, thank you for the review

[Matticus91]

Originally Posted by 1N4ttro

Danm. Why would there be a half upgrade to an option. Grrr!!! Any recommended speakers in particular?

There's an alpine swap available that people seem to have been happy with, some digging for "alpine swap" should get you to a thread that totally details the whole process.

[ianc]

Good looking car. The side pix in your build thread are making me seriously consider canning the rear deck spoiler. If you're getting on the preventive maint, don't forget the serpentine belt; if it breaks and gets sucked into the main seal, it's trouble ahead. Planning on doing mine over the holidays with a little over 66k on the clock.

Oh yeah, and the six index 12's this Sat after the SES last weekend... ;-)

ianc