Topic: BMW 1 Series

[Mitlov]

120d: Second generation common-rail diesel engine with aluminium crankcase achieves zero to 62mph in 7.5 seconds (7.6 seconds for five-door) before going on to a top speed of 142mph. Output is 177hp (up 14hp) while peak torque is 350Nm (up 10Nm). Combined fuel consumption is 57.6mpg (improves by 16 per cent) and CO2 emissions are 129g/km (down 15.1 per cent).

I want this engine. Maybe not in a 1 Series, but in general, I want this engine.

  If they offered a 320d sedan with a six-speed manual, I'd be sorely tempted indeed.

[Ex-airbalancer]

From winding roads
http://magazine.windingroad.com/windingroad/200801/?folio=87

[davidm]

From winding roads
http://magazine.windingroad.com/windingroad/200801/?folio=87

If you watch their attached video you see them stepping out the rear end quite nicely.  They seem to believe the understeer is from poor driving technique/choices.  Guess we'll have to wait and see.

[Triple Bob]

I just don't see the fascination with this car.  There are hundreds on the roads here, and none of them look as good as Golf GTi, and a new Elise is cheaper.

Each to their own I suppose... 

GTI is FWD.  If you don't mind FWD, I'd say the GTI is a tempting choice (especially considering it's thousands cheaper than a 128i).  But there are some real RWD fanatics out there.  You know who you are

As for the Elise, maybe it's cheaper in Europe.  In the States, at least, the 128i starts in the upper $20s, the 135i starts in the lower $30s, and the Elise starts at $46,000.

I'm a big RWD fanatic, and I'd still rather have the golf.

I'm very curious why as well.  Never driven a 1-series, but have driven a 3 series.  I might be ending up cross shopping a GTI and a 1-series (along with a Mini and a few others) and the FWD of the GTI is a big negative for me.  Love your thoughts, especially if you've had an opportunity to drive both.

On the golf, I have driven a GT Sport, which was good, but not the GTi.  I'm not big into FWD but with a car of this wheelbase I don't think it matters, in fact I think RWD and a short wheelbase/high car combination can be very tricky handling-wise, especially in the wet.  There is just something about the Golf I find very reassuring, the look, the design, the build quality, and the value for money. The R32 is £25K and would be my preferred choice, but the GTi is about £21K.

The equivalent BMW is probably the 120i SE (which I haven't driven), optioned up it would probably be a little bit more expensive than the golf (and christ it's a long options list).  I suppose it is more the design that I don't like which is a very personal thing, and yes I refer to the hatch more than anything, although I don't find the coupe a looker either.

I just think that BMW could have nailed the market, if they had started with the tii, and then made an even lighter model as the special sports edition.  VW's golf had been getting less cohesive and lardier with each iteration, the latest generation is one of the best handling hatches around and by far one of the best handling FWD cars I've ever driven.

It's just my opinion, but I think that with the 1-series BMW started with a poor design, and now they are just adding to it. And I'm not really taking price into the above, but for the price of a top spec 1-series, there are much better cars out there.

Anyone who likes them please don't take it personally.

 

[davidm]

I take nothing personally, it's a car and an opinion.

I'm interested in the RWD, short wheelbase comment.  Liked my Miata a lot, and I assume you liked your Elise/Exige.  Very short wheelbase cars with RWD.  I don't mind the squirlly in the wet despite the fact that I live in rainforest - certainly beats a high-HP RWD car in the wet like my boss' SL500 or a Mustang GT.  Even my 328i was fun - oversteer is my friend.

I prefer the hatch, the price, and the DSG (I need an auto unfortunately) of the GTI, but the RWD, the power, and my assumption of the handling of the 1-series.  Besides, I'm a bit of a BMW fanboy at heart.  Also, BMW quality has traditionally (and for me) been much better than Audi/VW, although this German built GTI is supposed to be much better (so far).

Thanks for your comments.  Looking forward to lots of testing in the spring.

[Mitlov]

I take nothing personally, it's a car and an opinion.

You must be new to the internet

[Triple Bob]

I take nothing personally, it's a car and an opinion.

You must be new to the internet

LOL 

He was obviously trying to fend off the lawyers before they started asking for facts!

 

[davidm]

I take nothing personally, it's a car and an opinion.

You must be new to the internet

LOL 

He was obviously trying to fend off the lawyers before they started asking for facts!

 

I do work with a lot of lawyers and I work around (and occasionally do) some negotiating over buying stakes in businesses with "high strung" founders.  I'm pretty used to getting yelled at over silly stuff (its only money  ).

Life is too short to take this stuff personally.  Now when my wife laughs at  , that I take personally 

[safristi]

  pharmaceuticals ARE YER FRIEND................ ......E lise wot ya laughing @ It can do 100 to a FULL_STOP in 4 seconds.....

[Ex-airbalancer]

You now can build it on the US site http://www.bmwusa.com/Default.aspx

[Mitlov]

You now can build it on the US site http://www.bmwusa.com/Default.aspx

A 128i with metallic paint and the sport suspension is within a $1000 or so of a G37.     Blah blah depreciation, blah blah service included for the first year or so, blah blah blah.  That's still highway robbery. 

[mmret]

You now can build it on the US site http://www.bmwusa.com/Default.aspx

A 128i with metallic paint and the sport suspension is within a $1000 or so of a G37.     Blah blah depreciation, blah blah service included for the first year or so, blah blah blah.  That's still highway robbery. 

Agreed. The 128 still comes in at enough of a discoutn from a G37 (once everything is factored in) to make you think twice, but it could be a very painful choice...

[Mitlov]

Agreed. The 128 still comes in at enough of a discoutn from a G37 (once everything is factored in) to make you think twice, but it could be a very painful choice...

Comparably equipped:

Infiniti G37 coupe Sport 6MT costs US$35,550, plus $1000 for a sunroof (standard on the Bimmer) plus $715 delivery to total $37,265.

BMW 128i costs $28,600, plus $475 for metallic paint, plus $3,600 for leather power seats w/ memory and lumbar, plus $1,200 for sport seats and 17" wheels, plus $400 for iPod adapter, plus $800 for xenon headlights, plus $595 for satellite radio, plus $775 delivery, equals $36,445.

Price difference for a comparably-equipped 128i and G37: US$820.  So the 128i isn't actually cheaper than a G37; it just makes many of the popular features optional (and if you want BMW's legendary slow depreciation, you'll need to order those options).

That's not much of a price savings when you consider that the G makes 100 more horsepower, 70 more lb-feet, and has a whole lot more room for front and rear passengers.  The 335i could argue "better balance" over the G37, but considering that several reviewers have said that the 1-series is less balanced than the 3-Series (Automobile Magazine used the phrase "tire-howling understeer"), that virtue is out the window.

[evil_twin]

Although the numbers you quote are certainly true, you'd have to be fool to option up a 1 series like that, especially a 128i.  Just take a base 135i with only a sport package as an option and the Jet black paint (non-metallic and the best looking in my opinion) and it comes out to about the same price as the 128i you optioned out.  And the 135i actually includes a lot of the options from the 128i (inc. 18" wheels and xenon lights).

The 1er is definitely an expensive car, but it at least provides a "relatively" affordable way to step into that N54 engine.

If your priorities are a well optioned car (plush leather, satellite radio, etc), the 128i is definitely a foolish way to do it.  Lease an '07 328i coupe (great lease rates right now) or get the G37 by all means.

 

[Mitlov]

Although the numbers you quote are certainly true, you'd have to be fool to option up a 1 series like that, especially a 128i.  Just take a base 135i with only a sport package as an option and the Jet black paint (non-metallic and the best looking in my opinion) and it comes out to about the same price as the 128i you optioned out.  And the 135i actually includes a lot of the options from the 128i (inc. 18" wheels and xenon lights).

The 1er is definitely an expensive car, but it at least provides a "relatively" affordable way to step into that N54 engine.

If your priorities are a well optioned car (plush leather, satellite radio, etc), the 128i is definitely a foolish way to do it.  Lease an '07 328i coupe (great lease rates right now) or get the G37 by all means.

Fair enough.  A 128i as I, personally, would equip it (metallic paint, heated seats, sport package, iPod compatability, and premium sound) costs $33,075, including delivery.  That's $4,000 less than the above G37 (and I like sunroofs).  A 135i as I would like it (metallic paint, heated seats, iPod, and premium sound) is $38,025, which is only $800 more than the above G37.

[ghost]

Hmm... if one is inclined to get a 128i, why not just get a CPO E46 330ci (ZHP)? They are about the same size afterall isn't BMW trying to fill the once compact model with the 1-series now that the 3-series has bloated up so much?

[DriverJeff]

Further to Evil_Twin's point about nobody actually tarting up a 128 to that level, I will be surprised if the pricing works out to be so close here in Canada.  A 323i starts at $35,900 (presumably the same as what the 128i will start at), whereas the G-coupe starts at 47,350.  Nearly $12k apart to begin. 

If a 135i already comes stock with a sport pkg seats and suspension for $41k Cdn (ie. same as a 328i), there's a pretty big $6k+ difference between the two cars.

[Wolfe]

Further to Evil_Twin's point about nobody actually tarting up a 128 to that level, I will be surprised if the pricing works out to be so close here in Canada.  A 323i starts at $35,900 (presumably the same as what the 128i will start at), whereas the G-coupe starts at 47,350.  Nearly $12k apart to begin. 

If a 135i already comes stock with a sport pkg seats and suspension for $41k Cdn (ie. same as a 328i), there's a pretty big $6k+ difference between the two cars.

So the standard Canadian ripoff will help us to not feel so ...um ...ripped off.

[DriverJeff]

Further to Evil_Twin's point about nobody actually tarting up a 128 to that level, I will be surprised if the pricing works out to be so close here in Canada.  A 323i starts at $35,900 (presumably the same as what the 128i will start at), whereas the G-coupe starts at 47,350.  Nearly $12k apart to begin. 

If a 135i already comes stock with a sport pkg seats and suspension for $41k Cdn (ie. same as a 328i), there's a pretty big $6k+ difference between the two cars.

So the standard Canadian ripoff will help us to not feel so ...um ...ripped off.

Indeed... or another way to look at it is to see that BMW Canada rips us off slightly less than does Nissan / Infiniti Canada.     

[baumer00]

Spent a day in a 120i in Hong Kong, my bestfriend from high school drove me around in one.  It's a pretty nice car.  Seemed kinda bland on the interior (but I feel that way about most BMWs).  We didn't get a chance to open it up as the streets of HK are congested, but there was more than enough power for city driving.  I'll have a couple of pics to post soon.

As a bit of an aside, the 120 is his car, his Mom also has a 7 Series and I think his dad drives something similar (maybe an S Class), like most people in HK they get their cars hand washed on a daily basis (yes that's envy you're sensing)