RE: 2021 BMW 128ti | UK Review

[Don Roque]

PH, please proofread these articles before they go out.

[bigmowley]

aston addict said:

Still looks hideous. You’d have to hide it - or get in it when it’s dark.

And speaking of dark, Matt did you write this article in the dark - a few words have become concatenated

Concatenated.

Great word, actually had to look that up

[anonymous-user]

Front looks like a puppy dogs smiley face.....

[davidc1]

Really like this. Prefer it to the new golf gti. Bravo bmw.

[CDP]

Marcodude said:

Well it sounds like a decent steer.

However, I just cant get over the Hyundai ish looks and the general BMW blandness.

Will reserve further judgement until a test drive, but it's a no from me at the moment.

Apart from the septumless front grill that looks like it's been badly photoshopped on. The overhang at the front is awful too, and the sill by the rear wheel. The bonnet line too

Actually it's a mess.

[TyrannosauRoss Lex]

I would rather have a Toyota GR Yaris I reckon. Lighter, same sort of power but a 3 cylinder engine, so it'll sound better.

[GroundEffect]

Mr Tidy said:

More boot space, more rear seat space, etc. just means bigger and lardier to me!

I'd rather have RWD with an open diff than FWD of any description, but maybe that's just me.

I doubt the 128ti will feel more potent than a 3 litre N52 but would need to drive one to find out - but I can't find any enthusiasm for that.

For now I'll console myself with my much cheaper Z4M Coupe with way more power, manual gearbox only, hydraulic PAS, RWD, LSD and £580 a year road tax - but who cares?

We're only here once.

Pity the Z4Ms are crap to drive eh

[Jon_S_Rally]

I'm sure its a decent steer, but the looks are still a bit of a challenge for me. Megane, Focus and i30 are all better looking cars and probably offer every bit as good a driving experience, so I would be looking at those personally I think.

[biggbn]

Like this, not for the styling which is pretty meh but because it sounds like a hoot. A more grown up Mini?

[BBenzzz]

As an owner of an F40 M135i and having seen one of these in my local showroom when I collected it in late November, I'll say its a good looking motor but I never got a chance to have a shot (I am also biased..).

Now, I am also a previous owner of an F21 M135i so I feel like I can base a solid opinion on the old v new debate. I also had an S3 saloon in between so I am not a BMW die-hard.

The old one made a great noise and pulled like a couple of angry horses were tied to the front but in anything but dry conditions it could be abit of a handful even driven with a bit of restraint. Interior space was a bit cramped and the overall design was a bit lack-lustre (hence the move to Audi for a few years).

Having spent a couple of months with the new one, okay the 6-cyl howl isn't there and some of the exterior design aspects take a bit fo getting used to but inside it is a wonderful place to be and in all but incredibly-unideal weather it hasnt put a foot wrong.

I guess I dont powerslide my cars around roundabouts and B-roads on a Sunday morning so I'm probably missing the point but for a day to day car.. I would pick new over old and at the end of the day 95% of these types of cars sold will be used as just that.

All of this has lead me off track - if the 128ti is a lighter more focused version just with less power, it will undoubtadely be a spot-on day to day car to own and enjoy (for reasonable money too).

[LuS1fer]

BMW used to - and may still - offer a badge delete option.

If they could offer a grille-delete option, they'd be right on the money but there is no seeing past it. Horrific.

Edited by LuS1fer on Thursday 4th February 12:34

[Kawasicki]

BBenzzz said:

As an owner of an F40 M135i and having seen one of these in my local showroom when I collected it in late November, I'll say its a good looking motor but I never got a chance to have a shot (I am also biased..).

Now, I am also a previous owner of an F21 M135i so I feel like I can base a solid opinion on the old v new debate. I also had an S3 saloon in between so I am not a BMW die-hard.

The old one made a great noise and pulled like a couple of angry horses were tied to the front but in anything but dry conditions it could be abit of a handful even driven with a bit of restraint. Interior space was a bit cramped and the overall design was a bit lack-lustre (hence the move to Audi for a few years).

Having spent a couple of months with the new one, okay the 6-cyl howl isn't there and some of the exterior design aspects take a bit fo getting used to but inside it is a wonderful place to be and in all but incredibly-unideal weather it hasnt put a foot wrong.

I guess I dont powerslide my cars around roundabouts and B-roads on a Sunday morning so I'm probably missing the point but for a day to day car.. I would pick new over old and at the end of the day 95% of these types of cars sold will be used as just that.

All of this has lead me off track - if the 128ti is a lighter more focused version just with less power, it will undoubtadely be a spot-on day to day car to own and enjoy (for reasonable money too).

You're missing the point.

[samoht]

aston addict said:

And speaking of dark, Matt did you write this article in the dark - a few words have become concatenated

I don't believe it's Matt's fault; apparently rather than editors, PH employ verbiage-munching imps who randomly chomp sections of the article when it's posted onto their site.

In this article they seem to have got their teeth into the fifth paragraph:

"difference in 0-62mph sprinbut that"
"the same admirablhere as it does"
"effective rather than a memorpowertrain"

[pb8g09]

BBenzzz said:

As an owner of an F40 M135i and having seen one of these in my local showroom when I collected it in late November, I'll say its a good looking motor but I never got a chance to have a shot (I am also biased..).

Now, I am also a previous owner of an F21 M135i so I feel like I can base a solid opinion on the old v new debate. I also had an S3 saloon in between so I am not a BMW die-hard.

The old one made a great noise and pulled like a couple of angry horses were tied to the front but in anything but dry conditions it could be abit of a handful even driven with a bit of restraint. Interior space was a bit cramped and the overall design was a bit lack-lustre (hence the move to Audi for a few years).

Having spent a couple of months with the new one, okay the 6-cyl howl isn't there and some of the exterior design aspects take a bit fo getting used to but inside it is a wonderful place to be and in all but incredibly-unideal weather it hasnt put a foot wrong.

I guess I dont powerslide my cars around roundabouts and B-roads on a Sunday morning so I'm probably missing the point but for a day to day car.. I would pick new over old and at the end of the day 95% of these types of cars sold will be used as just that.

All of this has lead me off track - if the 128ti is a lighter more focused version just with less power, it will undoubtadely be a spot-on day to day car to own and enjoy (for reasonable money too).

Interesting thoughts. How does it compare to the S3?

[BBenzzz]

Kawasicki said:

You're missing the point.

That's fine. A lot of the thread so far had been drawing comparisons to the previous M135i so I thought I'd throw my tuppence in with my opinion of that vs the new gen. Apart from missing 4WD and some power w. some suspension tweaks this car (128ti) wont feel worlds apart from the new M135i.

I may be a serial lurker but I'm not willing to boost up my post numbers just by telling someone I missed a point when I gave a brief rounded opinion of the car in the original article in the last line. I also made my initial point that it was a comparision of new vs old clear in the beginning of the post so if you don't like it, dont read it.

[BBenzzz]

pb8g09 said:

Interesting thoughts. How does it compare to the S3?

It actually feels a bit fatter, and slightly less nimble if I'm entirely honest. However to the same point, it also feels more solid and when it comes to interiors BM have actually out-done Audi with the newest iterations of hot-hatches. A nice place to be is important for me when I choose a car but criteria differ between people and I have also grown to really like the exterior design.

[SidewaysSi]

Great rear space and a bigger boot which is no doubt handy to most people.

[pb8g09]

BBenzzz said:

It actually feels a bit fatter, and slightly less nimble if I'm entirely honest. However to the same point, it also feels more solid and when it comes to interiors BM have actually out-done Audi with the newest iterations of hot-hatches. A nice place to be is important for me when I choose a car but criteria differ between people and I have also grown to really like the exterior design.

Cool, I think I prefer the idea of an S3 to an M135i and I'm a paid up BMW fan.

I know I'll be scorned for the old vs new debate- but in the real world it is a thing as the car buyer does have a choice - there are so many things I'd rather spend this amount of money on than a FWD (semi) hot hatch that (to me) looks like an MPV.

[TristPerrin]

I don't hate it, but it hardly stand out of the crowd now does it?

I mean it's a bit nicer inside than a Ford Focus ST, but it's a little bit slower. It's a uglier than a Golf GTi, but sounds like it drives a bit better. I think this market segment is so generic now that it really come down to watch badge you want / who has the best PCP deals.

I don't know, i just find it hard to get excited about anything BMW (or most manufacturers actually) makes these days. None of it is bad, in fact im sure it all quite good, but it all feels so soulless...

[Numeric]

BBenzzz said:

pb8g09 said:

Interesting thoughts. How does it compare to the S3?

It actually feels a bit fatter, and slightly less nimble if I'm entirely honest. However to the same point, it also feels more solid and when it comes to interiors BM have actually out-done Audi with the newest iterations of hot-hatches. A nice place to be is important for me when I choose a car but criteria differ between people and I have also grown to really like the exterior design.

Many years ago someone quite senior at BMW was lamenting to me that interiors had to be slightly less good than Audi as they couldn't utilise massive group engineering to save costs so had less to spend on interiors of their lower end cars and even as an avid BMW fan i'd describe the last 135i interior as - well basic at best - but I wonder if increased volume has given them that economy as interiors now seem good to me on the new 1 while those of recent VAG offerings have seemed to slip back - maybe as a result of diesel gate costs causing a desire for cost saving? Just a thought - but the touch screen interiors of VAG do look like a cost down profile.

And yes perhaps VAG driver profiles is exactly what BMW seek with the current car - as you said you are not an opposite lock style driver and to appeal to that type of driver cost BMW dear in engineering cost, packaging and other showroom appeal elements while delivering I imagine incredibly small amounts of volume, far outweighed by the volume they lost because of the aforementioned elements. They have created a really good car and for those that want small and rear wheel drive - well the second hand market beckons or maybe the next 2?