RE: 2021 BMW 128ti | UK Review

[Maccmike8]

The red accents look cheap otherwise thumps up

[SidewaysSi]

nickfrog said:

Kawasicki said:

I like beer. I don’t like whiskey. People tell me I haven’t tasted the right whiskey and proceed to give me a little sample of some celebrated single malt. It tastes like whiskey. I prefer beer.

So it is with the FWD versus RWD discussion.

Some prefer RWD, no matter how amazing others find certain FWD cars... they will never compare.

I don't doubt you would choose a Ssangyong Rodius over a 128ti or a Megane RS or a Honda DC5.

I am a beer kinda fellow and like for like, I would go RWD every time. I have driven some very good FWD cars but they aren't for me personally.

I found the DC5 and DC2 quite disappointing which I know goes against the grain.

[Kawasicki]

nickfrog said:

Kawasicki said:

I like beer. I don’t like whiskey. People tell me I haven’t tasted the right whiskey and proceed to give me a little sample of some celebrated single malt. It tastes like whiskey. I prefer beer.

So it is with the FWD versus RWD discussion.

Some prefer RWD, no matter how amazing others find certain FWD cars... they will never compare.

I don't doubt you would choose a Ssangyong Rodius over a 128ti or a Megane RS or a Honda DC5.

I haven’t driven the Ssangyong... I used to own an early 90‘s Jeep Cherokee though, and it was more fun to drive than any FWD car I’ve ever driven. That’s me preferring a cheap, basic beer over the best whiskey I’ve tried. I don’t think my preference is correct, I just think it’s mine.

[Court_S]

panholio said:

Deals on this with no options...

£342 down £342 a month, 48 months, 8k miles per year.

I bet you could squeeze a bit more off that.

That’s pretty competitive, certainly compared to what VW want for a Golf.

[Armchair_Expert]

aka_kerrly said:

I expect the new 128ti engine will feel far more potent and give far better mpg than the old 3.0 I6 which to be frank I don't think is anywhere near as special or a major selling point.

Just to confirm you think that the 2.0 4 pot will feel more potent than the B58?

[nickfrog]

Maccmike8 said:

The red accents look cheap otherwise thumps up

I agree. Thankfully they can be optioned out.

I just built a black one on the configurator and needed no (paying) options, it's very well specced as standard too. It even looks good in black with no red bits and you don't even have to have the darkened rear windows. At close to £30k after discounts it's actually a fantastic one car proposition in terms of value and versatility.

[GTEYE]

Armchair_Expert said:

aka_kerrly said:

I expect the new 128ti engine will feel far more potent and give far better mpg than the old 3.0 I6 which to be frank I don't think is anywhere near as special or a major selling point.

Just to confirm you think that the 2.0 4 pot will feel more potent than the B58?

No he was referring back to the comments that had been made about the old E87 130i from 10 plus years ago, not the B58.

[nickfrog]

Kawasicki said:

I haven’t driven the Ssangyong... I used to own an early 90‘s Jeep Cherokee though, and it was more fun to drive than any FWD car I’ve ever driven. That’s me preferring a cheap, basic beer over the best whiskey I’ve tried. I don’t think my preference is correct, I just think it’s mine.

I hear you. I am glad I like both whiskey and beer though as I wouldn't like to endure a 90's Cherokee

[GTEYE]

nickfrog said:

Maccmike8 said:

The red accents look cheap otherwise thumps up

I agree. Thankfully they can be optioned out.

I just built a black one on the configurator and needed no (paying) options, it's very well specced as standard too. It even looks good in black with no red bits and you don't even have to have the darkened rear windows. At close to £30k after discounts it's actually a fantastic one car proposition in terms of value and versatility.

I think this was what they were trying to evoke:

[Mackofthejungle]

I started reading this and basically fell asleep. What a boring car.

These large hot hatches are just so awful. The size of an old 3 series estate, with a little head poking up above the window line, and a farty drone. I don't get it. Everything's moved up a size class, but nobody's making proper hot hatches from appropriately sized hatchbacks.... And sure there's the Fiesta, but even that's too big. Where is the fast Aygo? Panda? Up? Appearance for billy small cock is all that seems to matter.

[Bser16]

Hilarious that BMW is going after a VW Golf instead of a luxury car. Taking a USP and flushing down the toilet. The BMW way

[fido]

Bser16 said:

Hilarious that BMW is going after a VW Golf instead of a luxury car. Taking a USP and flushing down the toilet. The BMW way

This is like the 316 of yesteryear (except for FWD) - no harm in eeking out some profit from those £200 per month PCP badge-biatches.
I quite like the minimalist look of the new BMW Megane.

[CDP]

BFleming said:

On pricing, the article and the BMW website have some anomalies.

Price: £32,780 (article), £33320 (BMW)
Price as tested: £35480 (article), £37020 (BMW) - PH missed off the £1000 sunroof option

Bit of a difference.

That's Jaguar XF money.

A much better car than a hot hatch from a mainstream maker that has amazingly managed to combine bland and ugly.

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-driven/2021-ja...

[MC Bodge]

Mackofthejungle said:

I started reading this and basically fell asleep. What a boring car.

These large hot hatches are just so awful. The size of an old 3 series estate, with a little head poking up above the window line, and a farty drone. I don't get it. Everything's moved up a size class, but nobody's making proper hot hatches from appropriately sized hatchbacks.... And sure there's the Fiesta, but even that's too big. Where is the fast Aygo? Panda? Up? Appearance for billy small cock is all that seems to matter.

Agreed. They are all too fast (and often too hard in the suspension) to be of much use to most people in the UK, unless they make a special trip somewhere, anyway. Is it just me or is it rare to see people driving fast, other than the occasional fast start from the lights?

Edited by MC Bodge on Thursday 4th February 14:09

[MiseryStreak]

I do find it funny that the 128ti, their first with fwd, is a better driver’s car than the M135. I wonder if there was a conversation towards the end of its development about making it a bit more crap?

Will they still apply the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ monicker to this model, despite being wrong wheel drive?

Edited by MiseryStreak on Thursday 4th February 14:08

[TyrannosauRoss Lex]

MiseryStreak said:

I do find it funny that the 128ti, their first with fwd, is a better driver’s car than the M135. I wonder if there was a conversation towards the end of its development about making a bit more crap?

Will they still apply the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ monicker to this model, despite being wrong wheel drive?

They haven't used that moniker for over a decade.

[kambites]

TyrannosauRoss Lex said:

MiseryStreak said:

I do find it funny that the 128ti, their first with fwd, is a better driver’s car than the M135. I wonder if there was a conversation towards the end of its development about making a bit more crap?

Will they still apply the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ monicker to this model, despite being wrong wheel drive?

They haven't used that moniker for over a decade.

Perhaps not in the UK, but they certainly still use it elsewhere. I saw it on a big billboard in Bulgaria last summer.

[TyrannosauRoss Lex]

Mackofthejungle said:

I started reading this and basically fell asleep. What a boring car.

These large hot hatches are just so awful. The size of an old 3 series estate, with a little head poking up above the window line, and a farty drone. I don't get it. Everything's moved up a size class, but nobody's making proper hot hatches from appropriately sized hatchbacks.... And sure there's the Fiesta, but even that's too big. Where is the fast Aygo? Panda? Up? Appearance for billy small cock is all that seems to matter.

Did you fall asleep before the part they said it was good to drive?

What about the GR Yaris? That can't be too big for you, surely?

[HazzaT]

TyrannosauRoss Lex said:

Did you fall asleep before the part they said it was good to drive?

What about the GR Yaris? That can't be too big for you, surely?

The GR is quite wide isn't it? It's short but very square. Can't see there being much size difference between it and the Fiesta ST.

I find the size of the new 1er quite hard to gauge, it looks in photos like it should be a bigger car than it actually is. Looking at photos you'd think it's in the sort of C-Max/Meriva/2 Series Tourer category

[nickfrog]

MC Bodge said:

Agreed. They are all too fast (and often too hard in the suspension) to be of much use to most people in the UK, unless they make a special trip somewhere, anyway. Is it just me or is it rare to see people driving fast, other than the occasional fast start from the lights?

I'll admit I am not fussed about what "most people" may or may not do. I find that a fast car can go fast or slow whereas a slow car can't go fast, by definition, which is no good on a track days for instance or even an early morning blast.

Imagine a world where everyone is limited to a 150hp estate. It's all about choice and ignoring the terminally bitter.