Bmw 130i other suggestions
Discussion
We're soon expecting our first child. At present I drive an e90 m sport diesel, which is a fantastic car, but doesn't offer the pace I'm longing for. This car gives me excellent mpg, awesome drive and shines up well, but doesn't offer what a petrol can offer. My wife currently drives a cooper diesel, also a great little car. But obviously a bit on the small side for a new child and is Also my wife currently commutes 35 miles each way to work, which would of course change once on maternity leave. I now work laity local. Max of 20 miles per day, so I'm not needing a diesel anymore. Also I'm in the process of home renovations and I didn't realise how much I miss a hatch back which I can use to go to the tip.
So my thoughts are, sell the wife's mini give her my e90 for commutes and future children duties and then in thinking of getting a petrol hatch back with offers a turn of speed, stil ideal for family duties and can use for tip runs and also be ideal for commuting. I work in several locations and some of the areas I park in aren't great so I don't want something that stick out like a saw thumb.
I had thought about an r32, but think these may be a bit in your face for some places I leave it and also tax seems high. I have considered mk5 gti and then I am also bit of a fan of Bmw and previously had a 120d, which was a fantastic cat. So now in thinking of a 130i msport. Seems to offer everything I need and I don't feel they are too in your face to leave on s dodgy road for a few hours whilst working. They could skmost pass of as any standard 120msport, but offers the speed of an r32 with cheaper tax and of course awesome handling.
Any one have any experience of these or have any suggestions? This is something I wNt to get under way fairly soon. We're still quite a fair way off due date, but would like to get something in place so I can enjoy it before the new arrival and get adjusted to the mpg, just incade it becomes a bottom thirsty for my daily needs, then I can change again.
Cheers
So my thoughts are, sell the wife's mini give her my e90 for commutes and future children duties and then in thinking of getting a petrol hatch back with offers a turn of speed, stil ideal for family duties and can use for tip runs and also be ideal for commuting. I work in several locations and some of the areas I park in aren't great so I don't want something that stick out like a saw thumb.
I had thought about an r32, but think these may be a bit in your face for some places I leave it and also tax seems high. I have considered mk5 gti and then I am also bit of a fan of Bmw and previously had a 120d, which was a fantastic cat. So now in thinking of a 130i msport. Seems to offer everything I need and I don't feel they are too in your face to leave on s dodgy road for a few hours whilst working. They could skmost pass of as any standard 120msport, but offers the speed of an r32 with cheaper tax and of course awesome handling.
Any one have any experience of these or have any suggestions? This is something I wNt to get under way fairly soon. We're still quite a fair way off due date, but would like to get something in place so I can enjoy it before the new arrival and get adjusted to the mpg, just incade it becomes a bottom thirsty for my daily needs, then I can change again.
Cheers
Glad to hear some one thinking the same as I am. Would love to hear from some one with ownership experience about reliability. There seems to be a few available in my budget. I would like to know about reliability, I would imagine that the straight 6 are generally sound . Do they make a nice sound? My friend has an e90 325 and they sound a bit on the quiet side, but I hope the 130 has bit more of a sound track to it
I bought a 5 door 130 specifically for baby duties. It was a fantastic car. Fitted a pair of Recaro Young sports as they are small and it served us very well.
It's going to be the last ever over cc'd, over potted, normally aspirated, RWD, hatchback ever made so worth the experience for that fact alone.
What I did notice when I borrowed a 3 door once was that once the offspring are out of the baby bucket and into seats it was actually more convenient to have the space to climb in to the back with them and buckle them up than it was to lean in through the back doors and faff about breaking your back.
It's going to be the last ever over cc'd, over potted, normally aspirated, RWD, hatchback ever made so worth the experience for that fact alone.
What I did notice when I borrowed a 3 door once was that once the offspring are out of the baby bucket and into seats it was actually more convenient to have the space to climb in to the back with them and buckle them up than it was to lean in through the back doors and faff about breaking your back.
Glad to hear it met family duties well.
Family aside what about driver experience? Did it make the noises you wanted it to make at full chatter? How about mpg etc. did you consider anything else? I would love a 3 door, but think they are a little out of my budget and wouldn't want to end up with an amazingly clean car due to where I have to park it. I want a car that shines up nicely and had been maintained well, but not something that I sit around worrying about, which at 8 years old most 130 tick my box for that.
Also in 3doors, do you not worry about tight parking spaces and the width of the front doors trying to get in and out ?
Family aside what about driver experience? Did it make the noises you wanted it to make at full chatter? How about mpg etc. did you consider anything else? I would love a 3 door, but think they are a little out of my budget and wouldn't want to end up with an amazingly clean car due to where I have to park it. I want a car that shines up nicely and had been maintained well, but not something that I sit around worrying about, which at 8 years old most 130 tick my box for that.
Also in 3doors, do you not worry about tight parking spaces and the width of the front doors trying to get in and out ?
My 130 had a BMW Performance exhaust fitted before I bought it, which sounded lovely. But in standard form they're perhaps a little muted. Nice noise, but not amazing.
From a driving perspective, they're a great little hot hatch - properly quick with 260ish bhp, pointy and agile. Being rwd, they're pretty much in a class of their own on the hot hatch market - certainly of that era and at that price point, before someone points out a Lotus Sunbeam... Mine also had a Quaife LSD fitted, which changed its driving dynamics from standard - perhaps more understeery and definitely more oversteery depending on how you treated the throttle!
The engine is smooth and muscular rather than savage. It can feel a little underwhelming if you're used to turbo power delivery. It's a nice torquey engine that pulls from low revs and carries on right round to the red line, but there's no massive slug of torque at any point. I've had the same engine in the Z4C and the 130. Ultimately, both left me a little cold compared to the excitement of the contemporary M engine in the e46 M3 / Z4MC. It's a very good engine, but there are no fireworks.
As for mpg - mine would happily do low-to-mid 30s on a run. Less in stop-start traffic around London, obviously.
One last thing... They don't have the best ride - really quite firm even once the RFTs have been ditched. I think BMW fitted stiff springs and thin anti-roll bars. In my view, it really needed softer springs to make it ride more compliantly and thicker ARBs, so it continued to corner fairly flat. Birds do a kit to fix it, if you're feeling that way inclined.
From a driving perspective, they're a great little hot hatch - properly quick with 260ish bhp, pointy and agile. Being rwd, they're pretty much in a class of their own on the hot hatch market - certainly of that era and at that price point, before someone points out a Lotus Sunbeam... Mine also had a Quaife LSD fitted, which changed its driving dynamics from standard - perhaps more understeery and definitely more oversteery depending on how you treated the throttle!
The engine is smooth and muscular rather than savage. It can feel a little underwhelming if you're used to turbo power delivery. It's a nice torquey engine that pulls from low revs and carries on right round to the red line, but there's no massive slug of torque at any point. I've had the same engine in the Z4C and the 130. Ultimately, both left me a little cold compared to the excitement of the contemporary M engine in the e46 M3 / Z4MC. It's a very good engine, but there are no fireworks.
As for mpg - mine would happily do low-to-mid 30s on a run. Less in stop-start traffic around London, obviously.
One last thing... They don't have the best ride - really quite firm even once the RFTs have been ditched. I think BMW fitted stiff springs and thin anti-roll bars. In my view, it really needed softer springs to make it ride more compliantly and thicker ARBs, so it continued to corner fairly flat. Birds do a kit to fix it, if you're feeling that way inclined.
edit- Didn't see the post above
The 130 makes an amazing noise especially at low revs. Mine has the butterfly valve in the exhaust disconnected so both pipes are open all the time.
The suspension is firm (which is fine) but the rear end is quite bouncy as others will testify. £200 of Bilstein B8 rear dampers will sort that
I get around 20mpg but my commute is the worst kind, short - stop start traffic. I get high 20's at weekends when we get out of the city.
Personally I love the car & reckon the values will firm up soon. It's the last(?) BMW n/a straight 6 and that engine in a smallish car is big fun.
The 130 makes an amazing noise especially at low revs. Mine has the butterfly valve in the exhaust disconnected so both pipes are open all the time.
The suspension is firm (which is fine) but the rear end is quite bouncy as others will testify. £200 of Bilstein B8 rear dampers will sort that
I get around 20mpg but my commute is the worst kind, short - stop start traffic. I get high 20's at weekends when we get out of the city.
Personally I love the car & reckon the values will firm up soon. It's the last(?) BMW n/a straight 6 and that engine in a smallish car is big fun.
Edited by Mark34bn on Sunday 15th February 20:10
I never had one, but should have done years ago!
In 2005 I bought a nearly new 320Td Compact as I had a new job that was going to involve plenty of business miles. Paid £17,000 when £18,500 would have got me a 325Ti but I didn't even drive one.
Replaced that with a pre-reg 123d SE Dynamic, so it had the M Sport suspension, but messed up again as I didn't drive a 130i first.
Sold the 123d last year and bought a Z4 Sport Coupe with the N52 engine that the 130i also has - wonderful motor! Pootles about at 1,500 rpm in 4th where there are cameras but give it some beans and it hurtles towards the 7,000 red-line, just great!
So I also needed a daily driver, and found a fairly unusual Sport model 325Ti Compact last year, and going full circle this is what I should have got in 2005 instead of the diseasel!
Which would doubtless have been followed by a 130i, but after 6+ years in the 123d I didn't want another 1 Series.
To be fair if I could mix and match from all of these the 3 litre N52 engine in the Sport Compact would be ideal, but as has been said I believe there are some fairly minor mods that can be made to the 130i to improve it significantly.
PHer "yonex" has a good thread on his 130i experience.
Anyway I am sure there will never be another naturally aspirated straight-6 RWD small hatch, so a 130i will always be rather special.
Good luck!
In 2005 I bought a nearly new 320Td Compact as I had a new job that was going to involve plenty of business miles. Paid £17,000 when £18,500 would have got me a 325Ti but I didn't even drive one.
Replaced that with a pre-reg 123d SE Dynamic, so it had the M Sport suspension, but messed up again as I didn't drive a 130i first.
Sold the 123d last year and bought a Z4 Sport Coupe with the N52 engine that the 130i also has - wonderful motor! Pootles about at 1,500 rpm in 4th where there are cameras but give it some beans and it hurtles towards the 7,000 red-line, just great!
So I also needed a daily driver, and found a fairly unusual Sport model 325Ti Compact last year, and going full circle this is what I should have got in 2005 instead of the diseasel!
Which would doubtless have been followed by a 130i, but after 6+ years in the 123d I didn't want another 1 Series.
To be fair if I could mix and match from all of these the 3 litre N52 engine in the Sport Compact would be ideal, but as has been said I believe there are some fairly minor mods that can be made to the 130i to improve it significantly.
PHer "yonex" has a good thread on his 130i experience.
Anyway I am sure there will never be another naturally aspirated straight-6 RWD small hatch, so a 130i will always be rather special.
Good luck!
Glad to hear everyone is giving them postive feedback. I was considering a z4 as a short term punt, but things happened earlier then expected so needed to move on to plan b. I think all bmw's of the era have a ver hard ride in comparison to other cars. So I feel fairly used to this now. My old 1 series had run flats for about 3 years during my ownership and the one day I decided I couldn't be arsed with the expense of replacing these so went back to standard tyres. I didn't see a massive change in ride quality, good or poor, but certainly saved some pennies. My e90 currently has standard tyres and that still feels rock solid, especially compared to my friends new f30 m sport, so I am appy to live with a firm ride as long as As everything else performs
Mine's still ticking along 
I've been slacking on the mods as other priorities have surfaced lately. Average is 30mpg and its proving great at lugging things with the tow bar. Waiting for the Birds kit right now, I think I'm ready for it
Buy one, they're small, economical rwd go karts.
I've been slacking on the mods as other priorities have surfaced lately. Average is 30mpg and its proving great at lugging things with the tow bar. Waiting for the Birds kit right now, I think I'm ready for it Buy one, they're small, economical rwd go karts.
I've got one, and I think as a package it's pretty hard to beat. Small enough to be fun but still pretty practical, fast, fairly comfortable and a wonderful noise. They aren't ruinous to run as far as performance cars go, although I wouldn't fancy paying to fuel it if you were doing 25k miles a year.
It isn't without it's flaws though - the main ones being the lack of an LSD and the bouncy suspension setup which as standard is frankly crap. This can be fixed however. Birds do a kit which absolutely transforms the car - I've been out in their demonstrator car and it rides and handles so much better its almost unrecognisable.
It isn't without it's flaws though - the main ones being the lack of an LSD and the bouncy suspension setup which as standard is frankly crap. This can be fixed however. Birds do a kit which absolutely transforms the car - I've been out in their demonstrator car and it rides and handles so much better its almost unrecognisable.
Had my 130i for 2 and a bit years which is a long time for me, absolutely love it! Mpg averages at about 26 so not great but certainly not bad for size of engine.
TX.
Edit - only thing that has gone wrong in that period was the water pump which is reasonably well known about albeit I was unaware! The usual 2p part failure but you have to buy the whole thing at £500+ ish.
TX.
Edit - only thing that has gone wrong in that period was the water pump which is reasonably well known about albeit I was unaware! The usual 2p part failure but you have to buy the whole thing at £500+ ish.
Edited by Terminator X on Monday 16th February 01:31
Had mine almost 4 years/60k miles and still think it's absolutely brilliant. Briefly considered changing as it's now done 110k miles but nothing for less than £20k comes close to meeting my requirements as well as the 130i. Will look at M135i's again when they drop below that price point but even then it'll be a hard decision to get rid.
130i - future cult classic I reckon, just like the E30 325i
130i - future cult classic I reckon, just like the E30 325i
Edited by swanny71 on Monday 16th February 07:01
Wheatley173 said:
Glad to hear it met family duties well.
Family aside what about driver experience? Did it make the noises you wanted it to make at full chatter? How about mpg etc. did you consider anything else? I would love a 3 door, but think they are a little out of my budget and wouldn't want to end up with an amazingly clean car due to where I have to park it. I want a car that shines up nicely and had been maintained well, but not something that I sit around worrying about, which at 8 years old most 130 tick my box for that.
Also in 3doors, do you not worry about tight parking spaces and the width of the front doors trying to get in and out ?
Certainly, the longer doors have that issue but you can use baby parking spaces at the supermarket. Family aside what about driver experience? Did it make the noises you wanted it to make at full chatter? How about mpg etc. did you consider anything else? I would love a 3 door, but think they are a little out of my budget and wouldn't want to end up with an amazingly clean car due to where I have to park it. I want a car that shines up nicely and had been maintained well, but not something that I sit around worrying about, which at 8 years old most 130 tick my box for that.
Also in 3doors, do you not worry about tight parking spaces and the width of the front doors trying to get in and out ?
MPG was 26. But this was a car that lived in central London so compared to 4.5mpg from a Rangie I ran at the same time I thought it was pretty good.
My single complaint about the car is that they are over rubbered and under profiled. If was doing it again I would buy a set of 120i wheels and fit those as the excess rubber dulls the drive and turn in.
The only reason I sold it was that I decided to not bother with modern cars and just run classics and use taxis.
I bought a 2008 130i Automatic with 25,000 miles on the clock this time last year. I usually only own manuals but i really enjoy the autobox linked to the straight six - especially when it kicks down.
I live in Central London so average about 25mpg and 220 miles to the tank (£50ish to fill at current prices) on a day to day basis but I can get 340 miles out of it on a motorway run.
I have run flats, and m sport suspension so its a harsh ride in town but its an A and B road king outside of London.
It sounds great when you really stretch it out but not a patch on the R32 in my opinion. However, I dont have the BMWP exhaust which I have read does wonders.
Buy low miles if you can as their scarcity means they hold their value well. Get a BMW warranty too! My ABS pump went 4 days into new ownership at a cost of £2,500 to fix........
I live in Central London so average about 25mpg and 220 miles to the tank (£50ish to fill at current prices) on a day to day basis but I can get 340 miles out of it on a motorway run.
I have run flats, and m sport suspension so its a harsh ride in town but its an A and B road king outside of London.
It sounds great when you really stretch it out but not a patch on the R32 in my opinion. However, I dont have the BMWP exhaust which I have read does wonders.
Buy low miles if you can as their scarcity means they hold their value well. Get a BMW warranty too! My ABS pump went 4 days into new ownership at a cost of £2,500 to fix........
E46 M3 is can do tip runs and is similar price wise to the 130i, already got one family car so all you need for the first few years is one isofix seat and space for the pram in the boot so you could get away something like the later z4 with the airbag deactivation in the front 
coupe version is a hatch.
coupe version is a hatch.The 330i is worth a look, as it offers quite a bit more interior space for not much more external space. I know that sounds odd, but look at the two cars side by side and you'll see what I mean.
If you don't mind being dragged around everywhere, then the Golf GTi is a fine car and offers more space than the 130i, and the space it has is more flexible than a 1 or 3 series due to the hatchback.
If you don't mind being dragged around everywhere, then the Golf GTi is a fine car and offers more space than the 130i, and the space it has is more flexible than a 1 or 3 series due to the hatchback.
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