RE: BMW M135i: Spotted
Discussion
Great cars. It was a passenger ride in a mate's M135i that made me look at the M140i. The performance is just so ridiculously out of kilter with the 118d M-Sport-a-like styling. It never fails to provoke a reaction from passengers. Usually a swear word or two :-)
Love them or hate them, they are unique cars. A small hatchback with a stonking great six-cylinder engine driving the rear wheels. And yes, it sometimes struggles to cope. I can see how someone used to the "floor it and go" style of one of the AWD options might not like it. You need to exercise restraint on anything other than a dry, smooth surface. It's not a widow maker or anything daft like that, and the systems are excellent, but if you're smooth, and use measured, considered inputs, the car really does respond, and you get the best from it.
Even as an owner, I can see these becoming the chav weapon of choice in the coming years, but that's not the car's fault, and doesn't detract from my enjoyment of it.
Flawed, but brilliant cars.
Love them or hate them, they are unique cars. A small hatchback with a stonking great six-cylinder engine driving the rear wheels. And yes, it sometimes struggles to cope. I can see how someone used to the "floor it and go" style of one of the AWD options might not like it. You need to exercise restraint on anything other than a dry, smooth surface. It's not a widow maker or anything daft like that, and the systems are excellent, but if you're smooth, and use measured, considered inputs, the car really does respond, and you get the best from it.
Even as an owner, I can see these becoming the chav weapon of choice in the coming years, but that's not the car's fault, and doesn't detract from my enjoyment of it.
Flawed, but brilliant cars.
Edited by Limpet on Tuesday 24th July 11:48
We have an early manual M135i and I have to say I think it is a better combo then the Auto.
The Auto is a superb box in a car with many compromises (not least the suspension which I think is whatever they have next to them when they build the things) so in some ways doesn't seem to quite fit with the car.
I love the flaws you see - a stupidly big engine in a rear drive car the size of a Golf, no LSD, odd suspension - you have to take it by the scruff to get the best from it and the manual box while not brilliant kinda makes getting it right all the better. If you want point and squirt get an A45, you would live a short life trying to keep pace with one of those in an M135i!
If you want overall brilliance get the M2 - we did as a replacement for the M135i, but then couldn't quite bring ourselves to get rid of it - oh well it's only fossil fuel...
The Auto is a superb box in a car with many compromises (not least the suspension which I think is whatever they have next to them when they build the things) so in some ways doesn't seem to quite fit with the car.
I love the flaws you see - a stupidly big engine in a rear drive car the size of a Golf, no LSD, odd suspension - you have to take it by the scruff to get the best from it and the manual box while not brilliant kinda makes getting it right all the better. If you want point and squirt get an A45, you would live a short life trying to keep pace with one of those in an M135i!
If you want overall brilliance get the M2 - we did as a replacement for the M135i, but then couldn't quite bring ourselves to get rid of it - oh well it's only fossil fuel...
I like mine, its growing on me but mainly as the one series is a decent package in whichever trim you buy.
I would disagree that an Auto is the must have option, it is a wonderful box and invaluable in traffic, but like every auto, misses a chunk of the engagement out. The handling is so so, it doesnt know to go for a piss or a haircut when you press on and the steering is a bit woolly, you need to lean on it properly, grab it by the scruff of the neck and I wouldnt say it comes alive, but it gains some feedback and engagement, but the faster you go you realise it is running out of composure, still more fun than Audis though
especially if you turn the electronics off, it will wag its tail and though an LSD would be nice, its not 2 grands worth of nice, spend £175 on a Blue Spark Tuning box for a cheeky 360 ish bhp.
I would also disagree on the other "must have" options, the normal stereo in mine is perfectly adequate, tried one with HK and it was better but not massively so and not that bothered, and Pro Nav is nice, but the standard one gets the job done, I was looking and there are a few about but by the time you weed out on colour, spec, mileage, gearbox etc etc, you end up chasing up and down the country, I just bought a 9k miler from the local BMW agent which was as new.
Looked at a few, a few hounds appearing, I looked at one in Stockport which looked lovely but had seen loads of paint, had a fair few owners and a selection box of s
tty budget tyres, that was seventeen grand, I paid another four and got one with 25k less and two years newer, plus a years BMW warranty and it didnt need four new tyres.
They arent the answer to everything, the S3 is a better all rounder as it will go in a straight line, under throttle when the road is wet but I just slow down instead, it does a sort of mini barge impression in auto form, the suspension isnt silly hard, its fairly quiet and stick it in comfort it will just amble along and not feel a million miles from my CLS, with less comfy seats, if the seats seem a little snug, there is a control on the right that adjusts the bolsters in and out.
MPG wise, late teens to early twenties knocking about on the commute with a blast or two up the bypass, but very good if you are careful on a longer run, have seen 44, Bath and back, with some fairly fast bits, three up plus luggage, bit of trolling round in nose to tail traffic last week showed 36.5. I put my foot down, not all the way and it made my Mother in Law swear, which amused me greatly.
It seems reasonably well made, interior looks quite nice, fancied red leather but ended up with black, 5 door obviously more practical but doesn't look quite as sporty, I dont mind the looks, certainly an improvement on the earlier models.
The LCI model is preferable as its a smidge quicker and you get the black panel instruments which look better. Get a Faraday pouch for the keys as prone to going walkies via relay theft in the night otherwise.
And everybody clocks the badge even though it looks like a 116d, they know what it is and want to race, especially bikers for some reason ?
I had a go in a mates 140i, very similar to be honest, M135i sounds a little better, but its negligible, perhaps revs a bit more freely and the M140i, as standard is marginally quicker, but I couldn't really tell, would need to drive them back to back, on the same day, i didnt think it was worth adding even more cash to get one, and to me, as a name, M135i sounds better.
I would disagree that an Auto is the must have option, it is a wonderful box and invaluable in traffic, but like every auto, misses a chunk of the engagement out. The handling is so so, it doesnt know to go for a piss or a haircut when you press on and the steering is a bit woolly, you need to lean on it properly, grab it by the scruff of the neck and I wouldnt say it comes alive, but it gains some feedback and engagement, but the faster you go you realise it is running out of composure, still more fun than Audis though
especially if you turn the electronics off, it will wag its tail and though an LSD would be nice, its not 2 grands worth of nice, spend £175 on a Blue Spark Tuning box for a cheeky 360 ish bhp.I would also disagree on the other "must have" options, the normal stereo in mine is perfectly adequate, tried one with HK and it was better but not massively so and not that bothered, and Pro Nav is nice, but the standard one gets the job done, I was looking and there are a few about but by the time you weed out on colour, spec, mileage, gearbox etc etc, you end up chasing up and down the country, I just bought a 9k miler from the local BMW agent which was as new.
Looked at a few, a few hounds appearing, I looked at one in Stockport which looked lovely but had seen loads of paint, had a fair few owners and a selection box of s
tty budget tyres, that was seventeen grand, I paid another four and got one with 25k less and two years newer, plus a years BMW warranty and it didnt need four new tyres.They arent the answer to everything, the S3 is a better all rounder as it will go in a straight line, under throttle when the road is wet but I just slow down instead, it does a sort of mini barge impression in auto form, the suspension isnt silly hard, its fairly quiet and stick it in comfort it will just amble along and not feel a million miles from my CLS, with less comfy seats, if the seats seem a little snug, there is a control on the right that adjusts the bolsters in and out.
MPG wise, late teens to early twenties knocking about on the commute with a blast or two up the bypass, but very good if you are careful on a longer run, have seen 44, Bath and back, with some fairly fast bits, three up plus luggage, bit of trolling round in nose to tail traffic last week showed 36.5. I put my foot down, not all the way and it made my Mother in Law swear, which amused me greatly.
It seems reasonably well made, interior looks quite nice, fancied red leather but ended up with black, 5 door obviously more practical but doesn't look quite as sporty, I dont mind the looks, certainly an improvement on the earlier models.
The LCI model is preferable as its a smidge quicker and you get the black panel instruments which look better. Get a Faraday pouch for the keys as prone to going walkies via relay theft in the night otherwise.
And everybody clocks the badge even though it looks like a 116d, they know what it is and want to race, especially bikers for some reason ?
I had a go in a mates 140i, very similar to be honest, M135i sounds a little better, but its negligible, perhaps revs a bit more freely and the M140i, as standard is marginally quicker, but I couldn't really tell, would need to drive them back to back, on the same day, i didnt think it was worth adding even more cash to get one, and to me, as a name, M135i sounds better.
Edited by J4CKO on Tuesday 24th July 12:46
Have just sold mine after 3 years. Great little car that can fly under the radar with ease, and then surprise the pants off unsuspecting passengers when you need to.
It was also really practical in 5 door guise, swallowing my road bike whole without taking the front wheel off. (seats down).
Would agree that over broken roads the ride is poor though.
It was also really practical in 5 door guise, swallowing my road bike whole without taking the front wheel off. (seats down).
Would agree that over broken roads the ride is poor though.
Just sold mine after 3 years, 45k miles. It was a bit of a unicorn as a manual 3dr with pro nav, but probably the best all rounder on the market.
Laugh-out-loud fast, great on long hauls, fun (if a bit of a handful) on track, as practical as most would ever need, not bad on fuel. Mine towed too! Will be sorely missed...
The one in the advert looks a bit dodgey though: Horrid aftermarket gear knob and what looks like an aftermarket exhaust speaks that its probably been ragged...
Laugh-out-loud fast, great on long hauls, fun (if a bit of a handful) on track, as practical as most would ever need, not bad on fuel. Mine towed too! Will be sorely missed...
The one in the advert looks a bit dodgey though: Horrid aftermarket gear knob and what looks like an aftermarket exhaust speaks that its probably been ragged...
Edited by Harry_523 on Tuesday 24th July 12:56
Harry_523 said:
Just sold mine after 3 years, 45k miles. It was a bit of a unicorn as a manual 3dr with pro nav, but probably the best all rounder on the market.
Laugh-out-loud fast, great on long hauls, fun (if a bit of a handful) on track, as practical as most would ever need, not bad on fuel. Will be sorely missed!
The one in the advert looks a bit dodgey though: Horrid aftermarket gear knob and what looks like an aftermarket exhaust speaks that its probably been ragged...
Don't read the article?Laugh-out-loud fast, great on long hauls, fun (if a bit of a handful) on track, as practical as most would ever need, not bad on fuel. Will be sorely missed!
The one in the advert looks a bit dodgey though: Horrid aftermarket gear knob and what looks like an aftermarket exhaust speaks that its probably been ragged...
It's an M-Performance exhaust.
It's a factory option and keeps warranty, and sounds great!
Im currently driving an M140i and of all the cars i have ever owned or looked at i can find nothing that matches it for the all round package it delivers and at the price either. After discounts mine was £26k.....
Ive had a washing machine in the back of it, bikes on it and then at the opposite end of the spectrum i can stick with far more expensive supercars in out and out performance stakes. Its not perfect, useless in anything other than perfectly dry conditions, standard suspension doesnt deal with bumps particularly well at speed but i dont care as the rest of it is so much fun.
I had intended owning, enjoying and changing after 2 years. Now i cant see anything else id rather be in.
Ive had a washing machine in the back of it, bikes on it and then at the opposite end of the spectrum i can stick with far more expensive supercars in out and out performance stakes. Its not perfect, useless in anything other than perfectly dry conditions, standard suspension doesnt deal with bumps particularly well at speed but i dont care as the rest of it is so much fun.
I had intended owning, enjoying and changing after 2 years. Now i cant see anything else id rather be in.
Edited by rodgertdodger on Tuesday 24th July 13:06
Edited by rodgertdodger on Tuesday 24th July 13:09
I've had mine since 2013 and it's been fantastic. Never missed a beat, I remember when Evo reviewed them as a second hand buy and the biggest issue they could find was that the rear windscreen wiper wears out quite quickly!
I plan to sell up within a year to get a C63 estate as need more space, but if I was holding onto it then I'd spend a bit and upgrade to an LSD (which I think it really needs to unleash t's full potential but which wasn't fitted as it's not a full M car) and probably better suspension (though the adaptive is pretty good - much better than a smaller wheeled 118d I got when mine was being serviced). The steering is a little vague - not sure how easy this would be to remedy.
Overall however it's a cracking and entertaining all rounder and surely it's the best hatch to upgrade, with rear wheel drive and 6 cylinders it's got more potential than other hot hatches.
I plan to sell up within a year to get a C63 estate as need more space, but if I was holding onto it then I'd spend a bit and upgrade to an LSD (which I think it really needs to unleash t's full potential but which wasn't fitted as it's not a full M car) and probably better suspension (though the adaptive is pretty good - much better than a smaller wheeled 118d I got when mine was being serviced). The steering is a little vague - not sure how easy this would be to remedy.
Overall however it's a cracking and entertaining all rounder and surely it's the best hatch to upgrade, with rear wheel drive and 6 cylinders it's got more potential than other hot hatches.
Numeric said:
We have an early manual M135i and I have to say I think it is a better combo then the Auto.
I'd agree with this too, I think the Auto suits cars like the 5 and 7 series, but in a sporty 1 series it would have to be the manual for me. I always miss the interaction when I use an Auto and thats fine in something thats built to be boring to drive. The M135i is something that you would want to have some fun in I reckon, therefore it suits a manual better.WojaWabbit said:
I love everything about these apart from the looks. I'd have one on the drive but I don't think I'd get used to wretching every time I stepped out the front door.
Does the car in the article actually make you retch ?I would never call them beautiful but there are far worse looking cars out there, I quite like them, in the right colour, and none of the colours they have done them in are that bad.
sidesauce said:
That's a pretty good colour combo and the mileage isn't astronomical for the year either. Someone will definitely be enjoying themselves with that!
Same colours inside and out as my 40i. With the older ones like this now out of warranty, I'd be sourcing some Bilstiens or KWs along with the M4 control arms and tension struts, dropping in a Quaife differential, sourcing some nice lightweight wheels and then just enjoying it. That's certainly what I plan to do when the 3 years are up on mine.
I owned a 5dr M135i auto for two years and absolutely loved it!
The engine is an absolute peach and has oodles of character, and power everywhere. ZF 8 speed is superb. Great quality interior, things like pro nav and adaptive damping really make it. Good mpg, and a great long distance cruiser when required.
I swapped it for a new Leon Cupra 300 and regret the decision most days
I think I'll be going for an M140i next, or could be tempted to go all reckless and get an M2 Competition.
The engine is an absolute peach and has oodles of character, and power everywhere. ZF 8 speed is superb. Great quality interior, things like pro nav and adaptive damping really make it. Good mpg, and a great long distance cruiser when required.
I swapped it for a new Leon Cupra 300 and regret the decision most days
I think I'll be going for an M140i next, or could be tempted to go all reckless and get an M2 Competition.
J4CKO said:
I would disagree that an Auto is the must have option, it is a wonderful box and invaluable in traffic, but like every auto, misses a chunk of the engagement out. The handling is so so, it doesnt know to go for a piss or a haircut when you press on and the steering is a bit woolly, you need to lean on it properly, grab it by the scruff of the neck and I wouldnt say it comes alive, but it gains some feedback and engagement, but the faster you go you realise it is running out of composure, still more fun than Audis though especially if you turn the electronics off, it will wag its tail and though an LSD would be nice, its not 2 grands worth of nice, spend £175 on a Blue Spark Tuning box for a cheeky 360 ish bhp.
I would also disagree on the other "must have" options, the normal stereo in mine is perfectly adequate, tried one with HK and it was better but not massively so and not that bothered, and Pro Nav is nice, but the standard one gets the job done, I was looking and there are a few about but by the time you weed out on colour, spec, mileage, gearbox etc etc, you end up chasing up and down the country, I just bought a 9k miler from the local BMW agent which was as new.
Completely agree, the manual is not perfect but it's not bad, although it could do with being a further 5-10cm forward for my driving position. especially if you turn the electronics off, it will wag its tail and though an LSD would be nice, its not 2 grands worth of nice, spend £175 on a Blue Spark Tuning box for a cheeky 360 ish bhp.I would also disagree on the other "must have" options, the normal stereo in mine is perfectly adequate, tried one with HK and it was better but not massively so and not that bothered, and Pro Nav is nice, but the standard one gets the job done, I was looking and there are a few about but by the time you weed out on colour, spec, mileage, gearbox etc etc, you end up chasing up and down the country, I just bought a 9k miler from the local BMW agent which was as new.
Edited by J4CKO on Tuesday 24th July 12:46
I think as few as 15% of m240i's have the manual box (probably similar with the hatch version), and I'm pretty sure that they will be worth more than the auto in 5 years time once these cars are no longer "new".
My business nav is great, and have never felt the need for anything else, sure the bigger screen of the Pro would be nice, but it's far from a "must have", just like the HK, it's not that great, my mid range Advanced audio speakers are good enough.
People think these options make resale easier, but they cost a lot more in the first place!
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