RE: BMW M135i | Driven
Discussion
J4CKO said:
As a daily its great, great in traffic, easy to drive, park and live with, but when the road opens up it isn't that much fun to make progress in. Understand on the gearbox, its a brilliant auto, not driven a manual but I think that is a big part of my problem.
Isn’t that part of the attraction? That it’s a good daily? I like the fact that mine is comfy on the motorway when commuting, I can chuck a mountain bike in / on it, ferry the bit around etc yet it’s still quick when I want / need it to be?I enjoy driving mine. I’ve had a great drive in the peaks with a few from here a while ago. Maybe I’m just easily pleased, but I think it does what is says in the tin - quick, daily hatchback with a stonking engine. It’s not trying to be a sports car. Maybe extra pressure was placed on it because it’s RWD?
xjay1337 said:
Infact I drove a manual before buying and hated it. Pedal position is rubbish and the gearbox itself is worse than that of a late 90's VW........notchy and clunky! The engine is so good but the manual gearbox is so bad so the auto is a better gearbox, more of the time if that makes sense! Just my opinion 
It's funny I drove an auto and manual back to back and for me the manual was much more fun, with spot-on notchy gear changes and the pedals placed perfectly for smooth rev-matched downchanges.I bought the auto (which ultimately, living on the outskirts of London, has proved to be the better daily where 95% of my journeys are not in "test drive" conditions)
Chris
ScoobyChris said:
xjay1337 said:
Infact I drove a manual before buying and hated it. Pedal position is rubbish and the gearbox itself is worse than that of a late 90's VW........notchy and clunky! The engine is so good but the manual gearbox is so bad so the auto is a better gearbox, more of the time if that makes sense! Just my opinion
It's funny I drove an auto and manual back to back and for me the manual was much more fun, with spot-on notchy gear changes and the pedals placed perfectly for smooth rev-matched downchanges.I bought the auto (which ultimately, living on the outskirts of London, has proved to be the better daily where 95% of my journeys are not in "test drive" conditions)
Chris
Limpet said:
I have to say, I can well believe this.
The M140i's damping (Adaptive on mine) is really poor. It's fine on a smooth road, but as soon as things turn bumpy, it rapidly falls apart. You don't have to be pushing on that hard over an uneven road surface before you get a horrible high frequency vertical jiggling motion that can shift your bum out of the seat, and really dent your enjoyment and confidence. It's not even overly firm, just really badly damped.
I've found it's actually better to leave it in Comfort mode, and accept a little bit of unwanted body movement and roll. At least it will then ride the bumps with a degree of composure.
It's not hard to see how BMW could have transformed its replacement in this respect, especially if they're saving a few quid on the engine, and the platform sharing.
This pogo-ing at the back always seemed to be a press complaint of the 1-series. Can remember the 130i having this levelled at it during reviews when new and the same sort of thing being said about the M135i when it was launchedThe M140i's damping (Adaptive on mine) is really poor. It's fine on a smooth road, but as soon as things turn bumpy, it rapidly falls apart. You don't have to be pushing on that hard over an uneven road surface before you get a horrible high frequency vertical jiggling motion that can shift your bum out of the seat, and really dent your enjoyment and confidence. It's not even overly firm, just really badly damped.
I've found it's actually better to leave it in Comfort mode, and accept a little bit of unwanted body movement and roll. At least it will then ride the bumps with a degree of composure.
It's not hard to see how BMW could have transformed its replacement in this respect, especially if they're saving a few quid on the engine, and the platform sharing.
Backward rpm gauge? How ‘cool’
I have to say that this sounds just like my Mk5 R32 Golf.
Amazingly fast, capable, adjustable... technically amazing.
But absolutely bland and boring to just drive.
I swapped for a 130i and didn’t look back.
There was always a market for awd fast hot hatches.
BMW giving in to this market by embracing it makes financial sense, but they didn’t have to do it.
They avoided doing it in 2005 with the 1er and 130i, again in 2013 with the 1er and 135i (just turbo).
This change is all about money, not the market... and it’s reflected in a car that’s not a ‘BMW’
I’m just holding out that China tanks, and BMW start making cars for Europeans again, rather than these Chinese market fugly MPVs.
I have to say that this sounds just like my Mk5 R32 Golf.
Amazingly fast, capable, adjustable... technically amazing.
But absolutely bland and boring to just drive.
I swapped for a 130i and didn’t look back.
There was always a market for awd fast hot hatches.
BMW giving in to this market by embracing it makes financial sense, but they didn’t have to do it.
They avoided doing it in 2005 with the 1er and 130i, again in 2013 with the 1er and 135i (just turbo).
This change is all about money, not the market... and it’s reflected in a car that’s not a ‘BMW’
I’m just holding out that China tanks, and BMW start making cars for Europeans again, rather than these Chinese market fugly MPVs.
Sat in the local dealers one the other day - sorry "THE ONE" as it's touted lol
To be fair it seemed a nice place to be, the seats are a little tight if you're not the skinny jeans and no socks brigade!
Actually thought it looked better in the flesh than it does in any of the photos...fit and finish seemed impressive considering this is the lowest rung of the BMW ladder so to speak
To be fair it seemed a nice place to be, the seats are a little tight if you're not the skinny jeans and no socks brigade!
Actually thought it looked better in the flesh than it does in any of the photos...fit and finish seemed impressive considering this is the lowest rung of the BMW ladder so to speak
I am starting to think it would look at lot better proportioned if BMW gave it the A3 Sportback treatment. A pseudo estate could work better than the current hatch.
My M135i was a bit unruly on the wrong road surface, as others have said. That was on the adaptive dampers too. It was still a lovely car, though. I test drove a Golf R before buying the BMW and it didn’t interest me much at all, despite being quicker in absolute terms most of the time.
My M135i was a bit unruly on the wrong road surface, as others have said. That was on the adaptive dampers too. It was still a lovely car, though. I test drove a Golf R before buying the BMW and it didn’t interest me much at all, despite being quicker in absolute terms most of the time.
IanJ9375 said:
Sat in the local dealers one the other day - sorry "THE ONE" as it's touted lol
To be fair it seemed a nice place to be, the seats are a little tight if you're not the skinny jeans and no socks brigade!
Actually thought it looked better in the flesh than it does in any of the photos...fit and finish seemed impressive considering this is the lowest rung of the BMW ladder so to speak
I’ve seen one this morning and didn’t look too bad even compared to the old clown’s shoe rwd shape To be fair it seemed a nice place to be, the seats are a little tight if you're not the skinny jeans and no socks brigade!
Actually thought it looked better in the flesh than it does in any of the photos...fit and finish seemed impressive considering this is the lowest rung of the BMW ladder so to speak
Then again the loss of a manual box option would be more a sticking point for me personally
Yeah at BMW too.
Looks almost like an estate.
Would be better as one.
Small wheels, looks daft. Boot has a lid in it.
Boot is not much bigger than my E81, not as big as my Mk5 R32.
Looks low inside, but tall outside.
Very wide/square at the back, no curve to it.
Looks like a Hyundai or something. May as well just buy one of those N thingies.
FWD with rwd when needed = boring dynamics.
It seems not that great inside given the compromises.
Audi, Mercedes, Ford, VW etc, all seem to make this kinda thing but look cool and desirable, not frumpy and s
t.
Plus backwards rpm gauge. Last refuge of the terminally desperate designer.
It worked on a TVR. This isn’t a TVR.
No, it didn’t work on the DB9 either.
For the money it’s a joke.
Looks almost like an estate.
Would be better as one.
Small wheels, looks daft. Boot has a lid in it.
Boot is not much bigger than my E81, not as big as my Mk5 R32.
Looks low inside, but tall outside.
Very wide/square at the back, no curve to it.
Looks like a Hyundai or something. May as well just buy one of those N thingies.
FWD with rwd when needed = boring dynamics.
It seems not that great inside given the compromises.
Audi, Mercedes, Ford, VW etc, all seem to make this kinda thing but look cool and desirable, not frumpy and s
t.Plus backwards rpm gauge. Last refuge of the terminally desperate designer.
It worked on a TVR. This isn’t a TVR.
No, it didn’t work on the DB9 either.
For the money it’s a joke.
I've seen one at my local dealer and sat in it...
It manages to look slightly less gawky in the flesh than it does in the initial pictures, but it still manages to look like a squashed X2.
The interior is pleasant enough; the new seats are really nice. However, once I put the seat into a comfy position for me there was still sweet FA room behind the driver seat....as there is in my M140i. The compromise doesn't seem to bring huge benefits. With regards to fit and finish / interior design I didn't feel short changed getting back into my M140i.
The interior in many ways didn't feel like a traditional BMW because the transmission tunnel was so low.
I'm still not sold on it, especially for the price. If using BMW's finance, an M340i looks much more tempting.
It manages to look slightly less gawky in the flesh than it does in the initial pictures, but it still manages to look like a squashed X2.
The interior is pleasant enough; the new seats are really nice. However, once I put the seat into a comfy position for me there was still sweet FA room behind the driver seat....as there is in my M140i. The compromise doesn't seem to bring huge benefits. With regards to fit and finish / interior design I didn't feel short changed getting back into my M140i.
The interior in many ways didn't feel like a traditional BMW because the transmission tunnel was so low.
I'm still not sold on it, especially for the price. If using BMW's finance, an M340i looks much more tempting.
Mr Whippy said:
Yeah at BMW too.
Looks almost like an estate.
Would be better as one.
Small wheels, looks daft. Boot has a lid in it.
Boot is not much bigger than my E81, not as big as my Mk5 R32.
Looks low inside, but tall outside.
Very wide/square at the back, no curve to it.
Looks like a Hyundai or something. May as well just buy one of those N thingies.
FWD with rwd when needed = boring dynamics.
It seems not that great inside given the compromises.
Audi, Mercedes, Ford, VW etc, all seem to make this kinda thing but look cool and desirable, not frumpy and st.
Plus backwards rpm gauge. Last refuge of the terminally desperate designer.
It worked on a TVR. This isn’t a TVR.
No, it didn’t work on the DB9 either.
For the money it’s a joke.
That reminded me of the Doge meme,Looks almost like an estate.
Would be better as one.
Small wheels, looks daft. Boot has a lid in it.
Boot is not much bigger than my E81, not as big as my Mk5 R32.
Looks low inside, but tall outside.
Very wide/square at the back, no curve to it.
Looks like a Hyundai or something. May as well just buy one of those N thingies.
FWD with rwd when needed = boring dynamics.
It seems not that great inside given the compromises.
Audi, Mercedes, Ford, VW etc, all seem to make this kinda thing but look cool and desirable, not frumpy and s
t.Plus backwards rpm gauge. Last refuge of the terminally desperate designer.
It worked on a TVR. This isn’t a TVR.
No, it didn’t work on the DB9 either.
For the money it’s a joke.
via Imgflip Meme Generators m said:
I’ve seen one this morning and didn’t look too bad even compared to the old clown’s shoe rwd shape
Then again the loss of a manual box option would be more a sticking point for me personally
That's pretty much everything in this class that's auto now, what you gain in performance you lose in interaction I guessThen again the loss of a manual box option would be more a sticking point for me personally
IanJ9375 said:
s m said:
I’ve seen one this morning and didn’t look too bad even compared to the old clown’s shoe rwd shape
Then again the loss of a manual box option would be more a sticking point for me personally
That's pretty much everything in this class that's auto now, what you gain in performance you lose in interaction I guessThen again the loss of a manual box option would be more a sticking point for me personally
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