Is the 130i (N52 engined) really that good?
Discussion
Been looking at a few reviews. I used to run a 231bhp 3.0i Z4 which had a fantastic engine. I think that was the M54 engine variant. ..
Value for money the 130i looks brilliant. Albeit a bit fugly...
Light engine, nimble chassis, practical, 261bhp and RWD.
Currently run a FWD and certainly miss the RWD aspect of an inline 6 BMW.
Whats to hate?
Value for money the 130i looks brilliant. Albeit a bit fugly...
Light engine, nimble chassis, practical, 261bhp and RWD.
Currently run a FWD and certainly miss the RWD aspect of an inline 6 BMW.
Whats to hate?
I really really like mine. It's hard to think of downsides...
It doesn't have a dipstick in the engine so you need to use a gauge on the dash. It doesn't have a water temp gauge so you need to use the 'oil check' function on the dash to work out if you can thrash it or not. The wheels are made of cheese and kerb really easily. The rear suspension is overly hard and makes the back end a little twitchy.
The boot could be a bit bigger.
Other than that, it's a comfortable, quick, subtle RWD BMW with good steering feel, an astonishing engine and four doors, a hatchback etc etc. It's a performance bargain, it makes an amazing noise, and mine has the Birds Autos suspension package and it grips better, and can slide the tail at will with a smidge of throttle.
Mine's done 75000 miles and I'm struggling to think of what I would replace it with.
It doesn't have a dipstick in the engine so you need to use a gauge on the dash. It doesn't have a water temp gauge so you need to use the 'oil check' function on the dash to work out if you can thrash it or not. The wheels are made of cheese and kerb really easily. The rear suspension is overly hard and makes the back end a little twitchy.
The boot could be a bit bigger.
Other than that, it's a comfortable, quick, subtle RWD BMW with good steering feel, an astonishing engine and four doors, a hatchback etc etc. It's a performance bargain, it makes an amazing noise, and mine has the Birds Autos suspension package and it grips better, and can slide the tail at will with a smidge of throttle.
Mine's done 75000 miles and I'm struggling to think of what I would replace it with.
I had a 130i LE for a year and it was a fun car. I found the short wheelbase took a bit of getting used to i.e it was far less forgiving than my M3 and I spun the 130i twice on public roads without doing anything too silly. I've been much more of a tit in my M3 and never spun it *touch wood*.
It's got a real get up and go feel about it, makes a nice noise and I think the N52 likes to rev more so than the M54. The gearbox was a complete ball ache, I forget exactly what the dealer said but just before I traded it in they changed the gearbox due to some issue which made the gearstick rattle and occasionally jump out of gear at high revs. The new box did improve things but right at the top of the rev range there was still a discouraging rattle.
Traded the 130i for a 550i and never looked back.
It's got a real get up and go feel about it, makes a nice noise and I think the N52 likes to rev more so than the M54. The gearbox was a complete ball ache, I forget exactly what the dealer said but just before I traded it in they changed the gearbox due to some issue which made the gearstick rattle and occasionally jump out of gear at high revs. The new box did improve things but right at the top of the rev range there was still a discouraging rattle.
Traded the 130i for a 550i and never looked back.
I had a z4 3.0si and then a 130i LE. If anything the engine sounded better in the 130. Great car, great engine.
If you spin a 130 car on the public roads you're driving like a £&@!. It's stable, grippy and secure. I never hung around, but if you're spinning a car like the 130 you're going to end up hurting (or worse) you and others.
If you spin a 130 car on the public roads you're driving like a £&@!. It's stable, grippy and secure. I never hung around, but if you're spinning a car like the 130 you're going to end up hurting (or worse) you and others.
HannsG said:
Whats to hate?
There's a few things that aren't great about the first generation 1-series in general - the rear seat and boot space are poor for the class; the sportier of the two suspension setups isn't very well resolved - feeling under-damped for the spring rates and rather dim-witted when trying to respond to sharp bumps; the steering is fairly heavy but oddly lacking in feel for a hydraulic setup;... To be fair though, some of that is nit-picking and the engine really is a lovely thing.
csmith319 said:
If you spin a 130 car on the public roads you're driving like a £&@!. It's stable, grippy and secure. I never hung around, but if you're spinning a car like the 130 you're going to end up hurting (or worse) you and others.
Might have had worn suspension, bad alignment, or something along those lines, so perhaps not the driver's fault.kambites said:
...the sportier of the two suspension setups isn't very well resolved - feeling under-damped for the spring rates and rather dim-witted when trying to respond to sharp bumps.
IMO that's the usual "needs to feel planted on the Autobahn" setup. No idea why the rest of the world buys this and thinks "great, so sporty!".The OP has read this Carpool? http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyI...
Rather cool IMO, and they are a good 2k GBP cheaper in the UK compared to EU prices. If one can live with the limited rear room and the looks, bargain IMO.
csmith319 said:
If you spin a 130 car on the public roads you're driving like a £&@!. It's stable, grippy and secure. I never hung around, but if you're spinning a car like the 130 you're going to end up hurting (or worse) you and others.
Yes, I was probably a bit too enthusiastic with the loud pedal but not incredibly so. I put it down to driving an LSD equipped car which is far more predictable when the rear lets go. Appreciate the concern 
Babw said:
Yes, I was probably a bit too enthusiastic with the loud pedal but not incredibly so. I put it down to driving an LSD equipped car which is far more predictable when the rear lets go. Appreciate the concern
Sorry - slight toll-like comment from me after a couple of beers over dinner... its easy to be over enthusiastic, and the rear end can be a little lively if driven hard. If i had kept it I would have wanted to put the Quaife LSD on it as I thought it was a great car for the odd track day too (not too fast for people to have expectations on your speed, but fast enough not to get in people's way...).Anyhoo...
ChasW said:
I ran a 2008 130i LE for a year. Great car. Only two issues. Driver's seat bolster wear. Alloys wheels are incredibly vulnerable to kerbing. Now have a 231bhp 3.0 Z3. The 130i had easily the better engine and would regularly return 36-38 mpg on a run.
Hi can ask what engine is in the 2008 130i le is it N52 or N54 naturally aspirated engine ?? EDIT: Holy s
t I just seen this pop up in my threads and realised I started this thread way back in 2013. And yes I ended up getting the E82
Having owned one in a Z4 and 330ci and a E82 1 series coupe.
Yes it is. Will always have a fond place in my heart. I also had an E46 M3, was the N52 a derivative of that amazing engine also?
It was such a powerful engine whi h also had brilliant fuel economy and reliability.
The engine would have lasted forever and I would have kept the cars had they not started rusting.
t I just seen this pop up in my threads and realised I started this thread way back in 2013. And yes I ended up getting the E82Having owned one in a Z4 and 330ci and a E82 1 series coupe.
Yes it is. Will always have a fond place in my heart. I also had an E46 M3, was the N52 a derivative of that amazing engine also?
It was such a powerful engine whi h also had brilliant fuel economy and reliability.
The engine would have lasted forever and I would have kept the cars had they not started rusting.
Edited by HannsG on Thursday 2nd January 19:27
Edited by HannsG on Friday 3rd January 01:17
Wow - that is some thread resurrection!
I'm also a fan of the 3 litre N52 engine.
I've had a couple of Z4 Coupes for over 5 years, and have a 330i as a daily - I just couldn't find a 130i for the right budget!
I don't think the N52 shares anything with the S54 in the E46 M3. The N52 has a magnesium/aluminium black and the S54 has an iron one.
But if the N52 is a great engine the S54 is just fantastic, and largely what made me buy a Z4 M Coupe last month to replace my 3.0Si!
I'm also a fan of the 3 litre N52 engine.
I've had a couple of Z4 Coupes for over 5 years, and have a 330i as a daily - I just couldn't find a 130i for the right budget!
I don't think the N52 shares anything with the S54 in the E46 M3. The N52 has a magnesium/aluminium black and the S54 has an iron one.
But if the N52 is a great engine the S54 is just fantastic, and largely what made me buy a Z4 M Coupe last month to replace my 3.0Si!
BM All Day said:
Hi can ask what engine is in the 2008 130i le is it N52 or N54 naturally aspirated engine ??
Epic thread resurrection but to answer your question, all 130i's use the N52 engine 
. The N54 is used on later turbo-charged engines (such as the 335i).Post LCI 130i's have minor engine changes including brake regeneration and an unloading alternator which increases MPG slightly. Also has electronic PAS vs hydraulic.
Edited by AnneTeak on Friday 3rd January 10:44
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