M135i values versus Golf R Audi s3 type R values
Discussion
I have noticed while watching the market for the m135i and m235i that the m135i don’t seem to hold their value as well as the GOLF R etc as the title suggests.
Are they not as good generally or is it the 4 motion or more neutral looks keeping the golf prices higher v’s that of a similar age & mileage m135i ?
I’ve not noticed any significant reliability issues or complaints regarding the m135 but have heard of diff/Haldex failures in the s3 & R are not uncommon. Ouch.
Would be grateful of opinions or info.
Are they not as good generally or is it the 4 motion or more neutral looks keeping the golf prices higher v’s that of a similar age & mileage m135i ?
I’ve not noticed any significant reliability issues or complaints regarding the m135 but have heard of diff/Haldex failures in the s3 & R are not uncommon. Ouch.
Would be grateful of opinions or info.
Thanks for you reply, yes the others don’t appeal to me much I just wondered if I was missing something and forums sometimes help you find out any horror stories or quality issues.
I’ve had a 330ci sport for 7 years and it’s been absolutely brilliant. I’ve owned a 130i m sport as well but couldn’t face selling my 330ci at the time so the 130 went due to the more boring looks and colour (silver with grey leather -not very exciting on a 1st gen 1 series)
I drove a friends m140i auto a couple of months ago and haven’t stopped looking at the more sensibly priced (for me) m135i & m235i approx 14/64 plate for 13-15.5k ish. Under 50k miles and must be a manual for personal preference/reliability. The m140i felt like the first time I gave my westfield some welly! Bl**dy bullet.
I’ve had a 330ci sport for 7 years and it’s been absolutely brilliant. I’ve owned a 130i m sport as well but couldn’t face selling my 330ci at the time so the 130 went due to the more boring looks and colour (silver with grey leather -not very exciting on a 1st gen 1 series)
I drove a friends m140i auto a couple of months ago and haven’t stopped looking at the more sensibly priced (for me) m135i & m235i approx 14/64 plate for 13-15.5k ish. Under 50k miles and must be a manual for personal preference/reliability. The m140i felt like the first time I gave my westfield some welly! Bl**dy bullet.
Could it be that the discounts offered on the BMWs are such that they're significantly less than the equivalent R/S3 to start with and this difference is simply maintained when used?
20-25% off list is not uncommon on the M140 (or M135 before it) meaning lightly specced 3dr cars could be had new for mid 20's..
20-25% off list is not uncommon on the M140 (or M135 before it) meaning lightly specced 3dr cars could be had new for mid 20's..
Flat6 said:
Could it be that the discounts offered on the BMWs are such that they're significantly less than the equivalent R/S3 to start with and this difference is simply maintained when used?
20-25% off list is not uncommon on the M140 (or M135 before it) meaning lightly specced 3dr cars could be had new for mid 20's..
Hi yes I think you’re right there flat6, I actually want a 3 door preferably with red leather, manual box and HK sound although not essential. 20-25% off list is not uncommon on the M140 (or M135 before it) meaning lightly specced 3dr cars could be had new for mid 20's..
I'll have my input here. It will be against the grain I suspect but possibly also why the M135i isn't quite as valuable as the Golf R.
On paper, the M135i slays the Golf R. RWD, practical and of course, a 3 pedal option.
I've driven a couple of Mx35is.
I'll be honest. They've never 'grabbed' me enough to put down the cash for one. Deliberate over one, maybe. But buy? Not quite.
I drove a 30,000 mile M135i about 7 months ago, ready to sell my M3 off and go a litte more sensible, and lose a worthless moneypit. But I couldn't. Why?
Inside, the M135i isn't exactly inviting. It looks cheap; the quality of the plastics isn't great. However, it also looks small inside, smaller than my Mk1 Focus and 306 GTi-6 were TBH. In the rear, it's not all that spacious either, and without the rear folding seat option that has the armrest, it looks a little like a Fiat Panda rear seat thrown in the back. Yes, I know you drive the car, but isn't the point of a multi-seater to be a little more inviting in the back? Even Ford made more of an effort with the Ka and Fiesta...
I then come to the drive. The engine and for the 2 pedal folks, the gearbox is superb. It's a true marvel. The rest left me cold. Going for an overtake, and it doesn't quite feel all that planted. In the corners, you can't quite judge where the car is. It's hard for me to describe, but it's something my E46 M3, my 106 and 205 GTi could do, and even to an extent the 2CV! The M135i just felt a little lifeless. It felt like going into a corner and trusting it. I hear that the suspension can make a huge difference to these, but why aren't they like this out of the box?
For that reason, I still have the same cars now, albeit a very different daily now! It's a shame as I really want to like the M135i. Maybe I expect too much from it. After all, it is the right car to buy on paper...
It didn't stop me from deliberating over one, but I understand from others, the Golf is ultimately more satisfying if you can get over it not being RWD. The quality inside is also a step up as is space and possibly even the chassis dynamics.
On paper, the M135i slays the Golf R. RWD, practical and of course, a 3 pedal option.
I've driven a couple of Mx35is.
I'll be honest. They've never 'grabbed' me enough to put down the cash for one. Deliberate over one, maybe. But buy? Not quite.
I drove a 30,000 mile M135i about 7 months ago, ready to sell my M3 off and go a litte more sensible, and lose a worthless moneypit. But I couldn't. Why?
Inside, the M135i isn't exactly inviting. It looks cheap; the quality of the plastics isn't great. However, it also looks small inside, smaller than my Mk1 Focus and 306 GTi-6 were TBH. In the rear, it's not all that spacious either, and without the rear folding seat option that has the armrest, it looks a little like a Fiat Panda rear seat thrown in the back. Yes, I know you drive the car, but isn't the point of a multi-seater to be a little more inviting in the back? Even Ford made more of an effort with the Ka and Fiesta...
I then come to the drive. The engine and for the 2 pedal folks, the gearbox is superb. It's a true marvel. The rest left me cold. Going for an overtake, and it doesn't quite feel all that planted. In the corners, you can't quite judge where the car is. It's hard for me to describe, but it's something my E46 M3, my 106 and 205 GTi could do, and even to an extent the 2CV! The M135i just felt a little lifeless. It felt like going into a corner and trusting it. I hear that the suspension can make a huge difference to these, but why aren't they like this out of the box?
For that reason, I still have the same cars now, albeit a very different daily now! It's a shame as I really want to like the M135i. Maybe I expect too much from it. After all, it is the right car to buy on paper...
It didn't stop me from deliberating over one, but I understand from others, the Golf is ultimately more satisfying if you can get over it not being RWD. The quality inside is also a step up as is space and possibly even the chassis dynamics.
I don't think now is a good time to be looking at buying something like a Golf R or S3.
Audi & VW have yet to emissions test the R & S3 meaning there are no new deliveries of cars into the UK. No brand new stock seems to be helping prices stay strong. It's the same with RS3's, 2016 Pre-Facelift cars are sitting at £33k or more and Facelift cars are sitting at £43k or more. You can't currently order a new facelift so all the used cars are up for strong money and all selling pretty much immediately.
For example, I bought a 2016 Golf R in Feb 2018, 11,000 miles and a high spec. It cost me £25k. If I wanted to buy the car today, 10 months later I'd need to spend AT LEAST £25k or more to get that same car. So pretty much zero depreciation over the last 10 months.
BMW have their WLTP issues sorted and new cars can be ordered and delivered like usual.
I've had 2 Golf R's, both pre-facelift and they were both fantastic cars. I never had any reliability issues at all and they were reasonable to run although premium 19 inch tyres are kinda expensive. Servicing isn't too bad, VW say the Haldex units don't need to be serviced but they are wet systems so there is oil and a filter - if the filter gets too clogged then the Haldex stops working. Most of us had the oil changed, filters cleaned on the haled unit even if VW said it didn't need it. Owners were having cars with as low as 14k miles, checked, found them to be clogged and then paid to have the filter cleaned and the oil changed. Most people recommend every 2 years depending on your mileage and it's not expensive to do, you just need to find a specialist who understands the job and does it properly as most say ' VW say it doesn't need doing'.
I sold the second Golf R in the summer to free up some money and have recently started looking buying another car, everything from a pre-facelift RS3 to LCI M2 to M4 CP. The RS3 is pretty much an expensive Golf R with an extra cylinder that handles worse, the LCI M2 and M4 are difficult because they're RWD and after having the R and knowing it's as good as it is, I think I'd miss the all weather capabilities of the AWD systems and struggle with RWD. I don't really want another Golf R but even if I did, values are very similar to what they were at the start of the year with some dealers asking £26,000 or more for a 2016 car.
Audi & VW have yet to emissions test the R & S3 meaning there are no new deliveries of cars into the UK. No brand new stock seems to be helping prices stay strong. It's the same with RS3's, 2016 Pre-Facelift cars are sitting at £33k or more and Facelift cars are sitting at £43k or more. You can't currently order a new facelift so all the used cars are up for strong money and all selling pretty much immediately.
For example, I bought a 2016 Golf R in Feb 2018, 11,000 miles and a high spec. It cost me £25k. If I wanted to buy the car today, 10 months later I'd need to spend AT LEAST £25k or more to get that same car. So pretty much zero depreciation over the last 10 months.
BMW have their WLTP issues sorted and new cars can be ordered and delivered like usual.
I've had 2 Golf R's, both pre-facelift and they were both fantastic cars. I never had any reliability issues at all and they were reasonable to run although premium 19 inch tyres are kinda expensive. Servicing isn't too bad, VW say the Haldex units don't need to be serviced but they are wet systems so there is oil and a filter - if the filter gets too clogged then the Haldex stops working. Most of us had the oil changed, filters cleaned on the haled unit even if VW said it didn't need it. Owners were having cars with as low as 14k miles, checked, found them to be clogged and then paid to have the filter cleaned and the oil changed. Most people recommend every 2 years depending on your mileage and it's not expensive to do, you just need to find a specialist who understands the job and does it properly as most say ' VW say it doesn't need doing'.
I sold the second Golf R in the summer to free up some money and have recently started looking buying another car, everything from a pre-facelift RS3 to LCI M2 to M4 CP. The RS3 is pretty much an expensive Golf R with an extra cylinder that handles worse, the LCI M2 and M4 are difficult because they're RWD and after having the R and knowing it's as good as it is, I think I'd miss the all weather capabilities of the AWD systems and struggle with RWD. I don't really want another Golf R but even if I did, values are very similar to what they were at the start of the year with some dealers asking £26,000 or more for a 2016 car.
Edited by ashleyman on Monday 31st December 00:07
All appreciated thanks folks,
Yeah the rear seats are something I’ve not heard mentioned before but they remind me of the upholstered “board” looking rear seats in my old xr3i .... a horror to today’s standards & expectations, I will drive another and make sure I’m happy with the handling, I’m spoilt for knowing how a car should communicate (having the Westfield on sunny days) so I know what to look for, I think hearing your points I need to drive another 1 or 2 before taking the plunge.
Yeah the rear seats are something I’ve not heard mentioned before but they remind me of the upholstered “board” looking rear seats in my old xr3i .... a horror to today’s standards & expectations, I will drive another and make sure I’m happy with the handling, I’m spoilt for knowing how a car should communicate (having the Westfield on sunny days) so I know what to look for, I think hearing your points I need to drive another 1 or 2 before taking the plunge.
ashleyman said:
I don't think now is a good time to be looking at buying something like a Golf R or S3.
Audi & VW have yet to emissions test the R & S3 meaning there are no new deliveries of cars into the UK. No brand new stock seems to be helping prices stay strong. It's the same with RS3's, 2016 Pre-Facelift cars are sitting at £33k or more and Facelift cars are sitting at £43k or more. You can't currently order a new facelift so all the used cars are up for strong money and all selling pretty much immediately.
For example, I bought a 2016 Golf R in Feb 2018, 11,000 miles and a high spec. It cost me £25k. If I wanted to buy the car today, 10 months later I'd need to spend AT LEAST £25k or more to get that same car. So pretty much zero depreciation over the last 10 months.
BMW have their WLTP issues sorted and new cars can be ordered and delivered like usual.
I've had 2 Golf R's, both pre-facelift and they were both fantastic cars. I never had any reliability issues at all and they were reasonable to run although premium 19 inch tyres are kinda expensive. Servicing isn't too bad, VW say the Haldex units don't need to be serviced but they are wet systems so there is oil, and a filter and if the filter gets too clogged then the Haldex stops working. Most of us had them checked as time went on with cars with as low as 14k miles had clogged filters. Id recommend every 2 years depending on your mileage and it's not expensive to do, you just need to find a specialist who understands the job and does it properly.
I sold the second Golf R in the summer to free up some money and have recently started looking buying another car, everything from a pre-facelift RS3 to LCI M2 to M4 CP. The RS3 is pretty much an expensive Golf R with an extra cylinder that handles worse, the LCI M2 and M4 are difficult because they're RWD and after having the R and knowing it's as good as it is, I think I'd miss the all weather capabilities of the AWD systems and struggle with RWD. I don't really want another Golf R but even if I did, values are very similar to what they were at the start of the year with some dealers asking £26,000 or more for a 2016 car.
Super! Thanks for your reply, my sister has a red 17plate golf R dsg since new and as far as I’m aware she’s had not issues In 20k Miles Audi & VW have yet to emissions test the R & S3 meaning there are no new deliveries of cars into the UK. No brand new stock seems to be helping prices stay strong. It's the same with RS3's, 2016 Pre-Facelift cars are sitting at £33k or more and Facelift cars are sitting at £43k or more. You can't currently order a new facelift so all the used cars are up for strong money and all selling pretty much immediately.
For example, I bought a 2016 Golf R in Feb 2018, 11,000 miles and a high spec. It cost me £25k. If I wanted to buy the car today, 10 months later I'd need to spend AT LEAST £25k or more to get that same car. So pretty much zero depreciation over the last 10 months.
BMW have their WLTP issues sorted and new cars can be ordered and delivered like usual.
I've had 2 Golf R's, both pre-facelift and they were both fantastic cars. I never had any reliability issues at all and they were reasonable to run although premium 19 inch tyres are kinda expensive. Servicing isn't too bad, VW say the Haldex units don't need to be serviced but they are wet systems so there is oil, and a filter and if the filter gets too clogged then the Haldex stops working. Most of us had them checked as time went on with cars with as low as 14k miles had clogged filters. Id recommend every 2 years depending on your mileage and it's not expensive to do, you just need to find a specialist who understands the job and does it properly.
I sold the second Golf R in the summer to free up some money and have recently started looking buying another car, everything from a pre-facelift RS3 to LCI M2 to M4 CP. The RS3 is pretty much an expensive Golf R with an extra cylinder that handles worse, the LCI M2 and M4 are difficult because they're RWD and after having the R and knowing it's as good as it is, I think I'd miss the all weather capabilities of the AWD systems and struggle with RWD. I don't really want another Golf R but even if I did, values are very similar to what they were at the start of the year with some dealers asking £26,000 or more for a 2016 car.
Edited by ashleyman on Monday 31st December 00:04
I've always thought it's because the M135i is considered an older car given it went on sale in 2012, whereas the Golf R and S3 didn't appear for another 18-months or so. Also the M140i probably knocked back M135i prices a little when it landed.
I ran an M135i for a year in 2017 and loved it. Paid £17.5k when it was 3-years old with 18k miles. Seemed a bargain considering it was an Auto with Pro Nav, HK and Adaptive Suspension. It was completely fault free for the 11k miles I kept it, and I managed to move it on without really losing much. It seems after the initial drop they hold their value well. Looks like the same money today would buy an early facelift car.
I ran an M135i for a year in 2017 and loved it. Paid £17.5k when it was 3-years old with 18k miles. Seemed a bargain considering it was an Auto with Pro Nav, HK and Adaptive Suspension. It was completely fault free for the 11k miles I kept it, and I managed to move it on without really losing much. It seems after the initial drop they hold their value well. Looks like the same money today would buy an early facelift car.
skypeller said:
Thanks, I’ve not heard many bad opinions from people who’ve actually owned them.
What do you drive now if you don’t mind me asking?
Yeah I’ve come to that conclusion now regarding prices it’s basically an older car and possibly a hint of the 4wd security for some people with the R.
I've been running a 2015 Audi TT for the past year as a bit of an interim car. Nothing wrong with it but a little boring. I pre-ordered the new BMW Z4 M40i ages ago and it should turn up in March. Can't wait to be back behind the wheel of a 6-cylinder What do you drive now if you don’t mind me asking?
Yeah I’ve come to that conclusion now regarding prices it’s basically an older car and possibly a hint of the 4wd security for some people with the R.
My opinion is to drive all three and decide on which driving experience you enjoy most. I've driven the latest golf r and 140i back to back and my preference is the 140i (I'm a sucker for rear wheel drive) so based on this we bought one and haven't regretted it. Doesn't drive like a Westie, but has the benefit of delivering you to your destination without feeling like you've done a Grand Prix and still gives you a good driving experience.
Haha yes I know what you mean about the westys, it’s a summer weekend car/track car and that’s all it will be for me. An event to go out In it, probably hard work as a daily!
I’ve always driven before deciding if I have a couple of choices... I won’t bother with the Audi s3 it doesn’t do much for me somehow. I know it’s totally different but I had a 2.0t s-line a3 and it did bugger all for me!
Whatever I look at I just go back to the m135 & m235 .... almost like my mind is made up already
I’ve always driven before deciding if I have a couple of choices... I won’t bother with the Audi s3 it doesn’t do much for me somehow. I know it’s totally different but I had a 2.0t s-line a3 and it did bugger all for me!
Whatever I look at I just go back to the m135 & m235 .... almost like my mind is made up already
You need to get an auto on the M135i, it really suits the car and is a masterpiece, though manual cars are much cheaper.
Flick the switch and shifter into sport/sport and it's a real pocket rocket, would easily keep up with my GTR on the road, though the back end can feel twitchy it can be sorted with an underbody brace and LSD.
We don't have any problems with rear leg room, can get the baby seats in no problem.
Flick the switch and shifter into sport/sport and it's a real pocket rocket, would easily keep up with my GTR on the road, though the back end can feel twitchy it can be sorted with an underbody brace and LSD.
We don't have any problems with rear leg room, can get the baby seats in no problem.
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