Not another bimmer surely
Discussion
I seem to have a small problem (no not that one, my other one), which involves a bit of an obsession with BMW's.
It wasn't always like this, and in fact, looking back on my car history, I really should be a Ford fanatic, but that stopped when Fords became FWD.
So, a little info about my car history, unfortunately I have no pictures of any, as I lost everything in my 20's unfortunately :
My first car was a Hillman Avenger, in brown, bit of a shed, cost me £35. It was pretty awful. This was in 1986, and it was 10 years old already. And rusty.
Next was a Mk1 Cavalier 1.6GL in bright green, which was actually a really good car. Tartan seats, long gearstick, drove remarkably well. The trouble was, I wanted to join the trendy gang and get an Escort, so my mint condition' Cav' had to go, to be replaced by ....
A Mk1 Ford Escort (YAY) 1300e, in brown. I wish I had a picture of this, because it was a whole heap of awesomeness. For my £400, I had a rally legend, with a wooden dash, loads of dials, full opening roof panel, etc. Oh, and a bit of rust. Which turned out to be a LOT of rust.
I had both front footwell's welded in, one side of the rear floorpan, and various other area's. It was amazing, for about a week, when I blew the wheezy 1300cc engine to bits trying to race a Yamaha RD250 power valve. To be fair it had been chucking out clouds of blue smoke since I bought it, and this was just a good opportunity to throw a 1600cc block in with a twin choke webber, oh yeah !
I loved that car, but the yearning for a boxy Mk2 Ekky got too much, and I sold it to buy my first Mk2.
My first (of many) Mk2 Escorts was an orange 2 door 1300 L, which had a 1600cc under the hood, again with a twin choke webber. It was a very clean car, and had unusual Volvo bucket-type seats in, which folded forward to allow access to the rear, but in a sort-of diagonal way, ie towards the gearstick slightly. I have no idea which car these would have come from, having never owned a Volvo (my friend Andy is a huge Volvo fan, and would know, but I'll forgive him for that as he's a lovely bloke in many other ways).
This car was everything I wanted. Except I wanted something faster......
I did swap & change over the next couple of years, many times, and had at least 10 Mk2 escorts.
The fastest of these, was a light blue 2 door Mk2, with a 2.0 pinto, twin DCOE 45's on a Janspeed manifold, and a Janspeed exhaust. It was rust free, but was not in great original condition, and more of a project. It was pretty quick, but liked a drink, and I could regularly use half a tank just blatting around the countryside for an hour. It was amazing fun though !
In between many Escorts, I did have a variety of different cars though, including a Renault Fuego (also in browny bronze - I seem to have a thing for brown), which had a 3 speed automatic gearbox, which wouldn't change to top, so a 60mph top speed in 2nd revving it's t*ts off.
I had a Mk2 Cavalier sri which had been accident repaired in somebody's front garden, and needed full lock to get round the mildest of bends.
I had a period of no cars for a while, having sold them to fund my Mountain Bike obsession, but that's a story for another time.
So, after a 'no car' period, I got given a Mk1 Micra, J reg in red. It was a brilliant little thing, ran on fumes, and started first turn of the key every time.
But, my mate had a BMW. It was awesome. And I wanted one.
So, my first BMW was an E36 318 saloon, in a rather nice blue.
It had a few issues, but I spent some money and it was lovely. I removed the rear spoiler and had the holes filled, boot sprayed. It came with some M3 rep wheels. I had some apex springs fitted, which gave it a nice lowered stance without looking ridiculous. It was a good car, and even the wife liked it, which was a bonus !
It handled really well, but it was just a bit slow, and I saved up for my next (faster) BMW.
Enter my E36 328i coupe of amazeballs :
This was really special (to me). It had the M50 manifold already fitted, and a Simota carbon induction kit, M3 front splitter, but needed some love. I had most of the car resprayed, the wheels refurbished, some suspension improvements, and waxed & polished it for hours every Sunday.
It was a great car, and the one which I wished I had never sold.
It was quick, felt remarkably well built, and looked amazing.
But, I was really into my Mountain Biking, and needed some cash to buy a very expensive bike........
So, the BMW was sold (on Pistonheads) to a young lad who promised he would take good care of it.
It was gutting to see it advertised about 6 months later on Ebay as a 'Track/Drift toy for sale'. It was battered, had a welded diff, and looked stripped out.
I was genuinely gutted to see it looking so abused, and to this day wished I had kept it.
So, I needed a cheap car to transport myself (and my expensive Mountain Bike) to trail centres across the UK.
Enter the £750 Saab 9-3 :
It was a 1.9 deseasel, sounded like a tractor, but had the comfiest seats I have ever sat in. It looked ok, it had loads of dials.
It also had so many trim rattles, a weedy stereo, smoked on start-up, and handled like a boat.
I had to save up for another BMW.
Enter my last car, which is actually for sale at the moment.
I have owned it for over 4 years, and it has been the perfect family car. An E91 320d M-Sport Touring :
For a daily all-rounder it is brilliant. It's fast enough for most, does 50+ mpg on a run, it's (in my opinion) one of the best looking cars BMW have ever made. Lovely seats, lovely interior, nice wheels (which I had refurbed), huge load space, great stereo (BMW professional with the subs under the seats).
It handles ok for a big barge. It has been maintained well, every tiny thing that it's needed has been done, and all the common faults repaired (cam position sensor, DDE relay, rear wiper sticking, etc).
I have to say, this car has been amazing.
But, turning 50 years old, means mid-life crisis has fully kicked in. I can't be arsed to Mountain Bike, so that's gone, I am tired of deseasels and want a petrol again, and I'm tired of family cars.
So, this brings me to my new car. I have been hankering over one for years, and I genuinely think it is already a modern classic.
Never again, will you be able to buy a RWD hatchback with a 6 cylinder turbo under the bonnet, so this was a no-brainer :
It's in my favourite colour, Estoril Blue, it's my first auto, and it has a bangin' Harman Kardon stereo bruv' !
It's f-ing fast too.
It doesn't have electric/heated seats (which I didn't want, they are heavy and unnecessary, and I can live with cold seats in the winter). It's not a shadow edition, but I actually prefer chrome grills and silver mirror scalps. It doesn't have adaptive suspension. First impressions, it's fast !
It's pretty much mint, and on 14,280 miles. It is a typical 1 series in some ways, with a slightly rattly tailgate trim like they all are, but I'm happy. I know it's not a 10/10th's car in standard trim, and I have thought about what many suggest, ie an LSD fitted, cheeky remap, and some suspension mods. But, I think I might just keep it 100% standard, in the hope it will be worth more in the long run, as I intend on keeping this for a good decade or more.
It is a jackyl & hyde car. In comfort mode, and full auto, I could be driving a hybrid slusher, because it is so smooth. The gears change up before 2000rpm, the steering is light, and it's not actually too bad on fuel.
Of course, in sport+ and manual gears (well, flappy paddles), it is a different beast. I don't think I have mentioned it, but it's fast. It doesn't feel as fast as it actually is, because the engine is quite torque-y and as such, you don't really get a shove in the back as the turbo kicks in, it's more of a smooth elastic band type of acceleration, which simply fires you into the horizon at which point you realise that your licence is in danger.
If you made it this far, thank you for reading my rambling. I'd love to hear what others think of these, especially fellow owners who can give me insight on any more long-term potential issues I should keep an eye out for.
Unfortunately, I can only stare at it out of the window at the moment, as like many, I'm housebound with the corona virus implications, so my thoughts are with those who are high risk, stay safe everyone.
It wasn't always like this, and in fact, looking back on my car history, I really should be a Ford fanatic, but that stopped when Fords became FWD.
So, a little info about my car history, unfortunately I have no pictures of any, as I lost everything in my 20's unfortunately :
My first car was a Hillman Avenger, in brown, bit of a shed, cost me £35. It was pretty awful. This was in 1986, and it was 10 years old already. And rusty.
Next was a Mk1 Cavalier 1.6GL in bright green, which was actually a really good car. Tartan seats, long gearstick, drove remarkably well. The trouble was, I wanted to join the trendy gang and get an Escort, so my mint condition' Cav' had to go, to be replaced by ....
A Mk1 Ford Escort (YAY) 1300e, in brown. I wish I had a picture of this, because it was a whole heap of awesomeness. For my £400, I had a rally legend, with a wooden dash, loads of dials, full opening roof panel, etc. Oh, and a bit of rust. Which turned out to be a LOT of rust.
I had both front footwell's welded in, one side of the rear floorpan, and various other area's. It was amazing, for about a week, when I blew the wheezy 1300cc engine to bits trying to race a Yamaha RD250 power valve. To be fair it had been chucking out clouds of blue smoke since I bought it, and this was just a good opportunity to throw a 1600cc block in with a twin choke webber, oh yeah !
I loved that car, but the yearning for a boxy Mk2 Ekky got too much, and I sold it to buy my first Mk2.
My first (of many) Mk2 Escorts was an orange 2 door 1300 L, which had a 1600cc under the hood, again with a twin choke webber. It was a very clean car, and had unusual Volvo bucket-type seats in, which folded forward to allow access to the rear, but in a sort-of diagonal way, ie towards the gearstick slightly. I have no idea which car these would have come from, having never owned a Volvo (my friend Andy is a huge Volvo fan, and would know, but I'll forgive him for that as he's a lovely bloke in many other ways).
This car was everything I wanted. Except I wanted something faster......
I did swap & change over the next couple of years, many times, and had at least 10 Mk2 escorts.
The fastest of these, was a light blue 2 door Mk2, with a 2.0 pinto, twin DCOE 45's on a Janspeed manifold, and a Janspeed exhaust. It was rust free, but was not in great original condition, and more of a project. It was pretty quick, but liked a drink, and I could regularly use half a tank just blatting around the countryside for an hour. It was amazing fun though !
In between many Escorts, I did have a variety of different cars though, including a Renault Fuego (also in browny bronze - I seem to have a thing for brown), which had a 3 speed automatic gearbox, which wouldn't change to top, so a 60mph top speed in 2nd revving it's t*ts off.
I had a Mk2 Cavalier sri which had been accident repaired in somebody's front garden, and needed full lock to get round the mildest of bends.
I had a period of no cars for a while, having sold them to fund my Mountain Bike obsession, but that's a story for another time.
So, after a 'no car' period, I got given a Mk1 Micra, J reg in red. It was a brilliant little thing, ran on fumes, and started first turn of the key every time.
But, my mate had a BMW. It was awesome. And I wanted one.
So, my first BMW was an E36 318 saloon, in a rather nice blue.
It had a few issues, but I spent some money and it was lovely. I removed the rear spoiler and had the holes filled, boot sprayed. It came with some M3 rep wheels. I had some apex springs fitted, which gave it a nice lowered stance without looking ridiculous. It was a good car, and even the wife liked it, which was a bonus !
It handled really well, but it was just a bit slow, and I saved up for my next (faster) BMW.
Enter my E36 328i coupe of amazeballs :
This was really special (to me). It had the M50 manifold already fitted, and a Simota carbon induction kit, M3 front splitter, but needed some love. I had most of the car resprayed, the wheels refurbished, some suspension improvements, and waxed & polished it for hours every Sunday.
It was a great car, and the one which I wished I had never sold.
It was quick, felt remarkably well built, and looked amazing.
But, I was really into my Mountain Biking, and needed some cash to buy a very expensive bike........
So, the BMW was sold (on Pistonheads) to a young lad who promised he would take good care of it.
It was gutting to see it advertised about 6 months later on Ebay as a 'Track/Drift toy for sale'. It was battered, had a welded diff, and looked stripped out.
I was genuinely gutted to see it looking so abused, and to this day wished I had kept it.
So, I needed a cheap car to transport myself (and my expensive Mountain Bike) to trail centres across the UK.
Enter the £750 Saab 9-3 :
It was a 1.9 deseasel, sounded like a tractor, but had the comfiest seats I have ever sat in. It looked ok, it had loads of dials.
It also had so many trim rattles, a weedy stereo, smoked on start-up, and handled like a boat.
I had to save up for another BMW.
Enter my last car, which is actually for sale at the moment.
I have owned it for over 4 years, and it has been the perfect family car. An E91 320d M-Sport Touring :
For a daily all-rounder it is brilliant. It's fast enough for most, does 50+ mpg on a run, it's (in my opinion) one of the best looking cars BMW have ever made. Lovely seats, lovely interior, nice wheels (which I had refurbed), huge load space, great stereo (BMW professional with the subs under the seats).
It handles ok for a big barge. It has been maintained well, every tiny thing that it's needed has been done, and all the common faults repaired (cam position sensor, DDE relay, rear wiper sticking, etc).
I have to say, this car has been amazing.
But, turning 50 years old, means mid-life crisis has fully kicked in. I can't be arsed to Mountain Bike, so that's gone, I am tired of deseasels and want a petrol again, and I'm tired of family cars.
So, this brings me to my new car. I have been hankering over one for years, and I genuinely think it is already a modern classic.
Never again, will you be able to buy a RWD hatchback with a 6 cylinder turbo under the bonnet, so this was a no-brainer :
It's in my favourite colour, Estoril Blue, it's my first auto, and it has a bangin' Harman Kardon stereo bruv' !
It's f-ing fast too.
It doesn't have electric/heated seats (which I didn't want, they are heavy and unnecessary, and I can live with cold seats in the winter). It's not a shadow edition, but I actually prefer chrome grills and silver mirror scalps. It doesn't have adaptive suspension. First impressions, it's fast !
It's pretty much mint, and on 14,280 miles. It is a typical 1 series in some ways, with a slightly rattly tailgate trim like they all are, but I'm happy. I know it's not a 10/10th's car in standard trim, and I have thought about what many suggest, ie an LSD fitted, cheeky remap, and some suspension mods. But, I think I might just keep it 100% standard, in the hope it will be worth more in the long run, as I intend on keeping this for a good decade or more.
It is a jackyl & hyde car. In comfort mode, and full auto, I could be driving a hybrid slusher, because it is so smooth. The gears change up before 2000rpm, the steering is light, and it's not actually too bad on fuel.
Of course, in sport+ and manual gears (well, flappy paddles), it is a different beast. I don't think I have mentioned it, but it's fast. It doesn't feel as fast as it actually is, because the engine is quite torque-y and as such, you don't really get a shove in the back as the turbo kicks in, it's more of a smooth elastic band type of acceleration, which simply fires you into the horizon at which point you realise that your licence is in danger.
If you made it this far, thank you for reading my rambling. I'd love to hear what others think of these, especially fellow owners who can give me insight on any more long-term potential issues I should keep an eye out for.
Unfortunately, I can only stare at it out of the window at the moment, as like many, I'm housebound with the corona virus implications, so my thoughts are with those who are high risk, stay safe everyone.
Edited by Nik Gnashers on Tuesday 24th March 08:53
Awesome stuff, I was always a RWD Ford fan, never had any mk1/2 Escorts (though I would love one!) but have had several Sierras, a Granada and nearly a Capri (it looked lovely in the photos but turned out to be a bit of a dog!). I've now, like you, made what I see as the natural progression from rear drive Fords to BMW. The 140i is sort of like a modern equivalent to a fast mk1 or 2 Escort I think, RWD obviously, relatively small and light with a short wheelbase and a whacking great engine.
njw1 said:
Awesome stuff, I was always a RWD Ford fan, never had any mk1/2 Escorts (though I would love one!) but have had several Sierras, a Granada and nearly a Capri (it looked lovely in the photos but turned out to be a bit of a dog!). I've now, like you, made what I see as the natural progression from rear drive Fords to BMW. The 140i is sort of like a modern equivalent to a fast mk1 or 2 Escort I think, RWD obviously, relatively small and light with a short wheelbase and a whacking great engine.
Thank you for the reply.I loved 70's & 80's Fords, but I never really felt the love for the Mk3 escorts, even the XR3's/XR3i's always seemed a bit naff.
RWD Fords were much more attractive to me.
I did like some FWD 80's stuff, although I was never a mini fan. Tried one I considered swapping with my Escort, it was an 1100 clubman but I just couldn't get on with the long gear lever and tiny pedals.
I was a big fan of the Italian & French stuff, my friend had an Fiat Uno Turbo, which was great fun, and also had a Lancie Delta HF turbo which was always in a state of repair lol !
Another mate had an Alfasud 1.5ti and that was pretty amazing, so along with Renault 5 GT's and the obvious Peugeot 205gti, they were the 'dream' cars for me.
Cracking thread, and I’ve had all of what you have too, even a saloon 36 in the same colour.
So gutting to read the 328 was wrecked, they are cracking cars. I ran mine (an auto) alongside an E46 M3 in 08/09.
The 140 is a great car, as you put it a total Jekyll and Hyde machine, I’m sure you will love it.
So gutting to read the 328 was wrecked, they are cracking cars. I ran mine (an auto) alongside an E46 M3 in 08/09.
The 140 is a great car, as you put it a total Jekyll and Hyde machine, I’m sure you will love it.
martin mrt said:
Cracking thread, and I’ve had all of what you have too, even a saloon 36 in the same colour.
So gutting to read the 328 was wrecked, they are cracking cars. I ran mine (an auto) alongside an E46 M3 in 08/09.
The 140 is a great car, as you put it a total Jekyll and Hyde machine, I’m sure you will love it.
Thank you Martin,So gutting to read the 328 was wrecked, they are cracking cars. I ran mine (an auto) alongside an E46 M3 in 08/09.
The 140 is a great car, as you put it a total Jekyll and Hyde machine, I’m sure you will love it.
I don't post very often, but I thought it was about time I did a car history, seeing as I have a vehicle worth writing about now !
I spent an hour just driving around the deserted roads of Lincolnshire today, trying to really get to know the car, and get used to switching between the engine & gearbox modes.
It really is a rapid thing !
Nik Gnashers said:
Thank you Martin,
I don't post very often, but I thought it was about time I did a car history, seeing as I have a vehicle worth writing about now !
I spent an hour just driving around the deserted roads of Lincolnshire today, trying to really get to know the car, and get used to switching between the engine & gearbox modes.
It really is a rapid thing !
Just looking back, I’ve not had a Saab I don't post very often, but I thought it was about time I did a car history, seeing as I have a vehicle worth writing about now !
I spent an hour just driving around the deserted roads of Lincolnshire today, trying to really get to know the car, and get used to switching between the engine & gearbox modes.
It really is a rapid thing !
They are fantastic little things, that are unsurprising rapid.
I JB4d the one I had but it was too much power with no lsd so I removed that
I’d recommend removing the badges, with them on, mine seemed to be a magnetic challenge for anyone in a 2.0d
Edited by martin mrt on Wednesday 25th March 14:52
Awesome thread and the new car looks great.
Your e36s look great, 19 year old me had the pleasure of driving my parents 318 back when it was about 1 year old, everyone thought I'd either won the lottery or stolen the car. My base spec clio felt extra crap after driving the BMW
Always wanted one for myself but nearest I got was a E46 320d which just wasn't the same.
Finding a good E36 now is impossible so I've missed the boat
Your e36s look great, 19 year old me had the pleasure of driving my parents 318 back when it was about 1 year old, everyone thought I'd either won the lottery or stolen the car. My base spec clio felt extra crap after driving the BMW
Always wanted one for myself but nearest I got was a E46 320d which just wasn't the same.
Finding a good E36 now is impossible so I've missed the boat
martin mrt said:
Just looking back, I’ve not had a Saab
They are fantastic little things, that are unsurprising rapid.
I JB4d the one I had but it was too much power with no lsd so I removed that
I’d recommend removing the badges, with them on, mine seemed to be a magnetic challenge for anyone in a 2.0d
I have considered removing the M140i badge, and maybe sticking a 118d on, because 90% of other car owners wouldn't really know the difference.They are fantastic little things, that are unsurprising rapid.
I JB4d the one I had but it was too much power with no lsd so I removed that
I’d recommend removing the badges, with them on, mine seemed to be a magnetic challenge for anyone in a 2.0d
Edited by martin mrt on Wednesday 25th March 14:52
It is one of the things I love about it, along with the Golf R, the lack of spoilers and go-faster looking bits (fake grills, fake quad exhausts, etc), that seem to spoil a lot of other hot hatches.
I parked alongside a 118d M Sport in the same colour, and it looked very similar indeed !
I heard rumours that fitting an LSD eats rear tyres, which puts me off a bit, as it is my daily driver.
I have already had the usual Astra VXR types tailgating/baiting me lol ;-)
Roboticarm said:
Awesome thread and the new car looks great.
Your e36s look great, 19 year old me had the pleasure of driving my parents 318 back when it was about 1 year old, everyone thought I'd either won the lottery or stolen the car. My base spec clio felt extra crap after driving the BMW
Always wanted one for myself but nearest I got was a E46 320d which just wasn't the same.
Finding a good E36 now is impossible so I've missed the boat
Thank you for the reply matey.Your e36s look great, 19 year old me had the pleasure of driving my parents 318 back when it was about 1 year old, everyone thought I'd either won the lottery or stolen the car. My base spec clio felt extra crap after driving the BMW
Always wanted one for myself but nearest I got was a E46 320d which just wasn't the same.
Finding a good E36 now is impossible so I've missed the boat
My E36 coupe was such a fantastic looking car, the Eibach springs lowered it just enough to enhance it without it looking silly.
I have noticed prices of 'good' unmolested cars rising lately, as so many seem to have succumb to the same fate mine did (and no disrespect to the drifter scene boys there).
The 318 was a solid car, which handled really well, the coupe was a bit more nose-heavy at first, until I sorted the suspension out, but with new shocks and Eibachs, and Goodyear F1's on, it really did turn in quite nicely.
I really miss it, and it seemed much better built than my new car, literally no interior rattles at all.
A quick check reveals it is not taxed or MOT'd now, so it looks like it's either only used for track, or even scrapped ?
Bit of a bonus today, discovered my car has the adaptive suspension !
I hadn't realised, that when switching to sport, in the options it had 'Chassis & Drivetrain' :-)
Only the drivetrain option was ticked, so when I ticked both and switched to sport, I could feel the suspension stiffen up.
I was told when I bought it, that it had standard suspension lol......
Awesome !
I hadn't realised, that when switching to sport, in the options it had 'Chassis & Drivetrain' :-)
Only the drivetrain option was ticked, so when I ticked both and switched to sport, I could feel the suspension stiffen up.
I was told when I bought it, that it had standard suspension lol......
Awesome !
Edited by Nik Gnashers on Thursday 26th March 20:19
Nik Gnashers said:
njw1 said:
Awesome stuff, I was always a RWD Ford fan, never had any mk1/2 Escorts (though I would love one!) but have had several Sierras, a Granada and nearly a Capri (it looked lovely in the photos but turned out to be a bit of a dog!). I've now, like you, made what I see as the natural progression from rear drive Fords to BMW. The 140i is sort of like a modern equivalent to a fast mk1 or 2 Escort I think, RWD obviously, relatively small and light with a short wheelbase and a whacking great engine.
Thank you for the reply.I loved 70's & 80's Fords, but I never really felt the love for the Mk3 escorts, even the XR3's/XR3i's always seemed a bit naff.
RWD Fords were much more attractive to me.
I did like some FWD 80's stuff, although I was never a mini fan. Tried one I considered swapping with my Escort, it was an 1100 clubman but I just couldn't get on with the long gear lever and tiny pedals.
I was a big fan of the Italian & French stuff, my friend had an Fiat Uno Turbo, which was great fun, and also had a Lancie Delta HF turbo which was always in a state of repair lol !
Another mate had an Alfasud 1.5ti and that was pretty amazing, so along with Renault 5 GT's and the obvious Peugeot 205gti, they were the 'dream' cars for me.
My 1st car was a MK2 Cortina POS!
Followed by a Fiat 125, Rover P6B 3500S, MK2 Granada 2.8 Ghia, Fiat 132 1800ES, MK2 Escort RS2000, Capri 2.8 Injection, Cavalier 2 litre Sportshatch, Capri 2.8 Injection, 2.8i Scorpio - all RWD and mostly manual.
Now my daily is an E90 330i and my toy is a Z4M Coupe - so I also seem to have done the RWD Ford to BMW transition! But then there aren't really any other options.
Love the 140i OP - enjoy (when you can).
Well,
400 miles in now, and I made the right choice.
The Good :
Gearbox is awesome. Super smooth in comfort mode, changes under 2000rpm so makes the car very quiet, perfect for town.
Engine is more awesome. Great torque-y pull from low revs, howls at 6500+, and plenty powerful enough in a hatch.
iDrive brilliant. Old E91 had a decent sounding system (BMW Professional), but now I am used to the iDrive and Harmon Kardon, I really like the way it works. Mine only has the smaller screen, so (I don't think) it doesn't have the sport display (power/revs), oh well.
Adaptive suspension : perfectly fine in comfort mode, and also lovely light steering for wafting around town. Sport mode I can feel it stiffen considerably, reducing body roll on the country lanes.
The Bad :
Seats : These are great for comfort, almost the same as the M Sport seats in my old E91, but the quality of the leather has definitely taken a dip.
The trim rattles : The tailgate is the biggest issue,over bumps. I kinda knew before I bought the car, it was still just a 1 series at heart, and it hasn't proven that wrong. There are some minor other interior noises, and the plastic trim on the inner part of the steering wheel also creaks if you press it.
The MPG : Yes I shouldn't complain, I know. Driving it pretty sedately most of the time, with a couple of spirited blatts now and again, I seem to be averaging 28.3 mpg ..... I thought it would at least start with a 3, seeing as I drive in comfort mode 95% of the time. Oh well never mind, at least 99ron is cheap at the moment !
Overall, it's a cracking car. I think I can 'fix' the trim rattles, which will make it a lot more pleasant.
I dread to think what mpg I would be getting, if I had a heavier foot........
400 miles in now, and I made the right choice.
The Good :
Gearbox is awesome. Super smooth in comfort mode, changes under 2000rpm so makes the car very quiet, perfect for town.
Engine is more awesome. Great torque-y pull from low revs, howls at 6500+, and plenty powerful enough in a hatch.
iDrive brilliant. Old E91 had a decent sounding system (BMW Professional), but now I am used to the iDrive and Harmon Kardon, I really like the way it works. Mine only has the smaller screen, so (I don't think) it doesn't have the sport display (power/revs), oh well.
Adaptive suspension : perfectly fine in comfort mode, and also lovely light steering for wafting around town. Sport mode I can feel it stiffen considerably, reducing body roll on the country lanes.
The Bad :
Seats : These are great for comfort, almost the same as the M Sport seats in my old E91, but the quality of the leather has definitely taken a dip.
The trim rattles : The tailgate is the biggest issue,over bumps. I kinda knew before I bought the car, it was still just a 1 series at heart, and it hasn't proven that wrong. There are some minor other interior noises, and the plastic trim on the inner part of the steering wheel also creaks if you press it.
The MPG : Yes I shouldn't complain, I know. Driving it pretty sedately most of the time, with a couple of spirited blatts now and again, I seem to be averaging 28.3 mpg ..... I thought it would at least start with a 3, seeing as I drive in comfort mode 95% of the time. Oh well never mind, at least 99ron is cheap at the moment !
Overall, it's a cracking car. I think I can 'fix' the trim rattles, which will make it a lot more pleasant.
I dread to think what mpg I would be getting, if I had a heavier foot........
Congrats on the car.
I've always been intrigued to know the difference that the adaptive suspension would make to one, as the passive set up on the M135i I had really fell short on bumpy roads.
In terms of MPG, 30 sounds about right around the doors, but as you probably know, if you sit in Eco on a motorway at NSL then you'll see that shoot up. I frequently got over 40 in mine when I wasn't pressing on. It had great economy as a commuter, just a shame about the relatively small tank.
Personally, I wouldn't suffer any trim rattles if you have warranty just because it is a 1er. Mine had several issues (including the ZF8 whine) but it was pretty solid inside.
Really like the E36 328 coupe. They were such a good car for their time!
I've always been intrigued to know the difference that the adaptive suspension would make to one, as the passive set up on the M135i I had really fell short on bumpy roads.
In terms of MPG, 30 sounds about right around the doors, but as you probably know, if you sit in Eco on a motorway at NSL then you'll see that shoot up. I frequently got over 40 in mine when I wasn't pressing on. It had great economy as a commuter, just a shame about the relatively small tank.
Personally, I wouldn't suffer any trim rattles if you have warranty just because it is a 1er. Mine had several issues (including the ZF8 whine) but it was pretty solid inside.
Really like the E36 328 coupe. They were such a good car for their time!
Nik Gnashers said:
Well,
400 miles in now, and I made the right choice.
The Good :
Gearbox is awesome. Super smooth in comfort mode, changes under 2000rpm so makes the car very quiet, perfect for town.
Engine is more awesome. Great torque-y pull from low revs, howls at 6500+, and plenty powerful enough in a hatch.
iDrive brilliant. Old E91 had a decent sounding system (BMW Professional), but now I am used to the iDrive and Harmon Kardon, I really like the way it works. Mine only has the smaller screen, so (I don't think) it doesn't have the sport display (power/revs), oh well.
Adaptive suspension : perfectly fine in comfort mode, and also lovely light steering for wafting around town. Sport mode I can feel it stiffen considerably, reducing body roll on the country lanes.
The Bad :
Seats : These are great for comfort, almost the same as the M Sport seats in my old E91, but the quality of the leather has definitely taken a dip.
The trim rattles : The tailgate is the biggest issue,over bumps. I kinda knew before I bought the car, it was still just a 1 series at heart, and it hasn't proven that wrong. There are some minor other interior noises, and the plastic trim on the inner part of the steering wheel also creaks if you press it.
The MPG : Yes I shouldn't complain, I know. Driving it pretty sedately most of the time, with a couple of spirited blatts now and again, I seem to be averaging 28.3 mpg ..... I thought it would at least start with a 3, seeing as I drive in comfort mode 95% of the time. Oh well never mind, at least 99ron is cheap at the moment !
Overall, it's a cracking car. I think I can 'fix' the trim rattles, which will make it a lot more pleasant.
I dread to think what mpg I would be getting, if I had a heavier foot........
I remembered seeing this a while back, although I don’t actually have an f2* series.400 miles in now, and I made the right choice.
The Good :
Gearbox is awesome. Super smooth in comfort mode, changes under 2000rpm so makes the car very quiet, perfect for town.
Engine is more awesome. Great torque-y pull from low revs, howls at 6500+, and plenty powerful enough in a hatch.
iDrive brilliant. Old E91 had a decent sounding system (BMW Professional), but now I am used to the iDrive and Harmon Kardon, I really like the way it works. Mine only has the smaller screen, so (I don't think) it doesn't have the sport display (power/revs), oh well.
Adaptive suspension : perfectly fine in comfort mode, and also lovely light steering for wafting around town. Sport mode I can feel it stiffen considerably, reducing body roll on the country lanes.
The Bad :
Seats : These are great for comfort, almost the same as the M Sport seats in my old E91, but the quality of the leather has definitely taken a dip.
The trim rattles : The tailgate is the biggest issue,over bumps. I kinda knew before I bought the car, it was still just a 1 series at heart, and it hasn't proven that wrong. There are some minor other interior noises, and the plastic trim on the inner part of the steering wheel also creaks if you press it.
The MPG : Yes I shouldn't complain, I know. Driving it pretty sedately most of the time, with a couple of spirited blatts now and again, I seem to be averaging 28.3 mpg ..... I thought it would at least start with a 3, seeing as I drive in comfort mode 95% of the time. Oh well never mind, at least 99ron is cheap at the moment !
Overall, it's a cracking car. I think I can 'fix' the trim rattles, which will make it a lot more pleasant.
I dread to think what mpg I would be getting, if I had a heavier foot........
It seems the boot lid rattle is pretty common; this should help you sort it if you’re inclined.
https://www.babybmw.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=29&a...
Thank you for the info !
I have just joined babybmw.net, it seems a good wealth of info.
One of the mods told me a common issue with the 2016-2017 was stones going through the grill and wrecking the radiator, £800 job.
The 2018-2019 models had a shield to protect the radiator and condenser, so I might get some mesh to put behind the grills.
I have just joined babybmw.net, it seems a good wealth of info.
One of the mods told me a common issue with the 2016-2017 was stones going through the grill and wrecking the radiator, £800 job.
The 2018-2019 models had a shield to protect the radiator and condenser, so I might get some mesh to put behind the grills.
Nik Gnashers said:
Thank you for the info !
I have just joined babybmw.net, it seems a good wealth of info.
One of the mods told me a common issue with the 2016-2017 was stones going through the grill and wrecking the radiator, £800 job.
The 2018-2019 models had a shield to protect the radiator and condenser, so I might get some mesh to put behind the grills.
Yeah, it’s a great site for info; I’ve used it to learn about mine.I have just joined babybmw.net, it seems a good wealth of info.
One of the mods told me a common issue with the 2016-2017 was stones going through the grill and wrecking the radiator, £800 job.
The 2018-2019 models had a shield to protect the radiator and condenser, so I might get some mesh to put behind the grills.
As for the stone shield, this looks like the part on the later produced cars;
(Part 14, theres 2 on each car)
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=1W92...
I wonder if it’ll be possible/ just as easy to buy those and retrofit them to your car?
Thanks for the info,
Yes I saw that exact image on babybmw. I'd suspect an original part is going to cost a fair wack.
Not even sure if mine has anywhere to mount it to be honest.
I'm thinking, some black plastic mesh, stealthily attached with black cable ties, might be a much cheaper, but just as effective, solution.
Just researching as to if it will restrict the cooling at all, before I take the plunge.
Yes I saw that exact image on babybmw. I'd suspect an original part is going to cost a fair wack.
Not even sure if mine has anywhere to mount it to be honest.
I'm thinking, some black plastic mesh, stealthily attached with black cable ties, might be a much cheaper, but just as effective, solution.
Just researching as to if it will restrict the cooling at all, before I take the plunge.
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