2014 F20 M135i Manual

[willmagrath]

Finally, after wanting one of these since they came out in 2012, I've bitten the bullet and got one.



I've had a Fiesta ST for 5 years and that's been brilliant, incredibly reliable but I've always had a hankering for an M135i.

I searched for a good few months and went to see a few. The first was a 3 door, older, with more miles and at at a dealer. It was £1700 cheaper but had almost no service history, despite the dealer saying it did!

Then I found this; 2014, 46000 miles, manual, 5 door. Was being sold privately by a guy in North London and I could tell he was a proper enthusiast. Knew everything about the car and was clearly gutted to see it go, oh, and it had lots of paperwork.



I opted for the manual which seems controversial. But I really feel a relatively small, revvy hatchback should have a manual to really enjoy it. I know that 8 speed ZF auto is amazing, but it's just not as engaging.

It's a big spec, which I didn't want but it's very nice to have:

Pro nav
LCI steering wheel
Cruise control with brake function
Heated seats
Front and rear PDC
Harman/kardon stereo
Etc etc

Very few I saw in budget had a spec like that so it's nice to have.

So far it's been amazing. It's the fastest car I've ever driven and sounds brilliant. Fuel consumption is obviously much worse than the last car, but 38mpg on a fast run and 30mpg average is very respectable.

I can't wait to keep this for a while and enjoy it.

Thanks

[Court_S]

Good stuff. Sounds like a nice spec; I found a similar early car and nearly bought it.

The early steering wheel was a bit manly but you’ve the nicer one so have got the nicer one.

I’ve had my M140i for two years and I’m still enjoying it.

[Howard-]

Very nice. I've always fancied one of these. Not driven one yet.

It does amaze me (and it's one thing that puts me off) that things like cruise control and PDC aren't standard on a car like that.

[willmagrath]

Howard- said:

Very nice. I've always fancied one of these. Not driven one yet.

It does amaze me (and it's one thing that puts me off) that things like cruise control and PDC aren't standard on a car like that.

It amazes me too! A £30,000 car with no cruise seems ridiculous. My ST didn't have it and it was it's one bad feature in my opinion, trying to hold a constant speed on a long journey is just the worst.

[J4CKO]

I am going the other way round, from a 2016 Estoril Blue M135i to a Red 2015 Fiesta ST2.

Be interested to hear your impressions, mine is an auto. The BMW is nicer day to day but I always feel a bit isolated but think a lot of that is the gearbox, suspect had I bought a manual I would have done a bit of modification to tighten things up a little.

Think they will hold their value pretty well now, all the hallmarks of becoming a cult car, and the M135i is rarer than the M140i

[cerb4.5lee]

These have always seemed like a fantastic all round car to me. I do really like the small car/big engine combo a lot. I'd really like a go in one.

I love the colour. Enjoy it.

[Tommie38]

What are these like for taller people? 6 foot so not *very* tall but is that enough to stop adults sitting in the back?

[willmagrath]

Tommie38 said:

What are these like for taller people? 6 foot so not *very* tall but is that enough to stop adults sitting in the back?

The guy I bought it from was 6 foot 3 and he could just about sit behind himself but uncomfortable.

[Mr Happy]

Welcome to the club!

I'd love to upgrade to the LCI wheel, it's about the only interior mod I fancy doing - it's just financially prohibitive!

[Court_S]

Tommie38 said:

What are these like for taller people? 6 foot so not *very* tall but is that enough to stop adults sitting in the back?

I’m the same height as you and I can’t sit behind my own seat making mine more of a three seater. The Golf I looked at was noticeably bigger inside.

OP - do you have any plans for it in terms of mods etc? It’s a slippery slope if you do!

[willmagrath]

Court_S said:

I’m the same height as you and I can’t sit behind my own seat making mine more of a three seater. The Golf I looked at was noticeably bigger inside.

OP - do you have any plans for it in terms of mods etc? It’s a slippery slope if you do!

No plans for mods at the mo. I have an old MX5 that I do a bit of modding to. I mean, the exhaust is maybe a tad too quiet, so maybe one day....

[willmagrath]

Update: I've had the car 2 weeks and I sold the Fiesta ST to a guy this weekend. He seemed like he knew his onions so I hope he enjoys it.

The M135i is going well, I've done a few trips to the office in it and I took it to the south coast. Its a great cruiser, especially with the fancy cruise with brake function, really piles on the brakes!

I was never a fan of driving modes, I always feel a car should always be at its optimum. I'm still of that opinion but some of the modes in this work well.

Eco pro is OK for cruising but almost dangerous when accelerating from junctions, it's like the pedal is connected to a sponge.

Comfort is the sweet spot, the steering is nice and the throttle is good for round town whilst still being relatively responsive.

Sport is good for a hoon amd quick to activate, it's very spikey and piles on the power quickly.

I didn't realise but there's a flap in the exhaust that does different things for different occasions. It basically shuts off one side to increase/decrease noise depending on revs/throttle/drive mode. In sport mode you can definitely tell it's louder!

It's a bloody quick car compared to anything I've driven before, 2nd and 3rd gear are slingshot fast. The hearing is very long. In the Ford, 2nd gear did 55mph, but this is just over 70. So joining a motorway is great fun!

[willmagrath]

J4CKO said:

I am going the other way round, from a 2016 Estoril Blue M135i to a Red 2015 Fiesta ST2.

Be interested to hear your impressions, mine is an auto. The BMW is nicer day to day but I always feel a bit isolated but think a lot of that is the gearbox, suspect had I bought a manual I would have done a bit of modification to tighten things up a little.

Think they will hold their value pretty well now, all the hallmarks of becoming a cult car, and the M135i is rarer than the M140i

Ahhh interesting to hear you're going the other way! Things I've noticed so far is the that Fiesta definitely felt more nose heavy, can definitely feel the 50/50 weight distribution in the BMW. The gearbox and clutch are nicer in the Fiesta. I drove the Fiesta after a few days in the BMW and the Fiesta didn't feel slow. The ride is better in the BMW, just way too jiggly for me in the Fiesta.

Apart from the obvious that the Fiesta is smaller, slower and doesn't sound quite as good, I don't think you'll be dissapointed. Oh, and the Fiesta is much more economical haha.

[ScoobyChris]

willmagrath said:

I was never a fan of driving modes, I always feel a car should always be at its optimum. I'm still of that opinion but some of the modes in this work well.

One of the things that mildly annoys me about mine is that you can't configure each of the bits separately (I have the adaptive suspension and auto too). Would be nice to have the weightier sport steering in comfort. But mostly mine lives in Comfort and visits Sport when the opportunity presents. Eco pro I've used the couple of time the fuel light has come on and I'm not been near a petrol station

Now had my M140i for a smidge over 4 years and still can't find anything I'd replace it with - I came from to it from a Mk3 Focus ST.

Chris

[chriscoates]

Looks great - I've just bought a virtually identical car to yours except it's got the ZF8. They do seem to be a brilliant do-everything car, although I am looking at tightening things up suspension-wise to make it a little bit more focused than the standard setup.

I'm coming from a 130i and the M135i is on another level performance-wise, the power is always there whenever you need it. The M140i must feel ballistic because I don't feel as though I need any more power for the road.

[Court_S]

Glad to hear that you’re enjoying it OP.

They’re not perfect, but I really like mine. It’s a good compromise and the running costs are surprising given the performance on offer. The only kicker seems to be insurance, with mine seemingly going up each year.

chriscoates said:

Looks great - I've just bought a virtually identical car to yours except it's got the ZF8. They do seem to be a brilliant do-everything car, although I am looking at tightening things up suspension-wise to make it a little bit more focused than the standard setup.

I'm coming from a 130i and the M135i is on another level performance-wise, the power is always there whenever you need it. The M140i must feel ballistic because I don't feel as though I need any more power for the road.

I don’t feel the need for more grunt either to be honest. I’d like more noise and better looks, but I don’t particularly desire anything faster if that makes sense. My 140i is capable of getting to very naughty speeds very easily. Have a hankering for an M2 and I think an OG will more than please me; bit quicker but looks better and sounds loads better. From what I can tell the running costs aren’t that far off a 135/140 either.

[willmagrath]

chriscoates said:

Looks great - I've just bought a virtually identical car to yours except it's got the ZF8. They do seem to be a brilliant do-everything car, although I am looking at tightening things up suspension-wise to make it a little bit more focused than the standard setup.

I'm coming from a 130i and the M135i is on another level performance-wise, the power is always there whenever you need it. The M140i must feel ballistic because I don't feel as though I need any more power for the road.

Ahh brilliant. My pal has had a 130i for 5 years and its an epic car. Great engine. but it was no quicker than the ST due to the weight difference I think.

[J4CKO]

willmagrath said:

J4CKO said:

I am going the other way round, from a 2016 Estoril Blue M135i to a Red 2015 Fiesta ST2.

Be interested to hear your impressions, mine is an auto. The BMW is nicer day to day but I always feel a bit isolated but think a lot of that is the gearbox, suspect had I bought a manual I would have done a bit of modification to tighten things up a little.

Think they will hold their value pretty well now, all the hallmarks of becoming a cult car, and the M135i is rarer than the M140i

Ahhh interesting to hear you're going the other way! Things I've noticed so far is the that Fiesta definitely felt more nose heavy, can definitely feel the 50/50 weight distribution in the BMW. The gearbox and clutch are nicer in the Fiesta. I drove the Fiesta after a few days in the BMW and the Fiesta didn't feel slow. The ride is better in the BMW, just way too jiggly for me in the Fiesta.

Apart from the obvious that the Fiesta is smaller, slower and doesn't sound quite as good, I don't think you'll be dissapointed. Oh, and the Fiesta is much more economical haha.

Yeah, the engine sounds like a hoover in comparison to that straight six and only on the local bypass do I notice the relative lack of power, down the country roads, less so.

Kind of done the BMW thing and mine is now on eBay, Fiesta booked in for its first upgrades on the 19th to redress that power shortage, had the joy of explaining it to Admiral. The lady on the screen chat thing was very helpful and lovely to deal with but was a lot of faff with it blocking that many mods, springs, exhaust, remap, intercooler and intake.

I don't do many miles so the ride isn't a concern, plus the Mountune springs have helped in that respect, went from bad to borderline acceptable.

No disappointment as been driving it on and off for four years and always relished it, my son had it before I got the BMW, he had a change and I fronted him the cash for it so he could get his new one and woke up one morning and decided to keep it and modify it, he had always wanted to but only managed springs and exhaust. Should be 240 bhp, will see if that does the job, failing that it will get a bigger turbo and some other bits. Its a sortof cathartic thing as outside of GT and Forza never had the budget to throw money at mods.

Wife has another car and getting something for my youngest so that will be something auto and a bit squidgy.

[mholt1995]

Great cars and a great community here as you've already seen descending on this post!

Ours are almost identically specced bar me not having front PDC, a 3 door instead of a 5 door and the ZF8 so great choice there.

Bloody love mine and will hopefully have it for plenty of time to come (at least until I can afford to buy and run a Mustang...).

[willmagrath]

Update time!

What a machine. Man, this engine is good. It just does everything well; cruises, revs well, sounds amazing, is relatively economical. I could go on.

I've done about 600 miles in it now with various driving and love it more and more each time. It's my first powerful rwd car so I'm building myself up in terms of pace, sensibly obviously!

It's got a lot of tech which is nice, the cruise works really well and I use it almost constantly for commuting. I hate constantly having to look at Speedo!!! The seats are great, very comfy and it's just a great place to sit!

I've struggled with fast gear changes weirdly. My old car, Fiesta ST, had a really heavy flywheel and the revs took a while to drop meaning I could be lazy when changing gears. But with this, and notably 2nd to 3rd, you have to be pretty quick to make it smooth.

Thats been my only issue really. Oh and I think battery could do with replacing. The stop start rarely works and if I leave it for a few days without driving, I get a warning light.

Currently I'm sitting in hotel on business, 200 miles from home having driven a hired Vauxhall Grandland X 1.2 to get here....I wish I'd brought my car!