Article Comments - 2009 BMW 1-Series First Look and 135i First Drive

29 messages, Last post on Feb 24, 2008 at 2:41 PM

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What is this discussion about? BMW 1 Series, Future Vehicle, Coupe, Convertible

First Look: 2009 BMW 1 Series Convertible - Some six months from now, the 2009 BMW 1 Series will be introduced to America, a smaller, leaner and sportier driving experience from Munich. With the formal introduction of the BMW 1 Series convertible, it's clear that BMW wants the 1 Series to be not just a car but also a whole new BMW culture. (more)

First Drive: 2009 BMW 135i - To put it plainly, the 2009 BMW 135i is more than merely good. It raises the standard of measure for small coupes to a whole new level of excellence. It is one of the purest expressions of the BMW character since the 1971 BMW 2002 tii. (more)

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#2 of 29 Problems with this review by ccd1 Oct 23, 2007 (4:13 am)
Let me play Devil's Advocate. There are a number of issues with this car which are not addressed. The first is pricing. BMW has not released pricing for NA, but all indications are that the 135i will be around $35k, not the $30k quoted in the the article. That means a reasonably well optioned 135i will probably be close to $40K. So depending on pricing, this car may not be that much less than the 335i sedan and it certainly isn't significantly ligher than the 335i. Why get a 135i is a few more grand will get me the significantly larger 335i sedan??? Be interesting to see how aggressively BMW prices this car. Second, the real competition for this car are the newly civilized WRX STI and in particular, the new EVO X. Both of these cars will be in the same price range as the 135i. While cross-shopping a Bimmer against an EVO would have been a ridiculous proposition in the past, the new EVO is no longer a rally car designed for a limited audience. Neither is the new WRX STI. I could easily make the case that the EVO is the better car value based on the expected pricing of both cars. The cars are approximately the same size, comparable weight and hp, but the EVO offers a very sophisticated AWD system AND a slick dual clutch transmission, neither of which are offerred by the Bimmer. My guess is that, in a drag race, the Bimmer would be faster than the EVO, but the EVO would be faster around the track.
#3 of 29 Exciting Times by ccd1 Oct 23, 2007 (4:24 am)
I'd also add as an observation that I can't remember seeing so many high performance and sophisticated cars in the sub $40K category. The BMW 1 and 3 Series, the G37, EVO X, '08 WRX STI, R32, Audi TT, and RX-8 are all in this $30-40K range. And your "Magnum" era Ferrari probably wouldn't compete against any of them except in a beauty contest.
#4 of 29 Excited about this car by wildbill1978 Oct 23, 2007 (10:51 am)
ccd1, the only thing I would add, is I believe that we can expect the 135i convertible being closer to 35k, not the coupe. Seeing that the 3 series convertible starts at something like 49k, I think there will be enough separation between them. I am really...REALLY, hoping that the coupe does in fact start south of 30k, and I am speaking about the 128. I honestly believe BMW hasn't decided on a price yet and that's why they haven't released it yet. I think a lot depends on the US economy between now and the release, and the dollar value against the euro. Replies to this message: tiff_c (Oct 24, 2007 3:49 am)
#5 of 29 Re: Excited about this car [wildbill1978] by tiff_c Oct 24, 2007 (3:49 am)
Replying to: wildbill1978 (Oct 23, 2007 10:51 am) While not about the convertible the Coupe was just in an Edmunds article and they claim $30K for the 135i. I think they would sell a great many 135i's if they cost $30K minus options. BMW owners would bemoan losing their premium affordable by the wealthy prestige marque but. I'd certain buy the BMW if I could get one for that price. IF BMW prices the 1 series aggressively they will sell all they can make. if they get greedy, it will be too close to the 3 series and then the attitude will be why bother to buy a 1 series when you can get a 3 series. What bothers me is that is says the new BMW Coupe is a 2009 model not a 2008. So I wonder if they won't release it until mid 2008?
#6 of 29 Pricing is Key by ccd1 Oct 24, 2007 (4:14 am)
I hang around a BMW website (Bimmerfest) and their take on it is that the 128i will be around $30k and the 135i will be $35K. They also think actual pricing will be released in November (I don't remember the auto show that takes place in that month). You might be a 128i convertible for $35K, but not the 135i if the folks at this website are correct (and they do seem pretty wired into what BMW is doing). If they are right, this model will probably do well. The 135i would be only $3-4K less than the 335i sedan, but the 135 comes with "M" type enhances that would be options on the 335i sedan. As I said before, it all comes down to price and the exchange rate with the Euro is not helping matters. The other question in my mind is whether the new EVO and STI will be sufficiently civilized to do battle with the 135. Both the STI and EVO will be priced within several thousand dollars of the 135i, based on current projections. Should be interesting. Replies to this message: tiff_c (Oct 24, 2007 8:27 am) stovt001 (Oct 30, 2007 4:59 am) tiff_c (Nov 05, 2007 10:56 pm)
#7 of 29 Re: Pricing is Key [ccd1] by tiff_c Oct 24, 2007 (8:27 am)
Replying to: ccd1 (Oct 24, 2007 4:14 am) As I said before, it all comes down to price and the exchange rate with the Euro is not helping matters. The other question in my mind is whether the new EVO and STI will be sufficiently civilized to do battle with the 135. Both the STI and EVO will be priced within several thousand dollars of the 135i, based on current projections. Should be interesting. Yes I agree it should be interesting, but if the price is too high then I won't bother with it. I'm sure BMW will sell a lot of them but at $35K it's no bargain. The STi will offer a lot for that money and performance that will probably eat the 135i on a track. Plus AWD is great in snowbelt States like where I live. $35K is a lot of money for a depreciating asset. What with BMW using RFT's and no oil dipstick etc... They are losing their edge IMO. I'd still consider a 135i but not at $35K Replies to this message: stovt001 (Oct 30, 2007 4:59 am) tiff_c (Nov 05, 2007 10:56 pm)
#8 of 29 2009 135i First Drive! by KarenS HOST Oct 24, 2007 (8:47 am)
First Drive: 2009 BMW 135i
#10 of 29 First Drive Review by ccd1 Oct 24, 2007 (12:10 pm)
Just exactly how does the 135i strip away all the excesses of the 3 Series and get back to the purity of the 2002??? The car weights almost as much as the 3 Series and has virtually everything the 335i has, just in a smaller package. Could someone explain that one to me???
#11 of 29 first drive review by fixxxer Oct 24, 2007 (9:21 pm)
well, the point of the 135i is that it DOES weigh less than the 3 series, and it is smaller, so it has less mass to move around the track/road and thus is a bit sharper. Plus it just looks cool. And it will cost less. Its more focused on the drive, while the 3 series has become more of a saloon.