BMW 128i

Okay, I stopped by the BMW dealership down the road today. I sat inside of a 135i, and the 1-Series' design is really warming up to me. The price, however, isn't. The 135i seems to fall into the low-30's, which is still a bit higher than I want to dish out. I then look at the 128i, and see that CPO examples with <20k miles fall into the mid-20's, and realize that its specifications are relatively close to the e36 M3's:

E36 M3: Weight: 3,219 lbs., 240 hp, 230 ft-lbs.
328i: Weight: 3,252 lbs., 230 hp, 200 ft-lbs.

To those that have driven both, how does the 1-Series' chassis stack up? And how does the 128i stand as a performance vehicle? Is it left neglected compared to its 135i big brother? Would I always be left wanting by choosing the less powerful option?

How are you going to drive the car?

DD. TT. ?

The lack of a LSD will effect how it goes around corners. Having driven both, I vote M3.

This will be a DD. And just for clarification, I'm not looking to pick up an M3; the ones in my budget are older than i would like.

In reply to Mitchell:

I actually tried to find one of those but ended up getting a screaming deal on a 2006 325i 6 speed w/ sport package instead. My car has the same engine, but a few extra pounds compared to the 128i and it feels absolutely perfect for daily use. There's plenty of power to lug around in 6th gear and it has plenty of power when I feel like exercising it a bit. To top it off, the gas mileage is pretty good so far too. I can only imagine the lighter car would be even better on both accounts.

Also, I had an E36 M3 (the car) and the E90 isn't quite as peppy but it is pretty close. If you got an intake manifold from a 330i and corresponding software, I'm sure the 128i would be just as fast. The 128i also has an interior that won't self-destruct each day, among other stuff with an older car.

If only there were performance parts for this car like the E36 M3, I may have considered one then.

It has no aftermarket except for things that also fit 135i.

I was thinking. Hmm, maybe I can get some cams, intake, etc get some power out of this car and have a fun NA machine. Nope. None of that exists. Keep in mind that Dinan races these in the world challenge yet makes nothing for them but suspension.

Can't you like, swap in parts from the higher output N52s like in the Z4 or 330i?

Here is the car I looked at today for those interested. Beautiful shade of blue.

The 3-series carries a bit of a premium over the 1-series, at least in my CPO search. I am very hesitant to buy one of these without some sort of warranty; at least until I have some space to work on it myself (I've got nothing at the moment). I do like that the 1-Series looks a bit more youthful than the 3-Series.

Here's a 128 that's practically bare bones. Vinyl seats, even!

Too bad this one is on the wrong side of the country; $26 with 4k miles and lots of goodies.

In reply to Mitchell:

Forget wrong side of the country, that last one is the one you want. Tack on ~$800 for shipping and you'll still be coming out ahead. CPO is the only way I would feel comfortable buying sight unseen, if it's a possibility.

I'm not seeing any differences between the second and third options. What did you see that made you say that?

FYI, 135 in so cal.

http://forums.solo2.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=8052

I'm a bit terrified of purchasing an almost-new BMW without a warranty. Perhaps that is my sign to search for less "aspirational" cars in the same budget, aka fr-s/Ecoboost mustang, etc..

There was another thread on the 128i recently. Here is the link, as there is some info in that thread that hasnt yet made it into this thread.

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/128i-whats-the-skinny/90932/page1/

Mitchell wrote: I'm a bit terrified of purchasing an almost-new BMW without a warranty. Perhaps that is my sign to search for less "aspirational" cars in the same budget, aka fr-s/Ecoboost mustang, etc..

IIRC BMW offers a 4 year / 50K mile warranty from the factory--- so these cars would still be covered right? I'd think a 128i would be at least as reliable as an Ecoboost Mustang or Frizbee.

kanaric wrote: If only there were performance parts for this car like the E36 M3, I may have considered one then. It has no aftermarket except for things that also fit 135i. I was thinking. Hmm, maybe I can get some cams, intake, etc get some power out of this car and have a fun NA machine. Nope. None of that exists. Keep in mind that Dinan races these in the world challenge yet makes nothing for them but suspension.

This was the sort of thing I came up with when I had my E36 328i back when it was only a few years old.

In reply to Mitchell: You should test drive both cars and then tell us how they drive and how the chassis' compare. I own an E36 328i but I haven't driven a M3 E36 or a 128i yet.

The E36 M3 I found is a nice upgrade from the E36 328i. The mechanical limited slip out back and the additional power up top make it a nice upgrade and it's just setup from the factory really nicely. That said, the gap tends to close a bit as you add aftermarket bits and the 328i is usually significantly cheaper than the M3 at this point.

Joe Gearin wrote:

Mitchell wrote: I'm a bit terrified of purchasing an almost-new BMW without a warranty. Perhaps that is my sign to search for less "aspirational" cars in the same budget, aka fr-s/Ecoboost mustang, etc..

IIRC BMW offers a 4 year / 50K mile warranty from the factory--- so these cars would still be covered right? I'd think a 128i would be at least as reliable as an Ecoboost Mustang or Frizbee.

I see a fair amount of low-mileage cars on the market, but their original warrantees are often near the age-out point. That's why I will be willing to pay extra for CPO. I don't see myself having a garage/access to a workspace within the next 3 years, so my current plan is to drive my Focus, which is just about depreciated out, until something expensive breaks, and then having an automotive contingency plan with a solid warrantee in my back pocket. I've got nothing but time, which means I'm basically a salesman's biggest nuisance.

In reply to Harvey: Yeah, I did talk to a guy that autocrosses an E36 M3 and he said that the springs and shocks are too soft for competition. Mine is for G Stock, so I can only do 1 sway bar and a factory limited slip diff, which is a relief.