Today I got a chance to drive a friend's 135i (auto). Quick impressions:

The car is quite nice looking, especially in orange / red metallic. Beautiful shine. Interior is typical of other beemers.

Driving-wise, the car felt a bit light for a beemer, but still solid and well-put. Suspension is a bit stiff, but the ride isn't bone-jarring. With runflats, it felt just a tad stiffer than RX8, but comfortable enough.

The drivetrain is sweet, even with automatic: plenty of power with good, linear delivery. Occasionally I could feel the turbo kick in, but not the gearshifts. The acceleration was fine, but not neck-snapping. In fact, I had expected more shove from 300 ft-lbs.

The "active" steering was a bit disappointing... while better than all other beemers I drove, it is still somewhat devoid of road feel. It felt reasonably good at low speeds and better at higher speeds, but it's nothing like the nicely weighted RX8 steering which gives you plenty of road feedback. Because of the somewhat-muted steering, the car does not feel as tossable as RX8: the 135's steering is certainly not sports-car class.

The brakes are fantastic... powerful and smooth as butter, with great feel and response.

All in all, the car is fun to drive... the automatic transmission is very good, and you can well enjoy the car with the auto. It accelerates nicely, and yet feels a bit timid for a 300 ft-lbs car. But the numb-ish steering killed the true enjoyment of the ride.

Given a chance, I would still take RX8 over it... in a heartbeat. The bimmer has many things going for it, but even with its size and power, it hasn't got that "feel".

YMMV

 

Thanks for sharing. I've been curious as to the way the 1 series drove. And I think the car looks great in person.

I heard that, although fast, the car doesn't seem that sporty in general. One of many reason why I would take the cheaper 8 instead.

 

Good review. I've always wondered how those to cars stack up.

Now, someone go drive an m3 and compare.

 

I'll take a 335i anyday. The 135i is just too pudgy for me. Good performer though.

 

The 3 series have gotten huge! They're the same size as my 97 535i lol. Although I do love the way they look, they're just too big for my tastes.

The 1 series... I dunno, it just doesn't do it for me. It has a very awkward shape. I had a chance to rent a 118i for a while, and while its no 135i, I got a chance to feel how it rides. It IS very nice, it has that Bimmer quality of a nice, stiff suspension, yet very smooth and comfortable. At the end of the day though, I wouldn't every buy one. They just don't seem sporty enough; it makes you feel like a 40 year old business executive, not a race car driver.

 

done that as far as comparing to the 8 the m3 is a monster on the power side but handling isnt that much better than the 8 ... it "feels" heavier than the 8 too especially when you push it brakes are amazing so was the interior quality and seats were perfect too ... a little too noisy on the interior (for a german car) but not horrible ... umm its a GREAT car but you guys seriously would have a hard time justifying the price if you drove a 335 and m3 side by side .. i did and ended up icking up the 335 (m3 was still in budget) but i couldnt justify the price ... sorry my revier isnt as good but thats all i got lol ...

 

My neighbor has one and is an experienced driver. I can testify the I does not handle like the RX-8.
Linear power is another story.

 

If only they weren't so heavy, pudgy looking and expensive-once you add options.
I would rather get a 3 series-way nicer.

 

I rather get a used M Coupe.

 

Excellent choice.

 

I drove this in manual a while back while I still had the 05 GT. The car is pretty disappointing if you enjoy being involved in the process of driving. The steering offers a real lack feedback. The car feels heaving. The engine pulls strong but has no urgency to it. Finally the ultimate posing machine does not even have a proper limited slip diff so it will torch the rear brakes on the track (as already evidence by reports). The whole thing while being fast is pretty involving experience.


The only reason the press is praising this car is because the std of driving enjoyment has fallen pretty law.

 

The car is heavy compared to an rx-8.

If you want to feel urgency, throw a $400 chip in it. It'll snap your neck.

Limited slip diff is reserved for the ///M models. It should be noted that the suspension in the 135/335 is MUCH more capable of putting power down without wheel slip then the rx-8 is with limited slip.