That's done well; eight years for a car you don't like isn't bad going.

 

Ahh forgot about my auto wipers/ auto lights

It's a Valeo sensor (same sensor for both lights and wipers )- other make cars with the same sensor play up too (usually renaults). The newer part is supposed to have been updated. But I couldn't be arsed - I just missed out on the warranty date.

Hence the auto wipers are disabled (via vag-com), as is the auto lights (via the switch). I used to override the lights anyway as being silver nobody sees you on a dull/cloudy day when the lights are off.Same when the sun is low at this time of year where most cars with auto lights don't turn on when safety wise they should.

 

I've warmed to it as it hasn't broken expensively and isn't bad to drive. I still wouldn't want to passenger in it all day on 18s, we use the Legacy which is much more comfortable and refined.

 

The 18"s give a better ride than a typical run-flat equipped BMW (without adaptive suspension). I think the shocks have definetly got softer with age too (not suprising with the roads round here).

I've recently aquired a slight knock on the offside front, which I'm hoping is just a link arm. If not it'll be the shock absorber as the ball joint and lower arm has already been replaced.

My next car ideally has to have adapative suspension. By default its softer so it compensates for stiffer/low profile tyres.

 

Not in the M135i. Standard suspension (which we have) sits at the Sporty end of the Adaptive settings and felt just right in our test drive. Comfort is too soft with Adaptive, Sport knocks your teeth out. It weighs more, is very hard to modify and retains no value in GFV figures. And it's one less thing to break ;-)