Matteeboy

I went to Westerly Exeter today and finally tested one - blue with most toys but RFTs.

It was very cold so we (me and my wife) couldn't really go for it but it was a good indicator of how it drives.
The steering felt a bit grim at low speeds - horribly light and artificial but it got meatier at higher speeds. It's very direct though. The ride quality was way better than expected, especially on RFTs. The space was decent enough and the bench seat meant we just squeezed two kids (on booster seats) and the wife in the back! The interior does feel a bit lower rent than our 335d, especially in the boot but it's a big step up over the old 1 series.

It goes very well and the gearbox is MUCH better than our 6 speed auto in the 335d.

However it didn't feel crushingly superior in shove to ours but then we didn't get to really hammer it. It sounds MUCH nicer though!

It feels rather dark inside - our 335d had light headlining and a huge sunroof so is very light and airy which we like.

Overall I really liked it but I won't wear rose tinted specs!

Sadly the sales guy was pants - one of the worst I've ever seen. He also offered us a frankly insulting amount for our car (blaming his computer) then asked a silly amount for an ex demo. His sales "technique" was also very odd indeed. Being ex sales I warm to good sales people - this guy wasn't one of them.

Sytner has two nice looking ex demos that appeal and I'm waiting to hear back from a well known dealer in the SE - there seem to be deals out there but I am getting a little narked with inept SW dealers.

Ocean Plymouth has been good (despite trying to rip me off on a minor repair to ours) to be fair and the sales guy decent. I'm just not sure I want to spend £29k on a very low spec car, even though that price is very good.

I'll see what happens by the end of this week.

john banks

Doesn't sound like a £20k upgrade to me. Beware the hyped car, some later reviews suggest the handling isn't all that and cite the car as a good all rounder, but that is the role of the 3 you already have which is by no means past it?

Matteeboy

It felt pretty good to me - I think it gets twitchy on the track but there aren't any around here. Should it be an issue, I'll stick a Birds LSD on it.

I just think it's a much more exciting car and it's far more up to date - ours is just getting on a bit. Cracking car but after 5.5 years, I'm just a bit bored with it!

john banks

Grim steering, lower rent interior, not crushingly superior in shove, but a better gearbox and engine noise. You may be bored with yours but it is hardly past it, and the M135i just sounds different rather than better than the 335d.

Matteeboy

Different is fine. I probably overdid the negatives TBH.
M135i owners are getting sub 10.5 to 100; that's crushingly superior to ours. It's well over 200bhp/tonne; our is sub 170.
But ours is "easy" to drive fast but less rewarding.
Just fancy something smaller, quicker and petrol powered!

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Sounds to me like your trying to convince yourself that you like it just because your bored and fancy a change.

Bare in mind, NOTHING actually went wrong with your car it was just a bolt not a mechanical fault.

I think you should ask your Mrs what her honest opinion is, because I think you'll find she's not that thrilled at the prospect of changing for something that doesn't really live up to the hype.

Sometimes it's good to take a step back and re-evaluate.

Matteeboy

But but but then I can stop being a 335d bore ;-)

The missus is up for it; she's quite a petrol head plus modern stuff like Pro Nav, proper xenons, etc make it a nicer place to be.

Anyway, we will see what various dealers come up with. And see what the response to my ad is like.

If we go ahead then regret it, you both have full permission to say "I told you so!"

bustaMOVEs

iTrader: (31)

But then it will be 'my m135i this that and the other' rarther than 'my 335d this that and the other' so no difference to us snetters.

You need to ask yourself why there is such good finance deals (£299 pm) on the m135i when the f10 m sport for example is well over £300pm and has adaptive suspension as standard not an option on the m sports.
If it was me I'd go for a 328i 4 pot turbo or a 335i 6 pot turbo.
But it's hard to ignore the £299 pm month deals (IMO they have loads of m135i in stock/manufactor without much sales as expected hence the deals).

I'm still geleaous which ever you choose. Good luck.

john banks

I would remap the 335d. Out of warranty, car doesn't owe you much, autobox should handle it.

Matteeboy

Busta; had a good look around both 4 and 3 series; they're just too similar to ours and even the 35i would only be slightly quicker. I feel they would be a very expensive sideways step.
Dealers are doing crazy discounts because BMW had upped their targets by 80%!

Matteeboy

You're all making some good points though; I appreciate that!

thenewgalaxy

Overly light steering getting better at speed - well as a Subaru owner I'm well used to that!

The fact is it's a nice car, if you want one then go for it. It's definitely a more agile and faster car than your current ride.

But all German cars are massively overhyped I've owned a couple I should know.

But if it suits you then go for it, I can think of a lot worse than the 135.

Devildog

Have you driven one John?

Devildog

Matt

What steering/suspension did your demo have?

Matteeboy

Standard steering and suspension, run flat tyres.

RS Grant

I drove one and thought the engine, auto box and nav interface were outstanding... I was viewing it as a 'do-everything' replacement for my Mondeo ST daily and E46 M3 weekend car.

It was streets and streets ahead of the Mondeo for daily duties.

But in terms of that 'look back at your car as you walk away' factor, I just couldn't see it happening with the M135i. It looks like, apart from some awkward looking alloys and twin exhausts, the same as any other 1er M-Sport... and is a bit toooo much of a sleeper for me.

If you can live with the ultra understated looks and size difference compared to your 335d Touring, then go for it. The engine and box are simply amazing.


Cheers,
Grant

Matteeboy

A really nice 6k miler on a 62 plate has come up with all the toys (even a sunroof) for £11k under list. Sadly they've offered me 4 pence for ours.
I'm tempted to put a deposit down, hold it for a week (a very keen sounding buyer said he wants to see it tomorrow; we shall see!) then p/x it if I get nowhere on the private sale.
If I do sell it privately, it would be absolutely ideal.

john banks

Devildog, no, I was quoting back to Vladimir what he had posted. I would consider one if we needed to replace a car.

Matteeboy

Hmm - new is looking very tempting now.
Hope to order this week, then I can shut up.

tony de wonderful

Sell it with webuyanycar or one of the various outfits which do similar (there is a few). I'm sure you will get more than the main stealer px value, even though it will be less than a good private sale, but do take it around 2 or 3 of these firms, I found a bit of difference between what they would offer when I off loaded the Golf.

Matteeboy

After a day of negotiating, we decided on a lightly used 13 plate with loads of spec….20 minutes after someone else had put a deposit down.

****!!!

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Sounds like fate played a hand their mate.

BTW, I think your making a mistake, but it's not my money, so won't be my problem.

bustaMOVEs

iTrader: (31)

Money talks, talking/negotiating walks

Matteeboy

Think we will probably place an order for a new one tomorrow; our local dealer has matched a cracking deal I got from a well known M135i selling ninja.

Ditchy; waddya reckon we should get? The new 3 is too samey and really expensive, we need a boot so can't do the 4 (not sure about it either). I reckon it'll be a good choice?!

bustaMOVEs

iTrader: (31)

F31 m sport get my vote but it won't be agile as the 1 series, however they are fully loaded with fancy suspension and no where near same as the e91 IMO, Twin turbo diesel out of the x5 too if you wanted diesel or petrol turbos. I really like them and would defiantly be geleaous if you got one as I want one as next family car. X drive too if ya want. No crappy electronic handbrake too so you can do your power slides

Or f10 m5 if your feeling flush

Matteeboy

The trouble is the 335d is only a wee step up in power, as is the 335i; for £40k++ I don't think I'd be all that impressed. The 3 seems more of a luxury car now and the 4 is huge. The 435i at the garage just didn't really do it for me which was a shock.

I guess after more than five years with the car, I am still impressed with it but want a change; something a fair bit smaller and lighter, quick and petrol powered. Yet to see a ad review on the M135i but I've seen mixed reviews on the new 3 and 4. Both very good cars but not £30k more than our car good!

New X5 was nice as was the 6 Gran Coupe; but the 40d retails at £70k!!! The i3 is quite funky too.

bustaMOVEs

iTrader: (31)

The x5 engine is what I was talking about, they have put that 30d twin turbo into the new 3.
Tbh the x5 is nice as a high roller/luxury car and very heavy so not that quick unless it's the x50. I got rid of our x5 and downgraded to the 3 series est and kept the change as personal things took over and wasn't financially doable for the wife as she had it the most

Just go for the 1m as you want it so be it.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

I really don't have an answer for that as i'm not up to speed on new cars, mostly because none of them do anything for me, except maybe the Toyota AE86 jobby (if that's what it's called) but it's not much of a family car, and you'll lose next to bugger all on one if you buy right.

Have you thought about maybe keeping it and having something else "fun" to scratch your itch, £20k can get a lot of car, something like a '7' or westy Really nice ones can be had for £10k leaving change for any possible problems with either.

Let's be honest here your taking a sizeable hit on your current car and there is bugger all wrong with it and VERY low miles with lots of life left, it's at that point where you start to get REAL value for money out of it and your going to give it away to someone else.

I'm a firm believer in "if it ain't broke don't fix it"

Matteeboy

Totally get what your saying and I was of the same mind for ages but it's gone from £21k to around £9.5k (the p/x prices are actually getting better now I've turned up the pressure) in 5.5 years and apart from large service intervals, hasn't cost us much to run. That's £2k a year. Lease any cheap car and you'll pay double that. It's also at the age where it still has a bit of value - once it tips over 60/70k miles it'll start getting very poor on value. And I'm a wee bit nervous of something breaking expensively - no sign of it yet but that underside (where the bolt snapped) is pretty corroded now and it might pop any time - it's critical for business meetings so MUST work! The bolt has only been a minor issue (STILL not sorted - should be tomorrow) but it's been a massive hassle getting it sorted. A car under warranty is less hassle and it may as well be something a bit fun!

I also just want a car "officially" over 300bhp and with over 200bhp/tonne.

Anyway that's my rubbish justification.

john banks

You don't have much confidence in BMW if you think that of your existing car, but I wouldn't run a modern German car out of warranty either, certainly not a heavy or performance model, yet they can be depreciation disasters losing £1k a month for the heavy/performance stuff. It isn't like your existing car's depreciation curve is going to do anything like a newer car anytime soon, that is man maths at work if you are honest. A 1 series does seem an odd family man choice though, 3/5/X would be more like it I would have thought.