[Ricky92]

Hey everyone

I'll be getting the 125i M Sport soon from Malaysia (2014 make). It will be made in Germany and the new iDrive touch with Nav Pro will be included too... Hopefully the coasting mode and launch control would also be part of the specs

May I know if there will be any issues develop with this car after owning a while? The only version available in Malaysia is the 8 speed sports auto...

What flaws should I spot for when collecting the car? As far as I know, the seat rust is a problem...

I love how this BMW handles, it is really comfortable... but the ones I tested is the ones with standard suspension on the 118i, would the M sport suspension be very hard like the A250 or just slightly harder than the 118i standard suspension? There's no 125i for test drive here in Malaysia unfortunately

[ovekvam]

The M Sport suspension is not very hard.

[leetennis]

Do the 125i's get launch control? I could be wrong but I think star command reserve that for the 135i?

[pacoluca]

125i post July-built in Australia has got launch control feature.

[AusF20/F48]

The 125i M Sport with the Sport auto (paddles) is a lot of fun to drive.
You will enjoy the experience
The only issue I have had with mine was when BMW updated the software and it created a glitch in the lights that took a while to fix. They finished up replacing the main ECU, onboard module (coded) and all the headlight modules. All is well now.
Strangely, it seems that the engine now has a few more horses than it had before or the dynamics have been changed for the better.

[Cerec]

My 125i was delivered in Nov. It has just done 3000km so I have not tried the launch control yet. It just had the first oil change as well.
I'm happy with everything apart from the fuel consumption. I only managed to get 9.5 L/100KM when BMW told me I could get 7. I would say more than half of my mileage is from highway as well.

[AusF20/F48]

Originally Posted by Cerec

My 125i was delivered in Nov. It has just done 3000km so I have not tried the launch control yet. It just had the first oil change as well.
I'm happy with everything apart from the fuel consumption. I only managed to get 9.5 L/100KM when BMW told me I could get 7. I would say more than half of my mileage is from highway as well.

I found that my 125i's fuel consumption started to improved at around the 5000k mark.
If you want to get the lowest FC, drive in 'eco' mode with soft throttle pressure, however, you will think to yourself "why did I go for the 125i" and then you switch to Sport and move the lever to the manual side and use the paddles.

I settle for around 8 to 11 L/100 in the city depending on mood
I don't use 'eco' very much.
I like the responsiveness you get in 'Sport' and when highway cruising I paddle up to 7 & 8 (gives around 6.5 L/100)

[westphone]

I am also concerned with my fuel consumption, so for just references only I guess.

I have 20,000 km on the car, 9.2l overall. My overall average speed is below 40 km/h, and that's the sorta traffic I am in. I do drive highway for 480 km every month but almost all in one go.

I do use the ECO PRO mode religiously.

[AusF20/F48]

It comes down to this- Why do we want a 125i M Sport
You do not buy one if you want super fuel economy - The 114d or 116d are designed for that (Get the M Sport look with super economy with a small degree of fun)
The 125i is 'use' for its intended purpose - 'FUN' (Rapid performance + stopping and great handling at a price)
The 125i and M135i are not the choice for commuting in heavy stop start city traffic
I bet that when you are having 'fun' in your 125i M Sport, the last thing on your mind is the fuel economy.
Do this exercise:
Work out what the real $ difference is in the fuel consumption BMW states and what you get and then think about what you can buy with that.
I think you will accept that the amount is worth the 'FUN'
Of course we all like it when we get more KMs or Miles per tank, but we all need to have some 'FUN' too. Find the balance

[Ricky92]

For this car, i wouldn't really mind about fuel economy as long as it is about 9-12km/L... The M Sport version is the highest specs in Malaysia and it cost aboout £50000 without adaptive suspension and lane change... The tax structure here for cars is mind boggling....

But after driving the 118i (£38000), there's just more feel to the car in comparison to a £45000 GTi, especially on the comfort, and premium interior...

Is the M Sport Suspension good enough? As it does not rely too much on electronics and less prone fo failure in our hot and humid environment... I prefer something that can soak up potholes and bumpy road without hurting my backbone too much

[Ricky92]

For this car, i wouldn't really mind about fuel economy as long as it is about 9-12km/L... The M Sport version is the highest specs in Malaysia and it cost aboout £50000 without adaptive suspension and lane change... The tax structure here for cars is mind boggling....

But after driving the 118i (£38000), there's just more feel to the car in comparison to a £45000 GTi, especially on the comfort, and premium interior...

Is the M Sport Suspension good enough? As it does not rely too much on electronics and less prone fo failure in our hot and humid environment... I prefer something that can soak up potholes and bumpy road without hurting my backbone too much oh.. Btw, bmw in Malaysia don't offer customers to customise the specs of the cars

[ovekvam]

Originally Posted by Ricky92

Is the M Sport Suspension good enough? As it does not rely too much on electronics and less prone fo failure in our hot and humid environment... I prefer something that can soak up potholes and bumpy road without hurting my backbone too much

The M Sport suspension is slightly less compliant than the standard suspension in pot holes, but still very comfortable. I think that is what it (the M Sport suspension) does best, handling bumpy back roads. It is significantly softer set up than the previous generation of cars from BMW.

When it comes to fuel consumption, I think a modern car should be able to cruise along with a sensible mileage, even if it has the ability to make a lot of power when pushed.

[vladberca]

The eight speed gear box should help on motorway fuel consumption. On other kind of roads you can enjoy the potential of the car.
There is an adaptive suspension too.

[ovekvam]

Originally Posted by vladberca

The eight speed gear box should help on motorway fuel consumption.

I doubt that it would make a significant difference compared to the manual gearbox. Sixth gear is rather long as well.

[Ricky92]

Originally Posted by ovekvam

I doubt that it would make a significant difference compared to the manual gearbox. Sixth gear is rather long as well.

Icic... Does the 8th gear only kick in at speeds around 200-250kmh?

[AusF20/F48]

In Eco + mode 7th will come in at around 70kph and 8th around 85kph on very soft acceleration, and in cruise 8th will come at as low as 60kph on declines
It depends on the throttle position, road conditions and slope.
You can actually use all 8 gears in the Sport auto using the paddles
You can do this comparison
Driving in Eco watch the rev counter for the change up values for each gear and then try to mimic that using the paddles in Sport. Sport will use more fuel as you cannot upshift without passing the revs seen in eco. Sport (paddles) is far more fun

[westphone]

For 135i the 8th gear gear ratio is something like 0.65 for the auto, the manual 6th is 0.85. The difference is like 20% ~ish. The final drive is the same, and I was told on highways it does kick in 8th going around 110 km/h.

Yes when fun is needed, fuel economy well.... I feel I can actually see the fuel gauge move as I go along XD

[rickk]

Originally Posted by ovekvam

I doubt that it would make a significant difference compared to the manual gearbox. Sixth gear is rather long as well.

I think all the gears are rather long. 125i manual reaches 200 km/h in 4th.
I think it would be more fun if the gearing was a bit shorter.

[ovekvam]

Originally Posted by rickk

I think all the gears are rather long. 125i manual reaches 200 km/h in 4th.
I think it would be more fun if the gearing was a bit shorter.

Even our 116i can go 209 km/h in fourth gear. And fifth. And sixth. It is supposed to do 210, but ours didn't want to on the Autobahn...

I recently drove a Citroën DS3 1.6 VTi rental car. It did 3000 RPM at 100 km/h in fifth gear. There was no sixth. Very different from the BMW.

[rickk]

Come to think of it even my E30 will come close in 4th. And a friend of mine has a supercharged Porsche 930 which will reach 300 in 4th. So I guess I shouldn't complain about the length of 4th.

I'll complain about 2nd and 3rd then, they feel long.

[ovekvam]

Originally Posted by rickk

I'll complain about 2nd and 3rd then, they feel long.

Use first and second instead of second and third, then!