[SteveC]

Just a quick heads up to anyone in the UK looking for a used M135i in exceptional shape.

I am trading my 20 months old Estoril blue M135i for an M5 and thought you guys may be interested.

• 5 door
• 8spd AT
• Black leather
• Black Dakota leather
• Aluminium hexagon & Estoril blue trim finisher
• BMW Prof Sat Nav
• Harmon Kardon
• DAB Radio
• Front & back parking assist
• Reverse camera
• Visibility package (adaptive xenons, high beam assist)
• Driver comfort package
• Sun protection glass
• Enhanced Bluetooth
• Electric seats with memory
• Seat heating - front
• Black panel
• BMW Service pack
• BMW rip-off paint and interior treatment

Car has 18.5k miles, all medium to long trips (I have a Ford KA runabout for gym and shops)
Kept in garage
Always washed by hand using 2 bucket method and snow foam....no BMW or car wash, so no swirls
4 mm left on original tyres
Always thoroughly warmed up, probably never redlined (there's no point)
No warranty claims or paint shop visits
1 oil top up at 10,000 miles (500 ml)
No modifications
1 pinkie finger nail size chip on 1 wheel, no kerb rash
Minimal stone chips (few and very small)
No windscreen chips
Available immediately
BMW lease fully cleared before sale (buyer can come to the bank to observe irreversible payment)
Happy to take you for a drive

Photos available to anyone interested
Price £23,500

[Simon H]

Interesting Steve,
Would you keep us abreast of your impressions, when the M5 lands ?. I was looking at the M5 deals recently, and they are still a real bargain, even less costly to buy, than an M4. Is it coming from Peter Vardys ?, regards, SIMON.

[SteveC]

Hi Simon,

The M5 is ordered from Coopers BMW in Stockton

I actually went in to order an M3 (I want 4 door and slightly prefer M3 looks vs M4). Anyway I test drove the M4 and while I was impressed with the interior, the noise, and the damping on less than perfect roads, the high speed handling and absolute performance didn't blow me away or indeed strike me as that much better or much faster than my M135i. Certainly at low revs the M4 was less 'immediate'.
After driving the M4 I was afraid that the M135i would feel diminished but quite the opposite, it gave me even more respect for the little 1 Series, that didn't really feel lacking in any respect other than a little refinement in the suspension.
The M5 on the other hand totally blew me away. The acoustics are mega, piped sound notwithstanding, the cabin is a really lovely place to be, with beautiful soft leather seats, and the engine and DCT gearbox together is a piece of engineering brilliance with truly shattering performance. You have to be damned careful where its pointed when you light the blue touch paper, because you're going to be there 5 nano-seconds later. From a performance perspective, you drive the M4 and the M135i in a similar way. You need to treat the M5 differently....its not harder to drive, just requires a LOT more restraint, due mainly to the low down torque and instantaneousness of the engine and gearbox. The M5 is a heavy vehicle but you'd never really know it from the driver's seat. For a car that offers a reasonably compliant ride, it stays amazing flat in the curves and handles direction changes with a lot more finesse than the M135i, which is absolutely no slouch, but feels more wayward by comparison (more body roll and weight transfer). The M4 in similar circumstances also remains flat but gets quite light and I thought slightly imprecise.....like the tyres were too hard (which they may well have been).
To use a motorcycling analogy, the M4 and M135i are like well sorted 250 class dirt bikes. All the power you could need and great handling. Come out of a berm, nail the throttle and shoot down the next straight. The M5 is akin to the open class machine, with shocking amounts of power and torque that requires you to carefully roll the throttle, digging 3" grooves out of every corner while throwing a huge rooster tail over the poor sucker behind.

[Simon H]

Originally Posted by SteveC

Hi Simon,

The M5 is ordered from Coopers BMW in Stockton

I actually went in to order an M3 (I want 4 door and slightly prefer M3 looks vs M4). Anyway I test drove the M4 and while I was impressed with the interior, the noise, and the damping on less than perfect roads, the high speed handling and absolute performance didn't blow me away or indeed strike me as that much better or much faster than my M135i. Certainly at low revs the M4 was less 'immediate'.
After driving the M4 I was afraid that the M135i would feel diminished but quite the opposite, it gave me even more respect for the little 1 Series, that didn't really feel lacking in any respect other than a little refinement in the suspension.
The M5 on the other hand totally blew me away. The acoustics are mega, piped sound notwithstanding, the cabin is a really lovely place to be, with beautiful soft leather seats, and the engine and DCT gearbox together is a piece of engineering brilliance with truly shattering performance. You have to be damned careful where its pointed when you light the blue touch paper, because you're going to be there 5 nano-seconds later. From a performance perspective, you drive the M4 and the M135i in a similar way. You need to treat the M5 differently....its not harder to drive, just requires a LOT more restraint, due mainly to the low down torque and instantaneousness of the engine and gearbox. The M5 is a heavy vehicle but you'd never really know it from the driver's seat. For a car that offers a reasonably compliant ride, it stays amazing flat in the curves and handles direction changes with a lot more finesse than the M135i, which is absolutely no slouch, but feels more wayward by comparison (more body roll and weight transfer). The M4 in similar circumstances also remains flat but gets quite light and I thought slightly imprecise.....like the tyres were too hard (which they may well have been).
To use a motorcycling analogy, the M4 and M135i are like well sorted 250 class dirt bikes. All the power you could need and great handling. Come out of a berm, nail the throttle and shoot down the next straight. The M5 is akin to the open class machine, with shocking amounts of power and torque that requires you to carefully roll the throttle, digging 3" grooves out of every corner while throwing a huge rooster tail over the poor sucker behind.

Really good to hear your thoughts on this Steve,
I bought a new M5 in 2013, and thorougly enjoyed it, and agree with all the sentiments you have listed here. Before i bought the M5, i had really fancied the M135i, but was lured to the M5 by a mega deal. Being a serial car swapper, i kept the M5 nearly 12 months, but couldnt shake the desire for the M135i, so managed another good deal to jump into the car i have today. This last few months, ive tried 3 times to buy an M4, but the M135i remains in the garage, because im finding it hard to let it go, because of just how good i feel the car is.When you consider what the M135i can do for the money, im struggling to find an equal. I know the M4 is a fantastic car all round as well, but i feel its just too expensive, when compared to the M5 deals available. If i ever got another M5, i would have to have the comp pack, which i feel would just finish off the M5 package fantastically. I havent driven a comp pack car, but the exhaust noise alone is worth it to me, but as you know, the comp pack is far, far more than that, with its suspension and other software adjustments. I cant believe you likened the comparisons to dirt bikes. I did the very same thing, trying to offer opinions between the E92 M3, and the new M4, saying you had to really rev the E92 M3, like a 125 moto-X bike, whereas the M4 was like a 250, where you could just roll on the throttle, and ride the wave of torque. Did you used to ride Moto-X ?, i raced for 10 years in the AMCA, and managed to get to the 250 Experts, but that finished me off lol , regards, SIMON.

[SteveC]

Yes I used to ride Moto-x many moons ago. First 125, then 250, then the inevitable open class monsters. Eventually a Maico 500 mono with 13" of suspension travel front and back! It was a monster. Eventually fitted an enduro tank and went trail riding in South Africa. Incredible fun blasting along dried up river beds and flat tracking dirt road corners. Just had to watch out for the occasional donkey!

I've ordered the M5 Competition pack, so I'm hoping its going to keep me entertained for some time to come. Sapphire Black with 20" wheels and most of the goodies. Amazingly good deals and 0% finance. Hard to beat free money

[Simon H]

Originally Posted by SteveC

Yes I used to ride Moto-x many moons ago. First 125, then 250, then the inevitable open class monsters. Eventually a Maico 500 mono with 13" of suspension travel front and back! It was a monster. Eventually fitted an enduro tank and went trail riding in South Africa. Incredible fun blasting along dried up river beds and flat tracking dirt road corners. Just had to watch out for the occasional donkey!

I've ordered the M5 Competition pack, so I'm hoping its going to keep me entertained for some time to come. Sapphire Black with 20" wheels and most of the goodies. Amazingly good deals and 0% finance. Hard to beat free money

Since i had my M5 on the 0% deal, everything else out there deal wise, looks incredibly expensive, i feel almost spoiled by that deal. I remember at the time, i was looking at a new GT-R as well, they were both roughly the same price, and with the same deposit, the GT-R was £200 a month dearer because of the finance interest. They really are a cracking deal imho, and well done on the comp pack, great choice, im sure you will love it. Look forward to your comments Steve, regards, SIMON.

[SteveC]

Gone ...or better said traded

[vladberca]

Congrats for reaching the next performance level!