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      11-16-2014, 05:04 AM   #1
matthewcornish
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Talking From 116D to M135i

Thanks to being keen to drive the car in and having had the last two weeks off work I just passed the 2000 mile mark in my first eight weeks since taking delivery.

For those with an aversion to reading, the short version of this post: but otherwise I hope you don't mind me sharing my story here.

From the age of about six or seven I had wanted a BMW. The E30 M3 and the E28 M5 had just come out and stolen my heart. I just knew I had to drive a BMW. This feeling was further affirmed when the father of my best friend in school owned a E30 318i and then later a E39 523i which I got a lot of passenger time in. The 8 series appeared. James Bond started driving BMW’s in the mid 90’s. Angel eyes / halo rings started appearing in the early 00’s. Apart from the X series cars I was mostly in love with everything BMW was doing and what they had done before (notable mentions to the 3.0 CSL or the M1 which ceased production in the year of my birth).

Growing up, the minor detail of needing money to buy such things doesn’t come into the equation. Later in life that realisation hits – mainly while learning to drive – and then beckons the question: when can I ever afford a BMW?

In the Summer of 2012 it dawned on me that the time had come. If I wanted to I could actually afford a BMW. The F21 was due to start production that September and I really liked the look of the 1 Series in the 3-door hatchback format. Of course you could buy one from £19k but my heart was set on the £34k M135i with all the options ticked taking it to over £40k. Oops. Time for a rethink.

I’m sensible with money and had set myself a limit (deposit/monthly cost) which wasn’t up for negotiation so I compromised on performance. Put down a deposit. Four weeks later (having been told eight weeks) said goodbye to my Ford Fiesta of four years and drove out the showroom in a shiny new F21 116D M Sport in Estoril Blue with the driver comfort, visibility and sun protection packages.



Make no mistake: I loved that car - the build quality, the driving feel, just about everything. I never once walked up to it and got in without being excited that I owned a BMW. Just that over time – in the way little streams carve out rivers through mountains – the compromise on performance was eating away on my mind. This wasn’t helped when life / work situations changed not long after and the dream of buying the M135i became feasible.

Unsurprisingly then I was back at BMW haggling and there were no compromises. I wanted this car with these options in that colour. The base price was now around £32k so not much less but all helps. I still had a set limit (deposit/monthly cost) and haggled hard to get within £20/month of that; which was the only part I compromised on. Put down a deposit. Six weeks later said goodbye to my F21 116D M Sport of almost two years and drove out the showroom in a shiny new F21 M135i with the driver comfort, visibility and sun protection packages and the following additional options: Harmon Kardon Sound, Ext. mirrors folding, auto dimming, Lumbar Support, Front seat heating, Comfort access, Black panel display, Reversing Camera.



The comparison? Wow. Really? WOW! Going from a 116D to a M135i is quite an upgrade. Let’s start with the obvious difference: power. The 116HP 2 litre twin turbo diesel never really felt at all slow what with the high torque in the low range. The M135i's 326HP 3 litre twin turbo straight six petrol engine just makes the old car seem insignificant. There’s even more torque too! The sound is amazing. Planting the accelerator the car sings the song of its people; and so far my passengers have gone quiet before being reduced to giggles by the acceleration. Handling all round is much better; the brakes are amazing; the whole driving experience just comes alive to a level beyond what I experienced with the 116D.

I was really upset that I couldn’t order the M135i with the alcantara interior because this was probably the one thing people always commented on about the 116D M Sport; they loved the feel of that material. Fortunately the leather BMW use in their cars is really good quality and feels great so I’m kinda getting over that. Lumbar support makes the already extremely comfortable seats ever more so.

Not optioning the Harmon Kardon speakers was a mistake last time around because the standard system lacked oomph; so this time around they have been added. Wouldn’t say the sound is perfect but it’s so much better. Reversing camera, sensors on the front, and the dipping wing mirrors make parking much easier. I love the fact the wing mirrors dim which makes night time driving much more comfortable.

Comfort access is a joy. Black panel display for the instrument panel is cool. You get DAB radio as standard now which is awesome. Now the nights are drawing in I’m appreciating exterior touches like the lights in the door handles when walking up to the car and the lights in the doors that light up the ground when stepping out of the car. The latest version of i-drive is superb… love seeing the album art for music and being able to use the iPhone’s Siri from the steering wheel is fantastic.

Oh that new steering wheel. Love it. I wasn’t keen when I first saw pictures of it here but yeah, much better than the old M Sport wheel.



It’s not all perfect though. Range anxiety is not the reserve of the electric car driver. Going from a car in which 500-550 miles range was the norm to a car that makes getting 300 miles range a challenge has been a huge shock. Sure, I didn’t buy this car to save the planet but it begs you to accelerate in low gears so you can hear that noise. Ah, soon I’ll get over that and be better able to drive more economically more of the time. To be fair I just did a 400 mile round trip mostly in sixth in eco pro with cruise control set at 65MPH and the economy figures were very good.

There is a hissing noise from the speakers which BMW have tested and confirmed is there… then confirmed that it is a known issue with such high spec BMWs. I don’t particularly like that explanation but it’s not the end of the world. It is mostly noticeable when stationary or when the engine is off. It was suggested that BMW might find a way to reduce this in software and release an update in future.

I thought the headlamp washers weren’t working but turns out BMW reprogrammed the F21 since I bought my last one to activate these on the fourth use of the windscreen washers and not the first.

The BMW badge fell off the front drivers side alloy during the first week. Like, huh?

Biggest issue has been the air blowers not remembering their direction settings. Every time the car starts the right hand side sets itself to feet; the left hand side sets itself to face and feet. In testing BMW couldn’t replicate the issue but it has continued since I’ve collected it. The process of starting the engine and setting it to what I want has now become muscle memory. I hope they can find the fault.



All in all though, I love this car! There’s no ignoring the majesty of this thing, or its heroic nature as @MeganeTrophyGuy would put it but then he does have some amazing roads to drive his on! Mind you, here in Wales we do have some fantastic driving roads and you’ll no doubt find me on these early on a Sunday morning: the A4069 and Sarn Helen are two favourites. When I do get the chance to head home to my part of the world (Devon / Cornwall) there's no shortage of awesome driving roads. Now even better thanks to the M135i.

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Last edited by matthewcornish; 11-16-2014 at 05:19 AM.. Reason: spelling corrections
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      11-16-2014, 10:50 AM   #2
Hummy
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Awesome review!!! I love my little baby to bits Many happy Miles to you!
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      11-16-2014, 01:55 PM   #3
De30m
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Great write up and a great step up, I'm 5500 miles in and not looking back, despite having some brilliant cars before getting mine
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      11-17-2014, 03:29 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by De30m View Post
Great write up and a great step up, I'm 5500 miles in and not looking back, despite having some brilliant cars before getting mine
Hi De30M

You seem to be just the man I need to talk to

My intention was to buy a new F80 M3. As an interim measure in April 2013 I took delivery of an M135i. On release of the M3 and M4 I went for a test drive and found the car awesome, but since then have not managed to find the motivation to get rid of the M135i, which is just so much fun to drive.

Having had an M3 and now an M135i how would you say they compare? Costs aside, which was/is the most fun to drive over the long term. What I love about the M135i is its Jekyll and Hyde nature......quiet, comfortable cruiser one minute, agile, shrieking back road stormer the next. I'm wondering if that's a trick an M3 can pull off with anything like the same alacrity?
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      11-18-2014, 02:22 PM   #5
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as a day to car the M135i is a better car than the M3, it is more economical, a little more agile and does the Dr Jekyll bit better than the M3 (e92) which always feels like you are driving around with a tightly coiled spring / weapon barely contained.

the turbo torque also helps drivability, the V8 M3 occasionally needing some encouragement, although not much stayed ahead for long if they got ahead.

I would choose the M3 again (perhaps not the new F80 series as I am not sure the engine will be special enough) if I could afford the running costs, saying that I will try to get into one once the 1st year enthusiasm dies down.

I did 18k miles at an average 19mpg in the M3 in a a year, adding in finance costs and running costs it was just too much.

however all the above pales into insignificance when you get on a track or the right road and start to push (Mr Hyde). The lack of LSD in the M135 means it aways runs out of ability to put its power down and ultimately is a less satisfactory chassis to push on with.

at a BMW car club track day I was happily driving around silverstone GP circuit watching 400bhp mapped 335is and other non M cars struggling to put their power down, lurching about at the rear under load like the M135i does while the M3 chassis was just so much more competent, in corners, in the wet, under power, just pushing the power where it can use it, everywhere.


if you think an M135i is rearward led in corners or under power, you need to drive a V8 M3 in the upper rev range. it is both a handful and far more agile if that makes sense.

if the new one is as good as the old one (and it will be at least that good) then it will be a brilliant car.

BUT, the F80 is a far bigger car than the old one in that it appears to be more of a GT from the tests I've read and seeing one in the showroom.

I think the F80 will be more economical, but on the basis that I'm getting about 24avg in the M135i and 19mpg in the V8 M3, I doubt I'd do much better in the new one with all that torque to play with (like the M135i)

in answer to your question,

I think an M2 if it comes off, or an M235i with the LSD would be a pretty tough car for the new F80 M3 to beat as it takes all the good of the M135i and overcomes the limitations, and I think it would in 9/10 occasions beat that V8 M3 too.

but drive an M3 and then try to say no.....
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Last edited by De30m; 11-18-2014 at 02:32 PM..
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      11-18-2014, 02:30 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by De30m View Post
The lack of LSD in the M135 means it aways runs out of ability to put its power down and ultimately is a less satisfactory chassis.
Those issues can be quite easily fixed by some aftermarket parts if you prefer the car to be sharper on a track.
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      11-18-2014, 03:42 PM   #7
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if I keep it longer than a year then it is probably what I'd change 1st. I doubt it would have the damping and chassis control still of the M3 chassis

while all that can be changed too of course, but for most owners and situations these are stock car comparisons I am making.
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      11-18-2014, 04:59 PM   #8
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Nice comparison

De30m

Your write up is most appreciated! The conclusion you reached is exactly the one that's been hovering around in my mind since I saw the M235i and heard about the M2

I test drove an M4 and its chassis felt incredibly stable and planted, making the M135i feel somewhat unrefined by comparison. On the other hand it does feel like a tightly coiled spring with lots of noise and drama, a little like a DTM car for the road. We passed a couple of cars on full taps and frankly it was slightly embarrassing.

I do love the looks of the M3 but the first time I saw an M235i I realized that the M version is likely going to be an equally good looker.

I had an E30 M3 which is the only other car I've enjoyed quite as much as the M135i but if the M2 is something close to 380HP, with the M-Diff, and M3-like chassis, its going to put quite a grin on your face
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      11-19-2014, 01:25 AM   #9
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Small is the real thing
Traditionally, car manufacturers try to shoe horn the most grunt into the smallest body or lighten an existing body to give it a better power to weight ratio. Unfortunately we all want creature comforts so most manufacturers now try to build a luxury go cart.
The best balance of size and power was the M3, however we are now in a different world where smaller cars are preferred.
You only have to look at the resale value on the M1 in comparison to that of the M3 or M5
I love the look of the M3 but, If you are looking for looks, thrills, and bang for bucks, go for the M2
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      11-20-2014, 12:06 PM   #10
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Look what I just found

I am absolutely sold. Rarely that a car looks so good in every colour

http://www.2addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1049316

Perfect timing....keep my M135i for another year
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      11-22-2014, 03:16 PM   #11
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Wow

That does look good
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      11-23-2014, 01:33 AM   #12
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Isn't the BMW Performance LSD available yet for M135i/ M235i? The car is much more fun to drive with it.
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      11-24-2014, 03:52 PM   #13
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Garage List
Nice upgrade!
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      11-25-2014, 03:36 AM   #14
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Talking

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hummy View Post
Awesome review!!! I love my little baby to bits Many happy Miles to you!
Quote:
Originally Posted by De30m View Post
Great write up and a great step up, I'm 5500 miles in and not looking back, despite having some brilliant cars before getting mine
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anodite10 View Post
Nice upgrade!
Thanks guys
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      11-29-2014, 12:42 PM   #15
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Lovely car congrats.

Re the hiss on the hk audio? My car is almost maxed spec wise and I have no hiss.

Sounds like a fob off
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      11-30-2014, 04:43 AM   #16
matthewcornish
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Thanks @fuzzer123456

Quote:
Originally Posted by fuzzer123456 View Post
Re the hiss on the hk audio? My car is almost maxed spec wise and I have no hiss.

Sounds like a fob off
Mmmh. I'd hope not though at the same time wouldn't have expected issues just because I've paid for more stuff... which seems daft. Perhaps should try the BMW dealer near my office and see what they say.
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      01-10-2015, 06:00 PM   #17
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Great review, and it is a looker!
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      01-21-2015, 09:55 AM   #18
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Excellent post!
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      01-21-2015, 10:36 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by De30m View Post
while all that can be changed too of course, but for most owners and situations these are stock car comparisons I am making.
Comparing Mx35i to M3/4 says a lot about how good the Mx35i is out of the box. You get what you pay for, the M-lite has its flaws and if you can afford an M3/4, then great, go for it..

I visited Birds, had my M135i chassis fettled [springs/ARB's and LSD] and oem chassis foibles sorted. Then added some more oomph with Jb4 stg2. Saved myself a fortune.

Had an M3 for an extended test drive. Lovely in isolation but not so great against my fettled m135i.
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