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I used to own a manual M140i RWD and switched to an M2C recently. I had an F40 120i FWD as a rental a few weeks back. It's totally fine as a daily, actually very competent, comfortable and extremely quiet and frugal (over 50mpg on the motorway). However, there's very little of traditional BMW legacy left in terms of how it drives. When it's wet, it understeers (or Audisteers as BMW Fanboys say) quite heavily and thus could literally be any hatch on the market...
"(or Audisteers as BMW Fanboys say)" that's hilarious. in the broad scheme bmw and audi understeer are next door neighbors. heck i'd say my mazda ecobox understeers less than a bimdub unless you drive the bmw like a clown.
Too be fair to the new generation m135i it's designed to appeal to a more generic customer not so much the enthusiasts like for the M2. Its about doing the boring stuff in a average manner with a turn off speed in all conditions when or if required as are all these generic 2.0 litre turbo four wheel drive hatchbacks. You either embrace the generic or go all out for a more focused performance car example M2
@@peterrosscochrane True, but it's AWD-system is FWD-biased and quite similar to Audis Haldex-Quattro. It never really feels like the rear wheels are actually driven...
The problem for car enthusiasts is that there isn’t enough of them buying new cars, so cars makers are struggling to justify continuing to make the special cars.
There are plenty of people buying new cars, just not petrol. Dealerships are now pushing people into electric/hybrids. You can have your big engine, you just have to pay a lot more for it 😉
Of course the F40 M135i was a failure, they meddled with what made the F20 hatch great: 1. RWD 2. Three doors 3. Manual transmission 4. Six cylinder engine The fact the new car has NONE of those is baffling
Must be a first ever for UA-cam a UA-cam car reviewer criticized the roads for being too good and smooth! Especially British B-roads😂😂😂 Keep it up James👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
I got an M135i in back in October, 70 plate. I paid £29000 it and can tell you It's a great car to drive daily, it has a lot of pep that certainly makes you smile when you've got a nice piece of open road in front of you. Nice honest review overall, thanks for the video :)
Honesty: I’m not a BMW owner. Never have been - may be one day. But I’ve driven one of these and it put a massive smile on my face. Absolutely loved it. I’ve never driven an older one so can’t compare, and I think that’s probably what separates me from the many of commenters saying BMW have ruined what was previously an excellent car. I guess I’m in ignorant bliss! Except it wasn’t my car - it was a friend’s. And has since been stolen. 😬
I have a 6 month old one of these absolutely awful cars I totally agree with all the comments on this video This should stop people buying this car and let me go on enjoying every second of my ownership with hopefully the rest of the world blissfully unaware of just how good this car is It is BRILLIANT in every way Every single person I've had in it loves it too Best car I've ever had and puts a massive smile in my face just looking out the window at it
I've owned 5 BMWs over the decades, every one a straight 6. One 3 series, three 5 series and one Z4. I've lost interest in the brand due to their styling, reliability and migration to 4 cyls. I currently "daily" a V8 Mercedes (S-Class), even though I only actually drive once or twice a week. We don't get this 1 series hatchback in Canada, unfortunately. It might make me reconsider BMW. Americans don't buy hatchbacks and they largely dictate what Canada gets, by proxy. We have two hatchbacks in our family and we love the practicality of them. A 135 hatch with AWD would be fantastic.
I have from new a two year old M135i and also a 2023 992 911 Carrera 4GTS. Sure the M135i gearbox is a bit weak, but as an all rounder I really like it. After driving the 911 if I get in the BMW I don’t feel let down, it does it job very well, fast and safe. Living in Germany it is also very good at fast on the autobhan and the brakes are extremely good at twice the UK national limit.
I agree. I owned the M140i and it was a joy. I wasn’t keen on this as a “successor” and it definitely isn’t as enjoyable to drive. I suppose it appeals to the younger driver who just wants to launch off between traffic lights in all weather - vs an old school B-road bashing that I prefer. I liked the ZF8 but currently drive a manual E92 with the six cylinder and I’ll be holding onto that until the end of days.
Ive watch this three times now. Twice in December and once yesterday. December because I was considering buying one. And yesterday because I picked up a new one on Saturday. So far I’m loving it.
Loving mine too ! Test drove the golf far too tacky inside fir the money the s3 was ugly and felt slow and the a35 was nice the new hybrid one but was alot more expensive... so the bmw was the winner for me ! This guy moans about every car he drives 🤣 there's a reason you see more of these on the road than any if the others!
I’ve got two F20 1 series. They’re joyful in the dry, and a laugh in the wet. The B58 is a wonderous thing. I drove the new one, couldn’t stop laughing, poor sales person said that was the reaction from everyone who had a 140. Obviously, I’m keeping mine forever.
I had a 240 which I sold last year. A large part of me wishes I kept that car! Having said that though, it did become a tad boring after a while but it did do a lot right. That B58 is simply fantastic. 42mpg in Eco Pro from a 'performance' car.
I had a tuned M140i for 4 years. 455bhp/634nm in a hatch was great fun, until the inevitable basic 1 series chassis finally said 'NO I CAN'T COPE ANYMORE' and spat me 180 in a split second backwards into a tree. I now own an OG M2, I miss the (tuned) B58 engine, and I miss the ZF8 with xHP3, but that is all. The M2 is levels above in every other way.
Sadly BMWs taken away everything their fans loved about the 1 series. The previous gen M140i and M135i are the ultimate hot hatches, proper engine. Correct drive train and gorgeous styling.
I own a manual M240i thats had all the obligatory mods, I'd never own one of these but whatever BMW are doing it's clearly working because I see boatloads of these about
@@cameronhill5220 loads, carbon splitter/diffuser/exhaust/wing mirrors, M performance gearstick, VRSF sports cat, Dyno stage 2 tune, Bilstein B14 adjustable dampers, spacers, plus some racier tyres and soon to be some better brakes and maybe even a stage 2 plus with better spark plugs Nearly forgot I've got an MST intake as well
A conversation I had about 2 months after the 1 series was launched: Me: You've ruined the bloody 1 series haven't you, the old one was so cool and unique. BMW New Zealand CEO: We asked 1 series customers and only 10% of our customers knew it was RWD. Me: Let me guess, about 10% of all 1 series sold are M135i or M140i? BMW: Uhh yes thats probably about right. Me: and.......what do you make of that?
@@TheJoeT81 To be perfectly honest, I doubt they would have noticed a difference, and if they did, It might well have been in preference for FWD. From BMWs and general company economics point of view, it was a no brainer, really. They got the M2 for the few die hards that need the smallest platform with RWD, the hatch probably wasnt super popular in term of total global sales anyway, certainly not as a percentage of the 1 series production.
I had a 2019 one of these, not a drivers car in any way, highly compromised Aisin gearbox with shortcomings, compromised suspension, just simply not a BMW in anything other than badge. Now got an M140i with adaptive suspension and an M Performance limited slip differential. Beautiful car, lovely to drive and listen to, supreme ZF gearbox which is one of the best, highly intuitive, for me, better than a DSG in a Golf R, which I also owned for a year
I think this car is a prime example of customer knowledge and customer experience. It’s much like for found out when developing the original focus, just because your customers don’t know what it is that makes a car drive well, they most definitely feel it. I have a F22 M240i which fundamentally is the same car as an M140i and it is far from perfect and has some spikey tendencies at the limit. That said you can feel that the fundamental basis of the car is a pretty good starting point for mods. After a full suite of chassis mods including an LSD it is a car transformed. Looks like a two door saloon but the harder I push it the better it drives. Supreme balance and athleticism unlocked from BMWs most basic rear drive chassis with a big engine. The way they built those cars, it’s just a superior architecture and there is no way around that in the same way a Cayman or A110 is another strip in superiority. This latest M135i never stood a chance.
Mix matched tyres on an Xdrive can have a massive difference in drive quality. I was very surprised about this as well when I found out. I believe the tolerance is as low as 1% between front and back.
Yes, I think that is a valid point. The Xdrive appears to be sensitive to tyre type and should be the same make with a star rating or marking (no I don't know why, but BMW reckons it's important for the Xdrive warranty). I reckon the handling of the car he reviewed was compromised and not representative.
BMW did indeed go to FWD because they thought the usual 1 series buyers never took advantage or noticed it was RWD. The styling has also gone backwards I think, the previous 1 series is better looking.
@@snbalaCost cutting has always been a thing of course, ever since the dawn of capitalism companies have done "'profit optimisation" and make more profit for the owners and shareholders without providing additional value. That said, it used to be much more invisible because they cut costs in places where it wouldn't be noticed by most owners. These days, all kinds of cost cuts are fair game and that's where I agree with you that it has changed. I bought a 3-series this year and my previous car was also a 3-series, though the non-LCI model. The total price has gone up somewhat but not too dramatic compared to inflation. However when you look at the standard equipment, BMW took out a huge bunch of expensive components which used to come standard on the previous (non-LCI) 3-series. Can you believe that my almost €80000 car has no damn backup camera?!? And I don't mean the 360 camera, it has no backup camera at all. None. Only PDC. That is an absolute outrage for such an expensive car. And of course I didn't option it because I assumed it was standard like before on the non-LCI and on my 3-series before that and even on my 1-series 10-12 years ago. Parking assist pack, which was standard on the non-LCI? Also now an (expensive) option. An alarm that used to be standard? Nope, option now. And there are a bunch more that when added up are a shockingly large amount of money. I'm quite livid about this and considering moving away from BMW after 25 years with them
I don't own a BMW (anymore) and I have no idea why this video popped in my recommended videos, but having watched it I must say: Wonderful review! The amount of passion you have is so clearly visible and I appreciated all the explanation involved. This video is not relevant to me or my situation at all but I watched it entirely and thoroughly enjoyed myself! Thank you.
5:34 The colour is called "primer grey". It's taken off the line before the paint stage. BMW have been misnaming (some of) their cars since the 1970s. 316 was a 1.8 (E30) 633 was a 3.2 (E24) 523 was a 2.5 (E39) 745i was a turboed 735i -(E32)- (E23)
My bike is in this similar sort of colour, only because it was the only spec I needed that was in stock during the pandemic. Why anyone is choosing this awful colour with other choices available baffles me! Looks like wallpaper paste!
I have one of these (was actually going to meet James for a review last year but James was unavailable last minute and I couldn't make the new proposed date). I agree with some of the points here. My old mk 7 GTI was a much more fun car to drive on a twisty. BMW really messed up with the marketing because to me the car just shouldn't have an M badge anywhere near it. Look at it as a fast practical luxury all rounder and it makes a lot more sense but not as a hot hatch. I find it an absolute joy to drive on the motorway or for long distances as soon as it gets above 50mph the suspension is best in class brilliant as is the cabin and tech available. It's quick but you don't feel any drama at all it just does what is asked of it. That's why the fake pops and bangs plus M badge was a bit of a marketing disaster IMO. Good performance, great refinement, not many thrills to be had once you are used to the straight line speed off the line. Another point when I bought you could get these for well under 400PM with nothing down or 33k cash. They've obviously gotten a lot more expensive now and wouldn't be paying todays prices.
One answer to this - Clubman JCW. Same engine, same amount of interior space even though it’s a smaller car, gearbox is more aggressively tuned than the M135 (though that can be a problem on roundabouts and junctions) but most of all it drives like a Mini, and is fun as a result.
Nobody will see this comment 3 months after the video was published but I love the fact that you seemingly drove up and down the B822 Crow Rd for the entirety of the video. Incredible cycling and driving spot!
I had one of these as a courtesy car while my M140i was being service. Quite enjoyed it, much nicer interior obviously, and reasonably fun to drive...That was until I got my M140i back. As soon as I started the engine, I smiled. So much better
I too was very annoyed to find that the 1 series became FWD. I had a 118i E81, and even with its modest power I had so much fun with it on a twisty road, precisely because it was better balanced than a FWD car.
I own it’s baby brother the 128ti and love it. Ok it’s not perfect, but coming from a Fiesta ST it feels more grown up and just as much fun in the twisties. Couldn’t get past the Mk8 Golf Gti styling & stupid slide buttons. Never driven a M135i but many say the extra weight of the 4x4 spoils it, so why I went for the 128ti. Plus the red exterior highlights, interior trim & you don’t see many about
I loved my M140i - not the greatest handling car but that engine and gearbox (ZFauto) was fabulous as was the rear wheel drive so the steering was sublime. Plus with factory incentives it was £32k. £42k for a Mini in disguise is really taking the Mickey!
@@TroyHR123I don't much understand why people waste money in new cars, when they will be old cars in a couple of years. 35k buys a lot of used car, especially when boosted
@@lollypop9580 5 series already destroyed. 3 series is next with the Neue Klasse (even though it doesn’t look bad yet, but BMW will find a way to mess it up)
It’s a measure of how badly gas-lit we have been. Car manufacturers have been crappifying the HMI so much that an Automatic hot hatch is even considered. This should be better down a B-Road than just about anything else. Post 2018 BMWs are just driveway garnish for terrible people.
I had a Semi-LCi M135i, new look interior with the older shape square rear lights, absolutely loved the thing, the low end grunt and pull from that N55 engine was just so addictive, and it loved to be rev'd right to the top. Yeah the suspension was soft and the lack of a diff made it somewhat unpredictable when pushing on, but that just added to the fun of the thing. The new one is sacrilege
If you enjoy torque steer even in a straight line this is the car for you. It pulls you into the path of oncoming traffic, not the ditch. Very exciting but stressful to drive quick. It has incredible levels of grip and traction but I really don't like wrestling with the engine power through the steering wheel.
Crazy he waited 16 months for it. I placed an order for a 128ti when the chip shortage was ongoing, waited 7 months, cancelled it and got an f31 335d. Never regretted it
@@simonh870 you pay your money and take your choice! 99% of people on the road don’t know how to drive a rear wheel drive car, and shit themselves when they go over 90mph so it’s all a lot of opinionated chat over nothing.
I saw quite a lot of the old F20/21 M135i here in Indonesia, a car that is quite well-loved by the BMW enthusiast here. I only saw one new F40 M135i xDrive so far. I asked the guys from BMW about the M135i xDrive and its M235i GC sibling, apparently many balked at this and went to finance an M2 Competition F87 instead.
To be fair, if that's what happened then perhaps BMW have yet again done something most of us hate which turned out to be incredibly good business. Stop selling any good cars anyone can afford and, rather than buying a good cheap car from a rival brand, people just finance a more expensive BMW! Admittedly, my theory that BMW are actually geniuses is shot down by one big flaw: the XM. Not only is it bad in every way as a car, truly horrific to look at and overpriced; it's not selling, but the X5M people are buying instead is a cheaper car...oh well, the logic works for the M135i/M2!
@@ApothecaryTerry hoooooo I absolutely have no mercy for the XM. Ugly, overpriced, drives horribly, chintzy, not efficient even though it's a hybrid, not fast even though it's a 650hp AWD car, not luxurious despite of its hideously expensive price, and and absolute insult and abomination to what BMW M stood for, for 50 years.
@@AntoniusTyas I showed a picture of the "label red" version to a few friends in the pub. They immediately said it looks like a pair of Sports Direct trainers (in case you're not aware, Sports Direct is the cheapest & worst clothing/sports shop in the UK). ...I happened to be wearing a pair of red/black Sports Direct trainers at the time and they were 100% correct. Google "Karrimor Caracal WP". Admittedly, that proves that my taste in footwear is as horrific as BMW's design choices, but I paid
If you want to give a performance car a proper suspension work-out I suggest you bring it to Herefordshire. Probably a good idea to pre-order a skip to take the car home again.
Had the m140i and absolutely loved it. You don’t have to be a rally driver to appreciate rwd or even hang it out on every bend. Steering with the front wheels and driving with the rear is the best feeling driving a car. They lost the usp going awd. No one wants the slowest awd hot hatch without the fun
Coming from a Mk8 Golf R I love my 2019 M140i. The B58 Engine and ZF Gearbox make the car feel special to me and solid. The handling and respect needed for the RWD power delivery make this car interesting and involving to drive. The M135i X Drive would not personally interest me. The 3 litre B58 is also surprisingly good on fuel on the motorway and certainly better that the 2 litre Golf.
I knew as soon as I saw this announced they had shot themselves in the foot. The previous gen sold like hotcakes, universally loved with a chassis and drive train no other could match. Then they decided they'd rather just offer another A35 and I've only seen one or two of them since they came out several years ago. What a bizarre choice for the gearbox too, another thing to add to the list of downgrades.
I bet it sells though. Let's face it, bar the m135i customers most people buying these just want the badge and don't even know or care what wheel drive it is.
@@NubletPie278 Parents just got one second hand here in Australia. It seems because people don’t “like them”, they can actually be really good deals second hand at only 2-3 years old (like 40% off new) They never drove the RWD one so they didn’t have a comparison, but they enjoy it for (quoted) “surprisingly good fuel economy, simple intuitive infotainment and build quality.” I won’t deny the F40 was way more fun, but as an everyday car to live with, there isn’t really anything fundamentally “wrong” with the new 1 series. It just sits next to the rest of the turbo4 AWD hot hatches now instead of being the odd one out. Just BMW trying to appeal to the larger audience. I’ve sat in a few A35/A45’s and the build quality isn’t quite as nice, and the Golf R is just too overpriced for a Golf. Can’t comment on the Audi S3 but I am looking into getting an RS3 so I might have a comparison then.
I work for a main dealer branch of BMW in the UK, I have an F40 myself, and I drive a lot of different models, i've driven practically every trim of F20 and F40 gen 1 series over the past few years and I still find the F20 better to drive, even the 118i / 120i's, and even more so the 6 Pots. I personally don't find the new M135i and 128Ti as good to drive, and the 2.0L just drinks fuel in it's 250-300HP configuration as well. Not that the 6 pot didn't, but it feels quite thirsty for a 4 pot
I'm noticing that a lot with recent downsized engines, people think it will use way less fuel because its a smaller engine and the official figures are like 50% better but actually its either the same or only slightly better. Had a ride in someone in a 4 pot hybrid 5 series who was getting only 30mpg which is about the same as me in a 2006 IS250 V6...
@@NubletPie278 Exactly, it's because the smaller engines have to work harder to provide the same power, we have an F22 M240i at home as well and that thing is a breeze to 70mph, don't even have to struggle. But when i've driven stuff like the M135i XDrive or the M235i XDrive they feel like you really need to put some effort in, and by that point i'm seeing like 32-34mpg average, whereas the M240i over the same type of driving at around 29-31mpg, so the downsize in engine really hasn't made much difference.
Just a feature of the BMW modular engines. B48 is pretty much maxed out at 300hp whereas B58 is almost under tuned in its stock forms. That's why it's so reliable and energy efficient. I have a feeling the tuned b48's will have reliability issues down the line.
I've owned two "Beamers", respectable ones of the 2000's and early 2010's era, I feel I caught the tail end of the legacy which was BMW. Now we are subject to the Bean Counter who rules the product line, and some pretentious Kardashian design team with an "Influencer" advertising budget. I'm so sad for this once great brand; what Made in Germany used to stand for. Hell even Henkel Knives has completely sold it's soul alike. It feels like it's all become so cynical in it's approach to money and volume, or maybe I'm just getting old and crotchety and need to quit commenting on things which age me embarrassingly.
Some of you are raving about the older 2nd gen 140i rwd being beter than this fwd 3rd gen 135i. I reckon the original 1st gen135i is the best of all. Nice steering feel, no annoying driver assit tech steering or braking the car, 6 spd manual, 50% / 50% weight distribution and balance. I'll be keeping mine until the end of its days. Its not worth much these days but I love it.
A fantastic review - I do wish manufacturers would contract people like James as consultants- I agreed with everything said and he always says it without fear or favour to a brand.
When my Father was looking to replace his daily which was VW GTI TCR; test drove the M135i and didn't like it. However his went for the 2023 M240i instead and is happy about it.
Have a go in the updated version with the suspension upgrades. Only available with the 19" wheels. Much better drivers car, great front end and in sport mode feels very urgent and pretty quick. I've driven a 2020 and a 2023 M135i, the latter is a vast improvement.
About a year ago a German car magazine tested 4 hot hatches, A BMW M128ti, Golf GTI, Focus ST and I30N DCT. The BMW was described as absolutely lackluster, worst handling of the 4 cars, average automatic transmission, bad seats, etc. The i30N had the best handling and transmission; maybe BMW shouldnt have lost their M devisions main engineer (Albert Biermann) to Hyundai.
A bloody awful car. I got one as a courtesy car once and complained as I couldn’t spend a week driving this junk! Thankfully I got an M4 as a courtesy car instead. It felt nothing like a BMW and it was like they had artificially tried to give it some form of rear wheel drive feel, but completely failed. The steering ratio felt all wrong. Don’t get me wrong, it was a capable car, but felt awful to drive.
I had a 330ci and the decent tyre shop mixed tyre brands front and back and it was astonishing… you couldn’t even go straight down the motorway. Really needs same tyres all round IMO. Did that and car was back to behaving again.
4 years ago my wife insisted on buying the M235 grand coupe because we needed 4 doors at the time. 1st March 2024 I took delivery of an M240 xdrive. There is no comparison. The B58 engine is simply immense. I’m now trying to persuade her we need a new exhaust system and a remap. Basically I’m doing the grovely husband thing 😊🙏
I had both a M135i (xDrive) and an M140i (RWD); I test drove the "thing" in the video, and promptly decided "no thanks"; it felt like an Audi (fine car, in many ways, but definitely not much fun to drive).
I remember finding the 1 series as my beacon of hope. Yes, an FR layout that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Only to find out they discontinued it for packaging reasons. Today I'm in another brand, with a better reputation for reliability. As the old 1 series ranked crap on reliability surveys.
I found this very interesting, as my Mini version of this, a 2020 JCW Clubman is, to me, an absolute hoot to drive. To be fair I've never driven a Golf R, or an S3.....or in fact the 135i, so maybe I'm just naive, or easily pleased! Either way I have no plans to change my Mini any time soon.
@@astradala1845 Exactly, if I wanted a Mini I'd not go buy a BMW. I bought my F20 1-series because I wanted a BMW, wouldn't have gotten it if it was a Mini in drag.
@@kristoffer3000 But that does not make a lot of sense because mini and BMW have shared parts for years? Plus VAG group for example. Golf R S3 Cupra all basically the same cars?
@@astradala1845 Not the same at all. VAG group cars are all on just a few platforms, BMW and Mini did not use to be like that at all. My F20 for example shares very few parts with a Mini, it's a completely different layout even.
hit the nail on the head with this one... it's not that it is a bad car per se, it's just turned itself into another generic entry into the generic 2 liter 4 cylinder turbocharged front wheel drive automatic transmission box shaped hot hatch segment just like literally everyone else. It's just so flipping boring and unimaginative. The old one got you excited! This one would only make me excited to get out of it again... Also don't be too sad it doesn't have the same DCT as the cheaper and less powerful variants. I drove a 116i rental for a couple months as I waited for my new car to arrive and idk how they did it but BMW managed to fuck even that up. It has to be one of the slowest responding DCTs I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing. Sure it loves upshifting, as quickly as possible, can't have you build some revs now can we, that would be too exciting and too wasteful of all that precious fuel. All in all this is one of the cars of all time. Just through and through boring, the entire lineup.
Hello James, I actually wrote to you about getting F20 M135i, you advise me to go look for m3 :) But it was out of budget and I went fot M135i anyway. It ened badly, servicewise, but neverheles when car is working I adore it. It is really a special thing (with some light mods). I could not imagine to go for this renamed 220i grand tourer and pretend that is a M135i, it's like getting craped to the plate in the restaurat and pretend that it's a meal. Disrespectful is the right world. I guess this must be like US guys felt in the 70/80s.
You're absolutely right. There is nothing wrong about a Gran Tourer, my wife is having one to drive the kids around, 265000km from new, doing a great job. But how could they think that anyone would accept that package being wrapped in some hot hatch gift paper? Still can't believe that they killed the 1 series, knowing exactly what they were doing. Karen is still loving her 118i but it's not those people who helped BMW to become what they are right now.
I kind of agree (and I owned a modded and tuned M140i for 4 years). The thing is, they are not special enough to keep the prices high enough, to keep them out of chav territory. So, just like the Subaru Impreza, they will drop in value until every drug dealing council estate chav has one, blacked out everything, slammed, and ruined. Then in 20 years, just like the Impreza, only the low mileage totally standard ones will be worth anything.
As someone in their mid 50's, all the negatives are a positive to me, and I suspect most people. The reality is, most young men old enough the grow caterpillar under their nose who think they're a master driver of rear wheeled cars, actually aren't. Doing a wheel spin out of tescos car park and going over the legal speed limit, for limited duration of time, doesn't make them expert drivers.
The previous M135i and M140i were dynamically flawed. But, they were unique and fairly special. A turbocharged, 6 cylinder, rear wheel drive hatchback was never going to be dull. It’s a shame they’re mostly driven by morons, else I’d have one in a heartbeat. On the other hand, I drove one of the newer M135i X-Drive’s back to back with an M140i on a wet day. The 140 was slightly unhinged as to be expected, but humongous fun. The 135, which should’ve made sense in the wet, still didn’t, just without the fun and terror. The gearbox was poor, the straight like performance was lethargic and the chassis was inept. I was left wondering why anybody would buy one over a Golf R. These M135i X-Drive’s have not aged well, whatsoever.
Well I have an M135i xDrive ( swaped 114i to be exact ), but it's an F21, so RWD based xDrive with ZF 8 speed and 3 doors! There is no way I'm selling that car ever, design, long bonnet, straight six, and sub 5 sec 0-100 km/h in the wet, yup, it's a keeper ;)
@@JoJoJoker yup, took a totaled 114i (no big damage but blown airbags) + totaled M135ix (bent frame) to build one very quick 114i. And on top of that now we are trying to put the N13 engine in E36 316ti compact
I remember the BMW dealer phoning me up to try and get me to trade in my old model 135 for one of these. He seemed genuinely surprised when I said that I didn't like them.
@@jordanplatt3916 I owned several 1-series myself, but I forgot some stuff since I sold them long ago. One thing is you couldnt get the Radar cruise control on the F20 M135i/M140i so if the car has got that sensor in the front, you know its a smaller engine in it as well. Anyway, thats, according to BMW the whole point with the "M-performance" cars; More or less using the M sport optics with the biggest "normal" engine in the range and a bit hotter suspension than the normal M sport. They got a lot of market differentiation: Normal "Sport" pack M sport pack M performance M car (ie. M2, M4, M5 etc)
I've had a M140 from new since 2018. Needed a hatch for the dog so M2/3 was out. Now car has Birds/Bilstein shocks, LSD and better wheels and brakes. Been thru Golf 7.5 R and don't like Audis that much and can't afford the silly money for a M340 or M3 Touring. Tried a M135 F40 when it first came out and nearly instantly started trying to improve the 140. The car is definitely a keeper.
After 4 years in a tuned/modded M140i, and loved it, I hit a patch of diesel in traction off mode, on a dual carriageway. Backwards off the road into a tree. Was gutted. I spent thousands on it. Bought an OG M2, and aside from the B58 and ZF8, everything and I mean EVERYTHING about the M2 is on another level. The steering, ride, damping, cornering, looks, balance, etc literally levels above the M140i, I never thought it would be that different until I got one.
Im the same ill never move mine on if i dont have too. Had this with a guy in work he's got one of these m135i and goes on about it like it's the best thing since sliced bread
I'm currently practicing bangernomics whilst saving money and my Mondeo had a mega MOT fail in the summer (two pages worth!) so I was in need of a new car. I couldn't be bothered traipsing around testing out various shitboxes so instead I had a look at the used car lot down the road and they had a 2013 Sandero with 106k miles on it. Had a test drive and was really surprised by how pleasant it was to drive so I am now its proud owner! In terms of driving it doesn't seem to be any different from the newer cars, apparently the interior creaks and rattles aren't a distinguishing feature either. My main gripe is no air con but it was the cheapest car available at the time it was released, shockingly the lack of AC means no cabin filter either so when I turn the fan up high I'm blasted with leaves. Always a good laugh.
The m135i is a Mini underneath, you might as well get the JCW Clubman which in my eyes is a better looking car, much more practical and feels a lot sportier!
It all started with the E21 323i - a powerful small car with a joyous 6 cylinder engine and rear wheel drive tail happy handling. … And the 130i was the first proper 1 series - 265 bhp rear wheel drive and not too heavy, then we got the 135i and 140i - a huge step forward in power but cost a lot more to run when older. The People who bought these models 100% knew/or know they are straight 6 cylinder rear wheel drive cars. Sadly Bmw has lost the plot in recent years - the new models look awful and Tue loss of 6 cylinders and now the loss of rear wheel drive just shows they have zero interest in keeping the old brand qualities alive ( ie the things that made buyers chose a small 6 cylinder bmw). So now they end up with an ugly 4 cylinder 4 wd poorly built car that looks horrible.
Still having a 3-door manual 130i among other elder BMWs. To me it's the sweet spot. Just love the way it feels, even went back from a brand new manual M135i F20 to a 130i. It's not the best car in the world but to me the N/A inline 6 in that relatively light body is all it takes to have fun. Didn't even bother to try the new 1 series, the FWD based xdrive is one thing, but dropping the 6 cylinder is the one i can't forgive them on.
I heard from joe achilles that the early models had REALLY bad wheel hop. Almost like the Xdrive was doing enough, like 4Motion or Quattro. Have you had the same thing?
I am on my 9-th BMW. Bought first when I was 18 and now I am 45 and as a BMW fan boy I can honestly say that 90 percent of the people driving 1 series don't know what engine they have let alone what wheels that engine is driving. Most of them are driven by people who just want a badge or a safe small car for the family. So who gives a f... This 1 series is better, faster and safer; and if you want rwd, be a grown up and get a bigger BMW.
@simonh870 Agree, but 95 percent of the one series sold are 118 and below. That 1 percent that bought 135 and 140 will move on to M2 or 3 series. BMW is not in a business of making cars but making money as is any other company on the planet and new 1 series looks better, uses less fuel, has more space and it is cheaper to produce so margin for profit is larger. Don't be mad, just get bigger BMW.
@@damirbajic4579 It doesn't use less fuel though, the M135i is less econopmical than the older 3 litre M140i. Possibly down to the inferior transmission, possible due to the extra drive train losses due to the xdrive. I don't mind the looks of the new 1 but I still see it as pointless. If people had needed more space they could just buy a 3 series.
They didn't made their fans upset, they simply gave them what they wanted. Real BMW aficionados probably never looked over the 1 series and if they did, it was just out of curiosity then went for a 3 series or higher. Different for husbands that wanted a cool car to share with their bored wives or youngsters trying to to be cool, them people took the 1 series by purpose and they couldn't give a damn about traction or wheelbase.
Yes, most 1 series buyers get these for the badge alone and to pick up the kids and the shopping. They never cared about the RWD handling or weight balance because they can barely drive anyway lol
I would love to hear how this conversation went at BMW. "Hey lets make the new car fwd, and use a toyota economy transmission to drive it. " And someone up top agreed 😂. Either way fanboys will buy it.
Bought quite a few of these in the last couple years, they're pretty good. Sounds okay too. Definitely better than a golf but it is more expensive and slightly slower in a straight line. Much prefer the old car but this is more fitting for the everyday driver that doesn't care about getting the back end out
My brother owns a m140i with 480bhp. Absolute weapon. Cant see how this car with a 2ltr engine would compare. Crazy to think bmw made a 1 series and stuck a 3.0 6pot turbo in it!
As a current owner of the previous m135i, the straight-six RWD layout was the main reason I bought the car. Never buy a four-cylinder BMW. The fact that this cost 42,000 pounds is icing on the cake, mine cost me about 11,000 used, and i'd rather have it over one of these.
@@jase_llan mine has 130,000 km, so about 80k miles. I paid $22,000 New Zealand Dollars, so i just halved that figure to convert to GBP, as NZD > GBP usually about half.
@@dasstig5274 makes sense, here in the UK you can get them for £10k and up but often they're fairly questionable - although they do seem quite sturdy cars!
@@jase_llan I think i got a good deal, but yes had it about two years now and no issues so far. Did an MHD tune for a bit more poke about six months ago too!
It's not even like we just lost RWD or the 6 Cylinder with the F40, but the 3 Door configuration and the manual too. When BMW made such a drastic change to the 1er, they should've at least kept the manual and the 3 door.
Wait until you hear its competition lmao, this mediocre sounding thing is probably the best sounding 4-pot you can buy today. 5 years ago we were enjoying completely crazy sounding things such as the Focus RS, now this. OPF filters and noise regs everywhere.
Ive got one Its Brilliant Fast Comfortable Classy inside Gearbox no issues with Cornering brilliant sticks to the road like glue Go buy one you wont regret it
Better motorway car than drone I had in my Golf R that got stolen. BMW better made and economic with service pack. Fast safe and great alcantara race seats. Toyota is more engaging but cheap small interior. I have done 15k trouble free miles in BMW and enjoyed every one of them. Maybe the tyres on test car were problematic?
I agree Mark it's a grown up car for long distances and not really a typical hot hatch. BMW's fault for not marketing it as such but a great car for the right person.
Did the previous 1 series crash on Top Gear test? Seems fashionable to knock bmw for moving away from rwd whilst suggesting the fwd Golf GTI is great which it isn't. Go figure!
@@markwinton5427 Yes there's a reason you don't see many 3 litre RWD hatches about. Only for the pure petrol heads. Many of them ended up crashed in ditches I expect. BMW could have solved a lot of confusion by just dropping the M and people would've been happier.
@@markwinton5427 I had a mk7.5 GTI and I take James' point that you felt like you were going faster and could chuck it in a corner. But I'm almost 40 now with 2 kids and the more refined car suits my needs better while still delivering more than adequate road speeds.
They actually resurface roads in Scotland, where I live they just throw some loose stones down and move on. I will never be excited for a turbocharger 4 banger, it's just not that interesting.
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You're review on the 140i way back was.... unsure, to say the least. Your review on the 135i is misinformed, if I'm being kind to you.
Can't tell if you were joking or not...but blue with gold wheels is god tier. My car is orange with copper wheels, love that combo too.
I used to own a manual M140i RWD and switched to an M2C recently. I had an F40 120i FWD as a rental a few weeks back. It's totally fine as a daily, actually very competent, comfortable and extremely quiet and frugal (over 50mpg on the motorway). However, there's very little of traditional BMW legacy left in terms of how it drives. When it's wet, it understeers (or Audisteers as BMW Fanboys say) quite heavily and thus could literally be any hatch on the market...
So now it's just another front wheel drive hatch that drives like every other front wheel drive hatch just has an m badge
@@TwoDollarGarargenot quite, this car with the M badge isn’t a full M car, nor does it come in 2 wheel drive.
"(or Audisteers as BMW Fanboys say)"
that's hilarious. in the broad scheme bmw and audi understeer are next door neighbors. heck i'd say my mazda ecobox understeers less than a bimdub unless you drive the bmw like a clown.
Too be fair to the new generation m135i it's designed to appeal to a more generic customer not so much the enthusiasts like for the M2. Its about doing the boring stuff in a average manner with a turn off speed in all conditions when or if required as are all these generic 2.0 litre turbo four wheel drive hatchbacks.
You either embrace the generic or go all out for a more focused performance car example M2
@@peterrosscochrane True, but it's AWD-system is FWD-biased and quite similar to Audis Haldex-Quattro. It never really feels like the rear wheels are actually driven...
The problem for car enthusiasts is that there isn’t enough of them buying new cars, so cars makers are struggling to justify continuing to make the special cars.
Toyota has left the Tchat.
There are plenty of people buying new cars, just not petrol. Dealerships are now pushing people into electric/hybrids. You can have your big engine, you just have to pay a lot more for it 😉
If they'd pay me enough to afford one in my lifetime, I would gladly buy one.
Development on ICE cars is not the main focus any more
@@245thegreat so...not enough car enthusiasts then?
Having owned one of these for 3 years, all I can say is that this really is a very good and fun daily.
Of course the F40 M135i was a failure, they meddled with what made the F20 hatch great:
1. RWD
2. Three doors
3. Manual transmission
4. Six cylinder engine
The fact the new car has NONE of those is baffling
Yep it's a full sweep of failure
If by "baffling" you mean an obvious nod to economical production, then yeah.
Yep love my M140i with all 4 ace cards. Very rare though to have one with all 4 aces, not many specified the 3 door or manual box.
I would love to have a 3dr F40 M135i xDrive over here in the USA. We only got the saloon.
@@JoJoJoker Saloon 1 series? You mean coupe
Must be a first ever for UA-cam a UA-cam car reviewer criticized the roads for being too good and smooth! Especially British B-roads😂😂😂 Keep it up James👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
Happens all the time
@@JayEmmOnCars nah! I’ve seen all of them and this is the first😂
Too many times people criticise the roads for being poor when its down to the car and substandard engineering.
@@mrdainase you really didn't see this road beforehand!
Right, right, cars not being happy with 2 - 3 inch potholes is down to "poor engineering"...@@mrdainase
I got an M135i in back in October, 70 plate. I paid £29000 it and can tell you It's a great car to drive daily, it has a lot of pep that certainly makes you smile when you've got a nice piece of open road in front of you.
Nice honest review overall, thanks for the video :)
Honesty: I’m not a BMW owner. Never have been - may be one day. But I’ve driven one of these and it put a massive smile on my face. Absolutely loved it. I’ve never driven an older one so can’t compare, and I think that’s probably what separates me from the many of commenters saying BMW have ruined what was previously an excellent car. I guess I’m in ignorant bliss! Except it wasn’t my car - it was a friend’s. And has since been stolen. 😬
Yeah you’d be right. The old ones were remarkable: 2001 m5, 2012 m3, 2003 m3
And countless older cars than These.
I have a 6 month old one of these absolutely awful cars I totally agree with all the comments on this video This should stop people buying this car and let me go on enjoying every second of my ownership with hopefully the rest of the world blissfully unaware of just how good this car is It is BRILLIANT in every way Every single person I've had in it loves it too Best car I've ever had and puts a massive smile in my face just looking out the window at it
I've owned 5 BMWs over the decades, every one a straight 6. One 3 series, three 5 series and one Z4. I've lost interest in the brand due to their styling, reliability and migration to 4 cyls. I currently "daily" a V8 Mercedes (S-Class), even though I only actually drive once or twice a week.
We don't get this 1 series hatchback in Canada, unfortunately. It might make me reconsider BMW. Americans don't buy hatchbacks and they largely dictate what Canada gets, by proxy. We have two hatchbacks in our family and we love the practicality of them. A 135 hatch with AWD would be fantastic.
I have from new a two year old M135i and also a 2023 992 911 Carrera 4GTS. Sure the M135i gearbox is a bit weak, but as an all rounder I really like it. After driving the 911 if I get in the BMW I don’t feel let down, it does it job very well, fast and safe. Living in Germany it is also very good at fast on the autobhan and the brakes are extremely good at twice the UK national limit.
I have one also its a great little car
This is a true insult to the bmw hot hatch. Drove both this monstrosity and the older 140i.... Not even worth comparing
That is bull.... Sorry.
utter nonsense.
Absolute nonsense
Both cars are utter shite imo..
I agree. I owned the M140i and it was a joy. I wasn’t keen on this as a “successor” and it definitely isn’t as enjoyable to drive. I suppose it appeals to the younger driver who just wants to launch off between traffic lights in all weather - vs an old school B-road bashing that I prefer. I liked the ZF8 but currently drive a manual E92 with the six cylinder and I’ll be holding onto that until the end of days.
Ive watch this three times now. Twice in December and once yesterday. December because I was considering buying one. And yesterday because I picked up a new one on Saturday. So far I’m loving it.
Loving mine too ! Test drove the golf far too tacky inside fir the money the s3 was ugly and felt slow and the a35 was nice the new hybrid one but was alot more expensive... so the bmw was the winner for me ! This guy moans about every car he drives 🤣 there's a reason you see more of these on the road than any if the others!
I’ve got two F20 1 series. They’re joyful in the dry, and a laugh in the wet. The B58 is a wonderous thing. I drove the new one, couldn’t stop laughing, poor sales person said that was the reaction from everyone who had a 140. Obviously, I’m keeping mine forever.
I had a 240 which I sold last year. A large part of me wishes I kept that car! Having said that though, it did become a tad boring after a while but it did do a lot right. That B58 is simply fantastic. 42mpg in Eco Pro from a 'performance' car.
@@64bakesI've had 46mpg on a run before in my 140. Was up to 50mpg at one point before I put my foot down a bit. Incredible engine
I had a tuned M140i for 4 years.
455bhp/634nm in a hatch was great fun, until the inevitable basic 1 series chassis finally said 'NO I CAN'T COPE ANYMORE' and spat me 180 in a split second backwards into a tree.
I now own an OG M2, I miss the (tuned) B58 engine, and I miss the ZF8 with xHP3, but that is all.
The M2 is levels above in every other way.
Sadly BMWs taken away everything their fans loved about the 1 series. The previous gen M140i and M135i are the ultimate hot hatches, proper engine. Correct drive train and gorgeous styling.
gorgeous styling? lol
@@Lemingtona-x5g Gorgeous and BMW is the very definition of oxymoron
Gorgeous is a bit generous.
One of the ugliest hot hatches for from gorgeous
Great engine and drive train tho
@BimmerBase, Well that description of "gorgeous styling" didn't go well... As well it shouldn't have!
I own a manual M240i thats had all the obligatory mods, I'd never own one of these but whatever BMW are doing it's clearly working because I see boatloads of these about
Ayy nice to see another manual 240i owner!
@@grantjohnstone9787 I've never seen one in the wild
What mods you done on it?
The "boatloads" are almost certainly financed
@@cameronhill5220 loads, carbon splitter/diffuser/exhaust/wing mirrors, M performance gearstick, VRSF sports cat, Dyno stage 2 tune, Bilstein B14 adjustable dampers, spacers, plus some racier tyres and soon to be some better brakes and maybe even a stage 2 plus with better spark plugs
Nearly forgot I've got an MST intake as well
A conversation I had about 2 months after the 1 series was launched:
Me: You've ruined the bloody 1 series haven't you, the old one was so cool and unique.
BMW New Zealand CEO: We asked 1 series customers and only 10% of our customers knew it was RWD.
Me: Let me guess, about 10% of all 1 series sold are M135i or M140i?
BMW: Uhh yes thats probably about right.
Me: and.......what do you make of that?
What a world
Also, even if they might not have known it was RWD they might well have known that it drove well, which after all is the point…
@@TheJoeT81 To be perfectly honest, I doubt they would have noticed a difference, and if they did, It might well have been in preference for FWD.
From BMWs and general company economics point of view, it was a no brainer, really. They got the M2 for the few die hards that need the smallest platform with RWD, the hatch probably wasnt super popular in term of total global sales anyway, certainly not as a percentage of the 1 series production.
This conversation totally happened
@@GoldenCroc The M2 which weighs as much as a Jaguar XJ 5.0. And the sales statistics don't suggest it was a no brainer but rather a woeful mistake.
I had a 2019 one of these, not a drivers car in any way, highly compromised Aisin gearbox with shortcomings, compromised suspension, just simply not a BMW in anything other than badge. Now got an M140i with adaptive suspension and an M Performance limited slip differential. Beautiful car, lovely to drive and listen to, supreme ZF gearbox which is one of the best, highly intuitive, for me, better than a DSG in a Golf R, which I also owned for a year
I think this car is a prime example of customer knowledge and customer experience. It’s much like for found out when developing the original focus, just because your customers don’t know what it is that makes a car drive well, they most definitely feel it. I have a F22 M240i which fundamentally is the same car as an M140i and it is far from perfect and has some spikey tendencies at the limit. That said you can feel that the fundamental basis of the car is a pretty good starting point for mods. After a full suite of chassis mods including an LSD it is a car transformed. Looks like a two door saloon but the harder I push it the better it drives. Supreme balance and athleticism unlocked from BMWs most basic rear drive chassis with a big engine. The way they built those cars, it’s just a superior architecture and there is no way around that in the same way a Cayman or A110 is another strip in superiority. This latest M135i never stood a chance.
Mix matched tyres on an Xdrive can have a massive difference in drive quality. I was very surprised about this as well when I found out. I believe the tolerance is as low as 1% between front and back.
Yes, I think that is a valid point. The Xdrive appears to be sensitive to tyre type and should be the same make with a star rating or marking (no I don't know why, but BMW reckons it's important for the Xdrive warranty). I reckon the handling of the car he reviewed was compromised and not representative.
interesting fact - old BMW ads used to advertise that they would never make a fwd car!
BMW did indeed go to FWD because they thought the usual 1 series buyers never took advantage or noticed it was RWD. The styling has also gone backwards I think, the previous 1 series is better looking.
Also a bean counting exercise, recycling the mini platform likely saved them a few bob, FWD also being inherently cheaper to design & produce too.
@@commanchi7 the reason I prefer older cars, a time when cost cutting was a no no.
The previous gen 1 series looks shite and seriously dated
Rwd is boring without an lsd. Wheels skip without. And only True M cars get those
@@snbalaCost cutting has always been a thing of course, ever since the dawn of capitalism companies have done "'profit optimisation" and make more profit for the owners and shareholders without providing additional value. That said, it used to be much more invisible because they cut costs in places where it wouldn't be noticed by most owners. These days, all kinds of cost cuts are fair game and that's where I agree with you that it has changed. I bought a 3-series this year and my previous car was also a 3-series, though the non-LCI model. The total price has gone up somewhat but not too dramatic compared to inflation. However when you look at the standard equipment, BMW took out a huge bunch of expensive components which used to come standard on the previous (non-LCI) 3-series. Can you believe that my almost €80000 car has no damn backup camera?!? And I don't mean the 360 camera, it has no backup camera at all. None. Only PDC. That is an absolute outrage for such an expensive car. And of course I didn't option it because I assumed it was standard like before on the non-LCI and on my 3-series before that and even on my 1-series 10-12 years ago. Parking assist pack, which was standard on the non-LCI? Also now an (expensive) option. An alarm that used to be standard? Nope, option now. And there are a bunch more that when added up are a shockingly large amount of money. I'm quite livid about this and considering moving away from BMW after 25 years with them
I don't own a BMW (anymore) and I have no idea why this video popped in my recommended videos, but having watched it I must say: Wonderful review! The amount of passion you have is so clearly visible and I appreciated all the explanation involved. This video is not relevant to me or my situation at all but I watched it entirely and thoroughly enjoyed myself! Thank you.
5:34
The colour is called "primer grey". It's taken off the line before the paint stage.
BMW have been misnaming (some of) their cars since the 1970s.
316 was a 1.8 (E30)
633 was a 3.2 (E24)
523 was a 2.5 (E39)
745i was a turboed 735i -(E32)- (E23)
E23 was the turbo 735 making 745 , not E32. ;)
323i was a 2.5 (E36)
This said, they were the exceptions...
My bike is in this similar sort of colour, only because it was the only spec I needed that was in stock during the pandemic. Why anyone is choosing this awful colour with other choices available baffles me! Looks like wallpaper paste!
@@einarreynis9161
My bad !!
I should have checked.
@@thegrowl2210Cube ?
I have one of these (was actually going to meet James for a review last year but James was unavailable last minute and I couldn't make the new proposed date). I agree with some of the points here. My old mk 7 GTI was a much more fun car to drive on a twisty. BMW really messed up with the marketing because to me the car just shouldn't have an M badge anywhere near it. Look at it as a fast practical luxury all rounder and it makes a lot more sense but not as a hot hatch. I find it an absolute joy to drive on the motorway or for long distances as soon as it gets above 50mph the suspension is best in class brilliant as is the cabin and tech available. It's quick but you don't feel any drama at all it just does what is asked of it. That's why the fake pops and bangs plus M badge was a bit of a marketing disaster IMO. Good performance, great refinement, not many thrills to be had once you are used to the straight line speed off the line. Another point when I bought you could get these for well under 400PM with nothing down or 33k cash. They've obviously gotten a lot more expensive now and wouldn't be paying todays prices.
One answer to this - Clubman JCW. Same engine, same amount of interior space even though it’s a smaller car, gearbox is more aggressively tuned than the M135 (though that can be a problem on roundabouts and junctions) but most of all it drives like a Mini, and is fun as a result.
Nobody will see this comment 3 months after the video was published but I love the fact that you seemingly drove up and down the B822 Crow Rd for the entirety of the video. Incredible cycling and driving spot!
I had one of these as a courtesy car while my M140i was being service. Quite enjoyed it, much nicer interior obviously, and reasonably fun to drive...That was until I got my M140i back. As soon as I started the engine, I smiled. So much better
This man deserves to be on TV. He's dope with this stuff and is doing this job in a very classy way. Well done JayEmm👊
He has no chance of being on TV. Clarkson wannabes are 10 a penny.
I too was very annoyed to find that the 1 series became FWD. I had a 118i E81, and even with its modest power I had so much fun with it on a twisty road, precisely because it was better balanced than a FWD car.
I own it’s baby brother the 128ti and love it. Ok it’s not perfect, but coming from a Fiesta ST it feels more grown up and just as much fun in the twisties. Couldn’t get past the Mk8 Golf Gti styling & stupid slide buttons.
Never driven a M135i but many say the extra weight of the 4x4 spoils it, so why I went for the 128ti. Plus the red exterior highlights, interior trim & you don’t see many about
The 128ti is a cracker of a car, and definitely the pick in the range. Either that or Hyundai i30N, and definitely not the GTI8.
Wouldnt a mini cooper jcw be cheaper and faster? Pretty much same car?
Same here with a 128ti but we cant deny it still sounds guff and the gearbox has a mind of its own.
Indeed, the 128ti is the way to go for current 1 series. Far better than the M135i, and cheaper too.
I loved my M140i - not the greatest handling car but that engine and gearbox (ZFauto) was fabulous as was the rear wheel drive so the steering was sublime. Plus with factory incentives it was £32k. £42k for a Mini in disguise is really taking the Mickey!
Behave! when a Fiat 500e with 120hp and no options is £32k we are obviously in different a market compared to when you bought your M140i.
@@TroyHR123I don't much understand why people waste money in new cars, when they will be old cars in a couple of years. 35k buys a lot of used car, especially when boosted
Nothing wrong with the handling. RWD requires a different approach, that's all.
@@TroyHR123stupid comment. The market is irrationally inflated beyond ridiculous, with no good reason.
can current BMW just stop existing 😂
Normal 3 and 5 series are exceptions.
@@lollypop9580 And 8 series
@@lollypop9580 5 series already destroyed. 3 series is next with the Neue Klasse (even though it doesn’t look bad yet, but BMW will find a way to mess it up)
@lollypop9580 the new 5 series looks horrible
@@lollypop9580 Not the new 5, it's ghastly.
It’s a measure of how badly gas-lit we have been.
Car manufacturers have been crappifying the HMI so much that an Automatic hot hatch is even considered.
This should be better down a B-Road than just about anything else.
Post 2018 BMWs are just driveway garnish for terrible people.
I had a Semi-LCi M135i, new look interior with the older shape square rear lights, absolutely loved the thing, the low end grunt and pull from that N55 engine was just so addictive, and it loved to be rev'd right to the top. Yeah the suspension was soft and the lack of a diff made it somewhat unpredictable when pushing on, but that just added to the fun of the thing. The new one is sacrilege
If you enjoy torque steer even in a straight line this is the car for you. It pulls you into the path of oncoming traffic, not the ditch. Very exciting but stressful to drive quick. It has incredible levels of grip and traction but I really don't like wrestling with the engine power through the steering wheel.
It's pulling you into traffic because you are driving on the wrong side of the road. Maybe you could drive in reverse ?
Crazy he waited 16 months for it. I placed an order for a 128ti when the chip shortage was ongoing, waited 7 months, cancelled it and got an f31 335d. Never regretted it
The often overlooked 128ti is definitely the sweet spot of the F40 range
Yes, I agree completely. The 128ti is definitely the sweet spot.
@@barfmeister8509 I went for the 128ti over the 135i, does everything I want, was just as fun to drive, mid range pull almost the same and cheaper
that's the one id have. cool name too
Still wrong wheel drive and 4 cylinder though isn't it.
@@simonh870 you pay your money and take your choice! 99% of people on the road don’t know how to drive a rear wheel drive car, and shit themselves when they go over 90mph so it’s all a lot of opinionated chat over nothing.
I saw quite a lot of the old F20/21 M135i here in Indonesia, a car that is quite well-loved by the BMW enthusiast here.
I only saw one new F40 M135i xDrive so far. I asked the guys from BMW about the M135i xDrive and its M235i GC sibling, apparently many balked at this and went to finance an M2 Competition F87 instead.
To be fair, if that's what happened then perhaps BMW have yet again done something most of us hate which turned out to be incredibly good business. Stop selling any good cars anyone can afford and, rather than buying a good cheap car from a rival brand, people just finance a more expensive BMW!
Admittedly, my theory that BMW are actually geniuses is shot down by one big flaw: the XM. Not only is it bad in every way as a car, truly horrific to look at and overpriced; it's not selling, but the X5M people are buying instead is a cheaper car...oh well, the logic works for the M135i/M2!
@@ApothecaryTerry hoooooo I absolutely have no mercy for the XM. Ugly, overpriced, drives horribly, chintzy, not efficient even though it's a hybrid, not fast even though it's a 650hp AWD car, not luxurious despite of its hideously expensive price, and and absolute insult and abomination to what BMW M stood for, for 50 years.
@@AntoniusTyas I showed a picture of the "label red" version to a few friends in the pub. They immediately said it looks like a pair of Sports Direct trainers (in case you're not aware, Sports Direct is the cheapest & worst clothing/sports shop in the UK).
...I happened to be wearing a pair of red/black Sports Direct trainers at the time and they were 100% correct. Google "Karrimor Caracal WP".
Admittedly, that proves that my taste in footwear is as horrific as BMW's design choices, but I paid
If you want to give a performance car a proper suspension work-out I suggest you bring it to Herefordshire. Probably a good idea to pre-order a skip to take the car home again.
Excellent. I’ll see your Herefordshire & raise you a rural East Kent.
Had the m140i and absolutely loved it. You don’t have to be a rally driver to appreciate rwd or even hang it out on every bend. Steering with the front wheels and driving with the rear is the best feeling driving a car. They lost the usp going awd. No one wants the slowest awd hot hatch without the fun
It's not slower than the a35 is lower than the golf r. About evens with the s3?
Its quicker than the a35 the audi s3 and the 7.5 golf r 🤷♂️🤷♂️ and there's alot more of these on the road than any other so people must want them
Coming from a Mk8 Golf R I love my 2019 M140i. The B58 Engine and ZF Gearbox make the car feel special to me and solid.
The handling and respect needed for the RWD power delivery make this car interesting and involving to drive.
The M135i X Drive would not personally interest me.
The 3 litre B58 is also surprisingly good on fuel on the motorway and certainly better that the 2 litre Golf.
I knew as soon as I saw this announced they had shot themselves in the foot. The previous gen sold like hotcakes, universally loved with a chassis and drive train no other could match. Then they decided they'd rather just offer another A35 and I've only seen one or two of them since they came out several years ago. What a bizarre choice for the gearbox too, another thing to add to the list of downgrades.
I bet it sells though. Let's face it, bar the m135i customers most people buying these just want the badge and don't even know or care what wheel drive it is.
@@sysakPL Surprisingly no, it's sales figures have dropped massively since it was launched unlike the 3-Series which they didn't ruin.
I see one driving around in my town regularly. It's red and driven by a 60+ years old woman. 😂@@NubletPie278
@@NubletPie278 Parents just got one second hand here in Australia. It seems because people don’t “like them”, they can actually be really good deals second hand at only 2-3 years old (like 40% off new) They never drove the RWD one so they didn’t have a comparison, but they enjoy it for (quoted) “surprisingly good fuel economy, simple intuitive infotainment and build quality.”
I won’t deny the F40 was way more fun, but as an everyday car to live with, there isn’t really anything fundamentally “wrong” with the new 1 series. It just sits next to the rest of the turbo4 AWD hot hatches now instead of being the odd one out. Just BMW trying to appeal to the larger audience. I’ve sat in a few A35/A45’s and the build quality isn’t quite as nice, and the Golf R is just too overpriced for a Golf. Can’t comment on the Audi S3 but I am looking into getting an RS3 so I might have a comparison then.
BMW of old is dead.
I work for a main dealer branch of BMW in the UK, I have an F40 myself, and I drive a lot of different models, i've driven practically every trim of F20 and F40 gen 1 series over the past few years and I still find the F20 better to drive, even the 118i / 120i's, and even more so the 6 Pots.
I personally don't find the new M135i and 128Ti as good to drive, and the 2.0L just drinks fuel in it's 250-300HP configuration as well. Not that the 6 pot didn't, but it feels quite thirsty for a 4 pot
I'm noticing that a lot with recent downsized engines, people think it will use way less fuel because its a smaller engine and the official figures are like 50% better but actually its either the same or only slightly better. Had a ride in someone in a 4 pot hybrid 5 series who was getting only 30mpg which is about the same as me in a 2006 IS250 V6...
@@NubletPie278 Exactly, it's because the smaller engines have to work harder to provide the same power, we have an F22 M240i at home as well and that thing is a breeze to 70mph, don't even have to struggle.
But when i've driven stuff like the M135i XDrive or the M235i XDrive they feel like you really need to put some effort in, and by that point i'm seeing like 32-34mpg average, whereas the M240i over the same type of driving at around 29-31mpg, so the downsize in engine really hasn't made much difference.
Just a feature of the BMW modular engines. B48 is pretty much maxed out at 300hp whereas B58 is almost under tuned in its stock forms. That's why it's so reliable and energy efficient. I have a feeling the tuned b48's will have reliability issues down the line.
I've owned two "Beamers", respectable ones of the 2000's and early 2010's era, I feel I caught the tail end of the legacy which was BMW. Now we are subject to the Bean Counter who rules the product line, and some pretentious Kardashian design team with an "Influencer" advertising budget. I'm so sad for this once great brand; what Made in Germany used to stand for. Hell even Henkel Knives has completely sold it's soul alike. It feels like it's all become so cynical in it's approach to money and volume, or maybe I'm just getting old and crotchety and need to quit commenting on things which age me embarrassingly.
Exact same situation here, and the exact same feelings. I agree so hard with all you said that I feel old 😂
Some of you are raving about the older 2nd gen 140i rwd being beter than this fwd 3rd gen 135i. I reckon the original 1st gen135i is the best of all. Nice steering feel, no annoying driver assit tech steering or braking the car, 6 spd manual, 50% / 50% weight distribution and balance. I'll be keeping mine until the end of its days. Its not worth much these days but I love it.
A fantastic review - I do wish manufacturers would contract people like James as consultants- I agreed with everything said and he always says it without fear or favour to a brand.
Yeah agreed. Who are the people in these focus groups? The same ones who said they wanted a cvt in the new wrx???
When my Father was looking to replace his daily which was VW GTI TCR; test drove the M135i and didn't like it. However his went for the 2023 M240i instead and is happy about it.
Have a go in the updated version with the suspension upgrades. Only available with the 19" wheels. Much better drivers car, great front end and in sport mode feels very urgent and pretty quick.
I've driven a 2020 and a 2023 M135i, the latter is a vast improvement.
About a year ago a German car magazine tested 4 hot hatches, A BMW M128ti, Golf GTI, Focus ST and I30N DCT. The BMW was described as absolutely lackluster, worst handling of the 4 cars, average automatic transmission, bad seats, etc. The i30N had the best handling and transmission; maybe BMW shouldnt have lost their M devisions main engineer (Albert Biermann) to Hyundai.
A bloody awful car. I got one as a courtesy car once and complained as I couldn’t spend a week driving this junk! Thankfully I got an M4 as a courtesy car instead. It felt nothing like a BMW and it was like they had artificially tried to give it some form of rear wheel drive feel, but completely failed. The steering ratio felt all wrong. Don’t get me wrong, it was a capable car, but felt awful to drive.
I warranted.
I went from a M140i to an M135I and haven't regretted it for a minute.
Drove both, ended up going for the M135i just feels a lot faster and with the Body kit it looks the part. And the xdrive is just a god send.
I had a 330ci and the decent tyre shop mixed tyre brands front and back and it was astonishing… you couldn’t even go straight down the motorway. Really needs same tyres all round IMO. Did that and car was back to behaving again.
I am hanging onto my 6 pot for as long as I can.
4 years ago my wife insisted on buying the M235 grand coupe because we needed 4 doors at the time. 1st March 2024 I took delivery of an M240 xdrive. There is no comparison. The B58 engine is simply immense. I’m now trying to persuade her we need a new exhaust system and a remap. Basically I’m doing the grovely husband thing 😊🙏
The thing is, this wasn’t designed to please the fans, it was designed to sell to people who don’t care that much.
This and because of upselling. You want the Inline 6, RWD? Maybe even a manual? M2 it is. Substantially more money
Never get a 4 cylinder BMW... I've had two
I had both a M135i (xDrive) and an M140i (RWD); I test drove the "thing" in the video, and promptly decided "no thanks"; it felt like an Audi (fine car, in many ways, but definitely not much fun to drive).
I remember finding the 1 series as my beacon of hope. Yes, an FR layout that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Only to find out they discontinued it for packaging reasons. Today I'm in another brand, with a better reputation for reliability.
As the old 1 series ranked crap on reliability surveys.
I found this very interesting, as my Mini version of this, a 2020 JCW Clubman is, to me, an absolute hoot to drive. To be fair I've never driven a Golf R, or an S3.....or in fact the 135i, so maybe I'm just naive, or easily pleased! Either way I have no plans to change my Mini any time soon.
You bought a Mini though, not a BMW.
@@kristoffer3000They are basically the same car.
@@astradala1845 Exactly, if I wanted a Mini I'd not go buy a BMW.
I bought my F20 1-series because I wanted a BMW, wouldn't have gotten it if it was a Mini in drag.
@@kristoffer3000 But that does not make a lot of sense because mini and BMW have shared parts for years? Plus VAG group for example. Golf R S3 Cupra all basically the same cars?
@@astradala1845 Not the same at all.
VAG group cars are all on just a few platforms, BMW and Mini did not use to be like that at all.
My F20 for example shares very few parts with a Mini, it's a completely different layout even.
hit the nail on the head with this one... it's not that it is a bad car per se, it's just turned itself into another generic entry into the generic 2 liter 4 cylinder turbocharged front wheel drive automatic transmission box shaped hot hatch segment just like literally everyone else. It's just so flipping boring and unimaginative. The old one got you excited! This one would only make me excited to get out of it again...
Also don't be too sad it doesn't have the same DCT as the cheaper and less powerful variants. I drove a 116i rental for a couple months as I waited for my new car to arrive and idk how they did it but BMW managed to fuck even that up. It has to be one of the slowest responding DCTs I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing. Sure it loves upshifting, as quickly as possible, can't have you build some revs now can we, that would be too exciting and too wasteful of all that precious fuel.
All in all this is one of the cars of all time. Just through and through boring, the entire lineup.
Hello James, I actually wrote to you about getting F20 M135i, you advise me to go look for m3 :) But it was out of budget and I went fot M135i anyway. It ened badly, servicewise, but neverheles when car is working I adore it. It is really a special thing (with some light mods). I could not imagine to go for this renamed 220i grand tourer and pretend that is a M135i, it's like getting craped to the plate in the restaurat and pretend that it's a meal. Disrespectful is the right world. I guess this must be like US guys felt in the 70/80s.
You're absolutely right. There is nothing wrong about a Gran Tourer, my wife is having one to drive the kids around, 265000km from new, doing a great job. But how could they think that anyone would accept that package being wrapped in some hot hatch gift paper? Still can't believe that they killed the 1 series, knowing exactly what they were doing. Karen is still loving her 118i but it's not those people who helped BMW to become what they are right now.
TBH i love the new F40 m135i, in one single model release, they have made all previous generation M cars into instant modern classics
I kind of agree (and I owned a modded and tuned M140i for 4 years).
The thing is, they are not special enough to keep the prices high enough, to keep them out of chav territory.
So, just like the Subaru Impreza, they will drop in value until every drug dealing council estate chav has one, blacked out everything, slammed, and ruined.
Then in 20 years, just like the Impreza, only the low mileage totally standard ones will be worth anything.
Being an F40 BMW I think they missed a trick by not giving it a mid-mounted twin-turbo V8 and a kevlar body.
And painting it so thin you can see the kevlar weave under the shade
As someone in their mid 50's, all the negatives are a positive to me, and I suspect most people. The reality is, most young men old enough the grow caterpillar under their nose who think they're a master driver of rear wheeled cars, actually aren't. Doing a wheel spin out of tescos car park and going over the legal speed limit, for limited duration of time, doesn't make them expert drivers.
I agree, yet this car is now nearly identical to a handful of other cars. That’s fine, I suppose, but lack of diversity is regrettable.
Agreed there's hardly m140i left on the road as they've been wrote off ! No m140i is keeping up with these on an English road
The previous M135i and M140i were dynamically flawed. But, they were unique and fairly special. A turbocharged, 6 cylinder, rear wheel drive hatchback was never going to be dull. It’s a shame they’re mostly driven by morons, else I’d have one in a heartbeat.
On the other hand, I drove one of the newer M135i X-Drive’s back to back with an M140i on a wet day. The 140 was slightly unhinged as to be expected, but humongous fun. The 135, which should’ve made sense in the wet, still didn’t, just without the fun and terror. The gearbox was poor, the straight like performance was lethargic and the chassis was inept. I was left wondering why anybody would buy one over a Golf R.
These M135i X-Drive’s have not aged well, whatsoever.
Never let other peoples choice dictate what you do. At least, thats my advice.
The ZF 8 speed was poor? What are you smoking
@@kristoffer3000 I’m referring to the Aisin gearbox in the M135i X-Drive, not the ZF8 in the M140i, which was excellent.
Driven by morons, yet you'd have one? 😂😂
The generation before this was the sweet spot, straight 6 RWD in a hatchback form? Yes please.
Well I have an M135i xDrive ( swaped 114i to be exact ), but it's an F21, so RWD based xDrive with ZF 8 speed and 3 doors! There is no way I'm selling that car ever, design, long bonnet, straight six, and sub 5 sec 0-100 km/h in the wet, yup, it's a keeper ;)
Now that’s a package: 6 cylinder AWD 3dr! You swapped the engine into a 114i?
@@JoJoJoker yup, took a totaled 114i (no big damage but blown airbags) + totaled M135ix (bent frame) to build one very quick 114i. And on top of that now we are trying to put the N13 engine in E36 316ti compact
I remember the BMW dealer phoning me up to try and get me to trade in my old model 135 for one of these. He seemed genuinely surprised when I said that I didn't like them.
@@dungareesareforfools The dealer was obviously trying to get his hands on a 135i that he COULD sell 😂
Not sure the M140 looked much diff than a 120d msport did it?
No, not much at all. Cant really think of a single thing, except the always silver mirrors on them.
@GoldenCroc I've got an m140 and yeah you're right apart from the twin tail pipes and no front fogs it's not much different than an "msport"
@@jordanplatt3916 I owned several 1-series myself, but I forgot some stuff since I sold them long ago. One thing is you couldnt get the Radar cruise control on the F20 M135i/M140i so if the car has got that sensor in the front, you know its a smaller engine in it as well.
Anyway, thats, according to BMW the whole point with the "M-performance" cars; More or less using the M sport optics with the biggest "normal" engine in the range and a bit hotter suspension than the normal M sport.
They got a lot of market differentiation:
Normal
"Sport" pack
M sport pack
M performance
M car (ie. M2, M4, M5 etc)
That was part of the appeal for me. It doesn't shout "look at me" in the same way that other cars do (AMG 45 etc)
I've had a M140 from new since 2018. Needed a hatch for the dog so M2/3 was out. Now car has Birds/Bilstein shocks, LSD and better wheels and brakes. Been thru Golf 7.5 R and don't like Audis that much and can't afford the silly money for a M340 or M3 Touring. Tried a M135 F40 when it first came out and nearly instantly started trying to improve the 140. The car is definitely a keeper.
After 4 years in a tuned/modded M140i, and loved it, I hit a patch of diesel in traction off mode, on a dual carriageway.
Backwards off the road into a tree.
Was gutted. I spent thousands on it.
Bought an OG M2, and aside from the B58 and ZF8, everything and I mean EVERYTHING about the M2 is on another level.
The steering, ride, damping, cornering, looks, balance, etc literally levels above the M140i, I never thought it would be that different until I got one.
I’ve still got my m140i , not a chance I’d trade it in for this .
Im the same ill never move mine on if i dont have too. Had this with a guy in work he's got one of these m135i and goes on about it like it's the best thing since sliced bread
It's okay to say you're enjoying having a paid off car you know
@@tuka5871
Eh???!!
I'm currently practicing bangernomics whilst saving money and my Mondeo had a mega MOT fail in the summer (two pages worth!) so I was in need of a new car. I couldn't be bothered traipsing around testing out various shitboxes so instead I had a look at the used car lot down the road and they had a 2013 Sandero with 106k miles on it. Had a test drive and was really surprised by how pleasant it was to drive so I am now its proud owner! In terms of driving it doesn't seem to be any different from the newer cars, apparently the interior creaks and rattles aren't a distinguishing feature either. My main gripe is no air con but it was the cheapest car available at the time it was released, shockingly the lack of AC means no cabin filter either so when I turn the fan up high I'm blasted with leaves. Always a good laugh.
Dear oh dear. I'm not upset. Just disappointed
The m135i is a Mini underneath, you might as well get the JCW Clubman which in my eyes is a better looking car, much more practical and feels a lot sportier!
yawn.
@@Chris-jt4ux yawn about the clubman?
Agree
I had the 130 I 5 door version but best off all it was manual …😊
It all started with the E21 323i - a powerful small car with a joyous 6 cylinder engine and rear wheel drive tail happy handling. …
And the 130i was the first proper 1 series - 265 bhp rear wheel drive and not too heavy, then we got the 135i and 140i - a huge step forward in power but cost a lot more to run when older. The People who bought these models 100% knew/or know they are straight 6 cylinder rear wheel drive cars.
Sadly Bmw has lost the plot in recent years - the new models look awful and Tue loss of 6 cylinders and now the loss of rear wheel drive just shows they have zero interest in keeping the old brand qualities alive ( ie the things that made buyers chose a small 6 cylinder bmw). So now they end up with an ugly 4 cylinder 4 wd poorly built car that looks horrible.
Still having a 3-door manual 130i among other elder BMWs. To me it's the sweet spot. Just love the way it feels, even went back from a brand new manual M135i F20 to a 130i. It's not the best car in the world but to me the N/A inline 6 in that relatively light body is all it takes to have fun. Didn't even bother to try the new 1 series, the FWD based xdrive is one thing, but dropping the 6 cylinder is the one i can't forgive them on.
Girlfriends got the new 118i msport coming in a couple weeks hope its got the better gear box 😅
Make a midnight appointment at a BMW dealer and trade it in for an M140i, she won't notice anyway according to BMW.
I heard from joe achilles that the early models had REALLY bad wheel hop. Almost like the Xdrive was doing enough, like 4Motion or Quattro. Have you had the same thing?
I did not experience that
That’s probably due to early models being FWD.
Joe talks crap.
It looks a lot better than the older version at least.
Specsavers is that way ------->
I am on my 9-th BMW. Bought first when I was 18 and now I am 45 and as a BMW fan boy I can honestly say that 90 percent of the people driving 1 series don't know what engine they have let alone what wheels that engine is driving. Most of them are driven by people who just want a badge or a safe small car for the family. So who gives a f... This 1 series is better, faster and safer; and if you want rwd, be a grown up and get a bigger BMW.
You can bet that 100% of the previous generation M135i and M140i models knew their cars were RWD. That's why they bought them...
@simonh870 Agree, but 95 percent of the one series sold are 118 and below. That 1 percent that bought 135 and 140 will move on to M2 or 3 series. BMW is not in a business of making cars but making money as is any other company on the planet and new 1 series looks better, uses less fuel, has more space and it is cheaper to produce so margin for profit is larger. Don't be mad, just get bigger BMW.
@@damirbajic4579 It doesn't use less fuel though, the M135i is less econopmical than the older 3 litre M140i. Possibly down to the inferior transmission, possible due to the extra drive train losses due to the xdrive. I don't mind the looks of the new 1 but I still see it as pointless. If people had needed more space they could just buy a 3 series.
@@simonh870 They don't have money or space for 3 series. It is mostly urban car for young people
Is that a radiator grill, or a shower curtain ?
It is a MINI in a different body shell.
I had one of these as a hire car, it was ok decent and it was nice having the xdrive traction but it doesnt come close to my M140i at all!
They didn't made their fans upset, they simply gave them what they wanted.
Real BMW aficionados probably never looked over the 1 series and if they did, it was just out of curiosity then went for a 3 series or higher.
Different for husbands that wanted a cool car to share with their bored wives or youngsters trying to to be cool, them people took the 1 series by purpose and they couldn't give a damn about traction or wheelbase.
Yes, most 1 series buyers get these for the badge alone and to pick up the kids and the shopping. They never cared about the RWD handling or weight balance because they can barely drive anyway lol
I would love to hear how this conversation went at BMW. "Hey lets make the new car fwd, and use a toyota economy transmission to drive it. " And someone up top agreed 😂. Either way fanboys will buy it.
Bought quite a few of these in the last couple years, they're pretty good. Sounds okay too. Definitely better than a golf but it is more expensive and slightly slower in a straight line. Much prefer the old car but this is more fitting for the everyday driver that doesn't care about getting the back end out
Slower and it has a Toyota gearbox. Golf is much more interesting.
How does 4wd make up for 2 missing cylinders? If the torque ain't there, it can't be deployed anywhere.
My brother owns a m140i with 480bhp. Absolute weapon. Cant see how this car with a 2ltr engine would compare. Crazy to think bmw made a 1 series and stuck a 3.0 6pot turbo in it!
As a current owner of the previous m135i, the straight-six RWD layout was the main reason I bought the car.
Never buy a four-cylinder BMW.
The fact that this cost 42,000 pounds is icing on the cake, mine cost me about 11,000 used, and i'd rather have it over one of these.
What sort of mileage are you on to pick one up for £11,000?
@@jase_llan
mine has 130,000 km, so about 80k miles.
I paid $22,000 New Zealand Dollars, so i just halved that figure to convert to GBP, as NZD > GBP usually about half.
@@dasstig5274 makes sense, here in the UK you can get them for £10k and up but often they're fairly questionable - although they do seem quite sturdy cars!
@@jase_llan I think i got a good deal, but yes had it about two years now and no issues so far.
Did an MHD tune for a bit more poke about six months ago too!
It's not even like we just lost RWD or the 6 Cylinder with the F40, but the 3 Door configuration and the manual too. When BMW made such a drastic change to the 1er, they should've at least kept the manual and the 3 door.
This would look odd in a 3 door with such a short nose
@@Liam.......the last one was
The sweet spot for a 1 series has always been the 116D on 16inch tyres. I own this last gen 2 model in the best colour. Sunset Orange.
F20 with the N13 engine for the cheap performance, they remap to 200-220 hp, biggest performance bargain to be had a lot of places.
Which single figure IQ whoppers were BMW surveying who didn’t know their car was rear wheel drive 😂😂😂
The general car buyer couldnt care or know less about stuff like that.
@@GoldenCroc while I can understand they might not care, I can’t believe anyone would not know which wheels drive the car they just bought.
Skip this and get the Golf R or A35 .
P.S get the the type R
Jeebers, that M135 sounds miserable.
Wait until you hear its competition lmao, this mediocre sounding thing is probably the best sounding 4-pot you can buy today.
5 years ago we were enjoying completely crazy sounding things such as the Focus RS, now this. OPF filters and noise regs everywhere.
What a cool car. These 1 series hatchbacks don't exist in North America, sadly. This is the first time I've seen one.
B58 + ZF on the M140i = superb package - this new one is a true insult & to be avoided if you want real fun & a true rear wheel drive BMW….
I test drove one of these and ended up with a M140i… 😂
Ive got one Its Brilliant Fast Comfortable Classy inside Gearbox no issues with Cornering brilliant sticks to the road like glue Go buy one you wont regret it
Better motorway car than drone I had in my Golf R that got stolen. BMW better made and economic with service pack.
Fast safe and great alcantara race seats. Toyota is more engaging but cheap small interior. I have done 15k trouble free miles in BMW and enjoyed every one of them. Maybe the tyres on test car were problematic?
I agree Mark it's a grown up car for long distances and not really a typical hot hatch. BMW's fault for not marketing it as such but a great car for the right person.
Did the previous 1 series crash on Top Gear test? Seems fashionable to knock bmw for moving away from rwd whilst suggesting the fwd Golf GTI is great which it isn't. Go figure!
@@markwinton5427 Yes there's a reason you don't see many 3 litre RWD hatches about. Only for the pure petrol heads. Many of them ended up crashed in ditches I expect. BMW could have solved a lot of confusion by just dropping the M and people would've been happier.
@@markwinton5427 I had a mk7.5 GTI and I take James' point that you felt like you were going faster and could chuck it in a corner. But I'm almost 40 now with 2 kids and the more refined car suits my needs better while still delivering more than adequate road speeds.
They actually resurface roads in Scotland, where I live they just throw some loose stones down and move on. I will never be excited for a turbocharger 4 banger, it's just not that interesting.
for the money, my (remapped) mk6 golf gti is pretty fun and I enjoy it as a daily. For the weekends I have a C63s.
I daily this and have a GT3 RS for the weekends perfectly fine for me considering fuel economy and great performance on the daily.