Less expensive, sweet moves, and plenty of power make a case that this 1 is the one to buy.
We’ve already told you at length about the heroically powerful 300-hp 135i version of BMW’s new 1-series coupe, which is essentially a mini 3-series, one of our perpetually favorite cars.
Sharing powertrains with the larger and slightly heavier 3-series is a great starting place, and the twin-turbo 135i delivers cover-worthy numbers—4.7 seconds to 60 mph, 13.3 through the quarter-mile—that are nearly as swift as those of the previous-generation, 333-hp E46 M3. We were generally impressed, although the price of our well-equipped test car was $42,895, which is getting prohibitively close to the cost of a 335i coupe.
The One We’d Buy
Truthfully, many of us were more enthused about the less-expensive and more-fuel-friendly 128i, with the silky 230-hp inline-six and six-speed manual carried over from the 328i. This impressively efficient engine uses lightweight aluminum-and-magnesium construction and is throttled by varying valve lift (BMW calls this technology Valvetronic) instead of a traditional, less-efficient throttle plate.
The combination of a $29,425 starting price—$6300 cheaper than a 135i and $7000 less than a 328i coupe—higher fuel economy (18 city, 28 highway ratings versus 17/25), and ample power means that we tend to view the 128i as the better buy. (For the record, many of us feel the same way about the 328i versus the 335i.)
Doesn’t Feel Cheap
Not surprisingly, the 128i benefits from many impressive 3-series virtues. The materials and the fit and finish make it feel every bit as expensive inside as a 3; the only exception is the hard plastic on top of the gauge pod.
Our car was optioned with restraint to near perfection at $32,125, adding the $1300 Sport package (17-inch wheels with 205/50 front and 225/45 rear Goodyear Eagle NCT5 run-flat tires, a stiffer suspension, and sport seats), $500 wood trim, $500 heated front seats, and $400 iPod and USB integration for the stereo.
As in the 3-series, the 12-way-adjustable front seats of the Sport package are some of the best in the automotive world, straddling a difficult balance between long-haul comfort and back-road-terrorizing support, and even our tall guys found plenty of space. Power adjustment costs $995 extra, but we didn’t mind manually adjusting the excellent seats.
The 128i saves not only money but also weight. Our 3197-pound car was 223 pounds lighter than the 135i we tested, with a more even front-to-rear weight distribution as well. And it certainly feels plenty powerful, with 0-to-60-mph acceleration happening in 5.8 seconds and the quarter-mile in 14.5 at 96 mph. Both those times are 0.3 second quicker than a 328i.
Sweet Behind the Wheel
Everything jells in the 128i when the road turns twisty. The short, smooth, light-effort shifter makes for a six-speed that feels even sweeter than the 328i’s with which it shares its mechanicals, and the steering is terrific, with a natural heft that’s neither too light nor too heavy. It comes alive when hustling and tracks true on the highway. The 128i feels very balanced while driving quickly on public roads—with the stability control off, the rear end comes around nicely with the application of power through a 90-degree turn—even though it probably isn’t up to racetrack duty, particularly without a limited-slip differential. On the skidpad, it matched the 135i by pulling a balanced 0.89 g.
The ride is, as expected, disciplined, tailored toward drivers like us who value handling. Even so, the 128i’s ride is occasionally excessively stiff and, once in a while, over very rough sections of pavement, unsettling; conversely, a 3-series never shows these flaws.
Less Impressed by Fuel Economy
We were expecting that smaller and lighter would equate with improved fuel economy, but that isn’t entirely the case. The 128i gets the same 18 mpg city and 28 highway ratings of the larger 328i, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing as we’ve regularly bettered that highway figure in a 3-series during extended highway cruising.
But over a 300-mile weekend of mostly highway driving, our 128i returned 25 mpg. Even with the cruise control set at 75 mph, the best we could get over stretches of flat highway was 29 mpg, whereas we regularly see mileage in the low 30s in a 328i. Overall, we got 22 mpg. That, in part, is a result of the 1-series’ exemplary driving manners that goad us into winding it out. Still, we expected better. One problem is that the 128i’s 0.31 coefficient of drag is 11 percent worse than that of a 328i coupe, partly a penalty paid for the shorter overall length.
Other minor shortcomings include a rather tight back seat with limited headroom that’s impinged on by the standard sunroof, but at least the standard split-folding seatbacks add significant usable cargo room beyond that of the 10-cubic-foot trunk.
The 1-series can look awkwardly tall, with a far less fluid roofline than that of a 3-series coupe, and the 50-series front tires look a bit wimpy by today’s standards, especially considering that the Sport package on the 10-year-old 1999 328i included 45-series rubber.
But as something that’s a delight to drive and easy to live with every day, the 128i is indeed very 3-series-like, which is to say it’s extremely hard to beat for the price.
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