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      08-28-2020, 05:34 AM   #1
demontweeks
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M135i - Does it have character?

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I've been following this forum for a while but this is my first post.

I'm fairly certain that my next car will be an F40 M135i and I'm interested to hear from others whether they agree with some of the early reviews that it's a capable all rounder but it lacks character and is dull to drive. I'll need to make my own mind up during a test drive but you can only tell so much from half an hour with a car. I'd appreciate the views of people who have lived with one for a while - does it grow on you over time or are you already getting bored?

I'm currently driving an M140i and so would really appreciate any thoughts from people who've made the same transition that I'd be making. I'm sure that I would miss the sound and power delivery of the B58 but I appreciate they're very different cars, each with their own pros and cons. The fact that the M135i isn't a 3.0 litre 6 cylinder RWD isn't a deal breaker for me - life goes on.

Cheers.
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      08-28-2020, 01:18 PM   #2
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It would help if you also shared the last few cars you owned and highlight the best ones. Because the M135i Xdrive will be perfect for certain people and not for others, depending what each individual looks for in a car. Some people prioritise a nice interior, others won't buy a car unless it has superb suspension on fast bends and going around corners. Some people are completely oblivious to a front wheel drive biased car and it's characteristics, in comparison to a rwd or a different kind of 4wd, like a Subaru or Focus RS, which are rear biased driven, making for a more enjoyable satisfying drive. If you currently have a M140i then you have a car with plenty of character which requires driver skill, particularly in the wet. The M135i Xdrive is very much a plug & play car, like a Golf R or Audi S3/RS 3, which can be driven fast, safely, by most people, which is I suppose a big attraction in itself. The turn in on the M135i is nice & sharp thans to the mechanical Torsen limited slip differential which BMW clearly added to increase driver enthusiast enjoyment. The suspension is also very good, nice and firm being a sports car, in fact I find it excellent at slow and very fast speeds, and I'm highly critical of suspension usually. For me the M135i is a very good, competent all round package as a daily driver. I come from Golf R, Subaru Impreza STi's, Mitsubishi Evo's, Focus RS mk 3 plus many 1970's BMW's, Ford's & 80's hot hatches👍
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      08-29-2020, 08:53 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by demontweeks View Post
I've been following this forum for a while but this is my first post.

I'm fairly certain that my next car will be an F40 M135i and I'm interested to hear from others whether they agree with some of the early reviews that it's a capable all rounder but it lacks character and is dull to drive. I'll need to make my own mind up during a test drive but you can only tell so much from half an hour with a car. I'd appreciate the views of people who have lived with one for a while - does it grow on you over time or are you already getting bored?

I'm currently driving an M140i and so would really appreciate any thoughts from people who've made the same transition that I'd be making. I'm sure that I would miss the sound and power delivery of the B58 but I appreciate they're very different cars, each with their own pros and cons. The fact that the M135i isn't a 3.0 litre 6 cylinder RWD isn't a deal breaker for me - life goes on.

Cheers.
The F40 M135i lacks top end power. The low and mid range is really punchy though. I would think the F20 M135i and M140i had better top end power though due to the added displacement of the 3litre engine.

Drive ability wise is pretty good for a 2litre 4 pot.
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      08-30-2020, 08:21 AM   #4
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My previous cars were a skyline r33 tuned and scary, v35 skyline a little more subdued rear wheel drive and with traction control etc, then a diesel f30 320d and then my m135i. Totally love the car from the minute I got into it for a test drive.

The car is quick around corners and in the wet.. there's pretty much no difference traction on or off.. the car has tons of grip! It will feel quite different coming from a rear wheel drive car but for me I want the 4x4 grip, really good interior with a good price to match.

If your on an open road you might feel as if the top end lacks but I think its because of the 4x4 power delivery. It's only two tens slower than the inline 6 m135i 100-200km/h.

I have a racechip installed and top end, the car pulls even better 100-200km/h 12.15 (claimed)
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      08-31-2020, 02:20 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by demontweeks View Post
I'm currently driving an M140i and so would really appreciate any thoughts from people who've made the same transition that I'd be making. I'm sure that I would miss the sound and power delivery of the B58 but I appreciate they're very different cars, each with their own pros and cons. The fact that the M135i isn't a 3.0 litre 6 cylinder RWD isn't a deal breaker for me - life goes on.

Cheers.
I'm not a current owner of the F40 M135i, but I have had a fairly decent drive of one, and also owned a F20 M135i as well as earlier, performance AWD hatches (Audi S3, Evo X).

For safe, everyday driving at decent speeds on public roads, AWD cars are great, and the F40 M135i is the latest in this line. However, if you take the car to a track, or want some "character" (that translates as handling fun to me) then the F20 M135i had it in spades. So, too, do performance FWDs (I've had several Renault Sports, and currently also have a Peugeot 308 GTi 270) -- not the easiest to live with, but excellent fun. Just my 2¢
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