Should the 135i be reliable?

[BMW Dreamer]

I have had people tell me to wait 2-3 years to get a 135i because its a new car/model. If the car has been in Europe and the engine has been in the 335i shouldn't it be pretty good in the first year?

Also REALLY worried about the Overheating, Plastic water pump blades, trans, and many other horror stories I have read for many years about BMW. Plus even under warranty waiting weeks or months for parts,,,not having another car to drive. OH BOY:wub:

[fuhgetaboutit]

The engine is not new (used in 335i), the car is not new (in Europe since 2004) and a large percentage of parts are shared with the E9x.

You can sit around reading forums and second guessing its reliability, or you can just get one and enjoy a bad-ass car. Your choice.

[d3syd]

Don't worry.

[hellrotm]

"If the car has been in Europe and the engine has been in the 335i shouldn't it be pretty good in the first year?"

You answered your own question.

[ulrichd]

Jeff,
Take a look at the Forced Induction discussion thread.

Ulrich

[vivid]

people always say "don't get the first MY of any car" but if you look at problems they usually usually affect such tinny % that is not worth worrying about.

[Rotorhead]

Jeff1962 I see your point and I too, had some second thought about diving in especially since BMW hasn't really done any production car turbo engines in I believe about 40 years. Technically this engine has been around for awhile in the 335i and 535i also it won the international engine of the year, (check it out on Wikipedia) so I think we should all be good, and if not a 4 year full warranty should help.

[Number_6]

The biggest quality-related concern for me, is rattles & squeaks. On Euro forums, I've seen quite a few owners complain of rattles and squeaks associated with the door seals, dash, air vents, and center console. If that's the case, that definitely would not meet my expectation of a BMW.

I've also seen quite a few posts about problems with the steering column lock, and various electrical glitches.

That being said, if you dig into any automotive forum on the web, just about every car model has some common problem areas.

[investor27]

The rattles and squeaks you're talking about were on the last generation 1 series, not the new one that we are getting.

[bebe6ora]

Originally Posted by fuhgetaboutit

The engine is not new (used in 335i), the car is not new (in Europe since 2004) and a large percentage of parts are shared with the E9x.

You can sit around reading forums and second guessing its reliability, or you can just get one and enjoy a bad-ass car. Your choice.

what he said :thumbup:
also its BMW BRO relax......
they havent called it the ultimate driving mashine for no reason trust me.

[BMW Dreamer]

I am very thankful for your thoughts and opinions. I have done much research and have read about all the above. If I purchase a 135i, it will be in Feb 09. So I will have time to find out more. I guess I will cross my fingers. After considering 4 diff cars, I really want the 135i manual, sport, leather, comfort access. Here is a list of the 4 cars I am considering. I want a 2 door manual, great handling car that is quite fast.

1. BMW 135i.
2. 2009 Acura TL
3. Infiniti G 37 S
4 Lexus IS 350

Any opinions on the above cars is also much appreciated. Jeff D.

I know #4. doesn't offer a manual.
Also the new 09 Acura might not come with a manual with the AWD.

[E82tt6]

Originally Posted by Jeff1962

I am very thankful for your thoughts and opinions. I have done much research and have read about all the above. If I purchase a 135i, it will be in Feb 09. So I will have time to find out more. I guess I will cross my fingers. After considering 4 diff cars, I really want the 135i manual, sport, leather, comfort access. Here is a list of the 4 cars I am considering. I want a 2 door manual, great handling car that is quite fast.

1. BMW 135i.
2. 2009 Acura TL
3. Infiniti G 37 S
4 Lexus IS 350

Any opinions on the above cars is also much appreciated. Jeff D.

I know #4. doesn't offer a manual.
Also the new 09 Acura might not come with a manual with the AWD.

2 of those cars are 4 door only, and one is automatic only, so I would rule them out based on the criteria you came up with.

Furthermore, I'm NOT a fan of IS350s. My father owned one for about 6 months, and it's probably the worst "luxury sport" sedan I've ever driven. Wonderful engine, pulls very hard. Great soundsystem. Decent brakes. Not so good handling. Very vauge chassis control, terrible feel through the chassis and the steering.

However, my biggest complaint about the car is comfort. Most uncomfortable car I have EVER been in, and I've taken LONG trips in my '03 Cobra, and Boxster S with sports seats. My sister once actually CRIED on a road trip back from college, the car was so uncomfortable. I can't express in words how terribly uncomfortable that car is.

Between the 135i and the G37S, I picked the 135i, because it's faster, better handling, more tunable, and more fun. However, it's also much more expensive to lease, smaller, less luxurious, and doesn't have as many features.

If you're leasing, I'd go with the G37 S. It is more fun to drive than any other car in that weight class that I've driven. It handles very well, is quite nimble for its size, and has a lovely engine. The 6 in that car reminds me very much of the 6 in the E46 M3. It's very comfortable, luxurious, and feature rich. What's more, it's very cheap to lease.

If you're buying, it's a matter of whether you'd rather have fun, or features, IMO.

[Jack in Jax]

Jeff, unlike most of the other comments I think it is in general wise to wonder about a first year production run. The fact that many of the parts are being borrowed from other cars can lead to fit and compatibility problems, rather than avoiding them. One other illustration of this is the hesitancy some here are expressing about post-production tuning options - simply because there are many unknowns about these cars (especially in the yet-launched N American marketplace). And let's remember, the clever BMW ads notwithstanding, these cars are built by people and every production run starts with a learning curve. Your Feb 09 purchase means you'll be able to gather impressions and hear about niggles for most of a year, and that should help.

Re: your list, note that in a recent BMW Roundel the point was made that the 335i was the better car but the G37 was the better value. Given what we are hearing here so far, both those points may well prove to be true for the 1 series.

Jack

[larryn]

Amongst my new BMWs purchased were 1st month of US production e36, e46, and e90. None of which had issues. I'm about to take delivery of my 135i with no worries at all. "First month of US production" usually means that it's been introduction in other markets for up to a year, prior to coming here. In the case of the 1 series coupe, it's been out for 3-4 months already.

The e82 is the least "risky" of all of those cars, because the engine and the body have already been proven for many years. With the other 3 new model purchases I made, I was getting a new car model along with a new motor... I also traded in my e36 325, when they came out with the 328, and traded in my e46 323, when the 330 came out. No issues there as well, even though those were new motors.

[Jack in Jax]

Larry, you speak from experience, which is noteworthy...but they are just 3 data points on some very big curves. You only have to read Mike Miller's monthly column in Roundel to hear chapter & verse on longer-term problems with all 3 of the models you mention.

A reasonable & balanced bottom line might be: all cars are imperfect; BMW has recently acknowledged it needs to improve build quality (a major goal of BMW's current COO); and because the 1-series is a new model, some of these build issues simply can't yet be known.

Jack

[larryn]

Jack, very true that I'm only 3 points in a plot.

However, the issues that I have seen or read about on a new models were not in every car, but a few e90 sedans had a slight rattle in the seatbelt mechanism, and many e46 coupes had the rubber window trim fail (and droop down). The seatbelt rattle has a TSB for it within a month, for those effected. The window trim took longer to fix, but did also have a TSB issued for it. It also seems to be completely resolved in later model e46 coupes as well as in the e92 coupe.

To be honest, neither of those issues would prevent me from getting a car. Neither are major, even if you were one of the few unlucky with that issue.

Since I chair the autox events for my local chapter and instruct, I get to drive many BMWs and talk to their owners. I keep coming back to the marque because of the drivability, but also because of my cumulative build experience.

[imported_Dodgy]

For what it is worth, my thoughts.

We are looking at a unique car. Every once and a while, something truly special comes along. I truly believe that this is a car that will go down in history as a "have you ever driven / owned a ....?"

The engine, is perhaps one of the best ever made. It's a good size. Not suffering the middle age spread of a 3er, but not so small to make it useless. It has the refinement and purity of build of one of the worlds best automobile manufacturers.

Yes, there are faults. Maybe the handling isn't perfect (for everyone, all the time). Yes, you can get a Jap with better bang for your buck (depending on perspective).

BUT. BMW invented the compact sports coupé. Clarkson et al said it best last season when they compared the new M3 to AMG 63 and RS4. Yes, they are all brilliant cars, but all, except one, are a copy of the original.

The 135 coupé ain't quite an M1, but for an initial crack, pretty close to the mark. It may not be as good "Value for Money" as a 335, but when did common sense matter when buying something legendary. Every great car built has its faults and criticisms.

I too, subscribed to the "don't buy the MY 01".

But this is different. Limited production, maximum appeal. Wait for the "problems" to be ironed out if you will. I, personally, want to be part of the learning curve. I want to be a part of the evolution, growth, that will be the "1". I want to be a part of the legend!

[imported_Dodgy]

PS

Hope I'm not wrong!

[larryn]

Originally Posted by Dodgy

PS

Hope I'm not wrong!

[bimmerfile]

Originally Posted by Jeff1962

I have had people tell me to wait 2-3 years to get a 135i because its a new car/model. If the car has been in Europe and the engine has been in the 335i shouldn't it be pretty good in the first year?

Also REALLY worried about the Overheating, Plastic water pump blades, trans, and many other horror stories I have read for many years about BMW. Plus even under warranty waiting weeks or months for parts,,,not having another car to drive. OH BOY:wub:

............."Who are these people"...........

[bimmertech]

Originally Posted by Number_6

The biggest quality-related concern for me, is rattles & squeaks. On Euro forums, I've seen quite a few owners complain of rattles and squeaks associated with the door seals, dash, air vents, and center console. If that's the case, that definitely would not meet my expectation of a BMW.

I've also seen quite a few posts about problems with the steering column lock, and various electrical glitches.

That being said, if you dig into any automotive forum on the web, just about every car model has some common problem areas.

no need to worry about the steering column lock. this affected early e9x's. bmw no longer uses a steering column lock.