Yo, The 335 kicks ass. It sad to see that BMW has chosen to take the low road and make the 135. It totally takes the class and prestige away from the 3 series. Now we’re just another Honda or Toyota. I have a 335cpe now and am considering selling it. The prestige and thrill are gone. The cars look so much a like that most drivers on the road will simple confuse the two, so there will be no pride in driving the damn thing anymore. People confuse Lexus and Camry all the time and now the same will happen for 335 and 135 drivers. BMW really made a bad decision to lower their standards. Mercedes did the same with the 190E and look what that did them. it was the laughing stock of German auto world. I understand the need to boost sales, but if that was the case, then simply drop the MSRP by 2,000 and trust me that people will love getting the car this nice for just under 50K(with all necessary pkgs – no parking assist- duh)
Cheers,

I think this car will be amazing. The 335 has no hope, same engine smaller car, do the math. This is also suppose to be a no frills BMW with with clear ties to it’s heritage the 2002. Look out all you richies, it’s a poor mans BMW that will nock the socks off most other bigger, more expensive BMW. Oh and JB, just because you think what you pay for it is what makes you, it’s all about the drive not how much it costs. I’m glad to hear that your leaving the BMW class, it wasn’t meant for people like you.

I agree with several other respondees that marketing the 135i here is a poor decision on the part of BMW. It too closely resembles the 335i and it should not be powered by the same twin-turbo. The instant I saw this car profiled in CarAndDriver I said ‘WTF’ are they (BMW) thinking. It cheapens, in most respects, the 335. I had slated next model year as the year to purchase my first BMW, but I am now reconsidering. I have earned a step up – THAT”S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT! – not just peddle-to-the-metal, burning up good rubber, and profit. You can burn rubber with a junkbox Mustang if that is all you are interested in doing. I am interested in great engineering AND the uniqueness in both price and looks that the 335i coupe brings to the table. The 135i is going to diminish this. I do not want a similiar looking car in every other parking stall, like you have with Honda. The Honda is a great utilitarian car, but it has no distinction, and it has no status. Yes, I said status (shame on me!.) I will say again that I have earned through very hard work, a step up. I do not want my 335i Coupe competing with a 135i targeted at the ‘younger’ crowd. Let them buy Civic SI and turbo-charged Subarus. I do not wish to own or drive a car driven by the average rope-a-dope! BMW is about engineering AND distinction. The 135i goes a long way in removing the distinction of the 335i Coupe – what a shame.

Some people seem to think only young people will buy the 135i, guess what I’m 57, bought my first BMW 2 years ago. The M5 I have is great, but I also like the 135i for what it brings to the table. If anyone should be complaining about how inexpensive it is, should be me. I have $88,000.00 in my BMW, but I’m not, because the cars are different. The 135i is not going to cheapen the 335i anymore than the 335i would cheapen my M5. Each car brings it’s own set of standards and equipment, that make it unique. Get over the status thing, these are cars, and should represent your personality,and needs, not just because you can afford it and someone else can’t. Everyone has the right to buy what ever car they can afford, and if this 135i means more people can own a BMW, bring them on, but lets face it, most people today cann’t afford to buy a car that basically doesn’t have any back seat, as an everyday driver, that costs $35,000.00. If some are willing to buy something else other than a BMW because of the 135i, they weren’t wanting the BMW for the right reasons. You buy the BMW for the quality,performance, and the driving pleasure it gives you, not as a status symbol.

Having the income of a recently graduated college student, the lower MSRP of the 135 will enable me to drive my dream car at age 22. The second BMW listened to the tuner crowd and threw some turbos on their amazing inline six, it was any car ENTHUSIASTS wildest dream. Its simple, Big motor + little car = fun! A chip from Hamann puts you over 400hp… what else can touch that?

AFAIK, the 1 and 3 series are all built on the same platform and production lines, and BMW in Europe always said it citing near 60% or more of the components are shared between the cars. If you compare suspensions and other chassis specifics you will find there is really little similarities withe the previous E46. The only cars still “E46 based” (altought heavily tweaked) are the Z4 and the X3.

Okay, I can see why a lot of people would like the 135, but better than the 335? I say this because I just made the decision of which to buy… 135 or 335? At first I thought the 135 would be really great because it has the same engine, but will be small/faster and for less money. After a more in depth consideration I’ve found theres one thing to be said for the 335…. It’s a lot nicer. You get a luxury car and a sports car with the 335 which kind of makes it unique for the price, where with the 135 I think you’re getting more of just a sports car which you can get with plenty of other cars. I personally wouldn’t choose luxury over sport, but if you can have both isn’t that a bmw? I have owned several sports cars when I was younger, but getting a little older I’ve come to value things like.. a trunk and a beautiful interior to surround you. Okay so it’s supposed to be 2/10 of a second slower in the 0-60… seriously if you think you are going to notice a difference there… your kidding yourself. I don’t have a problem with the 135, but it’s certainly not better than the 335.

Don’t worry about the 135 taking away from the “prestige” of your 3-series. Yes the 3 series is a nice car, but it’s not a status symbol. Come on, you can get one for less than my Crew Cab, 4×4 Chevy!

I learned how to drive in a 335i and to see a 135i coming out early ext year in the low 30gs is nice. However why is everyone bitching over the fact it has the same engine and is lighter. The 5 series sports the same damn engines as the 3 series and the new 535i will have the new 135i engine as well we dont here them complaining about moral corruption. The difference between a 1 and a 3 is simply its a god damn 3 which means it has more room cost more money is more luxurious enough said there. So for all you winning grown ass men complaining you should personally go sell your bmw and get off teh market because you dont respect the car you already own

Oo and i thought about this while looking at the pictures. If an idiot is capable of mistaking a 1 series for a 3 series than they apparently dont own a bmw. Because i see huge differences in the car in terms of the headlights, tail lights, mufflers, and the top

I live in the UK and I’ve driven the 135i – my neighbour recently took delivery of one and we compared it to my 335i coupe.

Firstly, the 135i feels faster. It is faster by BMW’s official figures but not by much due to the fact that the 135i is not nearly as light as some were thinking it would be; indeed, the difference is that of a small child which in modern luxury cars is negligible. The brakes are better and the car feels better on narrow, twisty roads.
It is quite a bit smaller so it is not as practical as the 335i. It doesn’t look as classy or as nice as the 335i but is more aggressive – we shared this opinion. In the UK, a reasonably specc’ed 135i is very close in price to that of a standard 335i.

On the road and in side by side runs, there is nothing between them it would seem. The 135i didn’t prove to be faster in real terms than my 335i. Off the line we shared honours – the difference is so small that the slightest driver error would dictate the outcome.

The 135i is a very nice package overall – it is sporty and is fast. It looks like it will definitely appeal to the younger crowd who don’t need a larger car. Personally, I prefer the 335i – mine in particular with 230-style wheels looks way better to me, it handles better than my driving ability and is just awesome.

I like the 135 better. I only wish it had dual exhaust.

Tony

If you think a company like BMW has not already considered the effects of the dropping US dollar when pricing what they expect to be their highest volume selling car than you are clearly as economically sound thinking as ben bernanke. If the dollar continues to decline faster than expected they would simply…. whoa… wait for it…. its monumental…… omg… here it comes…. increase the sticker price ??? Wow.. how simple, traditional and non decietful a solution is that eh? And… Whats wrong with emulation software? Odds are greater of a real lsd breaking than a computer program. They weren’t going to put a real lsd on it, so would you rather nothing? or some software to help out?

Anyways.. the greater point here is… If you don’t think the car is a smart buy for the price its at don’t buy it. They were asking about how people like it compared to the 335. Care to answer that instead of ranting about off topic silliness?

BMW are fools to release the 135 with the same exact engine as the 335i. The whole reason anyone would buy the 335i is for the performance aspect, in addition to its luxuriousness. Once this cheaper, slightly better performing 135 releases, demand for their 335 will strongly diminish. I suspect BMW is considering redesigning/repacking the 335i or even eliminating it in the near future. It just does nto make sense to have a 1 series and 3 series with the same engine in a marketing perspective. Anyone who wants a 3 series for its features/luxury will go with a 328, and anyone who wants performance (most people, not everyone) will go with the 135i.. so whos left to buy the 335i? People with big budgets and lots of money who don’t give a shit about a 5-10k difference.

BMW should have released the 135 most definately as they can attract a larger market share of the younger crowd, but they could have gotten away with this with making it ALMOST as fast as the 335i.. near 335 speed. That would be much more appropriate for its pricing and target audience, and to seperate the 335i on the performance scale. The younger crowd can this buy the 135 and add performance parts to it as they wish.

And lastly, I personally think the 135 looks horrible. It loooks like a bubbly girly version of the 335i and is much to small looking. The 335i has that big body aggressive look which holds consistent to what it packs under the hood. The 135 screams “look at me! im a fast beamer with wanna be deformed looks!”

Time to sell my 335i and buy a g37..

OH and thank you 1stKnight, any more detail would be welcome, especialy how they differ in the twisties. Does the 135 drive with more confidance? is it more preditcable? Thanks again-enjoy your sweet ride.

1stKnight,
Thanks for all that input, it’s refreshing to finaly get solid word on driving experience between the two cars versus reading disputes between stats for hours, so I appreciate it.

Sounds like two BMW’s perform in a near-similar fashion, and are not so different to be a deal breaker (like the Z4 maybe as it will perform very differently), if that makes any sense, speaking from a performance perspective.

I’d love to drive a Z4, but these damn Minnesota winters keep any such cool cars away. Already I crashed my 325i into a snow bank, hit my garage trying to avoid a snow bank (diff time), and got royaly stuck and had to have a POLICE 4X4 physically push me out of the snow. So im jelous.

Well, I just have one last question for you. BMW gear boxes are traditonly notchy, as is mine, and according to CNET.com, so is the 335i’s gear box. However, I did read in a indepenant reveiw, that the 135i’s gear box is dead on and silky smooth, with no notchyness. I’d think they’d share the same gear box? Whats your take?

Thanks for all the help again!

Manimal
Freezing Minnesota

Hi Manimal,

I have a 6 speed manual in my car as did the 135i I had the pleasure of driving. I’m not sure if the gearboxes are different – I assumed that they were the same. I can’t say I noticed any difference really. I’m happy with my 6 speed, it is smooth enough.

Hey Peter

If you’re going to tell someone that they belong in the BMW class, you should at least understand the difference between “you’re” and “your.”

As far as being concerned that the 135 will somehow diminish the 335 because it’s cheaper and a tenth of a second faster, that’s totally absurd. Having ordered a 335 a few months ago, I could have waited a couple of months for the 135, but I’m happy to have what I feel is a better car. Though I would have bought an M3 if I could afford one.

Pratul – your post concerns me in two ways;

1) I’m afraid that you represent the current moral fiber and intelligence of the US poulation today. This would be a VERY scary thing for the rest of us.

2) You seem to be so concerned about the “status” that your 335 affords you over others. I might be accurate in guessing that you have a big BMW key chain that you plop down face up at the bar so everyone can admire your success and general awesomeness! You are the MAN! Better hide it though when a 5,6,or 7 series owner walks in! Lol

I just sold my Audi S4 to make room for my new jet black 135i which arrives tomorrow. You could compare my S4 to a 335ix in your world (hey that’s a more expensive car than YOURS- gasp!)I was enamored by the car’s sports orientation and quality fit/finish.I have been on the waiting list for 4 months now – after my test drive of the 135i and 335i the same day I can say that I am happy with my decision. It fits the perfect niche for me in the performance auto world – enough to sell my excellent S4.You will not find too many of the masses purchasing the 135i as the officially released price plus options places this car well about the practical financial range of most who were initally looking to purchase after the press release.So rest assured that there won’t be any Honda Civic customers encroaching on your elite BMW status In fact, most of the 135i owners will have considered both cars (and could afford both) – but went with the 135i because of the specific niche it fills for them – which the 335 may not.

There you have it – your idiodic post concerned me enough to spend this time on my flight to respond.You must have purcahsed your 335 for specific reasons? Did those all go away when the 135 came out? Of course not – go enjoy your car and don’t worry about it. You sir – are an idiot!

Hi Manimal –
I actually live in the US as well, but had to make (admittedly a bit OTT) a comment about that original poster. I do agree that you don’t run into much of that kind of ignorance in person here (thankfully).

To your point – I wasn’t really happy with the S4′s stock suspension either – so I actually put on a set of sport springs which made enough of an improvement for me. I don’t race on a track (my daily driver at least) so that was enough of a sporty improvement.

In terms of BMW vs Audi – if your comparing stock suspensions I would definitely choose the BMW’s as it seems to be more sorted from both a comfort and sporty perspecive. It is a good comprimise- although I already have my eyes on a set of coil-overs for the 135 ;).

Hope that helps and thanks for the good wishes – it’s exciting to be one day from my 135 !

I GOT MY KIDS A 335i. I DRIVE AN SLK, AND I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT UNTIL MY KIDS BROUGHT THE 335 TO MY ATTENTION, I TOUGHT THE SLK WAS A GOOD LOOKING CAR. TODAY, MY OPINION IS THAT THE 335i IS THE BEST LOOKING COUPE AROUND, AND IT SEEMS TO BE THE STANDARD TRANSPORTATION FOR BH HIGH KIDS. I AM THINKING OF GETTING ONE MYSELF. HONESTLY, I DONT THINK THE 135 EVEN COMES CLOSE TO THE 335, NEITHER DOES THE 335 CONVERTIBLE.
DAVID ABRAHAM

Other than being somewhat quicker, I don’t see the appeal of the 135. The 335 looks lower, wider, meaner and sleeker and has more room inside to boot. The price difference isn’t huge and the performance difference isn’t either for practical everyday usage.

to all you poor souls that think a BMW 328/335 Coupe is some status symbol, HA<……. HAHAHAAH…….. hAHAHAHAHAAH

a status symbol is something that few people can afford, how many 3 series BMW’s are sold in the USA? 80,000 ????
status my ass… more like a entry level around the town beater…

Now if any of you want status, might suggest getting a 6 series or 7 series BMW, or you might as well go for a Mercedes SL/CL/S class…… there, you will be surrounded by status then………

well the 135i has the advantage of being lighter than the 335i but there is no doubt that the 335 has that sporty aggressive look and that double exhaust system roar we all love…and not to forget the 335i has a better rear end styling. Id say the 335i is for the younger mans crowd and the 135i for the younger female/hairdressers crowd…but the 135i is a good idea! just don’t compare it with the 335i

So how can i compare these two…as an employee of BMW canada i have driven both the 335 and 135 upon their arrival to the streets of Vancouver and i will have to say that the 135 with the 6 speed, M short shifter is an amazing little car! what i did find when really driving hard was it handles better than the 335 thru turns due to weight and the wheel base. however as soon as applied the power it was almost like the car was to light and small to make full use of the twin turbo power. dont get me wrong it was great but i feel like a 135 should have an Xi option which would better accomodate the high power in a smaller car. reason i say this is beacause the a 335xi coupe is a way better use of the same engine compared to its rear wheel drive option. from driving both rear wheel drive 135 and 335 wheen the turbo power theres so much sudden power hitting the rear tires that they want to spin. of course the bmw traction control doesnt let you and in turn that grip and acceleration you;re looking for is dampened. you can fix this experience in a 335 but it wouldnt be as good if a 135 had all four powering this little pocket rocket. i’ve driven every M model BMW makes. the new V8 m3 is the best wothout comparison.BUT! M5, M6, and 760 drievn them and i was slightly let down i would rather have a tricked out 1 or 3 coupe!

WHAT!!! 6.99%!!!! Thats complete shit i JUST got my 335 (that i ordered) so its an 09 stickshift with a few options and i got the 1.9%.
Srry man

Some thoughts on the 1- and 3-series Steptronic:

http://iamthecarczar.blogspot.com/2009/01/fixing-bmws-silly-steptronic.html

performance lover definitely choose 135i simply because better power-to-weight ratio. styling is a mixed bag, not elegant, buat more like toys.
but everyday user might choose 335i, because heavier means more comfort, and the styling more elegant, not like kiddo-thing.

My father has a 135i M Sport and I have to say it is superb. In the flesh is looks really muscular and I love the fact it has some real M car substance to it (6 pot brakes, electronic diff and special front bumper (sans fog lights) and rear spoiler). If BMW had decided to call it the M1, i think it would do the badging proud.

He has previously had an E46 M3 coupe and a 335d M Sport coupe, both very rapid cars and out of all of them he says the 135 is the best to drive and the quickest. He has also driven a new M3 coupe very hard and whilst the M3 is quicker, for the price difference there is not so much to choose between them