2008 BMW 1 Series Consumer Reviews

Of driving

Written by: 162WST on 11/30/2008

Vehicle

2008 BMW 1 Series 128i 2dr Coupe (3.0L 6cyl 6M)

Review

50/50 distribution, rock solid chassis, sweet six. I love the looks of this car. One of the few 2 door rear drive coupes. Good package for the money. Some understeer at lower speed. Great to tailwhip in the rain! Transmission could be smoother. Sports pack is nice.

Favorite Features

Getting in to a curve and feeling it just glide through, without any distortion. Any.

Suggested Improvements

Back seats barely usable. xDrive.

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A great car

Written by: aletodo on 11/30/2008

Vehicle

2008 BMW 1 Series 135i 2dr Coupe (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 6M)

Review

If you love driving this is the car you need to get. Fast, no turbo lag, unbelievable road feel when cornering, great brakes. The controls are intuitive, bluetooth works fine. Test drove an automatic however bought a manual (even without trying it) which I think is far superior. If you live in a cold climate and you are getting the Sports package have in mind that you'll need winter tire/wheel combo - around $2500, this is if you go for the only BMW approved winter tire option.

Favorite Features

Power, road feel, cornering, engine sound, controls; initially thought it was ugly, especially the rear, but by now it has grown on me tremendously

Suggested Improvements

It is expensive, may be for a reason, but still, gas mileage is not great, certainly can live with it

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Year One of the 1

Written by: pstevenson32 on 11/21/2008

Vehicle

2008 BMW 1 Series 128i 2dr Convertible (3.0L 6cyl 6M)

Review

I love my 128. It is great fun to drive. It has more than enough power for a casual driver such as me. With its 6-speed transmission, it generally gets around 24-26 mpg in the city. I have always liked the looks of BMW. Now I get the look at a fairly decent price. The 128 is a luxury car without many frills. The interior has been pared of luxury to make space for roominess. Well for the people in front, anyway. It's still pretty much a 2-seater. Oddly, for a BMW, the interior is without many standards items I have grown used to over the years. Example: The 128 is curiously without a functional cupholder. The only working cupholder is directly behind the shifter. I still love it.

Favorite Features

I live and drive this car in Germany, where I get passed on the Autobahn by SMART-car-sized cars doing 85. It holds its own here.

Suggested Improvements

Functional cupholders for pete's sake. (That is a pretty small thing to gripe about, tho'.)

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Autobahn rocket

Written by: Bogdan on 11/12/2008

Vehicle

2008 BMW 1 Series 135i 2dr Coupe (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 6M)

Review

This is the BMW the way it suppose to be! I have been in Germany since 2006 and I drove tons of different vehicles on the autobahn, but this baby is a rocket!!! Took it to 220-230 km/h on the autobahn and it was solid planted on the road. I have the Sport Package with the Z-rated tires and that helps a lot. Love the sound of the engine, great rev crescendo, no turbo lag, corners amazing on European twisted roads! Overall, a better "driver car" oriented vehicle compared to the 3 series which seems heavy after driving the 1 series.

Favorite Features

Engine, Bluetooth capability, BMW Assist, M-style paddle shifters, very good gas mileage around 22 mpg combined on the freeway with aggressive driving.

Suggested Improvements

Cup holders, need a recessing one for the passenger.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Superb coupe in the best BMW tradition

Written by: lfbmdpc on 10/22/2008

Vehicle

2008 BMW 1 Series 135i 2dr Coupe (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 6M)

Review

What a lovely and potent little coupe. A true driver's car, taut, precise, nimble and all those other accolades one can conjure for a superlative German performance car. The car corners like it was on rails with no discernible body roll. Absolutely NO turbo lag anywhere on the power curve which is nothing short of a miracle. I have found nothing to dislike about this car whatsoever after 1700 miles. Of course the mileage is mediocre at best (16.5 city, 22-25 highway) but I knew that going in. Fit and finish are superb and the cockpit is both comfy & functional as a true Germanic driving machine should be. Instruments are well placed and easy to use. No iDrive = no complaints. A superb car.

Favorite Features

Zero turbo lag, power on tap from the bottom to the top of the RPM spectrum. Great clutch, very responsive brakes and the perfect sport suspension for this rocket. I find the body very appealing although I understand others may not. Never liked red, but the sedona red is very subtle and attractive.

Suggested Improvements

A magic wand to make it get 30 mpg city.

6 out 6 people found this review helpful

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Fun, fun, fun 2nd car to drive

Written by: LB on 09/26/2008

Vehicle

2008 BMW 1 Series 135i 2dr Convertible (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 6M)

Review

I have had this car for over a month now and I am having so much fun with it. I have a big SUV to haul my 4 kids around so when I climb into my 135 convertible, it's a pleasure to drive. Recently, I had something in one of my tires and the lights came on to alert me. I took it in to BMW service dept. and sure enough I had a nail in the tire. Not cheap tires to replace though! I have the sport package and it has run-flat tires on it. Where ever I go, I get people coming up and asking me about this car.

Favorite Features

M steering wheel, shifting is so easy and fun, great stereo, love the iPod adapter, Bluetooth is very easy to hear even with the top down.

Suggested Improvements

More comfortable front seats.

6 out 10 people found this review helpful

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Great motor, awful car.

Written by: EODguy on 09/06/2008

Vehicle

2008 BMW 1 Series 135i 2dr Coupe (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 6M)

Review

Just got done driving 4000 miles across country. All I can say is that I'm very disappointed. Engine is fantastic, and the suspension is good, if not a touch soft. Fuel economy is decent, and pretty much what I expected. The seats are pretty comfortable and supportive on long trips, though not the best I've been in. What I didn't expect is the car surrounding this great motor to be such a piece of junk. It rattles over every pebble, the passenger side window no longer works, and the "premium" speakers are defective and emit nothing but static when playing high notes. Overall, not worth $40,000. And the last BMW I ever buy.

Favorite Features

Engine, headlights, seats.

Suggested Improvements

Fit and finish.

34 out 46 people found this review helpful

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Fun but problemmatic

Written by: josko on 09/02/2008

Vehicle

2008 BMW 1 Series 135i 2dr Coupe (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 6M)

Review

I've owned a 135i for 4 months now. It's fun to drive, but suffers from multiple problems/issues: Throttle response is poor for a car advertised as having no turbo lag. My wife drives a Saab 9.5 which has a better throttle response, especially at low RPM. Dealer tells me performance is 'within spec'. I can't see the radio with polarized glasses on. Radio seems to shut down intermittently, usually right after power-up. Dealer diagnosed a faulty fuel pump, and I'm on a waiting list for a replacement. Apparently they're on backorder??? Run-flat tires are a disappointment. Overall, the car handles and accelerates well, but is a disappointment compared to the E36 M3 I drove before the 135

Favorite Features

Compact rear-wheel car with nice balance.

Suggested Improvements

Not seeing radio with glasses, throttle response, fuel pump issues in spirited driving, run-flat tires.

17 out 20 people found this review helpful

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Nice but Can Use a Few Improvements

Written by: Max on 08/26/2008

Vehicle

2008 BMW 1 Series 128i 2dr Coupe (3.0L 6cyl 6M)

Review

It's fun to drive and has a good amount of power for the size of the car. Overall it's a decent car. A few initial complaints would be the passenger seat is a little uncomfortable when the cupholder is installed (although it is removable), the standard stereo is mediocre (speakers rattle at times and changing stations is not intuitive), the second cupholder can only be used when the armrest is in the up position (unless you use it for a really short cup), and the iDrive needs improvement. If these complaints seem trivial, it's because they are. Overall the car is a great little car that most people would enjoy.

Favorite Features

Performance and overall driving experience. The optional folding side mirrors come in handy when pulling in and out of tight spaces.

Suggested Improvements

Better standard stereo, better cupholders, make the ash tray optional, and improve on the iDrive.

3 out 10 people found this review helpful

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Glad I bought it

Written by: Happy Camper on 08/01/2008

Vehicle

2008 BMW 1 Series 128i 2dr Convertible (3.0L 6cyl 6M)

Review

My Z4 lease was up and after research on edmunds, I decided to test this car. I liked the seats, soft top and price better than the 3 series. I am enjoying the additional room this car offers, the better ride and the performance. The 4/50k service is a real plus. I really love this car.

Favorite Features

I like the seats, paddle shifters and overall ride.

Suggested Improvements

The expense and availability of the run flats is a real problem for BMW in general.

7 out 25 people found this review helpful

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