BMW 128ti

Bill Turnip

Bill Turnip

Bill Turnip

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1 Oct 2020
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I'm looking at changing car and the BMW 128ti has definitely taken my eye. The unfortunate thing is thay the ones in my price range have the red sill and accents on the front.... Bleh, not for me.

Moving on from a Civic with pretty much all of the mod cons, and looking to get something that is still practical, but has a bit of life to it as well. Tend to do around 20k miles a year, and hope that

Looking to take one for a test drive next week, is there anything I need to particularly be aware of, or any real plus points to look forward to? Or even any alternative cars to suggest in the 25k-30k range? Low mileage is key for me as we cover a decent amount of miles each year, and I'm hoping for this car to last around 5 years.
 
Bill Turnip said:
The unfortunate thing is thay the ones in my price range have the red sill and accents on the front
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This is part of the design of the 128 though. It's how they look. Its there to highlight it against the normal 1 Series.

The obvious alternative to consider is the M135i - same engine, more power, but 4 wheel drive instead of front wheel drive. If you're spending as much as £30k you might find an early higher mileage M340i or an M440i is within range, or maybe even the current generation M240i which is a much better car than the 1 Series.
 
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Armageus said:
Mini JCW would be the obvious alternative - essentially the same car in a different frock
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Thanks for the thought, problem is that wife will also use the car (probably more than me) and needs a decent size boot for work equipment. Her mum has a mini, and it just wouldn't work unfortunately.
[TW]Fox said:
The obvious alternative to consider is the M135i - same engine, more power, but 4 wheel drive instead of front wheel drive.
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From reviews it seems like the 128 was a lighter, slightly cheaper car that didn't miss much from the 135,but I will have a quick look.
radderfire said:
You may become unaware what an indicator stalk is once you drive one.
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I belive I must become totally unaware of anything other then myself if I get a Beemer.
jpaul said:
Electric wouldn't work within the daily range/mileage requirement? alfa velocee, similar size, also with with FWD front LSD, only a few kg more
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202603240974195 exclusivity.
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Electric is a no for me, not something I'm too keen on just yet. Living in deepest Cornwall doesn't lend itself to cutting edge.
 
The 128ti is supposedly the better steer than the m135i. It has unique suspension rates, anti-roll bars and other settings that are exclusive to the 128ti and most reviews at the time liked it. It has a bit of a dim-witted auto gearbox compared to the bigger RWD beemers as it's an Aisin/Toyota box rather than the highly regarded ZF8 box. have you considered a M240i? https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202602250217559 RWD with the ZF8HP gearbox, B58 Engine, one of BMW's best although that one is a bit light on spec. No H&K sound and poverty Nav screen.
 
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MissChief said:
The 128ti is supposedly the better steer than the m135i. It has unique suspension rates, anti-roll bars and other settings that are exclusive to the 128ti and most reviews at the time liked it. It has a bit of a dim-witted auto gearbox compared to the bigger RWD beemers as it's an Aisin/Toyota box rather than the highly regarded ZF8 box. have you considered a M240i? https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202602250217559 RWD with the ZF8HP gearbox, B58 Engine, one of BMW's best although that one is a bit light on spec. No H&K sound and poverty Nav screen.
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Appreciate the suggestion, but realistically getting 30mpg from that is a hard sell to the other half. Looks a good example though.
 
Bill Turnip said:
Thanks for the thought, problem is that wife will also use the car (probably more than me) and needs a decent size boot for work equipment. Her mum has a mini, and it just wouldn't work unfortunately.
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Countryman or Clubman, both are available as JCW (302hp)

Bill Turnip said:
Appreciate the suggestion, but realistically getting 30mpg from that is a hard sell to the other half. Looks a good example though.
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B48 is only going to get high 30s at best - in the higher 128ti or m135i tunes probably <35mpg anyway.
 
MissChief said:
The difference between the two will be a few £ a week at most.
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I thought it would be the difference between 30 and 40 mpg. At 20k miles a year it'd be between £80-£100 per month - not inconsiderable. It was the main reason I stopped considering a focus st.

However, if the difference is closer, then it may be doable. I appreciate claimed economy figures are generally a little ambitious, but a few reviews seem to have the 128 ti at around 38-40 in real life.

@Armageus I'm just not that much of a fan of the mini body shape/interior generally. There is a mini dealer very close to where I live so will definitely have more of a look.

Does anyone have any experience of the 128 itself? Always a concern when everyone immediately suggests other cars, have I been looking at a dog of a car?
 
Bill Turnip said:
However, if the difference is closer, then it may be doable. I appreciate claimed economy figures are generally a little ambitious, but a few reviews seem to have the 128 ti at around 38-40 in real life.
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I've got the 190bhp version of the B48 in our Countryman (which admittedly it's a slightly heavier body) and the best we've managed is 37.4mpg and that's absolutely babying it and using eco mode.

Bill Turnip said:
Does anyone have any experience of the 128 itself? Always a concern when everyone immediately suggests other cars, have I been looking at a dog of a car?
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It's not that it's a dog of a car, just it's in the curious middle ground (and this generation of 1 series loses some of the key BMW traits e.g. rear wheel drive and 6 cylinder option)

The m135i is faster or the 120i cheaper but neither are ultimately much different.
 
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