BMW M140i

[FlyingScotsman]

240s are only 3 door, so you're looking at M135/M140 for 5door option and more practicability - pretty much the main reason I went with the 1 over 2 series.

Erm... I would still have my car, but it got stolen a couple months ago, so nope...

would I get another... probably not tbh...

Ignoring my theft concerns getting another. As Wingman said - it's amazing in a straight line, especially with the ZF. From 20mph it's a rocketship, but I have to admit, it just didn't feel confidence building like a Golf R or fun like a MX5. It would rocket up to licence-losing speeds, but in the corners, it just felt a bit lacking - but, i guess that's the required differentiation between the M-lite cars and the "proper" M cars...

Pros - amazing engine and gearbox
likely to be the last ever rwd 6 pot hatchback - so might become a classic and depreciate less in time (but I think there's too many on the road to appreciate)
practical - an amazing all rounder of a car, kind of a jack of all, master of none...

cons - lacking LSD as standard
surprising amount of understeer for a rwd, due to a "safer" factory setup
jack of all, master of none - not poised/precise enough to be a b-road blaster, and not refined enough to be a motorway mile-muncher
it's a BMW - I'm pretty much 99% sure I'll never have a BMW again as the customer service I have received from my local garage is frankly awful. I'm sure other dealers are better, they can only be, but it's enough to kinda put me off the brand altogether.

Compared with other options, i think it's the more adult hot/hyper hatch. Not as lairy or track focused as a Cupra or Golf R, but more fun than a S3 (not tried RS3 tho). Only possible “adult” competitor is a A45, but that’s a decent £ more… If I wanted a competent b-road blaster hatchback, I think I’d be looking at a Golf R tbh.

I think I will test drive one when I am back from offshore, this week there are a couple of shadow editions in Edinburgh I looked at on Autotrader,
Sounds a bit more sensible than my RS3 it is a beast, been a great car and seriously quick, with the hybrid turbo, but have had loads of issues with it from blown pistons etc, and tbh not had that great an experience with Audi either.

Thanks for all your information gives me something to think about.

 

[FlyingScotsman]

that's why it's both a pro and con. 80-90% of the time is will be good, but it might not create the special fizz to be great.

it does what it needs to - gets from A to B well and v quickly, but it rarely made me want to take the longer way home, in the way I did in my MX5. It's fun, but doesn't necessarily thrill, if you get me.

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy owning it, and would still be if it hadn't been used as a getaway car. But, now it's gone, I don't miss it as much as I have other cars.

Got to say the RS3 does give you that special fizz, every time I get in it.
But I have to get rid, had it too long now and only use it when home from offshore, so the 140 my misses could drive as well, and get rid of her S1.

 

[Shadowness]

This isn't a loaded question.....but do the Audi RSs handle as bad on the normal roads as they do in every car review video you see online?

 

[wingman]

I bought it approved used from BMW. I've just dropped an e-mail to the guy I bought it from to see if he can tell me the original price.

Just to follow up with this, the dealership has already got back to me on this! It was £39k brand new.

I specified the car up today on here to £41k, there must've been a hike in the initial car price in 2018.

 

[tamzzy]

@wingman that's the sticker price.
BMW are well known for offering hefty discounts on their vehicles.
M140i regularly have £8-10k worth of discounts. Currently it's £10500-ish off the list price.

M4 is a £15.5k off a £70.5k list price.

It's like BMW prices their cars knowing that they'll give a 15-20% discount.
Only mugs pay full price for a bimmer lol

 

[Raymond Lin]

Just to follow up with this, the dealership has already got back to me on this! It was £39k brand new.

I specified the car up today on here to £41k, there must've been a hike in the initial car price in 2018.

A girl a work got one last month (19 plate) and it’s £36k, I did a search myself i think i found one on Carwow for about £34k.

 

[ShivP]

Go to trldeals on baby bmw. He offers the best discounts on m140 at the minute.

 

[wingman]

@wingman that's the sticker price.
BMW are well known for offering hefty discounts on their vehicles.
M140i regularly have £8-10k worth of discounts. Currently it's £10500-ish off the list price.

M4 is a £15.5k off a £70.5k list price.

It's like BMW prices their cars knowing that they'll give a 15-20% discount.
Only mugs pay full price for a bimmer lol

Isn't sticker price what the DVLA use to calculate VED though?

Yeah the discounts were insane from BMW, I imagine this was a £30k car. I saved £4k by going used and buying a year old, but I've no doubt incurred another £4k throughout this year and more.

 

[tamzzy]

Isn't sticker price what the DVLA use to calculate VED though?

Yes. But as I said, there's always hefty discounts on BMW (read: overpriced), so no one should ever pay sticker price.
For example the m140i already were having 8k discounts off list for the last 18-24months, and at one point had PCP deal with 1.9% apr if I recall correctly.

So if one bought the car at 1 year old for £35k. One would've paid £4k-ish more than if they'd just bought the car new on PCP.

 

[Havana_UK]

Yes, DVLA are only interested in the list price of the car with any options (not the OTR price though, which includes things like delivery, VED, etc.). What you actually buy the car for has zero bearing on the VED banding.

When I bought my M135i in April 2015 I paid £32k all in, list at the time was around £38k I think.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Its sticker price on purchase.
Its possible in some cases on very close (to the £40k limit) vehicles that if some options are also dealer fit they will have held them back, and done them after registration.

 

[FlyingScotsman]

This isn't a loaded question.....but do the Audi RSs handle as bad on the normal roads as they do in every car review video you see online?

They are not so clever stock, but a couple of 034 anti-roll bars and bilstein b16 coilovers make it more planted.

 

[Daaaavvveee]

Yes. But as I said, there's always hefty discounts on BMW (read: overpriced), so no one should ever pay sticker price.
For example the m140i already were having 8k discounts off list for the last 18-24months, and at one point had PCP deal with 1.9% apr if I recall correctly.

So if one bought the car at 1 year old for £35k. One would've paid £4k-ish more than if they'd just bought the car new on PCP.

I think I got about 10k off list price and 1.9% APR. Had to ring around the country to find a car that i wanted on that deal mind.

 

[glenimp617]

Yep, I had an M140 for a year. Think I paid £28k for it, that was brand new with a few options. Tamworth BMW, but BMW aren't giving as bigger discounts as they did in early 2017 so today it would cost more.

It's a fast car, and once it had a BCS midpipe fitted it sounded great. RWD drive, so the obvious pros and cons with that.

Undoubtedly more fun that the Audi.

 

[Nasher]

I suspect dropping some options to get the car under 40k then installing them later is pretty common practice now.

 

[FlyingScotsman]

Yep, I had an M140 for a year. Think I paid £28k for it, that was brand new with a few options. Tamworth BMW, but BMW aren't giving as bigger discounts as they did in early 2017 so today it would cost more.

It's a fast car, and once it had a BCS midpipe fitted it sounded great. RWD drive, so the obvious pros and cons with that.

Undoubtedly more fun that the Audi.

Does the 140 have launch control?

 

[tamzzy]

Yep, I had an M140 for a year. Think I paid £28k for it, that was brand new with a few options. Tamworth BMW, but BMW aren't giving as bigger discounts as they did in early 2017 so today it would cost more

Yeah the Q3 2017 deals were insane. £9k-ish off list prices and 1.9% apr interest (and before BMW increased the list prices too).

 

[Havana_UK]

Does the 140 have launch control?

As long as it's auto, yes.

 

[tamzzy]

Does the 140 have launch control?

All bimmers with sports auto transmission have launch control...I think manuals have too

 

[FlyingScotsman]

All bimmers with sports auto transmission have launch control...I think manuals have too

Cool good to know cheers.