I got a 335i loaner today - My review

[Yes2m3cs]

Well even though my 135i is stuck at the dealer, in its absence I have a sweet 335i sedan loaner. Originally I was going to buy a new 335i sedan but once I got word of the 135i coming, I was hooked on the 1 series.

After driving it around a bit tonight, I am very happy that I went with the 135. My car is stick and the 335 auto so it's not really a 100% fair comparison.

The 335i is very plush and quiet and feels huge compared to my ride. The window controls are positioned much better in the 335 but the no cupholders in the center console drove me nuts. The automatic is pretty nice especially in DS mode but the six speed stick is still waaaay better when it comes to the complete driving experience.

The dashboard seems to go on for miles on the e90. The one series feels more like you are sitting in a cockpit

Dont get me wrong, I am not bashing the 335i sedan - it is still a great car but I know I made the right decision by going with the 135i.

Anyone else on the board feel the same about the two cars.

Reeves BMW in tampa treated me like a king and Im very happy they gave me the 335i to drive until my baby is fixed..


Thanks

Brian

[Bimmer Al]

Originally Posted by xG35guy

Well even though my 135i is stuck at the dealer, in its absence I have a sweet 335i sedan loaner. Originally I was going to buy a new 335i sedan but once I got word of the 135i coming, I was hooked on the 1 series.

After driving it around a bit tonight, I am very happy that I went with the 135. My car is stick and the 335 auto so it's not really a 100% fair comparison.

The 335i is very plush and quiet and feels huge compared to my ride. The window controls are positioned much better in the 335 but the no cupholders in the center console drove me nuts. The automatic is pretty nice especially in DS mode but the six speed stick is still waaaay better when it comes to the complete driving experience.

The dashboard seems to go on for miles on the e90. The one series feels more like you are sitting in a cockpit

Dont get me wrong, I am not bashing the 335i sedan - it is still a great car but I know I made the right decision by going with the 135i.

Anyone else on the board feel the same about the two cars.

Reeves BMW in tampa treated me like a king and Im very happy they gave me the 335i to drive until my baby is fixed..


Thanks

Brian

I would have to agree on a couple of points. Had an E46 now an E90. Cannot imagine the 3 series getting bigger. They should keep it the same size. The 1er gives me more of a driver cockpit feel. I love my E90 but the dash reminds me of the old 70's american cars that had that one long straight dash. Would much prefer a 1er type of dash in the E90.

[1013mm]

i totally agree with you being that I have a 135 and a 325

[ad78]

i got the same feeling when they give me a 335 loaner and only 400 miles on it. i got bored, but dont get me wrong the interior is really nice. i love the automated assist for the the seatbelt the light on the door panel. i like our 1er because it is nimble and fast.

[rori zahr]

I drove a 335 coupe and the only thing I didn't like about it was the flatness of the dashboard. as you say, it seems to go for miles and lacks the cockpit feeling typical of a BMW

[ptack]

I just had a loaner 328i for a 2 days and boy did I miss my 1. First, the 328i had just the old, narrow steering wheel so right away I felt like I was driving Grandma's car. Even though this was still a relatively new car, even my son noted that it wasn't that nice. In fact, the 328i seemed downright dull (and I had a 318i for 10 years so I wasn't expecting an M3). The IS 250 Lexus had loaned me when servicing my wife's car was much nicer. As far as driving, fogettaboutit. The only feature that impressed me at all was the new idrive. The old one was justly reviled, but I was able to do basic things with this one pretty intuitively. What I also liked though, was that I could also ignore it for certain basic functions such as toggling between AM and FM. It was only 2 days worth of driving, but in the end I didn't find it much better than a Camry I had rented a month ago. Makes me appreciate my 1 all the more.

[radiantm3]

You are pretty much on the money. I have a 335i sedan (auto) and 135i manual and feel pretty much the same way. The 135i is much more "raw" feeling. But if the family is going to go on a long road trip, I'll take the 335i for it's comfort. It's still a lot of fun to drive. Strangely enough the 335i feels so much more stable when cornering hard or driving on the freeway. I just have more confidence in that car for some reason.

[Yes2m3cs]

No Doubt I would much rather have the 335 for a long road trip anytime. I hope to be getting my 135 back tonight so I can see how it feels after driving the 335.

Brian

[135iUSN]

agree just drove '09 328 - for overnight 135 sleep over while the dealer, as they looked at my nav sys. (all is ok sort of my error - shh - but they vacuumed the car out)

standard seats YUK - steering wheel YUK - tires were loud for only having 3k on them.

iDrive, like mine with the new version, but didn't like how it sat back in the dash and the position.

NOW, I did love the bass of the standard sound system, felt a bit more full than the standard system in the 135, plus they have a 4in in the door mid point - that might help.. wait I think we do too...

and loved the way the head lights looked at night (high beam) created this dome effect while driving - like you were in a tunnel and I think it its because of the 'eye lids' on the 328.

AND I would rather have my ipod in the console like the 3 vs in that dang cheap 'leather' pouch under the arm rest...

Other than that - really missed my 1 if only for 1 night...

[x97Melbourne]

i also had a 335iA loaner (maybe you saw my post 2 months ago). its a really nice car and more of a cruiser than the little 1 series. but i got very bored with the automatic. that engine is too nimble to have a dumb computer choose the gears. i did like the car and was greatful for such a fun loaner, but I was glad to have my 135i's 3rd petal back

[Robert]

Should check out the general bmw forum. A new M1 is on the way.

[Speed Cat]

I love to dash in the 135.. One of the biggest reasons why i said no to the 335i HATE the dash..

[Yes2m3cs]

Well I got my 135 back last night and I am 1000% sure that I made the right decision going with 135 over 335. I guess I will have to drive a 335i coupe sometime with a stick and compare the two.

I LOVE my car

Anyone on the fence about stick and automatic....get the stick is possible..What a difference

Brian

[imported_mega]

but but, the 3's have better dash material ROTFL

[sparoz]

Originally Posted by Robert

Should check out the general bmw forum. A new M1 is on the way.

ehrrm... it's a 1 series M. The M1 name is reserved .

[penny]

Had a 335i for a day. Yes, the dashboard material is a soft firm material. 135i is hard plastic. This is probably why we hear a bit of interior cracking noise.

[macmook]

Same here (to the original post). Early this week my 135i was in the shop for the portable nav system and Sirius. While it was there I had a 335xic as a loaner. Please note: I am expressing a preference NOT indicting the 335.

Previous to the 135i I've owned a 328xi, an e46 M3 cabrio, a Z3 and 2 2002s.

After tooling around for 5,000 miles in the 135i - the 335 felt ginormous by comparison. The 335 also felt heavy and a bit flat (yes I realize the weight difference is less than one would think and the xi vs. rear wheel is significant). Additionally and unfairly for the comparison, my 135 is a 6M where the 335 was an auto with paddles.

For me, the 135 is more responsive and has more seat-of-the-pants feedback. It is a much livelier drive. The 135 is more reminiscent of the 2002 driving experience (with better seats). Certainly a busier, more involving drive. For me the "part of the machine" tagline fits the 135 better.

The 335 is much more buttoned down, which in my case is not desirable.

Note: I am 5'6" tall so I physically fit the 135 to a "T". I admit if I was 6' plus I may have felt differently. Also I'm 58. As I said to my wife when I bought the 135 - I'm not sure how many more sports cars I've got left in me. (hopefully someone will get around to making a geriatric sports power chair)

Is this subjective? Absolutely, you bet.

A couple of years ago I did have the pleasure of spending a day in a 335 down in Spartanburg. At that time I do remember thinking how responsive the 335 felt. But now I've been reminded of how much fun a smaller, tighter (and rougher) drive can be.

No need to send flames. I'm pretty much asbestos clad...

[e82vette]

i came from e90 sedan....was planning to get e92, but after test drove my 128...
I knew 128i would be more fun to drive....
just didnt like the same interior of e92 to the e90.......

[MOCKBA]

Interesting, you bought 135 without trying 335? Awesome. You just liked the car specification. I came to 135 in otherhard way. I tried many cars including Audi, Volvo, Lexus, Infiniti and BMW, until I sat in 135 and understood, yeaah, it is the right car.

[cagekicker]

i have to agree that i made the right choice too.

[runNgun]

OP, sorry I'm not trying to hijack your thread, but I think Macmook is only the second 135 owner I've seen here that had a 2002. So Macmook, in terms of driving experience is there enough similarities/thrills for BMW to justify the spirit of the 2002 marketing hype?

[macmook]

Well, visually - apart from size, there are several other sight cues. The wheels are out at the corners (even more so than other BMW sedans/coupes).

It certainly doesn't feel as light, nor with all the torque do you have to row the gears as much. And (I HOPE) in the winter I might not have to throw a couple of sandbags in the trunk to get any traction at all.

The 2002 was spartan - truly a driver's machine. You didn't buy one to drive to church on Sunday. You climbed in strapped it on and away you went.

The 2002 had great driver's visibility - as you drove you became connected to the road and the mechanics of driving. To be trite - it was all about the journey and less about the destination. It was always slightly disappointing to arrive and have to shut down and climb out. Even a a bit disorienting.

The 135 drives differently, even without all the geegaws it's a complex cockpit (in comparison). I have sports seats and my sorry old a$$ is grateful for them.

Having said all that I find the sense of excitement has returned. I climb in and I want an adventure, not a commute. It's size is reminiscent of the 02s and the seat of the pants feel is there too.

It's a very subjective comparison and quite bold of BMW to make. Maybe they think most of us old farts have retired to the 7 series. In spirit I would have to agree - the 135 brings a smile to my face, even running out for milk. Looking for excuses to take a spin are absolutely in line with the 2002.

I realize that this is short on tangibles. No, I doubt that in the 135 I could replace the thermostat with plumbing fittings as I did in an emergency in Vermont in a 02. Nor will I be likely to lift out the engine, strip it down myself, have it rebuilt by varying garages and reassemble it - all in less than a month (forgetting to insert the aluminum plugs in the oiling shafts too).

I can't say I've felt the same intangible relationship in a Nissan or a Toyota (or even an Audi). Sure, they were fun to drive, but missing the soul.

So to come full circle, the spirit of the 2002 is very likely somewhere in the 1 series. The only thing missing is my youth.