2022 Subaru BRZ vs 2012 BMW 128i - Head to Head Review! 

This generation base car, either the 128i or 328i, is absolutely a well refined enthusiast car. It all comes down to that BMW straight 6 and hydraulic steering rack. Delicious.

I have a very modded e92 328i with substantial weight loss (over 300lbs) which I daily and track. Recently I had the chance to drive my buddies 128i with similar mods on track and I was blown away. It’s like a whole different animal, and in the best way. Such a fun platform and it’s in the classic bmw formula, small quirky coupe that handles very playfully. Love the 1 series!

I had a 2011 128i M-Sport and it was a great car! It NEEDS an LSD though I absolutely hated coming from a limited slip to the open, makes the car much more unpredictable.

Owning a highly modified 128i I think you covered all the important points and potential of the platform. Just wish more people knew about it so aftermarket parts could be cheaper

I did the rear end on one of these e82s myself. Definitely should have waited for the owner to put an LSD and solid subframe bushings in. They solve A LOT of the traction problems these cars have. If the owner is planning to do this work DIY by chance, please pass along to him that he's gonna need a good shop press (at least 10 tons, but a 20 ton would be nicer) & a bushing install/removal kit (I used an eBay one) The LSD is straight forward if he buys a drop-in pumpkin, which I did. Dropping the whole subframe, he's gonna need a hydraulic table cart (I used one from Harbor Freight) with some wood blocks to level it, and the handbrake cable needs to be undone from the interior of the car. Everything else should be child's play. He can do it in a weekend! It will certainly help to do the other bushings too, like diff & control arm ones, and the sway bars, while subframe is lowered. Best of luck to him & his track journey!

I daily my 128i with similar mods but with added 3 stage intake manifold and E85 flex fuel kit. Pushing about 300 at the crank. These cars are so slept on because everyone wants the N54/55 in the 35i’s.

Really great review, the detailed comparisons were excellent - keep up the quality content Zygrene

Answering the questions we all have. Nice review.

Good stuff, great video! I love my 128i, a good alignment, Koni Sports and Eibach dampers, and decent tires went a long way. Then, adding a Wavetrac rear diff was life-changing.

Great review! I love modding and driving my 128i.

I've had many variants of the BMW straight six, and I gotta say, they're all great!! 👍👍

I have a 130i hatch with all the mods this 128i has and a few more including Quaife LSD. I'm also at 280hp. What a car. I absolutely adore it. The handling is amazing. Stock weight is 1380kg which is just under 3100lbs. I've had many cars but few tick so many boxes for me.

Thank you for your review and information 👍 Please make more videos compared to the BRZ.

good video of comparable cars. found a picture of the curb weight of my old 2013 128i msport (stock) = 3032lbs

I love the 128 even though I own the BRZ these still turn my head. Awesome comparison.

Great comparo. Seems like the 128i is building in track car popularity, very interesting/tempting...

Precise review, thanks 👍

I have a modified manual 135i in Germany. I really like the smaller sports coupes like the Alpine A110 & the styling of the brz is great. The 135i is very addicting to drive & does 280kmh on the autobahn, and has been on the nürburgring. Too many people nowadays drive stupid SUVs & trucks!

I’ve got a 135i with all poly and spherical bushings and an LSD. It’s a weapon. Came from a 128i, s2000, and others. 135 is a great mix for me as a daily

Great comparison

I own a 2011 135i with a 3.46 LSD and a DCT xhp stage 3 transmission tune, dinan exhaust and oil cooler with upgraded stay bars, a diff brace and dinan camber plates, it's as fun as my 2013 r35 GTR on the canyon roads. Getting sideways is also breezy with the wheelbase being between the e85 z4 (too snappy) and the e92 m3 (too easy) it's a great balance of capable and fun. My only mods left to do on it are an angle kit, a hydrobrake and some weight reduction. Later on I may do a widebody 1m clone as a final mod. The best thing you can do for a 1 series unless you plan on dragging it is suspension focused on stopping understeer, LSD with a higher gear ratio and a diff brace (stops wheel hop), and if you have the DCT transmission tune it with xhp. You will be amazing at how much powerful and capable a 1 series is with just a higher gear ratio diff and less bodyroll and understeer from suspension mods. Just as an FYI the 135 is the only (us market) 1 series with a hydraulic rack and pinion steering, the 128i has electric steering.

The 128 is a hidden gem in the BMW world. It needs a few mods to be great but it's a really great sub $20k (well built) 2+2. With an LSD, camber, and some other bolt on's, it's a hoot. Wheelbase is shorter than an E36 and that gives it character. 128 > 135 IMO. My 128 weighed in at 3100lb with a full interior, btw. (slicktop, manual seats, etc)

I'm about to buy a 128i now💯

I'd bleep out the bit about the exhaust setup on that 128i... just for the owners sake. The video itself is great! Have had this discussion about cars under 20k, sub 3400lbs, rwd and equipped with a manual. The list is short these days to say the least! The 128i is an amazing entry level car but remember that its still a BMW that will have BMW issues!

No offense, but the 128i is kind of a secret. Those that know really know. It's a much better car than a BRZ. The engine alone is worth paying more for. But the fact that you can get these for $10k and they are much better daily drivers is just icing on the cake. Don't forget 3 stage intake manifold, a tune, sport seats, and headers.

You should definitely drive a first gen IS300. If you enjoy the classic BMW formula, you'd LOVE the way Toyota did it! I slide mine a lot and have been dailying it through winter for 3 years, and I gotta say I prefer it to most E46s I've driven. And it came stock with a Torsen LSD, so it only needs a couple bolt-ons to feel perfect. If I wasn't all the way up north I'd throw you the keys in a heartbeat and see what you can do with it. I've been posting some sliding practice on my channel if that's your thing!

Zygrene, just subbed. Your video popped up and I'm like damn, this guy looks familiar, but older. I also noticed your comments and reviews were that of someone who is a seasoned driver, past the gimmicks and spec sheet nonsense that kids at car events and you tube flash around. Turns out I used to watch your videos YEARS ago. Welcome back man! P.S - Try the Perrin steering lockdown kit for your BRZ. Super cheap and really removes the slack. As far as pure modern driver focused cars in the market, I think the three best are the Miata RF, Twins and Boxster/Cayman GTS 4.0. With slight mods like Koni yellows etc, the Miata is easily the best handler and most fun, but also most compromised. Twins are the Goldilocks for most. I think an evolutionary update to the Twins which is coming soon like a Performance Pack or TS edition etc will make them perfect.

I have a modded 135i and I love it. My first mod was an lsd 😂

All the mods plus a limited slip diff. I am not even finished yet. Euro spec, standard 3 stage intake manifold, no charcoal filter. Complete exhaust back to front, all the arms upgraded to M3 and a KW v3 coilover.

i have always felt like 128i is alot like slightly refreshed e46 330i, similar power plant, similar weight, similar balance and handling dynamics.

1 series gang 👌👌

Damn that BMW sound is amazing. E46 M3 sound and i love it.

Lighter weight I6 V feather weight 4 cylinder. It’s difficult, but I’d say the 128i wins for its power and fun aspect.

Great great platform, it weights a bit less than a E46 330Ci and does not have the usual E46 issues (Rear chassis mounts, M54 oil consumption,oil pump nut etc). E87's main defect in my opinion is the lack of aesthetic appeal, in particularly if we compare it to the older E46 and 36s. It's not "ugly" by any means, but the roof line looks a bit out of proportions and the front end with those rounded headlights are not that great.

Worth noting that the 128i "only" weighs around 3150lbs stock, without driver, with a full tank of gas. BMW adds 153lbs for the driver for its published curb weights.

Wish I could give you my 135i for a spin, but we’re on opposite sides of the world. I appreciate this review though as I previously owned an original BRZ before my Beemer. I could talk at length about the differences but, for me, the Beemer’s standout advantage is that it’s better equipped to serve as a daily, for those who can only own one car.

I have an m140i, love it. Would definitely take the BMW

I own a every bolt on there is 135i track car, a stock 128i and a 2019 trd 86. Can confirm the 86 is a ton of fun and a great mountain back road car but on track I have more fun in the 135i the hp is addicting and I don't have to deal with point by and floor it pricks on track...

Twins need a tune to fix the throttle mapping. Going back to OEM tune during setup changes always makes that glaringly obvious.

I've got a 2012 128i with the Sport (not M-Sport) Package. 😊

Loved this comparison. I've said once before, but would LOVE to see a comparison of your BRZ to an older Z3 Coupe (3.0 non-M w/ 225hp, 214lb-ft and LSD) or S52 M coupe - they are very similar on paper, but obviously quite different in some character... you'd have that lower center of gravity feel combined with the silky, linear straight-six torque... but also a more fundamentally old-school semi-trailing arm rear suspension. Would love to hear your thoughts if you get that chance... I own a 3.0 coupe and am very curious about the new BRZ/GR86.

I have a 12’ M/T 128i and just bought my first performance mod(AFE Stage 2 intake). What is another mod I can do? I’m leaning towards a tune..what is the best tune to get with my AFE intake?

Just sold my 135i. Obviously a different engine setup, but I'm surprised you thought it stacked up to the new BRZ. My stock example definitely suffered from severe understeer and the open diff made it harder to enjoy than an LSD car. I do agree that it ticks a lot of boxes for the money, and I think you drive it 7/10ths or under, it's a good choice. Depends on what you're looking for at the end of the day, but pretty interesting to see someone doing this comparison.

As a N52 owner that exhaust setup is too raspy need to change that😂

these cars started at just under $30k when they came out in 2008 😳 inflation equivalent in the 14 years since is $40.5k wow

I'd definitely have to go with a 128i. The BRZ just lacks power. The 135i’s have almost too much power for me lol. I get caught off guard everytime I step on it which I rarely even do because I can't afford another ticket lol. 0-60 in 4.7 is pretty impressive for a car under $20k. I've had both. The 135i is a lot more expensive and less reliable but it is better. The 128i is a better value for sure. The 128i certainly isn't slow either, it's super light so you're getting to 60 in a solid 5.7 seconds.

Isn't that the cutest little BMW you've ever heard?

This road looks familiar

Pls do 2 series 228i

the question is can the bra keep up with the 128i

I’d take the BMW any day!

BMW M2 is the one to get.

How bout modded lsd with os giken clutch

I would offer my 135i to review but my turbos are clapped got a single turbo kit coming in

It’s funny how you call this car the base model while in europe we start with the 116i with 100 and something hp hahah

The electric steering on the brz feels better than any hydraulic steering I've ever felt.

Looks like Mines road.

Had more fun driving my kids 128 and my srt8… now I own 4 bmws!

So odd to do mods to a 128 and skip the the 3-stage manifold and euro-airbox, that and a tune you are getting close to 270hp and a very raw top end, and you will not even consider a four-cyl engine car...

exhaust on 128 is not for me lol

Pulls out in the BMW spins right through first gear because you just pulled out of the mud buddy😂😂😂

My experience with those 1 series's is it's a small car with a pretty heavy pig of a chassis. They seem appealing but don't really deliver imo. The brz/86 is a much better platform for driving

Mmmmmm

that's a rough opening to the video. terrible exhaust.

Anything car name that ends in 28i is complete garbage imo. If it’s not an M then don’t waste your money