I absolutely love the new m135i. It is quite a bit better overall than my old f20 m135i, just the way it is. I've had both, so I can objectively say that but it's a personal opinion. Particularly the interior/tech which is light years ahead on the new car. I'm not a fan of these M Performance stickers on this or those horrible front spats. I do like the spoiler and wheels. Keep up the good work Joe. I've had my f40 m135i now for nearly 9 months now and as you've said yourself, it's such a better car to live with as a daily driver overall by some margin, fact. I miss the 6 pot engine and soundtrack plus the rwd tail slip sometimes, but this new car turns in so much more sharply and gets down the road quickly when you ask it too 👍
I had a 130i new back in 2005 and the only nice thing about it was the 6 cylinder motor as everything else was pretty ordinary. This new 135i has to be a better car than that and it looks better too. I don’t quite understand the negativity from some people re the new 135i.
@Jack njones I don't think it's as quick once rolling. My m240i coupe I had after the f20 is faster again once rolling and was much more planted than the f20 but I don't know if they shared the same chassis. All I do know is the new f40 m135i off the line feels quicker, no doubt with xDrive helping (in uk we never had xDrive on the f20 but I'd have liked to have tried one) so it might just be the steering precision, all 4 wheels putting the max torque down with launch control (interestingly 50Nm extra in 1st and 2nd gear in launch control on f40!). Anyway, just the way bmw set the car up to feel that way I guess. I had my f20 135i for just over 10k miles and always had a blast most of the time but there were times I had to be cautious as the back was skittish (with my kids in for example off camber in the cold/wet as we get a lot of bad weather too in the uk) where the tcs light is telling me I was about to slide the back out at relatively normal speeds. The f40 just goes about business and still makes good progress plus changing gear at about 5.5k upwards on full bore in manual, shoves the car forward on upshift with an almost dual clutch quick shift thump, which I really like whereas the zf was smooth as silk all the time even under full acceleration which I know you could argue is not as good, but it feels more racey with the new box and crucially is just as smooth as the zf was driving normally no matter what anyone of the press say. We have the 8 speed zf box in our family x3 35d (40d x5 engine same)so I am able to compare. That x3 35d by the way used to smoke my f20 m135i and m240i off the line in the damp or cold. That x3 was 5.1 seconds to 62 so about half a second slower than the m lites but xDrive again puts the power down. Once rolling, the 135/240 left her behind in her x3 lol
@Jack njones yes saw that, no idea why bmw didn't offer xDrive on the old f20/21 model for uk but that said, I Iiked rwd (until the bad weather here in uk). My old f20 didn't have a limited slip diff which my new f40 m135i does have as standard on the fornt axle I've learned. I remember being offered a limited slip diff on the f20 and f22 but dealer fitted and very expensive! Maybe that's why the new f40 m135i turns in more sharply and maybe bmw had to do that to get the best traction moving away from rwd to fwd/xDrive👍
It seems like a different department was asked to do their own M Performance part. They never met, they never talked, and then management just glanced at it all and signed it off.
The whole car looks dope lol,bmw 1 series started ugley from mark one,never ever was good looking,spending 8k on a car for parts to make it look bling,what was the bmw designers doing lol.design a good looking car from scratch and sketch period,right now Audi is on it when it comes to exterior design,shame Bmw and mercedes.
That is the UK through and through though..... Ugly wheels, unsuitable sizes for the sheeeet road quality, massive spoilers and suspension to hit the speed bumps. No taste.
Good to see another 135i video, pretty much agree Joe about some of the ‘m performance’ accessories .... although do like the wheels 🤔. We have a 135i ourselves (misano blue), having coming out of a S3 - 135i is a far superior car - in my opinion 😬.
S Len Hi, don’t get me wrong we really liked our S3, good strong car but technology wise it was way behind the 135i. Disappointed in the way the new A3 looks too, just a personal thing I know. I feel the 135i just feels faster too, always wants to just go, although we don’t drive it crazily or anywhere near it’s limits, it just feels much faster. I think the seats are much more comfortable (we have leather ones, but believe the alcantara is just as good?), also gearbox is sooooo much better, lag in the S3 drove me nuts, yeah 135i still has some when slowing down at a roundabout from national speed limit and pulling away, but no where near as obvious as S3. 135i, I think, also has a wee bit of character. My advice? Go take extended test drive of both, it took us months to decide !!!! Would be interested to hear your thoughts?? We also checked out a couple of forums to help make the choice - babybmw and Audi-sport
@@karene4990 thanks for your reply, I’ve now got one in order too! Did you spec the 19” wheels or stick with the standard 18”s? Did you go for adaptive suspension? Struggling to decide between 18s or 19s!
Jack njones yep, course, the B58 m140i is a beast as well, I think the N55 sounds a bit better but that’s me being seriously picky though, very fine margins 👌🏻
David Palmer what an engine, the fact that this car has the same name as ours is shocking, it’s night and day It’s a real shame there slowly killing interesting cars, all these soft limiters and OPF filters, engines getting smaller and smaller. The days of v10 M5s and Golf R32s are gone. Gutting 👎🏻
Jack njones true, I just feel cars are becoming to similar, the variety window is getting smaller and smaller for the average joe, for instance this car is basically a s3 or a golf R or a A45. I know there’s a power difference but the fact that a golf R has the same 4 pot, 2 ltr engine as a golf gti is a let down, the specialness of a 3ltr vr6 in a golf is gone, it’s the same with this now to
There's nothing BMW can do, to make a 4 pot engine as good as the B58 straight six. The M140 looked much better, well at least the fuel efficiency will better with a 4 pot lol.
As well as the interior and handling. The only thing the old car has going for it is the engine and RWD - the handling without a diff is questionable at best
@@mercury6765 try out an old 140i with the Birds handling kit including an LSD. Plus install a Celtictunning remap. Less than 5k and its an amazing transformation. 50 50 weight distribution rwd lsd and well balanced comfortable fast car. Over 400 hp and torq with a 6spd manual. Ticks all the boxes except for a bit more steering feel thats beefed. All the above also works with the 240i.
dear Joe, we don't know about about the effect of this M-rear-wing, but do know about this one: rises aero/downforce about 96kg! (speed: 218 km/h; rear axle) works without front-splitter, street-legal, available in 'forged carbon', same material like the diff.
I had a m140i for two years, decided I wanted a change ruled the 135i out and bought the 2020 306bhp mini clubman, bags of character not as quick as 140i but quick enough. These 1 series are just euroboxes 🥱
Pffff nothing can change the looks of that hideous car, very sad they went from a baller hatchback to this.... Ps great video like always (yes still watching)
Agree, I think the old model looks outdated. I’m not a massive fan of the front but the sides and rear look great IMO. Interior is another level compared to the old model. Edit: Meant to add, not a fan of the additional body kit
I have a m140i had it for nearly 3 years love the car if I could change one thing it would be that it had xdrive I had the new m135i for a day I will not be changing it for it for the same price you can get a used m2 👍
Old model looked great. There is also the strange looking 2 series gran coupe which is FWD - don't know who that car is meant to be target to! At least the new 2 series coupe is meant to be RWD
Don’t mind some of the carbon inside but prefer the standard car. Honestly thou I’m really no longer interested in a 1 series after the change from the old car.
Agreed it looks a little confused with the mix of materials and colours. Also their are two manufacturers that can get away with stickers the aforementioned Porsche and also Alpina, got to live a deco stripe set!
Agree but that said Mike at motech sorted mine out Friday with motech stance bola wheels and Maxton kit but we left the grill and mirrors standard but I did wrap the canards gloss black funny but all at motech and me just thought it worked strange I know but it worked😊
They sorted mine on Friday it looks awesome lower with bola wheels and Maxton kit it looks so much better now just need to get the race exhaust on it. Thanks to all at motech 😊👍
@@MotechPerformance Honestly, if someone buys the M135i and doesn't bring it to you guys, they're insane! The difference between standard and Motech stance is ridiculous. I love it!
Aftermarket nor even M Performance shit ain't gonna make that thing any better. We've gone from naturally aspirated E81/87 130is that could be specced with factory Recaro buckets and short shift kits to these anonymous automatic front-wheel econoboxes clad in tacky carbon fibre parts.
In reality nearly every person who buys the 1 series ( not necessarily with the accessories ) will be using it as a daily driver , it will never go on a track ! and as a owner off the previous generation 1 series and now this version , this is better ! The clever people at BMW have more talent , skill , and professional knowledge than us armchair drivers and i trust their endeavours in designing this car . We all have our opinions , some will love it and some will hate it and as someone who drives one daily i am not sorry i purchased one , its a fine vehicle . Ps no performance parts on mine but it has the black grill on a white car .
same for me, the old one was only fun because you had those true sporty bmw genes in it. you certainly don't need them in a daily, but it was fun. the new one is just better at everything but lacks those genes. to be honest with you, the deal made the choice, it's cheaper than our F20 was. still, no regrets.
Hi Joe, if you had been as negative about the M140i I would never had brought one but your enthusiasm for it made me buy one in almost a similar spec. I don’t like the M135i anyway so even if you gushed about it I wouldn’t be persuaded 🤪
Forget about what journalists say about this car. If you are honest with yourself and what you say, you'll admit that this car is beautiful. All previous generations BMW's had a boring interior. BMW have done a great job on this one. To be honest, this car is lovely!
I had this car when it came out last year... got to say I didn’t like it for a few reasons but mainly the ride was way to hard. I know it’s supposed to be a firm ride but they never offered me the car with adaptive suspension and ended up changing it for a Audi S3 with magnetic ride which was way better imo... this car on show doesn’t look classy and has to much plastic.... I do like BMWs but not this one I’m afraid but it’s all about opinions... Good video 👍
Just thought I'd share that my Mum overheard this video and your criticism of the m performance logos... she had a quick glance at my phone screen and agreed with you 😂😂👊🏼 I, on the other hand, do like them lol. But great little video as always. I trust your opinion. Also, it's always useful to get your insight because we're the same height. Lol
Think I agree with you on most of the M performance parts here Joe. Sticker is a definite no, so are the 'canards' and the diffuser. Forge carbon I think looks shit on everything though tbh. Looks dirty all the time. Being a young 24 year old I would take the spoiler but only if the 'M performance' sticker could be removed. Big fan of the floating centre caps, got the John Cooper Works ones on my mini 😎
It does look good. I must admit I prefer the standard one - it’s grown on me so much. At the end of the video, your comments about the original M135 having a cult following did make me reflect - it’s quite sad that the RWD 6 cylinder turbo charged hot hatch is no more. Thinking back, how mental were those cars!! This one does look better inside and out, and it makes more sense, but it’s lost a lot of character in the process. The RS3 is the only hot hatch with an interesting engine now, but assume the 5 pot won’t be around for much longer either.
I love my Alpine White M135i... and I love how my M Performance decals look on it. Controversially I also like how the cerium grey grill and mirrors look on the white car, particularly as they complement the 19” bicolour 557m wheels. That said, I will probably swap the grill and mirrors for black at some point as I love a black on white car.
M135i vs Mini GP vs Honda FK8 a Trackday battle I’d like to see. I’m still yet to drive the M135i but although the M140i was a mega car and certainly quicker I recall it haven’t a bit too much body roll out of the factory. Great review and drive vid fella as always Joe.
I actually like the look of the new 135i now, look much better in person. I'd have all these mperfirmance accessories except the side decals and the rear diffuser, they look shockingly bad. I would like a nice aggressive carbon diffuser though. But not that one. Joe your mental for not liking that spoiler. But your probably one of those few mental people that would spec an A45 without the Aero pack?
The front end looks good but it gets gradually worse as you move to the rear. The diffuser looks ridiculous. Main problem is that it's still a 1 series and it's still really a front wheel drive car (not a true 4WD).
The only thing I don’t like is the miss match of colours and material. Forged carbon and then Normal weave etc. Maybe I’m just ocd haha. Hope they do a m140i
If you want advertise your lack of self aggrandisement with angry shopping cart, it's fine. In this context M means marketing... Just think for the same money you could have an E46 M3 6spd with a CSL airbox, alpha n tune and probably a full refresh of suspension, rod bearings etc.
Just ordered an M135 in black with red leather. Won’t be adding any kit personally, looks like some one trying to make a std 1 look cool, and fails (in my opinion). Keep it stock!! 😆
Great video as always Joe, well presented & great information regarding the M135 😎 personally I wouldnt spend my money on it but maybe some1 might 👍🏻 The question I would ask is why is the M135 trying to look like an AMG35/45 but handles nothing like them 🤔
Autobild tested the Audi S3, BMW M135i and Mercedes A35 AMG in same driver, same day, same wheather. Audi S3: 1:41,10 BMW M135i: 1:41,34 Mercedes A35: 1:41,89 So what are you talking about?
Great Vid as always Joe but the Kit is very sad. Certain elements such as the black Grill & exhaust are great but overall cosmetics isn't aesthetically pleasing. Nevertheless Wifey is picking up her New Reg M135i on Wed so looking forward to it👍
No Rear driven aspect makes me question why anyone would have this over the S3 or A35 even. Extremely sad I never got to own the M140i when it was the latest hatch. Hopefully the new two series coupe will not disappoint.
David Rodriguez because they have more pedigree doing these front dominant, AWDs. Personally think they look far better too, but thats just my subjective opinion
@@JohnDoe-bj3tj What pedigree ?They are just another generic fwd hatchbacks. It's no worse than the s3/a35 in terms of handling. It's based on minis which do hndle well. The one to get is RS3 just because of the engine or if it was me I'd just get megane RS, as it will trash all of them and will be much more fun and is much cheaper. Or just wait for the 2er coupe with a manual box👌
I agree with you, not keen on the stickers and to be honest I’m not keen on the spoiler either, it’s a bit OTT for my taste, but then I am also of a certain age (ahem!). Great review as always.
There's no point comparing this to the ///M2. Eventhough this looks better than stock, its got the brand's new mentality which doesn't find me quite positive, to put it politely
Should have taken motec m135 out would be cheaper than the m performance bits and looks better in my opinion. Mike at motech sorted mine on Friday and well happy. Please Joe go drive there's it got the race exhaust on it now👍😊
So when I first saw the old m135i I couldn't believe just how crap it looked and frankly still does, (to me) be it in video or the metal. When I first saw the new one in the video I was equally as disappointed but seen a few on the road and they're not bad looking cars. Look a little bit mk3 Focus RS (which I own). Bit big like every car now days but good looking. Shame the 6 cylinder is gone though. As for all these M parts I'd just wait for the m140i. (same deal with A35 or A45s)
The gloss back grill is nice but it should be the whole set. Are the front corner slots by the “wing-lets” real or fake. Can you get the car accessories without the side stickers. I’d have Yiannimize add M color in the side sill as a more subdued M statement. The boot spoiler could keep the rear window clear but the sticker is coming off. The back aero needs to be gloss back as will as the pipes are perfect. Nice infotainment screen that blends in to the console that many just leave popped out. Does it exhibit torque steering when giving it the beans. Those 19” are a must have for summer cruising. Look forward to your follow up performance take. What’s the fuel efficiency?
I’ve never understood non functional carbon trinkets for cars. Especially spoilers on top of spoilers. People don’t seem to know when to stop with buying bits also and before long it looks like they’ve ramraided halfords.
Just a few points to mention on that shocking looking 135.. The front overhang from the front wheels is ridiculous. I can see many owners scraping the front bumper when turning in to park in any car park. Waaay too big. I'm sure the overhang will also effect the turn in when pushed into a corner. Rear diffuser.... Totally pointless when you can see the exhaust hanging down below it. Joe you summed it up perfectly. Not a fan at all.
Another great vid nailed there. Will anyone ever spec a car like this? I hope not but makes for great content for a RU-vid video. I doubt even BMW expect more than half a dozen people to spec a car up like this. I think what's important is to call out where they're getting it wrong with the MPerfomance stickers, ridiculous fat steering wheel and top marks for calling that out. Also wtf is with the recycled plastic spek all over the rear diffuser - is that even a thing now? Fact is this was always intended to be an A35 / S3 rival, and on that basis BMW have kept up with the competition. But I can't help wishing BMW would have set it's sights higher and pitched something to take on the A45 / RS3. For some reason BMW have always held back it's most junior models to save the limelight for the M powered M2/3. And that's a real shame.
