Driving the BMW 128i | The New York Times 

I bought a 08 6-speed ( w/sport pkg ) coupe last july. It's my first bmw. I changed the motor oil & oil filter housing gasket and the o-ring under the oil sensor ( that thing that's supposed to replace a dipstick ) had to clean all the surface rust stuck to the o-ring because 6-speeds have a steel oil pan instead of aluminum. This took care of 95% of the leaks. If you expect some maintenance this car is a joy to drive.

I traded in my '07 328i sedan in on a 2010 128i coupe. The handling and acceleration blows the 328i out of the water. Don't get a 128i if you frequently have passengers in the backseat though.

What this reviewer fails to mention is that being smaller than a 328i, the 128i, which has the same motor, is faster! anow I don’t care that much about speed, per se, but that’s nice. Another thing is this is a CLASSIC BMW, i.e. it has the most quintessential BMW motor ever made, that 3.0L 6. My own copy is a “stripper,” i.e. one without iDrive. It is also not a 135i, which has a twin turno and also a high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) which is the 135i/335i Achilles heel, i.e. by breaking unpredictably and regularly (every few K to 30-40K miles). All those extra parts cause reliability issues, not horrible mind you, but my stripper doesn’t have them, so seems likely to be not only more reliable, but also much cheaper to own. Performance is, nevertheless, excellent, provided one does not need a supercar. So far, in normal driving, I have never come close to breaking it loose. It handles extremely well. I have no problem with the fact that my car is (or was, since it is OOP) the cheapest BMW... I have the pleasure of owning a REAL BMW, a REALLY REAL BMW (purchased 4 yo with 11K miles, i.e. practically brand new), for the price of a Toyota Corolla. It makes me feel smart! I got A LOT more car than a Toyota, for the same price! And she is VERY PRETTY! I guess you’d have to say I am pretty happy with my 128i.

I thought the review was good. He made some points I had not heard on other reviews. However, I found it funny he appeared a bit critical of the 128s 200+ HP. For example a 1996 BMW M3 got an astounding 240 hp. So, I think the 128s HP is plenty for 95% of people out there.

It looks like a test drive on the Merritt... take it on the Hutch at 75 mph in the corners!

I just purchased mine 2 weeks ago ! I'm telling you, this is the best car I have ever owned out of all the 6 of them. You would think that since this is the " cheapest BMW ", it wouldn't be all that advanced and luxurious such as a higher end BMW and I am here to tell you that is wrong. The grip on the steering wheel is amazing and it feels very powerful. It is a beautiful car inside and out. The insurance is very cheap on these ! I only pay $550 a month ! I used to pay $1,200 on my 08' 528i !

@flabergas2da9 i had the exact same crisis - just put the money down and buy the bimmer! I just got a 128i coupe with a manual transmission (it was not easy finding that car) and I have to say that it is the funnest car I've ever owned! You will not regret it.

It is a convertible! Auditory enhancement of the turn signal is a good thing!

the cabriolet is 130 kilos heavier than the coupe, man that's alot! I can feel a car's reaction time slowing down just from +1 person sitting in the car. Great Review btw, simple and to the point. exactly the info that actual buyers will need.

great car on the autobahn, on curvy roads and so on. And the manual Tranmission is great, auto just make sense for diesel 1 series

Nice review, you bring up some great points about the turn signal and dipstick.... some things just don't need to be "improved," BMW!

ca you floor this or does this jam up?

convertible version is heavier and slower then the coupe, great car though the best bmw made recently.

love to see the blinker stuff. have a loud blinker on my ford focus. it's so bad, i don't use it

Just to fill out my bit a bit, my 128i has a 6-speed MT, and it’s a coupe. It has Boston Oyster leather seats, blue metalic paint and 18” alloy wheels, and NOTHING else. Oh, it has automatic windshield wipers with rain detection. I think that is rather nice... Luxury? Not much, but the leather, etc., but I like how the side windows drop down 1/2” when the door is opened, and go back up when the door is closed, guaranteeing a tight seal. I also like how the radio fades out and in when the station is changed, or when you turn it on. That smooth transition is nice... Yes, the rear seats are tight (my 14 yo, 5’2” daughter finds it tight), but this is nevertheless one of the very best front engine, RWD, MT sports cars with 4 seats, available, at any cost! I am a bit of a socialist (seriously), and felt GUILTY at first, driving a BMW, that being a bit elitist and all, but considering what it cost, I am gradually getting over that!

hey I want a cheap BMW! I wish they offered some thing under the 128i. then I could dump some more cash in to the options i wanted. how about a 123i or the 123d?

well there are many many differences between the 1 and the 3 series. That is why you buy the 1 instead of the 3 if you want it.

Love Ezra and hid work!

They padded the cost of the car with so many electronics, it makes you wonder why? No dipstick? Ugh.

Good car is like a good woman or old wine - HAS to be pricy! That's the point.

he's a doofus. turn off DTC and this car will push you into the seat on the launch. i have the car...it has so many computer aids that it doesnt let you spin tires or drift or skid..unless you turn it off. and dont just push the DTC button...press and hold for 5 seconds. then a little 360 degrees logo pops up and now you can do whatever you want. check out my drift video with that car! :-p

same here

Two words: Twin turbos.

bad reviewer for sure. He is completely wrong about the 128i with options costing as much as a 328i. Maybe if you compare an optioned 128i to a stripped out 328 sure, otherwise you're looking at a 10,000.00 price difference.

I mean for insurance. I paid for the car in cash. I'm in alberta canada

@flabergas2da9 Have you driven both cars? The Jetta S is nice, but it is no BMW. If I had 22k, I would put 10k down on the BMW and invest the balance.

ha! you are THAT guy.

i lease for $399/mo. $0 down. Thank u BMW holiday offers!!

@LoveTheCity123 Dude where are you? I only pay 300/month for my 135i!

@DUNK6AROO how?

i'd like a cheap bmw. as long as it drives like a proper bmw i don't care about the amenities

why do you need rock music in this video? this is not a rock concert. very annoying.

"BMW doesnt trust the dipstick that owns the car" hahahahah

what nobody likes a cheap bmw? what the fuck dude hey u give me that car for less i will drive it

i own one of these and the electronic transmission and handling are fucking amazing this guy is a clown