Tired of the Ford Fiesta ST? Try The E82 BMW 125i Coupe! 

Thanks to CarVertical www.carvertical.com/gb/landing/v3?a=JayEmm&b=38b26e3a&voucher=UK for sponsoring today's video.

Noooo don't tell everyone, these are massively overlooked 😂

My 09 128i 6MT. Best car that I've ever owned for absolute fun driving. i'm 62 and I have owned 26 cars.

Anyone else sit on autotrader looking at every car James gives a positive review of or is it just me? 😂 was close to buying an old Jag now I want a 125i convertible 😂

One of these remapped in convertible form was always a hidden gem, straight 6, top down and 130i power unlocked very easily.

The N52 is an absolute gem. When with this over the 135i. No regrets. Previous owner was a bit cheap on maintenance, but we got everything up to speed. Runs perfect with no faults now. It's such a joyful daily. All it needs is a remap to get the DISA to work better.

There is NO alternative to that shirt James☺

Nice overview of the one series coupe. Anyone interested in one must remember that there is no such thing as a cheap used BMW! You will pay through the nose for the maintenance the previous owner deferred. If the car was well maintained, the owner will know they have a better than average example, and ask for recompense in their price. It is worth holding out for a car with a manual transmission and the M-Sport package. The seats alone are worth it. They are very supportive, yet comfortable for long drives. An M-Sport will also have a rear sway bar and slightly stiffer suspension, with staggered wheels. I beg to differ on JayEmm's recommendation of staggered wheel fitments. The car as delivered from the factory has a tendency to understeer, and wider rear tires only exacerbate this. A 135i with it's higher torque needs a bit more tire in back, but the 128i (as it is named in the USA) does well with a square setup, unless you are only after acceleration, in which case you'd need a limited slip differential anyway. One of the coolest things about this car is the ability to easily install suspension parts from the E90 M3. The stock rear subframe bushings are a joke, which is why the car is dicey when pushed hard. A set of M3 bushings are worth the considerable effort of installation. You will have to drop that subframe to get them in, though. The 125i/128i have a rabid following. They are the last of BMW's legendary N/A straight sixes. The size of the car is perfect, the driving experience is excellent, and the reliability is quite good if you commit to regular if not frequent maintenance. Expect oil leaks and coil pack failures. The electric coolant pumps should be regularly replaced, as well. Other than that, they are quite solid.

I have had a convertible 125iA for 12 years now and I will probably keep it for many more years. Perfect all around car.

I own a 2008 128i and it's still great fun without drawing any unwanted attention. Manual, M-Sport, leather. No iDrive, no exploding turbos, no electric steering, no car payments, cheap to insure, plenty of room in the backseat for the kids, a nicely sized trunk and these now sell for more than what I paid for it used ~eight years ago.

I’ve been waiting for you to review this car. Thanks James

I had one a couple of years ago and unless you regularly have to carry more than two people, this is near perfect. It's fun to drive in every situation - slow or fast and it looks (at least bit) sporty. For me it was the perfect compromise between sportiness and utility. It could carry my road bike with no trouble and would not complain about a trip to IKEA either. Also, fuel economy is not atrocious (as mentioned in the video). The engine is a masterpiece - I love it, so smooth, so much torque. However, I now drive a humble Kia Niro EV and sadly (only considering how power is delivered by the engine obviously) that makes even this wonderful R6 feel like stone age technology. Crazy...

BTW, I've extensively driven my 125i in the snow on P zeros in hilly sheffield and made way more progress than any other 'normal' cars. The trick is turn TC fully off and just stay in a continuous drift, it's very controllable and the N52 is quite happy to stay at high revs for long periods. My car is a cabrio so more rear weight than the other models, probably helped.

Your point about the M-cars is spot on. If you want a sportscar, buy a Porsche. If you want a sporty daily, get a straight six non-M bmw.

I have a big soft spot for the e46 platform there still very good looking car even to this day

I can attest to the quality of those tyres. I put some asymmetric 5s on my 124 spider and they were transformative. Slightly cheaper than a pilot sports 4 and although they have less flat out dry grip, they're a more"fun" tyre.

Get the 88 with lowest miles possible, pay 200 quid, remap to 280bhp 130 spec. Spend 300 on a good android head unit with reverse parking cam and you have a drop top beamer that will do 0-60 under 6 seconds, do 165mph unrestricted top end, is rear wheel drive and will have a lot of new car luxury such as satnav, Internet and apps, reverse cam, air con, cruise control etc, all wrapped up in a good looking drop top that most people will think is a 15 grand car rather than a 6 grand car! It's a hell of a lot of car, performance and a little prestige for 6k!

Great video! I personally have owned a 125i Coupe BMW edition for over 2 years now, and I absolutely love it. Not my first bmw , and having owned an M Sport 1 series 2015 in the past I can confirm that this car is miles more fun to drive on a B road or motorway cruising. Never had any issues with the 125i although mine is very low mileage and has full service history with a bmw specialist who’s known the car from new. There are very few cars I would swap my 125i for … maybe a 1 M Coupe of the E82 shape :D Some advice if your looking at a 125i , do not have run flat tires. They spoil the handling. Stick premium petrol in the tank once a month, my version performs really well with premium petrol in regularly. Get it service regularly also, don’t be cheap! It’s a very reliable block , it’s worth looking after as it will see you right into the future.

I looked for one of these about 6 years ago and they were rare then so must be like hens teeth now. Always liked the idea of a relatively large unstressed NA engine in a smaller car.

Yay! I just got a 125i E82 M Sport in Grey late February this year, to replace my Clio 200 and I'm absolutely loving it! It's a different car to the Clio for sure, and I miss the immaturity of the Clio, but it's great Edit: You mentioned not bothering with the I drive. I have the updated CIC idrive, and I added an android auto/Carplay box to it. Makes a world of difference to the usability of the screen!

Sorely miss my 130i. That engine was a genuine masterpiece.

I so nearly got one of these, ended up with an M140i. But these still seem so interesting. Don't really care much about the power, it's the sound I like

Enjoyed the video. I've had one for 5 years now. They benefit from fitting the E90 M3 front Camber and Toe arms. Also the BMW Performance rear bump stops help settle the rear more. They allow more travel in the dampers, making the ride much better.

I am in the US and here we had the 128i, with the N52 at 230hp. I believe that there is a significant difference with the 125i with the power steering. The 128i has a hydraulic unit while I believe that the 125i has an electric unit. The 128i with the sport pack and the manual was o e of the most underrated driver's car, an absolute joy to daily drive and did good on track days despite low power. Had it for 9 years... They start to go up in value here.

Got an e82 123d stage 2, quite fun at 260hp 460nm and 45mpg (19km/L). More fun than a 3series on the b roads

Ive gone the opposite way round...started with an E30 318i saloon then an E36 318i coupe then an E46 330 touring now i'm in a new ST! Very different driving experience. Don't regret it though, I was only getting 22mpg in the 330 compared to 38 in the ST (inc some spirited driving).

"oh, blimey" fund. Man I cracked up

This actually is my first BMW too! Just taken it for a tour of Snowdonia. It's a superb mini gt & perfect for uk b roads. Thanks for the vids James.

Thanks for the review Jay! Owned one of these 125i for over 3 years now, great classic BMW feeling cars. Remap to the 130i power really changes the car for the good. Best 0 to 60 managed 5.4 - not bad for a 13 year old car 👍

I just bought a 2010 125i 6 speed 3 weeks ago, my first car. It is just perfect.

Fuel mid 20 to 30 mpg, Tax £315, insurance for 21, about £1300( with 3 years no claims). Wish I could have afforded that at 21. This is more a late 20's car, a great 3rd car!

Great overview on the E82 125i... bought one myself about 3 weeks ago and I'm absolutely loving it... Tax is a bit pricey and the current fuel costs are a bit painful when I fill it up but it's worth every penny- the N52 really dominates the whole driving experience, and I think makes it feel like a much more exotic and expensive car than it is. The refinement (you'd think it has start-stop, it's that smooth at idle) and the torque of the N52 makes it feel like a mini-GT at lower RPMs- and then you hit about 4000rpm and VANOS kicks in, at which point it just pulls, making the most incredible noise while it does so.... The fuel economy figures aren't horrendous either, I've been averaging about 30mpg in mine so far with a lot of driving around town and revving it out when I can. Insurance is silly cheap too, I'm 23, street park in the centre of Bristol, 6 years NCB and I'm paying £400 this year! One thing I will say- if you can get a car with CIC iDrive ('09 or later off the top of my head), it's well worth it. You can either fit a 'combox' (or buy an example with it as standard) which gives you full iPod/iPhone compatibility through a standard USB cable, (including album art, library search, etc) or you can purchase a box which will retain the standard iDrive but also give you Apple CarPlay/Android Auto functionality. Both really bring the car up-to-date, I feel for all the hate iDrive got the CIC iteration at least has aged incredibly well, and the function buttons and the controller make it one of the more ergonomic systems available- especially with manufacturers burying fairly basic options behind touchscreen menus...

I have both the E82 125i and Toyota 86. Best fun Naturally aspirated rear wheel drive and reliable sports cars with light chassis that can be driven daily. Add the 10.25 inch touchscreen and 763M wheels.

Provide the facts! The Diesel engines are perfectly fine as long as they have had regular oil changes. They’re very pokey too, and remaps can make them much more powerful than the 6cyl

Have the same engine in my 3 series, absolutely love the N53 when it’s working as it should 🤣

Test drove a 2009 128i a year ago and it was phenomenal. The dealer wouldn't give me the price I wanted so I wound up buying a really good example of an E36 328i from a friend and yet I have always regretted not buying that E82. 125i doesn't have DISA. That's probably why you're not feeling the torque you expect. The 130/330 has a 3 stage intake manifold that generates more power over a wider range.

Jay, if you want another entry into this series give me a shout. 25 years old and I've just got myself a Megane RS 250.

Diesel ones are an OK choice if you go with an N47D engine. I almost hit 200.000 kms with mine and it's perfectly reliable. One thing though, change oil every 10.000 kms, it's an essential part of the general maintenance, don't neglect it. During the winter months, especially if you live in colder countries, good winter tires are a must, this baby handles snow rather poorly, all season ones are quite okay too, but things might get sketchy. All in all, it's an absolute gem, highly recommended. By the way, in the case of a diesel version, soft remapping gives you a substantial boost in HP, however, try not to go too wild with it, as it will eventually strain the engine too much.

And here's me thinking my old citroen AXGT was quick back in the 90's... young lads dunno just how good they have it now !!!

Being that I own a '11 128i 6MT I can assure anyone watching this video or reading my comment you won't be upset with your purchase. I'm happy I got mine when I did though. Clean, stock examples in a manual are not only tricky to find (in the states) the prices have really gone up.

Perfect timing on this video. I've been looking into getting one of these for the past 2 weeks because my friends are BMW fanboys and keep spamming me to get something like this instead of a turbocharged hot hatch like the Fiesta ST. This video and the fact that you can turn one of these into a 130i with just a remap sold it for me tbh. I've always been a little afraid of BMW because everyone says they are expensive to maintain and not the most reliable. After watching this video though and doing some further research, it seems that this is not the case with the older 6cyl engines, which I'm very happy about. The biggest challenge for me will be to find a manual one. The autos are everywhere but manuals are nowhere. Can anyone tell me if the autos are worth looking at?

It's simple: I see a JayEmm video's up, I start watching it and hit the usually instant like

I understand the admiration for a car like this. It’s a daily companion that delivers consistent quality on many aspects, year after year. Call me a boring elderly, but if I’d had the money, I’d buy an E class estate with about 300 - 400 hp and loaded with options. A good ride, lots of comfort, safe and space. Lovely car!

I drove 118i coupe convertible along the great ocean road in Australia. I thought it was great ! Living in Prague (best public transport system on the planet) I don't need a car, but if I move back to Blighty, I'd definitely buy a 1-series coupe. They're perfect !

I do love this car. It reminds me of the E30.

Enjoying these 'Fiesta ST alternatives for young guys' series. I wonder how the steering feel with this 125i compares with the hydraulic power steering in the E46 coupes... The N52 is appealing as the fairly lightweight block is made out of magnesium/aluminium. I don't know if its the exhaust design, but I prefer the deeper rumble from the E46 330ci's M54. Unlike modern BMW designs, I like how theres a single waistline that runs consistently from the headlight to the taillight. In the particular case with this 1 series coupe, I like how that waistline almost protrudes out and forms an angle like the old BMW 2002 and Lotus Cortina. Nice one.

When comparing this to an M car, your conclusion doesn't surprise me. I had a rwd 228i, loved it, figured an M240i (previous gen) would be a great upgrade. After a few months of getting used to the power difference, I realized how wrong I was. The _only_ time the M240 was more fun was in those rare 5-second sprints to "arrest me" speeds - the rest of the time I may as well have been driving a Buick. The 228i was a blast just running errands.

I have a 128i with a manual transmission in crimson red, and I love everything about it, handles amazing, power is decent and with a muffler delete the n52 sounds beautiful

Baby on the way. Just ordered a 125i plus a remap to replace my 2.7 cayman thanks to this video 🙏🏼

3 Litre BMW. Anyone interested should probably check out the Car Wizard channel and his thoughts on these. Coil packs, PCV valves, Oil filter gaskets, Vanos, lots of expensive issues.. Having owned this engine I would suggest minimum full service history. Oil changes are vital preferably every 10,000kms. Avoid missing service history or anything thats just pootled around town with no/long oil change services. Without oil changes the oil-ways get clogged, pressure increases and you end up with oil leaks. Check the inside of the oil cap/rocker cover for sludge and walk away at any sign. Lovely but can be a money pit.

I have an e88 128i convertible I love it to bits

I have a 135i in the same colour, great car, mountains of power too!

Incredible review, Jay! The details on this clip are high standards and the honesty and great advices are almost illegal to share.

You have to put in your radar the last and best iteration of BMW's straight six NA, the N87 cassis 130i, N52 engine 265 HP, straight six, manual gearbox superb reliability .

Extremely rare cars in the USA. I actually bought a 6MT with the M sport package, fully loaded, in silver/red interior. I think there are 224 of them made between 2006-2013. It’s a little bank vault on wheels, as one reviewer termed it. James did a brilliant job critiquing this car, spot on in all regards. Goodness, it feels as heavy and solid as a saloon 3 series, yet of course is profoundly nimble due to the wheelbase. It’s definitely a rare combination of quality fit, fully organic driving experience, but also very sedate too. The engine is, and ruminates, pure class, unrivaled by anything today, I feel. The new turbo 6’s like the b58 are technologically masterful. But you’re not enjoying the intake sound, exhaust rumble or responsiveness of a port intake / n/a manifold like this. I drove it home from Massachusetts to Colorado and had a blast. I hope never to sell it. I’m 5’7” and actually was able to fit in the rear seat without hitting my head, with no hat on. Someday I hope people will begin to appreciate this car as the last true organic BMW. It reminds me of what made life pleasurable before the globalists and environmental fear mongers ruined motoring, butter vs margarine, leather vs vinyl, 6 vs 4 cylinders, hydraulic steering vs phony electric, manual vs auto, rear wheel drive vs all, etc.

Used to have the 128i young and dumb I totaled it now I got a 135i and I’m so excited :)

I would have had one when I was younger, but given that they had 3.0 engines from 2010 onwards they were a little difficult to ensure. Managed to worm my way into an M240i though so it all balanced out.

I have a N54 135i coupe in Sedona Red for the last 6 years👌

E46 33ci is a perfect 1st car too

Almost as criminally underated as this car is this channel

You're right about the snow thing. Don't go into work that day, just call in sick.

Great review as always! Another car from this era I think is good value now is the Mk2 TT, in both the 2.0T and 3.2 VR6 guise.

I have seen a lot of n47 engines with more than 250k miles that still work good. I haven't seen a single n52 with that mileage.

I own this but as a 120i, it’s an amazing car when it comes to looks and performance. BUT, be prepared to pay HEFTY repair bills on these models. Recently I had to change out the fuel injectors as they failed and it cost me over £1300 including labour. Prior to that, the car had an engine failure which BMW had replaced the Engine Block. Overall great car but be prepared for crazy maintenance costs too!

Owned the SV8 you covered recently and I currently own a 125i coupe!

I really like the looks of this, especially the greenhouse which reminds me of an old Alfa, but repair and maintenance scare me away

Just bought a 3 series with the n52.. great motor, love it with the muffler and res delete ;)

I do much agree with vxr Connor , his statement hit the nail on the head !!

120d - mine was reliable for 5 years without anything going wrong with it, it was a 62 plate.

Thanks for reviewing this car. I really wanted one but could not find one that met my criteria and bought a 228i F22 instead. Still like this car though. Great review as always. I do enjoy your channel. Keep up the great work.

I wish you were doing these when I was a first car buyer. Parents - insist your first-car kids watch James!

I have an M Sport convertible and it looks right compared to the coupe, apparently Chris Bangle designed the convertible and then did one with a fixed roof, true fact!

There's nothing like a rear drive BMW on a good road.

I still own my e46 bmw 3 series love it, but it is getting a bit old and looking for a bmw with a stick. M cars are really nice I personally love the engine, but then again the people that used it either mod the car (which I hate), or never took care of them because of the cost. This is my last option.

Love your videos mate, but the perfect first BMW is a MINI!

A German tuner showed that the only difference between the 130i engine and the 125i's is the ECU tune, even the exhaust is basically the same.

Who isn’t a fan of chassis codes?!

Id say the 123d twin turbo and can easily remap to about 250 260 break

I had one of these a few years ago, great little car, have a 335i now, gotta be honest the 125 was nicer to drive

I have the E82 120d, had to go diesel due to the mileage and fuel bills. Really fun to drive, would like to swap to the 6 cylinder petrol when I’m doing less mileage.

Great video. Sounds like the Vanos seals need replacing which would account for the lack of bottom to mid range on this car. But I have found regarding the coil packs on other brands if you don’t clean or change the plugs regularly it make the coils work harder and eventually they will fail so top tip

This is exactly the same car as my E82! 125i Msport, same wheels, same colour! Feels strange, since I'm quite sure in Italy, where I live, there is no other car like mine: E82 are very rare, 125i even rarer (probably rarer than the 135i). Agree with everything you said about the car.

Great car, cool review. Never regretted buying mine for a second. With the upgrades I did and upcoming, it can be a real drivers car to the max.

The continentals have already woken up on this! A good example of one of these beast costs already 20 large Euro Bois. (iN GERMANY)

The good styling cue of the 1 series is that the roof isn't that of a proper coupé. And all the 3 series coupé up to the 46 had a hatched roof line. The 4 series have a proper coupé style and to me it takes away the saloon flavour the original M3 had (this happened also to the GT-R with the 35). This is also why I like the M3 more than the M4. The 1 series coupé has a slightly boxy roofline that comes to sit on the tail without any effort to tie them together.

You must be joking James , in the right sort of area , insurance might be reasonable . Ask your friendly insurer for a quote with a BD postcode , for a 21 year old driving one of these BMWs ; you won't even get a quote from many insurers , and if you do , it will be in five figures .

it's on my shortlist, batteling with a 106 GTi and a mini cooper S R53

Managed to get myself a 2004 WRX STI WR1 at the age of 19

Hasn't the 130i gone now? I saw it pop up on a 130i forum with a new owner and then mysteriously disappeared as fast as it was posted.

Was waiting for this video. I was watching from the gully lorry. Good video. 👍👍

125i here in France are very rare, pretty sure I saw more M3 than this ^^

The 135i coupe is a ridiculously fast and fun car. A tiny car with e46 M3 power.

Wow that thumbnail is the cars best angle by far 👍

Great car. Great engine. N52 I think? I have a 125d. Bucket loads of torque, but yes the N47 does have a reputation for chewing timing chains, but this can be avoided by regular oil changes and good servicing. Mines on 92k, so I'll let you know if goes bang in the next 6k. 😩🤣

The e82 135i has a hydraulic rack, the n54 does at least

Oh wow I've always thought this model literally had a 2.5 ltr motor in it and not the 3 ltr lol just goes to show every day we learn something new

Doesn't sound as good as an American 128i, and I don't compare my N52 128i to a Ferrari!! It's certainly MUCH cheaper both to buy and to own. I absolutely love my 128i, which has plenty of power, sounds and looks great, and which is very reliable.

I cant stop looking at the shirt

Demographics and age will probably be a factor whether you go for the Fiesta or the BMW, but personally I prefer the looks of the BMW and the hatchback specifically. I've always preferred it over the saloon. Overall, I prefer Audi to BMW.

Always thought the 1 series coupe was brilliant nothing in this video to change my mind