daveknott Posted November 16, 2006 Report Share Posted November 16, 2006 Having read recently that the 130i M-sport can now be bought brand new for around £22K Bag yourself a bargain it srikes me that this car may be a future classic in the same way as the Z3 M-Coupe. i.e., a hell of a lot of power and a superbly sorted chassis, in a car that doesn't cost a lot due to its' love-it or hate-it looks. The discounts currently being offered mean that you can pick up a rear-drive super hatch for the same price as a low-spec Golf GTI.... The 130 offers 261 naturally aspirated Bhp, and rear drive fun vs the GTIs turbo four pot with 64 Bhp less - which would you go for?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imageking Posted November 16, 2006 Report Share Posted November 16, 2006 [ QUOTE ] The 130 offers 261 naturally aspirated Bhp, and rear drive fun vs the GTIs turbo four pot with 64 Bhp less - which would you go for?? [/ QUOTE ] I asked this of my wife who is looking for a new car to replace her MINi Cooper S. She said obviously the Golf as the 1 series is pig ugly...personally I would go for the 130 as teh right set of wheels is being driven. maybe the 130 is being discounted in advance of the annoucement of the 135???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveknott Posted November 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2006 Hmm, this just proves my point that the 130i is more of a man's car than the Golf - in the same way that the Z3 M-coupe found a predominantly male following vs the Z3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Posted November 24, 2006 Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 [ QUOTE ] Having read recently that the 130i M-sport can now be bought brand new for around £22K Bag yourself a bargain it srikes me that this car may be a future classic in the same way as the Z3 M-Coupe. i.e., a hell of a lot of power and a superbly sorted chassis, in a car that doesn't cost a lot due to its' love-it or hate-it looks. The discounts currently being offered mean that you can pick up a rear-drive super hatch for the same price as a low-spec Golf GTI.... The 130 offers 261 naturally aspirated Bhp, and rear drive fun vs the GTIs turbo four pot with 64 Bhp less - which would you go for?? [/ QUOTE ] Interesting...they can't even be bothered to have the right picture of a 130 on that page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveknott Posted November 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Thought people might want to hear my long term thoughts on the 130i M-sport as I've had the car since March. Firstly, to all you 1-er haters, don't slate it until you've tried it. Yes, it has challenging looks, but at least it doesn't look like all the other Euro-box hatches that look like they were all designed by the same CAD software! As for the way it drives, well, it is the most entertaining car I've owned. It feels special even when pootling round town. The gorgeous straight six is tuneful in the lower range, and animalistic in the upper rev range. When you get the car above 4000 rpm, the engine and exhaust note change and it snarls its way through the gears. Chassis balance is sublime. Take stage 1 traction control off at the touch of the DTC button and it is immensely biddable. Boot the throttle and oversteer is available on tap and is easily caught and controlled. If you take traction control off completely then you have a lairy monster on your hands, and you can easily smoke your way out of each corner, crossed up, with a huge smile on your face. It does suffer for the lack of a limited slip diff however. Build quality overall has been excellent. I had two problems however. One: the window seals rattled. Two: the rear seats were loose on the folding "axle" and rattled about. Both were fixed promptly under warranty and BMW service was excellent. Aside from that, it's solid as a rock. Fuel economy has also been excellent. I average 25mpg in town, and 31-35mpg on a motorway run. For a 3.0l I think this is pretty good. I for one am glad that I chose this over the Golf GTI. A friend has a GTI and complains that its a bit sterile, clinical and not terribly exciting. For the same price, I've got a six cylinder car, that drives the correct wheels, and serves up buckets of fun on every drive. It's also far more practical than you'd think. True, rear leg room isn't as good as the golf, but it's far from awful. Flip the seats down and you have a mini estate - I use mine for windsurfing trips and the amount of kit you can get in the car is extremely surprising. All in all, an excellent package and far more interesting than the GTI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmmacauley Posted December 3, 2006 Report Share Posted December 3, 2006 I've had a 130i M Sport for about six months now and agree with what Driftgod has said - I seem to like it more as the days go by! The interior is excellent, seats supportive and comfortable, handling first rate with sharp and communicative steering, the engine is a peach with loads of torque low down then it revs out cleanly too. My only complaint is the lack of LSD - I had it on a track day recently and it really shows the need for a LSD. The car is every bit as fast as a friends Impreza STI on the straights but on the corners it gets a hammering because it can't get the power down on the exits (dry track), with the inside wheel spinning. Does anyone know - Is there an LSD available ( I know BMW don't make one for it) and if so does the DTC need reprogrammed or disabled? Do folks think the 135 will actually make an appearance and if so will it have an LSD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonl Posted December 9, 2006 Report Share Posted December 9, 2006 [ QUOTE ] All in all, an excellent package and far more interesting than the GTI. [/ QUOTE ] IMO the 1 series is a fantastic car, but likewise so is the GTI. Wouldn't slate the golf too much on your 'mates opinion' of course 6cly has it's merits, but so does a good Turbo. The GTI is an incredibly fun and capable car that rewards the driver equally as much as a 1. Not saying the GTi is quicker or MORE capable, but you certainly wouldn't find it easy to shake one off in the twisties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveknott Posted December 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 Good points Le Man - and I'm sure it would be difficult to shake one off in the twisties. I have driven a GTI and while I think its a great car, I do think having rear drive, a sorted chassis, and 265 Bhp means you have more options with the cornering balance than the GTI. Power oversteer for instance is not an option in the GTI. Obviously, you can provoke lift-off oversteer in the GTI, but it's somehow not as satisfying as dictating the car's attitude purely on the throttle. Just my opinion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveknott Posted December 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 Took this the other morning and liked it so throught I'd share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now