BMW 1 Series Coupe Forum / 1 Series Convertible Forum (1M / tii / 135i / 128i / Coupe / Cabrio / Hatchback) (BMW E82 E88 128i 130i 135i)
 





 

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      05-30-2007, 03:56 PM   #1
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Top gear: 130i vs R32 video



most of us have probably seen this video poking around youtube etc.. but id like to hear opinions on it, as i would expect essentially the same characteristics out of the N.A. coupe version. also what other cars would you all put in the same the same competitive bracket besides the R32? and, on a lesser note because its been discussed, do you think we'll get a 130i?
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      05-31-2007, 11:42 AM   #2
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It's been said before, but I think Top Gear set out to trash the 130i, not do an objective comparisson. I'm sure the R32 is very good, but I'm also sure that the 130i is much better than Top Gear's assessment. The next gen 1-series will likely be better, anyway...
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      06-01-2007, 01:55 PM   #3
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hmm ill buy that. he said theyre both equally ugly (when the golf is undoubtedly retarded looking), and basically trashed the bmw for not having enough rear leg room or storage space when they didnt even show worthwhile views of the golf's back seat or trunk which appear to be identical. and i doubt the golf interior is up to par with the bimmer
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      06-01-2007, 03:21 PM   #4
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Top Gear is renowned as one of the best automotive TV shows. And from what I've seen on the internet, it is very entertaining. But I think entertainment is all it's good for. I certainly wouldn't use their reviews as a basis for choosing my next car.

Also, his assessment that the two cars are ugly is editorial in the extreme. I disagree -- for what the two cars are, I find them to be pretty attractive. The 1er coupe will be even better...

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      06-01-2007, 10:22 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aesthetect View Post
hmm ill buy that. he said theyre both equally ugly (when the golf is undoubtedly retarded looking), and basically trashed the bmw for not having enough rear leg room or storage space when they didnt even show worthwhile views of the golf's back seat or trunk which appear to be identical. and i doubt the golf interior is up to par with the bimmer
The Golf does have a lot more room than the 1. There is a clear packaging advantage of transverse FWD setup that was reallized in the original Mini. FR is just not a good setup for a practical economy car, and it only gets worse as BMW likes to push the engine as further back as possible. After all, there is a reason why almost all economy cars in the world are FF. So yeah, as a family hatch, which is the segment that the 1 competes in in Europe, the 1 has plenty to be criticized.

Now these things that hurt the 1 as a family hatch do help it a lot in dynamics, and even Clarkson admitted that he had not had so much fun in a small car since the 80's. But at the end the R32's lap time was actually better than the 1, AND it has more room, while costing considerably less. You have to remember most europeans don't own three cars and a truck like Americans do. The reason that Europeans love hot hatches is because they are affordable, fun and practical all at the same time. And the 1 fails in two out of three, so it got bashed.

Now the story can be quite different in the US since BMW pricing tends to be a lot more competitive here than it is in the UK, (For the R32 price we would probably be able to get a base 135i) and the coupe will not be expected to be practical. So I think the coupe will be a better focused product in the US than the hatch is in Europe.
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      06-03-2007, 06:05 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aesthetect View Post
and i doubt the golf interior is up to par with the bimmer
As a matter for strict fact, the R32s interior takes a big dump on the 1 series. Chris Bangle needs to be shown the door.



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      06-04-2007, 12:20 PM   #7
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Personally, I find the GTI interior to be a little bland.
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      06-04-2007, 04:10 PM   #8
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sorry for the big pictures




thats pretty damn bland if you ask me. the interior of the R32 has a better, more interesting layout if you ask me, but i think the bmw interior could be greatly improved with different material/finish choices than those pictured above. also one cant speak of materials without actually being in the cockpit which is where i would expect the bmw to hold its ground (ie less plasticy stuff).

im a huge fan of awd and low end grunt, and feel stupid for it, but still feel like id rather have the 1 simply because the exterior of the golf is friggin ugly. that plus the fact that i can only imagine how much more fun i would have behind the wheel of a 135i.

also i think thats a very good point of competing marketing segments in EDMs versus here. here, if you want something with rear legroom, get a damn 3 series, we dont expect small cars to be roomy in most respects.
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      06-11-2007, 01:46 PM   #9
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The photos of the 1 series look doctored. The exterior of the car is bright, then you see inside and it's totally dull/gray. The door seal gasket is dull too, which leads me to this assumption.
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      06-11-2007, 04:00 PM   #10
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yeah i think you certainly have to imagine it with different colors, like that was a base photo taken for general layout impressions.. or at least a little bit of contrast. but honestly the center dash (stereo and climate controls etc) looks really boring. and the triangular shift boot surround is kinda weird to me for some reason. but i can deal :biggrin:

(and thats the current EDM hatch version so it may be different anyway)
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      06-12-2007, 02:03 AM   #11
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I ve seen the video a few times before and i have to agree that Clarkson's judgement is a bit over the edge on the 130i. The Golf, in all its variants is quite a car but...:
There isn't one single curve,edge or line on it that makes any of the senses tick, click or whatever you wanna call it.
And when bying a car especially at the top edge of the series the decision is quite governed by the senses am i wrong?

I can understand and appreciate the descrete and suttle look but funny enough, i was talking about this with my brother yesterday over lunch and while i was making a point on the Golf GTi (200 hp) he interrupted me and in an ubrupt tone said:"Are you willing to pay 33000euros (greek price) in order to live daily with a car that has the interior of a golf plus?" enough said...
Just my two cents...
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      06-12-2007, 12:26 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aesthetect View Post
yeah i think you certainly have to imagine it with different colors, like that was a base photo taken for general layout impressions.. or at least a little bit of contrast. but honestly the center dash (stereo and climate controls etc) looks really boring. and the triangular shift boot surround is kinda weird to me for some reason. but i can deal :biggrin:

(and thats the current EDM hatch version so it may be different anyway)
I think the triangular shift boot is here to stay for some time. I was just looking through the press release of the E92 M3 and the triangular shift boot is in that as well.
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