My Test Drive Review

[AdamG1164]

I ordered my 135 sight unseen in late February based upon what i had read about the car and pictures posted on the net. It is currently on the Ship "Dyvi Pamplona", with an est. arrival date in Charleston of 4/24. It should be at my dealer here in Tampa in early May. Anyways, now having had a chance to actually see the car in person and to have driven it, I clearly made the right choice, this car is awesome.
I ordered an auto with the sport package/paddle shifters and the demo car was the same. The car looks better in person than in pictures. In no way does it look fat or bloated or "pudgy", its georgeous and aggressive looking, just the right size. To compare, the dealer had an M3 demo sitting next to the 135 and honestly, the M3 looked fat and heavy, like something my grand dad should be driving. The wheels, tires and big BMW lettering on the brakes looked great.
The car handles amazingly, the steering is super tight and responsive and the big meaty steering wheel in the sport package feels great, although a bit "rubbery" like i continuously wanted to squeeze it tighter. The brakes are friggin phenominal, it took a few taps to get use to the feel but the car stops on the proverbial dime. I've driven a stick shift car in the past (96' Cobra) and let me tell you i wont miss it. The auto with the manual mode has all the fun of shifting without the hassel of a clutch or worrying about getting stuck in commuter traffic. I could care less if anyone thinks im less of a driver for ordering this auto, I know how to drive a stick, ive driven several, and i wont miss them, this car has the best of both worlds.
The a/c worked great, freezing cold in like 1 minute here in hot ass Florida. My only complaint is the std stereo in this car sounded like crap. I ordered the premium sound system so I'm crossing my fingers it is somewhat of an improvement, I'm not really wanting to have to go aftermarket and spend 2500$ or so on a decent stereo. The demo had the black metallic paint which looked great and the red leather interior, also looked and felt great. I chose the leather upgrade, because, well, leather is leather. In a car this expensive having fake seats just screams "I spent every last cent on this car but just couldnt do it the right way" If you are buying a BMW, get leather for crying out loud. Anyways, this was just my 2 cents worth. I am clearly not a "writer" but I had always wanted to post a review of a car.
no doubt you will enjoy this car for years to come.

My car on order: 135 coupe
Titanium Silver Metallic
Black Boston Leather
Auto w/sport package
Glacier Aluminum interior trim
Premium Audio

[pinksnyper]

if im less a BMW owner for ordering leatherette then ,sir, are you less a driver for driving auto??

just saying, people have their own opinions. on your choices included

[GT3]

I saw the new M3 for the first time in person on Thursday. I agree, it was much bigger than I expected. Still gorgeous though. The size has just got a little unwieldy over the generations. It is more a true GT now, which I assume is what BMW intended. Still a sick car though!

Bring on the ///M1 :thumbup:

[kbimmer135i]

yeh, that's what i m saying. it's a bimmer! gotta go with the leather. plus it's a long term investment cuz you'll be sitting on that chair for a good couple of years... if not 6 years, at least 4 years. GOOD CHOICE!

i took ordered the car back in august 07 without test driving and seeing the car but i knew bmw wouldn't let me down.

[beeme]

Precisely because I am keeping the car for a long time I went with 'ette. After seeing a lot of used BMWs with destroyed leather seats, including my brother's, it was an easy decision. Plus I don't really see this car as a luxurious car. When I get my 5 or 7 series in a distant future, leather will be a must but for the 1er, I think 'ette is the way to go, unless you want the exotic colors (coral, terra, lemon). But thats just my opinion. Otherwise, nice review.

[buckwheat986]

Originally Posted by beeme

Precisely because I am keeping the car for a long time I went with 'ette. After seeing a lot of used BMWs with destroyed leather seats, including my brother's, it was an easy decision. Plus I don't really see this car as a luxurious car. When I get my 5 or 7 series in a distant future, leather will be a must but for the 1er, I think 'ette is the way to go, unless you want the exotic colors (coral, terra, lemon). But thats just my opinion. Otherwise, nice review.

you make a good point...leatherette does hold up better in the long haul and its easy to keep clean...

leather will also last a long time...but you need to detail it properly...

to OP...best of luck with new ride....glad to hear it exceeded your expectactions.

[jdlnmia]

Well said!

Originally Posted by pinksnyper

if im less a BMW owner for ordering leatherette then ,sir, are you less a driver for driving auto??

just saying, people have their own opinions. on your choices included

[raisemyrent]

I had to get leather because it was the only red option.
I agree, I ordered the car without having, oh oh, I was going to lie, I saw it at the autoshow and had sat in it... so never mind. I ordered it without having driven it, but I knew BMW wouldn't let me down.
(rant)
guys, they should have instead of demo car, loaner cars...
a good 10 cars per dealership, well broken in, dealer loaners for all of those addicts like us who have ordered a car and are now waiting for it to make the trek back from its bavarian homeland.

edit: by loaner cars I mean loaner 135is or whatever you ordered.

[Bizall]

Could continue on with power vs. manual seats...just because of a brand name, doesn't mean you are obligated to have a certain option. I understand some reasoning being when you sell and retail, but hell...you will enjoy the car for at least a few years, so get what you want, not what is stereotypical of a bimmer. Oh...and congrats and 95% agree with your review.:biggrin:

[AdamG1164]

For those I have apparently offended by disparaging comments re leather v. ette', I humbly apologize. It wasnt meant to degrade, it was merely my observation (in my humble opinion) that it appears somewhat odd to purchase a nearly 40,000$ automobile and yet have a common, non- premium interior fabric, it almost seems like it should be std and not even have to be an option at this price level....

[atr_hugo]

Adam - you opened a can of worms. ; -) Congrats on the new car. Great review, thanks!

[buckwheat986]

Originally Posted by bmwzone

'ette is the ONLY way to go on this car... period

why do you say so?

more rugged?

[chriscecc914]

Originally Posted by beeme

Precisely because I am keeping the car for a long time I went with 'ette. After seeing a lot of used BMWs with destroyed leather seats, including my brother's, it was an easy decision. Plus I don't really see this car as a luxurious car. When I get my 5 or 7 series in a distant future, leather will be a must but for the 1er, I think 'ette is the way to go, unless you want the exotic colors (coral, terra, lemon). But thats just my opinion. Otherwise, nice review.

I went with the 'ette for this same reason. And its lighter and lighter = faster :thumbup:

[ChrisK]

First, I want to say that I am extremely anal. :smile:

...so I lotion my leather seats once a month in the summer months, and the leather looks just like new 4 years later.

Leather must be cared for.

However...I do agree, that most people wouldn't know the difference between leather and leatherette.

[bimmerfile]

I had 'ette in my Z4 and the seats looked and felt as new after 5+ years.
It looks like leather, but wears like iron..
That's why I went with with 'ette on my 1er Cab..

[buckwheat986]

Originally Posted by carnut

I had 'ette in my Z4 and the seats looked and felt as new after 5+ years.
It looks like leather, but wears like iron..
That's why I went with with 'ette on my 1er Cab..

hey I know that car from roadfly...


GL with the little one...

...and I agree that ette is not a bad choice at all...

[imported_Katera]

The Boston leather in our 1's is pretty high quality. If you take care of it I honestly don't see it breaking down anytime soon. If you like leatherette or can't afford leather that is one thing, but saying it's not going to hold up over time is not really a good reason.

Thanks for the review. Also, the Auto in this car is great. Don't give it a second thought, you will love it especially if you drive in traffic. I recently switched from the auto to manual, but only because I will not be driving it in daily traffic like I thought I would. Grats on the car!

[turbomg]

Originally Posted by chriskurn

...so I lotion my leather seats once a month in the summer months, and the leather looks just like new 4 years later.

With what?

[buckwheat986]

Originally Posted by turbomg

With what?

this should go under detailing...


not sure what chris uses..

but the lexol brand is good as is the eom BMW leather product....

I also like the zymol leather cleaner...they are not hard to use...but its good to be consistant with their use.

[N54 powered]

The 'ette comment was pretty funny. You're the one that bought an AUTO sports car. I could see if it was a DSG style tansmission but its a regular slush box matted to paddle shifters. BOOOORING! :iono:

But hey its your dime so and thats what you wanted so enjoy the car!

[InsaneSkippy]

Sheesh people, if you don't like leather don't order it. If you don't like leatherette than get leather. What does it matter to everyone? It's not like you'll be driving his car.

This forum is a place for facts and OPINIONS. Everyone has different tastes/opinions. I think that's something that a lot of people on here either neglect to recognize, or simply don't care about.

[vivid]

I love the leather... IMO it feels and holds up better.