[diesel20]

Hi guys

So I drove the 125i hatch yesterday, REALLY impressed!

Couple of questions I have in terms of finalizing my spec.

H/K sound system. 12 or 13 speakers? The brochure is a bit ambiguous. Where are all these speakers? (I've already seen the forums general opinion is to not go for the hifi sound, go straight for H/K!)

I'm getting the M sport pack. I figure that a car of this level should have leather seats, especially when I look at the final cost after all the options
But I see the M sport has its own alcantara/cloth combo. What do you guys think of that combo? Or should I just go leather?

My spec that I'm thinking of includes M sport pack with 18" wheels. Xenons, sunroof, h/k sound, rear parking sensors and the interior comfort pack (dimming mirror, climate control, extended lights package).

Not sure about interior comfort pack. Could probably live without climate control although I do like it and use it as intended (most people seem to just set it to the coldest temp in summer and control the fan manually!). Not sure if the extended lights pack is worth it? The dimming mirror I like, but could add separately and it doesn't cost much.

Would like to trim a bit off the cost of my options, but coming from a well spec'd GTI I'm used to my toys!

What about these app's and extended bluetooth and stuff? The car comes standard with the usb/bluetooth and prof radio, is it worth adding anything to that? (navigation is just too expensive)

Finally I'm going for estoril blue. I would really like it with a grey leather interior but that's not available with the M sports pack. The brochure makes a couple of referencing to about speaking to dealers who can arrange special equipment etc, do you think there's any chance I could get them to build me one with grey leather even though it's not on their system as a colour combo?

Please also advise on any other options you think I should have.

Thanks for the help guys!

[sdk2007]

Have you thought about waiting for the 135i to become available soon? It comes standard with Xenons, M Brakes, upgraded Neveda leather and varible sports steering.
As these options are included in £30.5 price it's probably cheaper than a spec'ed up 125i.

[iBeech]

Originally Posted by diesel20

Hi guys

So I drove the 125i hatch yesterday, REALLY impressed!

Couple of questions I have in terms of finalizing my spec.

H/K sound system. 12 or 13 speakers? The brochure is a bit ambiguous. Where are all these speakers? (I've already seen the forums general opinion is to not go for the hifi sound, go straight for H/K!)

I'm getting the M sport pack. I figure that a car of this level should have leather seats, especially when I look at the final cost after all the options
But I see the M sport has its own alcantara/cloth combo. What do you guys think of that combo? Or should I just go leather?

My spec that I'm thinking of includes M sport pack with 18" wheels. Xenons, sunroof, h/k sound, rear parking sensors and the interior comfort pack (dimming mirror, climate control, extended lights package).

Not sure about interior comfort pack. Could probably live without climate control although I do like it and use it as intended (most people seem to just set it to the coldest temp in summer and control the fan manually!). Not sure if the extended lights pack is worth it? The dimming mirror I like, but could add separately and it doesn't cost much.

Would like to trim a bit off the cost of my options, but coming from a well spec'd GTI I'm used to my toys!

What about these app's and extended bluetooth and stuff? The car comes standard with the usb/bluetooth and prof radio, is it worth adding anything to that? (navigation is just too expensive)

Finally I'm going for estoril blue. I would really like it with a grey leather interior but that's not available with the M sports pack. The brochure makes a couple of referencing to about speaking to dealers who can arrange special equipment etc, do you think there's any chance I could get them to build me one with grey leather even though it's not on their system as a colour combo?

Please also advise on any other options you think I should have.

Thanks for the help guys!

1 mid in the centre dashboard
1 mid & 1 tweeter in passenger door
1 mid & 1 tweeter in drivers door
1 sub under passenger seat
1 sub under driver seat
2 mids & 2 tweeter in rear
1 mid or tweeter in rear left door (think its a mid)
1 mid or tweeter in rear right door (think its a mid)

thats 13 speakers

the alcantara, as people here will know my opinion, is 1st class, and the only reason i'd go for leather is if i had kids in the back. I'd go alcantara everytime.

climate control comes as standard in the UK on m-sport... but i would have added it, as i love that i just have to set the temperature for my compartment (my car pool buddy likes a different temp than i do)

adding the enhanced bluetooth is a must- as it allows you to connect your ipod directly via USB; if you dont go for it, you have to buy a stupid Y cable to fit your iPhone. You also gain multiple devices connected simultaneously, and audio over bluetooth.

Apps and that other stuff you can only get on navigation systems.

Dealers can arrange for extras, but they are expensive.

Estoril Blue ftw!

[dubman]

Originally Posted by iBeech

1 mid in the centre dashboard
1 mid & 1 tweeter in passenger door
1 mid & 1 tweeter in drivers door
1 sub under passenger seat
1 sub under driver seat
2 mids & 2 tweeter in rear
1 mid or tweeter in rear left door (think its a mid)
1 mid or tweeter in rear right door (think its a mid)

thats 13 speakers

Interesting. This says 12:
http://www.bmw.harmankardon.com/en/v...cal-5door.aspx

[Superspeed]

Hello and welcome!

M-sport is really good value for money, and it gives the car a new and quite aggressive look. The M-interior is sporty and comfortable as well. The cloth/alcantara combination looks more classy than the Dakota leather if you ask me
Also in my opinion a black interior suits the Estoril exterior better than grey, so I would stick to the standard interior and save the leather money for other goodies.
I don't care for the sunroof either, it is expensive and just messes up the nice black inner roof.

Where I do recommend to put your money is:
- M-sport
- Xenon
- Navi pro
- Auto climate (since it works so perfectly)
- Extended info display
- DAB radio
- Rear view camera
- Folding rear seats 40/20/40
- Storage pack
- Visibility pack
- All the small multimedia options, giving you full flexibility around phone, external devices, internet, BMW Apps etc. Not very expensive if you already have got navi pro, but gives you the latest in technology, is fun, and makes the car attractive the day you sell it.

If you stretch your budget further you might consider:
- Adaptive lights
- Harman Kardon (if you normally plays music in the car you will appreciate it)
- Speed limit info
- Lane Departure

This is my personal view, based on the experiences I have with my own 120. I could definitly live without the last 4 options, but would really miss the first 11

Anyway the F20 is such a great car so you can't go wrong no matter how you spec it.

[ovekvam]

I think it depends on how long time you want to own the car. If you sell it after a year or two, the entertainment electronics will still be up to date. However, when the car is 5+ years old, the buyers will point at it and laugh. The speed of development is still very rapid in the consumer electronics business. The car manufacturers are working hard to compete even with a modern cell phone the week the car is launched, and it only goes downhill from there.

If you are keeping the car for a while, I would skip ALL the entertainment stuff, and just get a dashboard mount for a modern cell phone...

[wadded]

Really interested to hear more comments from you on the drive of the 125i, especially as like you I'm also coming from a GTI.

I havent had the oppo to test drive the 125i, only 120d.

How would you say it compares to the GTI in terms of drivability/immersion/sound, etc.

Thx

[AusF20/F48]

To answer those interested; The 125i is slightly quicker than the GTI, better built, rear wheel drive and looks fab in Estoril Blue. As far as extras you will think when you get yours 'I should have got the ###' Just do it. As far as the price difference between the 125i and 135i there is a $25K difference in base prices

[AusF20/F48]

Unless you are on the autobahn or want to pass 50 cars at a time, the 125i is not much slower than the 135i around town and being slightly lighter in the front end so it should have a better weight distribution for handling. I am sure the 135i is going to be a rocket ship, however I need a five door at present.
You can order a 'Individual' F20 but be prepared to wait for it and pay a lot. I agree that the 135i base model has some extras included and is value against a fully otpioned 125i but when you add the goodies to the 135i, the price may be too high for some.

[wadded]

Originally Posted by AusF20

Unless you are on the autobahn or want to pass 50 cars at a time, the 125i is not much slower than the 135i around town and being slightly lighter in the front end so it should have a better weight distribution for handling. I am sure the 135i is going to be a rocket ship, however I need a five door at present.
You can order a 'Individual' F20 but be prepared to wait for it and pay a lot. I agree that the 135i base model has some extras included and is value against a fully otpioned 125i but when you add the goodies to the 135i, the price may be too high for some.

Not forgetting the MPG and Road Tax, which the latter in the UK made the 135i way out of reach at least for me. The base price doesn't seem so different, but given these two additional factors the 135i will work out quite a bit more pricey in the long run.

Oh and one other thing the dealers don't seem to want to offer any deals on the 135i as they did the 125i.

[Patrick BMW]

For my 125 in Estoril blue, I've gone for the black leather. I didn't go for the pro nav either ... as already mentioned, the things develop so fast that they're soon out of date, and they're not a cheap option. I didn't go for the H/K either for that reason.

[diesel20]

Originally Posted by sdk2007

Have you thought about waiting for the 135i to become available soon? It comes standard with Xenons, M Brakes, upgraded Neveda leather and varible sports steering.
As these options are included in £30.5 price it's probably cheaper than a spec'ed up 125i.

South Africa might not have all of those options as standard. The Pricing for the 135i has been releases here and while it might not work out that much more expensive than a 125i in the spec I want, it's starting to get into 328i territory which was actually my first choice. As it is, the 125i I've specc'd is a little over budget, but when spending so much I'd rather get everything I want, rather than drop options I would like but aren't that significant in the overall price.

[diesel20]

Originally Posted by iBeech

1 mid in the centre dashboard
1 mid & 1 tweeter in passenger door
1 mid & 1 tweeter in drivers door
1 sub under passenger seat
1 sub under driver seat
2 mids & 2 tweeter in rear
1 mid or tweeter in rear left door (think its a mid)
1 mid or tweeter in rear right door (think its a mid)

thats 13 speakers

the alcantara, as people here will know my opinion, is 1st class, and the only reason i'd go for leather is if i had kids in the back. I'd go alcantara everytime.

climate control comes as standard in the UK on m-sport... but i would have added it, as i love that i just have to set the temperature for my compartment (my car pool buddy likes a different temp than i do)

adding the enhanced bluetooth is a must- as it allows you to connect your ipod directly via USB; if you dont go for it, you have to buy a stupid Y cable to fit your iPhone. You also gain multiple devices connected simultaneously, and audio over bluetooth.

Apps and that other stuff you can only get on navigation systems.

Dealers can arrange for extras, but they are expensive.

Estoril Blue ftw!

The dealer said that I could connect my ipod, i I just needed to buy the Y cable bmw cable as it has the basic bluetooth/usb standard? If this is correct I'll be happy to just buy the cable. I don't use my iphone for music, it would be nice to have that clip in cradle for it so it can charge and use the cars aerial.. but just not sure if that's worth the money.

[diesel20]

Originally Posted by dubman

Interesting. This says 12:
http://www.bmw.harmankardon.com/en/v...cal-5door.aspx

Thanks for this! Does anybody have a pic of the rear speakers? Would like to see them just out of curiosity. Tried out the H/K system in a 3 series at the dealership which I assume is the same system, very awesome!

[diesel20]

Originally Posted by Superspeed

Hello and welcome!

M-sport is really good value for money, and it gives the car a new and quite aggressive look. The M-interior is sporty and comfortable as well. The cloth/alcantara combination looks more classy than the Dakota leather if you ask me
Also in my opinion a black interior suits the Estoril exterior better than grey, so I would stick to the standard interior and save the leather money for other goodies.
I don't care for the sunroof either, it is expensive and just messes up the nice black inner roof.

Where I do recommend to put your money is:
- M-sport
- Xenon
- Navi pro
- Auto climate (since it works so perfectly)
- Extended info display
- DAB radio
- Rear view camera
- Folding rear seats 40/20/40
- Storage pack
- Visibility pack
- All the small multimedia options, giving you full flexibility around phone, external devices, internet, BMW Apps etc. Not very expensive if you already have got navi pro, but gives you the latest in technology, is fun, and makes the car attractive the day you sell it.

If you stretch your budget further you might consider:
- Adaptive lights
- Harman Kardon (if you normally plays music in the car you will appreciate it)
- Speed limit info
- Lane Departure

This is my personal view, based on the experiences I have with my own 120. I could definitly live without the last 4 options, but would really miss the first 11

Anyway the F20 is such a great car so you can't go wrong no matter how you spec it.

Another vote for cloth/alcantara I see! My concern (and no offence to anybody who has this option) is that the cloth inserts on the doors look a little cheap in some of the pictures. I haven't been able to see the combo in person, the first M sport 1 series have just arrived here and the only cars around have leather. If the material has a decent quality to it then it wont be a problem, going for leather just seems "safer" from a resale point of view, although it's quite pricey so I think I'm gonna drop it and go for the standard combo.

At least it's a bit different from the common leather and has the nice blue touches to tie up. Is it not a bit of overkill though, a blue exterior, blue interior trim finishers and bits of blue in the cloth?

Storage pack I don't know what that is? (maybe standard on south african cars?)

Visibility pack is I assume the one with the adaptive xenons (have spent lots of times in cars with them, wouldn't spend the money over normal xenons)

Nav pro is nice but just too expensive. Please tell me about the extended info display?

In south africa I doubt I'll get any money back on any options except for the M sport pack and the auto box. Worried that not having leather will penalize me, but for the rest of the stuff I know I wont get a cent back. So trying to limit options as much as possible, but there is so much awesome stuff to add to the car!

So used to having climate control on my car that when I drove a company car the other day without I was constantly fiddling with the heater settings and it was driving me mad. But maybe that car just had a junky system that only seemed to be able to provide fire hot air (it's winter here)

[diesel20]

Originally Posted by wadded

Really interested to hear more comments from you on the drive of the 125i, especially as like you I'm also coming from a GTI.

I havent had the oppo to test drive the 125i, only 120d.

How would you say it compares to the GTI in terms of drivability/immersion/sound, etc.

Thx

As much as I have always been a bmw fan, I'm also quite critical of the cars I buy so I'm not a "brand slut". When buying my GTI I was choosing between that or an old shape (new at the time) 120i. The 120i just couldn't compare in terms of power, toys, styling.

The new one is completely different. The power compared to a GTI is BREATHTAKING! Comparing the 8 speed auto to my regular 6 speed in my GTI isn't fair, but the auto is really a new breed of auto that makes manuals seems archaic. Especially when driven aggressively how it always manages to keep the car in the sweet spot. The 8 speed auto is also streets ahead any DSG box I've driven.

In terms of getting the power down, being FWD was always a short coming in the GTI and the 125i is just so much better in that respect. The handling again is just better, the road holding and steering is all just better.

The interior now feels like a real quality item. Again better than the GTI whereas the old 1 series wasn't as good.

Honestly, except for the fact that the 1 series needs more costly options and works out to be quite a bit more expensive than a GTI, it's a far better car in every way. In fact I believe it easily justifies it's heavier price tag. It is magnificent to drive and really feels quite special.

Put it this way, I went to the bmw dealership just to check one out, wasn't hugely enthusiastic. Saw an estoril sports pack one with xenons and 18"'s and fell in love, drove one and new I had to have it. You won't be disappointed.

[AusF20/F48]

If you are worried about loosing the value of the goodies you add, consider this, you will have the car for three to five years depending on your repayments or depreication. If you want to really enjoy the experience for the duration, my advice is to add as many 'build only' extras to the 125i you can afford at present as they cannot be added after. The reality here is that the car is for "sheer driving pleasure" and you spend all your time inside, so work out what you can live with and what you can live without then order it. Buy it now then when the update M tune chip and exhaust (180 to 210kw) arrives, take the car to the next level of 328i + horses and enjoy the added pleasure of it be lighter and more agile than a 328i and far less expensive.

[dubman]

Originally Posted by diesel20

Thanks for this! Does anybody have a pic of the rear speakers? Would like to see them just out of curiosity. Tried out the H/K system in a 3 series at the dealership which I assume is the same system, very awesome!

The 3 series one is higher spec - 16 speakers & 625W.

[diesel20]

Originally Posted by dubman

The 3 series one is higher spec - 16 speakers & 625W.

Ah that sucks, and there's only a small price difference in the price of the option on the two.

I hope the 1 series system doesn't disappoint...

[wadded]

Originally Posted by diesel20

As much as I have always been a bmw fan, I'm also quite critical of the cars I buy so I'm not a "brand slut". When buying my GTI I was choosing between that or an old shape (new at the time) 120i. The 120i just couldn't compare in terms of power, toys, styling.

The new one is completely different. The power compared to a GTI is BREATHTAKING! Comparing the 8 speed auto to my regular 6 speed in my GTI isn't fair, but the auto is really a new breed of auto that makes manuals seems archaic. Especially when driven aggressively how it always manages to keep the car in the sweet spot. The 8 speed auto is also streets ahead any DSG box I've driven.

In terms of getting the power down, being FWD was always a short coming in the GTI and the 125i is just so much better in that respect. The handling again is just better, the road holding and steering is all just better.

The interior now feels like a real quality item. Again better than the GTI whereas the old 1 series wasn't as good.

Honestly, except for the fact that the 1 series needs more costly options and works out to be quite a bit more expensive than a GTI, it's a far better car in every way. In fact I believe it easily justifies it's heavier price tag. It is magnificent to drive and really feels quite special.

Put it this way, I went to the bmw dealership just to check one out, wasn't hugely enthusiastic. Saw an estoril sports pack one with xenons and 18"'s and fell in love, drove one and new I had to have it. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks for the feedback on the GTI comparison..really starting to get excited now. Since losing my GTI I've been driving a temp GTD, so the step to the 125i should be even more noticeable.

I heard from the dealer yesterday that arrival date is currently July 16th, so fingers crossed it sticks to this or perhaps even earlier.

[dubman]

Originally Posted by diesel20

Ah that sucks, and there's only a small price difference in the price of the option on the two.

I hope the 1 series system doesn't disappoint...

I've ordered it. Everyone on this board that has it says it's great

[MartinHattingh]

Originally Posted by diesel20

As much as I have always been a bmw fan, I'm also quite critical of the cars I buy so I'm not a "brand slut". When buying my GTI I was choosing between that or an old shape (new at the time) 120i. The 120i just couldn't compare in terms of power, toys, styling.

The new one is completely different. The power compared to a GTI is BREATHTAKING! Comparing the 8 speed auto to my regular 6 speed in my GTI isn't fair, but the auto is really a new breed of auto that makes manuals seems archaic. Especially when driven aggressively how it always manages to keep the car in the sweet spot. The 8 speed auto is also streets ahead any DSG box I've driven.

In terms of getting the power down, being FWD was always a short coming in the GTI and the 125i is just so much better in that respect. The handling again is just better, the road holding and steering is all just better.

The interior now feels like a real quality item. Again better than the GTI whereas the old 1 series wasn't as good.

Honestly, except for the fact that the 1 series needs more costly options and works out to be quite a bit more expensive than a GTI, it's a far better car in every way. In fact I believe it easily justifies it's heavier price tag. It is magnificent to drive and really feels quite special.

Put it this way, I went to the bmw dealership just to check one out, wasn't hugely enthusiastic. Saw an estoril sports pack one with xenons and 18"'s and fell in love, drove one and new I had to have it. You won't be disappointed.

It's great to hear a direct GTI comparison, I've wondered a few times how they'd stack up. I was quite heavily pushed towards the VW side by family when looking at my 118i (specifically the Polo GTI), but of course I stuck to my guns. Good to hear though from someone with real-life experience that the usually mythical Golf GTI is outshined by the 125i.

Where in SA are you?