128i Coupe

[daiheadjai]

Looking at the 128i as my next fun commuter and occasional family hauler.
I've got a toddler in a rear-facing Diono R120 seat, and the car would need to be able to handle the prospect of another rear-facing child seat.

Been reading around, and it seems the 128i has the boot space and cabin space to fit 2 rear-facing child seats, a stroller, and still has decent room for front seat occupants (I'm not tall, at 5' 8, and my wife is 5' 1).

I miss RWD for a year-round daily driver, but the BRZ size is just not that feasible for 2 kids and a stroller (trunk is just too shallow; ingress/egress seems to be worse than a larger coupe like the 1 series).

I'd be looking at the 128i with manual due to the lower cost for maintenance and consumables, as well as the better reliability.

Anyone have experiences with these?
How does it compare to the Twins?

[spralwers]

I just got a 128i instead of buying a new 86.

When you say 128i has lower maintenance and better reliability, do you mean compared to a 135i? If so yes. If compared to an 86, absolutely no way.

The 128i needs a rigid aftermarket suspension to have anything remotely comparable to the proper feeling of agility-at-speed that the 86 has. Otherwise it really feels like a boat in comparison, and you won't get that feeling of going fast at low speeds. I was lucky that the 128i I got had the roughest aftermarket shocks Bilstein makes for the car (think they're the B12s?). I still prefer the 86 suspension, but I don't get the feeling of needing more with this one.

YMMV but I really don't like the shifter in this car, I'll be getting an aftermarket kit installed at some point.

The gearing is very tall and meant for cruising on the autobahn at 90+ mph/140+ kph. I typically drive 70 mph at most, so I get better mpg cruising in 5th gear than 6th. On top of that, the tall gearing destroys that immediate off the line eagerness that you get in the 86. Also the 128i uses an open diff. So I plan to get an LSD with a higher number final drive ratio, then I can drift in the parking lots like crazy when it snows, and make use of all the gears. If you don't drive at autobahn speeds, also recommend adding the shorter final drive ratio to the LSD.

No matter what you do it won't handle with the grace of the 86, but the inline 6 is extremely good. My driving is more straight than curved, so for my one car, a cooler engine is more enjoyable than cooler handling and lighter weight.

Basically, if you want to enjoy this car in the same way you enjoy the twins, you're gonna have to do a bunch of aftermarket stuff. You won't get all the way there, but you can get close enough depending on your driving conditions.

[daiheadjai]

Originally Posted by spralwers

I just got a 128i instead of buying a new 86.

When you say 128i has lower maintenance and better reliability, do you mean compared to a 135i? If so yes. If compared to an 86, absolutely no way.

The 128i needs a rigid aftermarket suspension to have anything remotely comparable to the proper feeling of agility-at-speed that the 86 has. Otherwise it really feels like a boat in comparison, and you won't get that feeling of going fast at low speeds. I was lucky that the 128i I got had the roughest aftermarket shocks Bilstein makes for the car (think they're the B12s?). I still prefer the 86 suspension, but I don't get the feeling of needing more with this one.

YMMV but I really don't like the shifter in this car, I'll be getting an aftermarket kit installed at some point.

The gearing is very tall and meant for cruising on the autobahn at 90+ mph/140+ kph. I typically drive 70 mph at most, so I get better mpg cruising in 5th gear than 6th. On top of that, the tall gearing destroys that immediate off the line eagerness that you get in the 86. Also the 128i uses an open diff. So I plan to get an LSD with a higher number final drive ratio, then I can drift in the parking lots like crazy when it snows, and make use of all the gears. If you don't drive at autobahn speeds, also recommend adding the shorter final drive ratio to the LSD.

No matter what you do it won't handle with the grace of the 86, but the inline 6 is extremely good. My driving is more straight than curved, so for my one car, a cooler engine is more enjoyable than cooler handling and lighter weight.

Basically, if you want to enjoy this car in the same way you enjoy the twins, you're gonna have to do a bunch of aftermarket stuff. You won't get all the way there, but you can get close enough depending on your driving conditions.

Thanks for the great reply!
Yes, absolutely I meant the 128i has lower maintenance costs than the 135i (and definitely not the BRZ/86).

I'm definitely not expecting something that handles as well as the Twins, but in terms of relatively lightweight (the 128i is still ~3,200lbs), RWD, manual cars with sporty-ish aspirations which can also handle daily driving family duties, there just aren't that many options. I consider the RX8 the closest to fitting the bill, but the huge reliability questions, and the costs to own (maintenance, oil and gas, etc) make it difficult to justify.
The 128i seems a practical fuel-sipper in comparison.

How is the steering on the 128i? One of the things I'd like to experience, is a well-sorted hydraulic steering rack.
I have a S2000 with EPS, and had the BRZ before that - also briefly had a used 2006 TSX with hydraulic steering, but that car was an absolute lemon (due to prior owners) so I'm not using it as a comparison point.

How does the e-diff feel?


Toyota could save me a headache by just building the 4-door 86 from the rumour mill years ago....

[lc300]

Originally Posted by daiheadjai

Looking at the 128i as my next fun commuter and occasional family hauler.
I've got a toddler in a rear-facing Diono R120 seat, and the car would need to be able to handle the prospect of another rear-facing child seat.

Been reading around, and it seems the 128i has the boot space and cabin space to fit 2 rear-facing child seats, a stroller, and still has decent room for front seat occupants (I'm not tall, at 5' 8, and my wife is 5' 1).

I miss RWD for a year-round daily driver, but the BRZ size is just not that feasible for 2 kids and a stroller (trunk is just too shallow; ingress/egress seems to be worse than a larger coupe like the 1 series).

I'd be looking at the 128i with manual due to the lower cost for maintenance and consumables, as well as the better reliability.

Anyone have experiences with these?
How does it compare to the Twins?

I was planning on getting a 128i instead of my current BRZ, but the deal didn’t fall through. Interior of the 128i is very plain and minimal. I don’t mind it and the quality seems alright.

I wanted a 128i because it was the last naturally aspirated in-line 6 that BMW has made. They’re fairly trouble free besides the common gaskets wearing out. Valve cover, oil housing, etc. I believe the engine in it is very similar to the ones used in the E46. I feel like this car offers the refinement necessary for daily driving and is still RWD and fun without scraficing too much. I wasn’t able to drive one extensively, but I doubt it’ll be as capable as a pure sports car, but that’s not what you’re looking for anyway.

I wouldn’t settle for a 128i without the m tech package. It looks so much better and you’ll have the sport seats as well. Try to look for one that’s the face lift model as well. I occasionally see these pop up, but they’re mostly in Quebec.

Also consider a 228i with warranty remaining. 2014s I’ve seen range from 19000-25000.

Are you planning on selling the s2000?

[daiheadjai]

Originally Posted by lc300

I was planning on getting a 128i instead of my current BRZ, but the deal didn’t fall through. Interior of the 128i is very plain and minimal. I don’t mind it and the quality seems alright.

I wanted a 128i because it was the last naturally aspirated in-line 6 that BMW has made. They’re fairly trouble free besides the common gaskets wearing out. Valve cover, oil housing, etc. I believe the engine in it is very similar to the ones used in the E46. I feel like this car offers the refinement necessary for daily driving and is still RWD and fun without scraficing too much. I wasn’t able to drive one extensively, but I doubt it’ll be as capable as a pure sports car, but that’s not what you’re looking for anyway.

I wouldn’t settle for a 128i without the m tech package. It looks so much better and you’ll have the sport seats as well. Try to look for one that’s the face lift model as well. I occasionally see these pop up, but they’re mostly in Quebec.

Also consider a 228i with warranty remaining. 2014s I’ve seen range from 19000-25000.

Are you planning on selling the s2000?

Thanks for the detailed reply.
Not planning to sell the S2000 - but that's purely a summer car and only has 2 seats so it can't do family duties.

Being from the area, you probably understand why I'd go for something a little bit less hardcore on the handling focus than the 86 (Toronto roads are boring as hell, and traffic means an open off-ramp/on-ramp isn't guaranteed), and a bit more of a complete package.

Good suggestion on the 228i though - although I'm tempted to stick with the 128i for the lower price point, and more raw feel (not sure if the 228i maintains the hydraulic steering and inline 6). The 128i also seems to have less complex infotainment, which I like (I'll upgrade it myself if I need to).

[spralwers]

I've heard conflicting things, but my 128i at least is tuned to run on regular octane gas, so I use that. My winter mpg is roughly 28. Should go up to around 30-31 when it's warm out, we'll have to see. Then I'll have to try some tanks of high octane and see if anything changes there. The shorter final drive LSD should bump it up a little too, the shorter gearing means less gas will be required to accelerate, and the 6th gear can be used for cruising at the lower-than-autobahn speeds.

128i steering is fine. It's not noticeably any different than the E46 I used to have.

I've never really tested the e-diff, couldn't tell you about that. Next snowfall I'll try it out.

The 128i N51/N52 engine is better than the M54 on the E46s. Better power with similar efficiency. But that's the way it should be anyway.

[JIM THEO]

A 2 series coupe is by far better car than any 1 series in every aspect, before I bought the BRZ I test drove them both, the 220 (i or d) I drove is closest to BRZ/GT86 philosophy if that matters for you.

[daiheadjai]

Originally Posted by JIM THEO

A 2 series coupe is by far better car than any 1 series in every aspect, before I bought the BRZ I test drove them both, the 220 (i or d) I drove is closest to BRZ/GT86 philosophy if that matters for you.

Thanks - I'll do some research on the 228i (we don't get the 220i/d) and see if anything drops into my price range when I'm ready to buy!