2008 BMW 1-Series: Tester's Comments
2008 BMW 1-Series ▼
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- MSRP: $28,600 - $39,100
- Invoice: $26,310 - $35,970
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Find out what the Consumer Guide Automotive testers had to say about the 2008 BMW 1-Series. See if the 2008 BMW 1-Series is right for you.
Vehicle Evaluated
| Make/Model: | 2008 BMW 135i |
|---|---|
| Trim Level: | 135i |
| Arrival Date: | 04/07/2008 |
| Engine: | Turbocharged dohc I6 |
| Bodystyle | 2-door coupe |
| Transmission: | 6-speed automatic |
| 4WD/AWD: | No |
| Base Price: | 34,900 |
| Price as Tested: | 46,370 |
| Mileage at Beginning of Test: | 2472 |
| Mileage at End of Test: | 2942 |
| Total Measured Miles: | 470 |
| Total Fuel Used: | 23.282 gals. |
| Consumer Guide Fuel Economy: | 20.19 mpg (what's this?) |
| Problems During Test: | None |
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Major Options
Metallic Blue Paint, Cold Weather Package (Skibag, Heated Front Seats), Premium Package (Universal Garage Door Opener, Digital Compass Mirror, Auto-Dimming Mirrors, Lumbar Support, BMW Assist), Sport Package (Sport Seats and Steering Wheel w/Paddles), Steptronic Automatic Transmission, Comfort Access System, Gray Poplar Wood Trim, iPod and LGB Adapter, Navigation System, HD Radio, Satellite Radio
From the Back Seat
Damon Bell
The 1-Series delivers a true BMW experience at entry-level base prices, but watch the options. This loaded 135i coupe stickered for a sobering $46,370: a judiciously equipped 3-Series, with its more generous passenger and cargo room, seems a much better deal to me at that price point.
Don Sikora
As you'd expect the BMW 1-Series is smaller than its big brother the 3-Series. It gives up size and interior room with little price discount but keeps the marque's legendary performance. There's a lot to like here if you can view the back seat as an extension of the trunk, but the best value will be for a lightly optioned example.
Ed Piotrowski
The BMW 135i is what happens when a Mini Cooper graduates college and gets a steady but high-paying job in the corporate world, yet isn't quite ready to completely abandon its frat-boy party lifestyle. The 135 is upscale and mature, yet it knows how and when to have a good time. It's a bit hard to swallow at $47,000, though. Equipped with only the cold weather package, steering wheel shift paddles, automatic transmission, and satellite radio, you're talking a couple hundred bills north of $38,000, a far more reasonable sum for a car that's fast, fun, and carries the cache of the BMW name.
John Biel
The turbocharged 135i coupe in this test was powerful, responsive, and thoroughly fun to drive in the best BMW traditions. It didn't hurt that it averaged almost 20 miles to a gallon of fuel. But load one up like this car was (topping $46,000 delivered) and you might start to wish that tab included some rear-seat passenger room and more cargo space--or that you had bought a 3-Series instead.
Tom Appel
Whether or not the 1-Series is worth the price has a lot to do with what you think this car is. Considered a discount 3-Series (something BMW never claimed this car would be), 1-Series fails. It's hardly less costly than the bigger 3, and gives up a chunk of passenger and cargo space. Compared to BMW's own Z4 coupe and convertible, the 1-Series is vastly less pricey, much roomier, and faster (Z4 M excluded) to boot. At $47,000, our tester seems expensive, but when you realize that its performance numbers approximate those of a $70,000 Porsche Cayman...this car seems like a bargain.
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