Consumer Guide spent over 400 miles in BMW's new entry-level coupe.
Model: 2008 BMW 1-Series 135i coupe; 300-horsepower 3.0-liter turbocharged 6-cylinder engine and 6-speed automatic transmission
Base Price: $34,900
Optional Equipment: 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
Price as Tested: $46,370
Total Miles Tested: 472 miles
Fuel Economy: 20.2 mpg
| Editors' Comments |
| 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! |
| 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. |
| 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, and you might start to wish that the tab included some rear-seat passenger room and more cargo space--or that you had bought a 3-Series instead. |
| 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, but isn't quite ready to completely abandon its frat-boy party lifestyle. The 135i is upscale and mature, yet it knows how and when to have a good time. It's a bit hard to swallow at nearly $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 cachet of the BMW name. |
| Don Sikora II: 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 is a lightly optioned example. |
Consumer Guide's test 2008 BMW 1-Series 135i coupe was priced at $46,370.
05.14.2008
