|
I just joined the forum - mainly because dmboone25, my office neighbor and friend posted this piece on our driving experiences yesterday; I wanted to comment as well.
It's interesting to read the comments responding to his post.
I'll introduce myself. I bought my 135i (which is a 2009 not a 2008) last summer from a Lexus dealer here in TX. I bought the car because previously I had a 2004 e46 M3 that I drove until the SMG pump failed and the repair cost wasn't something I was willing to consider at the time. I then went bimmerless for appx 9 months before I bought the 1er.
Honestly, the 1er is just OK. I really was trying to recapture - what I could of the e46 M3 (but I wanted to newer car).
I say this to say, I drive a 135i but I'm not loyal to it. I had buyer's remorse when I purchased it- and still do from time to time. It looks funny sometimes. Sometimes the N54 can feel laggy. Nothing like the s54 throttle response. But it's what I drive. And to top it off, some people in the office joke that I drive a girly car... (I admit the headlights don't help)
So when dmboone25 suggested the car swap - I was all for it. I think the 2er looks much better. And it probably is a better car. The seats where better, the styling is better, the ride is more comfortable... and if it were available when I decided to buy the 1er, I would've have passed on the 1.
But he's right, there is a definite difference in the feel of the 2 cars. The 1 feels "more raw" or "less refined" than the 2. It's true, the 1 enjoyed much less favorable press than did the 2. It's true on paper the performance #s of the 2 are better than the 1; the C&D numbers (which are always absurd) are repeatably better for the 2.
But we all also know the n54 is a bit variable in its true output. We know that drives vary between drivers. We were both surprised when the 1er pulled ever so slightly ahead of the 2er; and it was slight (plus we don't know what would've happened if we kept pushing). Many factors could be at play. But we both expected a different outcome. We expected the M235 to be the clear victor.
I will hook the Go-pro up and we will do some video comparisions... I suspect we will not solve anything, but I guarentee it'll be some damn good videos...
|