trade my Z for a bmw 135i?

Push370zzz

Hey sorry I took so long to respond. I actually sold my 09 370z for a 08 135i, and am now back in a 13 370z.

I loved the 370z but at that time I was still in school and it was terribly impractical. The 135i was a blast and the extra space/seats was much appreciated. It was also a noticeably "nicer" car, though not a huge improvement.

The 135i was easily the fastest car. Stock it was quick and very easy to drive, but modified it was a monster. I had a JB4 and the windshield wiper reservoir methanol injection kit, both from Burger Tuning. I never took it to a dyno, but people with the same modifications as me were at 390 whp and 450 wtq. The car was very, very fast. I could basically be going 40 and a couple of seconds later be close to 70mph. It was very fun around town and could beat pretty much any car I came across.

I absolutely loved the car, but I wouldn't buy one again. The problems with the 1 series are mainly:

1) It's pretty ugly/old looking now, the design came out in 2004 overseas and 2008 in the states, so it's over 10 years old
2) The suspension and handling is crap. It's fun enough for twisty roads but the thing has 215s up front and has terrible understeer. You cannot reasonably fix it, and it's not worth it to try. Do not think this will have the lovely handling of the E46 or E92.
3) Maintenance is truly a nightmare. I sold mine 2 weeks before it went out of warranty and I'm glad I did. In the 12 months I owned it, I had the HPFP go bad which left me stranded and the air intake tube cracked also leaving me stranded. Not horrible but not great considering I had it for 12 months and only 10k miles.

In short, it's a great car with some notable issues. It's cheap and easy to mod, but if you want big power you almost have to get an N54 (2008-2010) with the actual twin turbo and not the single they cleverly call a "twin scroll". The N55 is not nearly as mod friendly and IMO not worth going for if your whole desire is power. This poses a problem though as the car will be out of warranty and WILL cost you some money.

The 135i is basically a small German muscle car. I will remember it forever and always look back fondly, but there is no way I'd buy one again. If you really have the itch for it I would look at the M235i. It's a much better car in every way.

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Range Rover Sport Supercharged
Nissan 370z Touring + Sport