Is smaller better? Hitting 60 mph in 4.7 seconds is certainly a compelling opening argument.


It is often said that “small is beautiful.” And when it comes to cars, small quite often is beautiful. Certainly the diminutive and lightweight Lotus Elise is a beautiful thing. But pushed too far, the idea of small can start to get ugly—the Smart Fortwo comes to mind. So maybe the adage should be smaller is beautiful. Smaller doesn’t necessarily mean tiny, though. In the case of the BMW 135i, smaller simply means smaller than a 3-series. And ever since we sampled a European 1-series a few years ago, the idea of a BMW smaller than the 3-series has struck us as a beautiful thing.

At 4.7 Seconds to 60, Smaller is Certainly Quicker

In overall length, the 135i coupe (the 1-series is only available in the U.S. as a two-door coupe) is 8.9 inches shorter than a 335i coupe with 4.0 inches taken out of the wheelbase, and it’s also 1.4 inches narrower. These reductions amount to a weight savings of just 137 pounds; our 135i weighed 3420 pounds versus 3557 for a 335i coupe.

Fortunately, there is no reduction in engine size or output. The 135i gets the same 300-horsepower, twin-turbocharged inline-six cylinder engine as the 335i. We clocked a 0-to-60 time of 4.9 seconds for the heavier 335i; the 135i did it in a blistering 4.7, with a 13.3-second quarter-mile at 106 mph. The 135i is seriously quick, but best of all the quickness comes easy as the turbocharged engine has enough torque and horsepower to waft the 135i into triple-digit speeds without any drama. Slightly more engine noise and exhaust hum enter the 135i cabin than in the 335i, but the sounds are good enough to forgo turning on the radio.

Much Like a 3-series From the Driver’s Seat

Aside from being slightly louder, driving the 135i is much like driving a 3-series. From behind the wheel in the spacious front seat—which includes plenty of headroom—the driver isn’t aware of the 1-series’ shrunken size. The four inches lopped out of the wheelbase are, however, noticeable in the back seat. Subjectively, the seats are slightly larger than a Mustang’s backseat—kids will fit just fine, adults will find it acceptable as long as the trip is short.

Since the 135i comes standard with an M-division sport suspension and 18-inch wheels wrapped with summer-friendly run-flat performance rubber, the 135i rides much like a 335i with the Sport package. There is an almost microscopic line between firm and harsh, but the 135i’s suspension somehow follows it perfectly even on large, abrupt impacts. The 135i’s structure and suspension never crash or shudder and, aimed in a straight line, the heavy steering and the sense of unyielding structure allow the 135i to approach the composure of the much larger 6-series.

In fact, the 135i doesn’t feel small until it is challenged by quick transitions or tight corners, and even then it feels light on its feet. Body roll is minimal, the tires hang on tenaciously—to the tune of 0.89 g on the skidpad—and the 135i is easy to place in corners, even when you’re doubling or nearly tripling recommended speeds. In short, the 135i never feels reckless.

Lots of Equipment, Lower Price

Included in the 135i’s standard equipment are six-piston front calipers emblazoned with the letters BMW. The company tells us this is the first time they’ve given in to this type of curbside posturing, but the brakes do look impressive. We’re not sure why BMW chose to put six-piston calipers on the 135i when not even the über M-cars get brakes with this many pistons, but we can’t fault the 135i’s brake feel or its stellar 70-to-0 performance of 157 feet. Other standard features on the 135i include black exhaust tips, heavily bolstered seats, and a body kit with an aggressive front air dam and mock diffuser in the rear bumper. The body kit is the main visual difference between the 135i and the 128i. But even with the body kit, the 135i looks a bit like a 3-series coupe in a funhouse mirror—the roof height seems excessive for the length, the doors look massive, and the headlights take up too much space, exaggerating the narrowness of the front end. What its design lacks in elegance, it makes up for in bulldog-like character, though.

The 135i starts at $35,675, which is $4000 less than a 335i sedan and a whopping $5900 below the cost of a 335i coupe. Unless the slightly larger size of the 335i is necessary for one’s lifestyle, the 135i provides all the thrills and refinement and will provide the same, if not more grins, than the 335i. See, smaller is better. You’ll notice that we’ve only compared the 135i with its bigger brother; that’s because there really aren’t many other cars on the market which really compare to the 135i. Indeed, it’s in a very small class: a class of one.


VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe

ESTIMATED PRICE AS TESTED: $38,000 (base price: $35,675)

ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 182 cu in, 2979cc

Power (SAE net): 300 bhp @ 5800 rpm

Torque (SAE net): 300 lb-ft @ 1400 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:

Wheelbase: 104.7 in Length: 171.7 in Width: 68.8 in Height: 55.4 in

Curb weight: 3420 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:

Zero to 60 mph: 4.7 sec

Zero to 100 mph: 11.5 sec

Zero to 140 mph: 25.6 sec

Street start, 5–60 mph: 5.5 sec

Standing ¼-mile: 13.3 sec @ 106 mph

Top speed (governor limited): 143 mph

Braking, 70–0 mph: 157 ft

Roadholding, 328-ft-dia skidpad: 0.89 g

FUEL ECONOMY:

EPA city/highway driving: 17/25 mpg


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M

Thanks for the review. It's no secret that this car will be better to drive than the phenomenal 335. This is really a wonderful car...I'll just have to wait until a few years when these cars are returned from their lease.

I know what you mean. I'll be waiting on a 2007 or 2008 SL550 to come back in 2010.

M

C&D and their 0-100 crazy times...

That a 1er is better drive than 3er, I have known for many years. Nothing new here.

Possibly my favorite BMW at the moment. Imagine if they offered a 135d.

PS: I saw a 135i yesterday in that same color as the press photos here. Gorgeous cannot even describe it!

That probably wouldn't work well with the car, but I'm very happy to see BMW expanding the 1er range so extensively. I'm very curious how this red color looks in real life.

This car is ridiculously quick for its price (not counting Evos and Sti's) and it wouldn't cost that much more to upgrade it to a whole other level

Here's how that lines up with other cars tested by C&D:

135i / 335i / 350Z / G37s / WRX STi / S2000 / E46 M3
$ as tested: 38.0k (est) / 45.7k / 29.5k / 37.7k / 37.4k / 33.3k / 50.3k
Curb weight, lb: 3420 / 3557 / 3340 / 3717 / 3366 / 2866 / 3394
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 4.7 / 4.9 / 5.2 / 5.3 / 5.0 / 5.5 / 4.8
Zero to 100 mph: 11.5 / 12.1 / 12.6 / 13.2 / 12.6 / 14.0 / 12.3
Zero to 140 mph: 25.6 / 28.0 / na / 28.7 / na / na / na
Street start, 5–60 mph: 5.5 / 5.6 / 5.6 / 5.9 / 6.8 / na / 5.3
¼-mi: 13.3@106 / 13.6@105 / 13.7@104 / 13.9@103 / 13.5@103 / 14.0@100 / 13.6@105
Top speed, mph (*gov): 143* / 144 / 156 / 155* / 150* / 150 / 158*
Braking, 70–0 mph, ft: 157 / 160 / 169 / 164 / 153 / 163 / 161
Roadholding, 328-ft-dia skidpad, g: 0.89 / 0.87 / 0.93 / 0.89 / 0.89 / 0.88 / 0.87

Obviously conditions play a role where results are close, but this is just for quick reference.

For a premium German-brand car, the 135i offers very good value, and even against some non-premium Japanese cars. Time will tell if Americans can change their "bigger is better" mindset.

And don't forget tunability. In US, you can for < $2K make it a 380HP car and have warranty (of course you can do the same with 335 too).

^Yeah, that's icing on the cake. I reckon the tuning base will widen even further, now that the customer base will likely get larger. This is assuming people can recognize the depth of engineering that's built into this car, rather than merely looking at is as a sum of an options list. People in the States can be excessively cost-conscious sometimes, and with the economy the way it is, this could very well end up being the next Ti Compact rather than the tii reincarnation BMW have been hoping for.