I have a JCW but now want a little more. I feel the 135 has 100 more horses and a trunk. I just don't know if it's really worth the extra money?

 

Well, the 135i (either coupe or convertible) definitely has a better weight-to-horsepower ratio; quite a bit more torque too. So, you will undoubtedly perceive a performance gain between the two cars; but I personally question whether the difference between it and a JCW Hardtop is something one might term "an order of magnitude." That being said, I still maintain that the 135i coupe is the best "bang-for-the-buck" in the entire BMW line -- an assertion I would probably still make when including the JCW vehicles.

I guess it all boils down to your needs: do you need a little larger back seat and trunk? If so, the 135i is a good choice for a "sleeper" performance coupe, and many good examples can be found used (2008 & 2009 model years) at a good price. If you don't, stick with your JCW; it's at least as much fun to drive as the 135i, and I would bet it handles a little bit better...

 

I owned a 135i convertible with manual transmission but sold it. It spec'ed out wonderfully on paper but I was disappointed with it's performance. It felt like it had a long turbo lag, and it felt very heavy. I know the reviews all say its fast and wonderful, but it didn't feel that way to me. In contrast, the JCW feels lighter and quicker, by a lot. Of course, I've only driven a demo JCW so far, so it may feel slower the better I get to know one - one of those frustrating things that familiarity breeds, but I hope it continues to feel quick.

Of course, none of this speaks to your interest in a trunk. And the 135i convertible has a better rear view than the JCW convertible, and the body styles are completely different, so there is more to your question than just the performance. My complaint was just with the performance.

On balance though, my vote goes to the JCW. YMMV.

Stu

 

Huh! Well, I have to confess that I've never driven a 135i, so I'm basing my input wholly on the published numbers -- which as you've pointed out, appear quite good. But I'm not all that surprised to hear you say the performance of the 135i convertible isn't that impressive compared to the JCW. I am surprised to hear you say the turbo lag is more pronounced, though; I figured since BMW did a pretty good job making turbo lag nearly imperceptible on the JCW, they could do the same with the other turbo-equipped vehicles in their primary car line...

The 135i convertible is quite a bit heavier than the 135i coupe -- surprisingly so. It's carrying around an extra 300 lbs compared to the coupe, which puts it a lot closer to the weight-to-horsepower ratio of the JCW Hardtop (which is almost a half-ton lighter than the 135i convertible!): 12.20 for the 135i convertible vs. 12.99 for the JCW Hardtop (whereas the 135i coupe is 11.24). And you don't have to be Albert Einstein to realize that physics dictates that a heavier vehicle will not be as nimble as a lighter vehicle.

 

Generally speaking, I'm not a fan of turbo engines, any company's turbos, and prefer naturally aspirated engines, mostly because I hate the lag. So when I test drove the JCW, I expected to walk away unimpressed, but instead, I was very happily surprised. I think its partly the light weight, as you said, and also the fact the JCW turbo spools up very quickly, but I felt only the slightest hesitation or lag with the JCW. With the 135i, I felt like I had to allow time for it to spool up.

I told myself that all of those magazine reviews (of the 135i) couldn't be wrong and it must be me. But after telling that to myself for long enough, I got fed up and sold it. I think the JCW is more fun, although the 135i did seem to me to have a better suspension and was a bit more stable when coming out of corners, and I'm talking about spirited street driving, not track driving.

Whatever, I sold it so I'm obviously biased.

 

I agree there. My JCW Clubman is the first vehicle I've owned that has a turbocharged engine. For years I'd heard about turbo lag; but when I test drove my JCW Clubman, I kept wondering "Where's this 'turbo lag' I've always heard of...?" Too bad BMW apparently couldn't achieve the same thing with the 135i... Maybe they need to get the same engineer(s) who designed the JCW turbo to work some magic on the 135i...?

Well, I suppose that's why there are so many different makes/models out there; so everyone can find one they like!

 

I've got an MCS with and I've had a loaner 128i when my MINI was in for service. So neither are direct comparisons, but similar.

I found the 128i much roomier feeling than the MINI. Sight lines were not nearly as good (especially for backing up) as the MINI. The 128i seem to have more flat-out power (although I never maxed it out) but my MINI is much more responsive and numble to drive. Much better cornering!

For me I've got hockey goalie gear to get in the back and contending with a trunk and passenger seat (which I had to do with my old 318is) on a 128i was not going to be an option.

My vote is for the MINI. I'm sure you'll find that since this is a MINI website, that the majority of people will say the same.

 

I know it's subjective, but i don't really care for the side profile of the 135. I'm not sure if it's the smiley face on the lower side or the general stubbiness.....

 

I guess I don't see the 135i as "stubby" in comparison to a MINI Hardtop...!

I personally tend to find the styling of the 1-Series appealing; in some ways, more so than the 3-Series (e.g., the front end). Like you said: styling is the subjective element of any car purchase...

I might drive a 135i coupe someday, find out (like "stu101") that the turbo lag is just too much for my tastes, and eliminate it from that "pool of candidate vehicles" that I always seem to have swirling around in the back of my mind... Or find out the opposite, and buy one... In the meanwhile, I'm perfectly happy with my JCW Clubman!

Maybe a JCW Clubman would be the ideal solution for the OP ("jeanrabelais"), if the real issue is simply a need for increased cargo space...?

 

Just sayin', the OP has been questioning the purchase of his JCW since he got it if you read over some of his previous postings. I've been through lots of cars, and when it's time to move on, I know it, I don't need someone on a forum's opinion. My biggest beef with the 135 is its price. For a relatively small additional amount you can get a 335 with much more utility, seems like the ONLY real reason to get the 1 series is its only slightly smaller size.

 

Now JCW or Porsche Cayman... now that one may get my attention, but I am not a fan of the 135 series.

 

Flyer, I'm with you on that. The 1 and 3 series both look pregnant from the side Front/back views are nice, side view, not so much.

 

I would actually consider the biggest advantage to having the JCW is the gas mileage. I don't have any experience with 135, but gas consumption is really important to me because of working and living in la. But if gas is not an option... its all in what you want in the end

 

I'd go for the 135i and do euro delivery. If you do some ecu tuning, you'll get a ~70 HP increase pretty easily. Seems like much better value for the money over the JCW. BMW service is also much nicer than MINI's from my experience.

 

I have driven the 135i both on the track and on the street.

After mods, the 135i has a better potential to be an even much faster car than the JCW with mods. If you are looking for speed and potential, its the 135i.

I would not comment on looks because that is subjective.

 

Thanks everyone. Just to be clear, I'm NOT getting rid of my jcw cab. I'm just thinking of another car for my country cabin. I bought my JCW for my cabin but I ended up loving driving it around the city on weekends and want to keep it in the city now. Last week, I test drove a 335 coupe and a 128 both in manual. The dealer didn't have a 135 to test. I felt the 335 was too big and the 128 felt better size wise but I would definitely want the larger engine of the 135. The look of 135 coupe has grown on me and the convertible is an option too. I am also looking at the new mustang but have not driven the gt in manual yet probably will this weekend. One thing is certain and that is the JCW is a great sports car and it's hard to find better (maybe a porsche turbo?), but it's just I want a little more power and stability and space. At high speeds my jcw feels light and a little unstable. Thanks for all the help.

 

Try driving the new Porsche Boxster Spyder for a pretty nice balance between handling and power.

 

yeah at 80k


I had a 135i press car for a week. Great car overall and looks better in person. However I'd take my Cooper S over it any day of the week. Steering and handling isn't all that great on the 135 in addition to the turbo lag. I considered for a hot minute the 135 instead of upgrading to the JCW. I'm glad that foolish minute has passed. There are many stories from people on the board here who "upgraded" to a 135 and regretted it. That said if you want a 135 in addition....go for it.

 

Since the op had a second country estate home, i figured why not. Boxster spyder is only 68k or so out the door, nicely unloaded for speed and handling.

Unfortunately, i also find 135i owners who went from Minis and they really like that as well. A number of them at the track also say that the Mini maxed out too quickly and you need to do an expensive ground up rebuild and that is still not competitve with the slightly modded 135i. Just depends on your preferences i suppose.

I am sticking with the Mini myself. Just point those fast cars by.

 

The new 5.0 V8 in the Mustang is a monster!!! The Mustang GT is on top of the list of American cars I would buy right now.

 

I was actually looking for a 335i when I bought my JCW Clubman. But don't get me wrong, I didn't "choose" to buy the Clubbie over the 335i, it's just there wasn't a rwd 135 or 335 anywhere in the city to be had, and I wasn't about to travel to get one.

Funny thing is, when I've looked at the specs of a 335 against a 135, the 335 is usually the same, or better in every way against the 135. And with the extra room of the E92, and IMO, better looks than the 1-series, it is a no brainer. Made me a bit disappointed in the 135.

I've driven several 335's, including the brand new 335is with the M3's 7-speed dual clutch tranny as well as other "M" tid bits. I must say, rwd, the potential for the 6cyl howl... and I don't really recall any turbo lag other than maybe trying to tromp the throttle at 1500rpm in 6th gear... I was totally impressed.

IMO, I'd be getting 335, or in your case, a 135 for the thrills and spills you get with almost everything that makes a sports car, a sports car in todays modern world. Being that I'm deploying soon, I may just trade my JCW in when I get back.

 

Like saying its the smartest kid w... you know the rest

 

I just test drove a 135 I. Hugely disappointing. The steering was really heavy, the seats didn't go low enough to allow me to wear a helmet, and it did not have the torque to give it the beans.

I have a Jan tuned R56, much quicker than the (locked at least) 135.

The interior was pretty sweet though. Not the car for me.

 

Huh! Not disputing your claims, but it's hard to imagine that a roughly 3,400-lb coupe with 300 lb-ft of torque just doesn't have any "grunt."

I wonder why the 135i is perceived by so many as a lethargic automobile, particularly for one built by BMW...? The 335i coupe/sedan is ~200 lbs heavier, uses essentially the same powertrain, and everyone raves about it...

 

Because my MINI has 240 torque for a software flash and weights 800 lbs less? And the torque band is pretty wide at that- I was getting up in the revs in the 135 and was waiting, and waiting...