thinking of defecting t the dark side

RHODIE

RHODIE

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I have a 3.2 but having had several A3s I fancy a change. I'm thinking of the BMW 130 Msport - has anyone tried one and how does it compare? I love my quattro but does that make be boring if I get another one any ideas? Oh and I'll have he optional extra fitted - indicator
 
I went into the BMW showroom the other day looking at maybe 3 series coupe or info on the new 1 series coupe. Not a single person said a word to me or asked if I need help. I was there 10 mins, inside and out, then left. Audi Bedford have always been fantastic for me. Plus the beemers are a bit overpriced in my opinion.

Don't like the normal 1 series. No matter what kit they put on it it looks like a van.
 
GARTHY said:
I have a 3.2 but having had several A3s I fancy a change. I'm thinking of the BMW 130 Msport - has anyone tried one and how does it compare? I love my quattro but does that make be boring if I get another one any ideas? Oh and I'll have he optional extra fitted - indicator
Click to expand...

The darkside you say? tread carefully young skywalker!!
 
audi upgrades
i've driven a 120d, it was a decent drive. Now I can only imagine with that 265bhp 3 litre petrol engine it would be a real firecracker. Things you have to decide are

1) do you like the looks?
2) is it practical enough for you (not much rear passenger space/boot space)?
3) Is it worth the money? (for the price you could get a lot of other good cars)

I have dealt with BMW with my Cooper S and the M3 and they have always been excellent to me. Not sure the 130i will feel much faster than your 3.2, perhaps more tail happy and rewarding to drive? (controversial thing to say on here i Know!!). Try one and see. What about an A4/S4/RS4 or a 3 series beemer. They will probably feel like a step up from the A3.

cooky
 
I might go look at a 1 series sometime soon.
It would be the M-sport diesel one.
My only concern is it's lack of internal space,as it has to be a family car.
It's looks don't bother me as much as they used to.
I'd love a 3 series,but they're just too dear for a decent spec.
 
I have to look at practicality as I need a fair bit of room in the boot for my wheelchair. Otherwise .....
I have been very trusting of my 3.2 so going to rear wheel drive is a bit scary.
 
Am sure its well planted on the road and will have good safety / traction control system so that under sensible to sporty driving it will be pretty safe. If you turn it off however it may bite you in the *** if you drive like a loon! Give it a look over and a try mate. I think with the M sport 1 series BMW bodykit and alloys in that blue colour, plus the xenons it looks really striking and quite nice acutally!

130.jpg



69878


cooky
 
GARTHY said:
I have been very trusting of my 3.2 so going to rear wheel drive is a bit scary.
Click to expand...

Well Garthy,there's a girl in here has a 1 series.
She's a scarily awful driver.
We also get more than our fair share of snow.
She always manages to get in here,so they really cannot be that bad.

You could go for a 4wd Alfa 159,maybe even the sportwagon version ?
 
I can't get the BMW configurator to work right.
Click on 120D M-sport.
Click on colour and 18" wheels.
It then sticks at 'packages'.
Just jams right there.
Pain in the **** !
 
One more thing regarding the 120...
The 118D M-sport is considerably cheaper than the 120D M-sport.
The 118D puts out 143bhp,which is ample to begin with.
Can it be chipped though ?
Even with the stop-start technology they use to keep the CO2 down ????
 
Dont think it would suit you Bowfer if you need the space, looked at one for the wife earlier this year, great drive and a very refined engine in the 120d but absolutely zero room in the rear with a tiny boot, shame as I really liked it but just not practical, we then set our hearts on an A3 Sportback but ended up with a high spec Jetta instead ?!?
 
I've driven a 120D M Sport very nice car but if you need the space then I would say it is a no no. My neighbour has one and it's the family's main car and he has 2 kids and they seem to manage ok but the boot's not the big, but you would be able to get a wheel chair in the back without the parcel shelf.

Regarding it being a bit tail happy, nah not a chance. The traction control systems fitted are really quite good. Three settings, the first giving you enough to waggle the back end ever so slightly, the second allows a bit more freedom of movement before collecting it up for you and the third is "on your own"

I've got a Z4 coupe 3.0Si and it will quite happily waggle it's tail with the traction control (DTC) turned off but with it on it's safe as houses. In the wet pressing on with very low rear rubber and it's still a pussy car.

BMW's are over priced? hmm a bit subjective I guess.

J.
 
Also looked at a 1-series briefly before the Sportback, but unlikeable looks and zero practicality ruled it out. However, they're not gonna be overpriced, at least not right now: according to a Autocar I read a few weeks back, 1-series sales are totally flat so you might get an excellent deal.
 
Indeed, we looked briefly last Summer before the Misses got her Golf. The online brokers were offering loads off the 1 Series, more in % terms than an A3 or Golf. Not good for 1 Series residuals!
 
GARTHY

I was with BMW for about 7 years (3 series then Z4), when I was looking to change, I tested the 130 against the S3.

Yes, the 130 is rear wheel drive, 6 cylinder, blah blah blah, but I just found the S3 a much more nicer car.
I felt that the interior of the Audi seemed to be better put together.

Jump over to www.babybmw.net and throw out the question...there are quite a few members who have moved from A3's to 1 series
 
staz1000 said:
Don't like the normal 1 series. No matter what kit they put on it it looks like a van.
Click to expand...

He He !! Like it.

Did drive 120 diesel a couple of yrs ago and must say it was a great drive, quick, balanced, pig ugly with no boot space.

Mark
 
A guy who lives near me has a 130 MSport in blue. He's also a complete ****.

The 1 series looks like a shoe. They should come in pairs.
 
Funky_Junky said:
A guy who lives near me has a 130 MSport in blue. He's also a complete ****.
Click to expand...

What do you expect?, he drives a BMW after all.
 
Sounds like the 3 series would be the better bet then.
Back to my previous question then.
Can the new version of the 318D (143bhp,stop/start) be chipped ???
It's significantly cheaper than the 320D.
 
GARTHY said:
I have a 3.2 but having had several A3s I fancy a change. I'm thinking of the BMW 130 Msport - has anyone tried one and how does it compare? I love my quattro but does that make be boring if I get another one any ideas? Oh and I'll have he optional extra fitted - indicator
Click to expand...

I was deeply into the 1-series when picking a new company car but ended up with an Audi.
Between April and November the BMW would have been funnier.
But when the snow comes I´ve always been angry with either rwd or fwd.

I test drove the 120d and the 130i, both with- and without automatic transmission.
I love them both. The thick M-Sport sw. is wonderful.
I´ve only tested cars with the complete M-Sport package combined with 17 or 18 in wheels.
The handling is great, even in a slalom cone course the car handles excellent.
Engine sound from the 130i is maybe even more beautiful than from Audis 3.2.

I picked the S3 instead mainly because BMW´s delivery times were too long.
Meeting a few 130i´s on the road - my choise feels even better because they don´t stand a chance.
 
June's EVO mag did a group test, some Mazda thingy, Alfa thingy and the S3 and 130sport.

The like the S3, quicker on the track (even than the R32 by two seconds) but said it was to clinical.

130 came out on top, at that point I emailed the editor with a spec savers voucher for new glasses. :haha:
 
thebears said:
The like the S3, quicker on the track (even than the R32 by two seconds) but said it was to clinical.

130 came out on top, at that point I emailed the editor with a spec savers voucher for new glasses. :haha:
Click to expand...

Hell hath no fury like an S3 owner scorned.

(S3 wins,the editor is right....S3 loses,the editor needs glasses...)
 
I have a 335d and miss the quattro of my previous S3's and R32 and will move back to 4wd as soon as Audi see the light and release the Stronic S3, preferably with the TTs uprated engine.
 
I read the article before I had an S3 it was said article that made me go and try both. The BMW is ugly and cheap looking. The S3 is in a different leauge.

I think the editor is right in that the BMW is a better drive but surely must be blind!
 
nicks3 said:
I have a 335d and miss the quattro of my previous S3's and R32 and will move back to 4wd as soon as Audi see the light and release the Stronic S3, preferably with the TTs uprated engine.
Click to expand...

What TT uprated engine, do you mean the 3.2? As the 2.0ltr is uprated over the TT!
 
I meant the rumoured 280bhp TT S that is supposed to be released later this year.
 
Sorry to go even more off topic than everyone else but all this talk of Beemers caused me to have a snoop around the BMW website.

Have you seen the 1-series coupe?? OMFG!!! What is that???

Bring back Bangle!! All is forgiven!!

yuk!

:edit:

Keep it quiet but I got some spy shots of the new 1 series coupe...

208e59c5.jpg


b2fa6857.jpg
 
Funky_Junky said:
A guy who lives near me has a 130 MSport in blue. He's also a complete ****.

The 1 series looks like a shoe. They should come in pairs.
Click to expand...

siu00adg said:
What do you expect?, he drives a BMW after all.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, interesting. I had 5 BMWs over 9 years and am now on my second Audi - so either I was a **** and now I'm not or ***** drive Audis too?

PS I think the 1 series is ****** awful too.
 
If Audi made rear & 4WD drive cars like Porsche no-one would buy BMW's!

BMW's are defo. dynamically better, but in ever other respect they fall below the standard set by Audi, with the exclusion of ride comfort in certain models.

This is my opinion as someone who has driven virtually ever car in the Audi and BMW range.
 
bowfer said:
Hell hath no fury like an S3 owner scorned.

(S3 wins,the editor is right....S3 loses,the editor needs glasses...)
Click to expand...
Someone wrote into EVO this month and accused them of always being biased towards BMW. They singled out the RS4 vs new M3 article, in which, as the reader correctly pointed out, the RS4 was heaped with praise but at the end of the article the hack said he'd rather take the M3. It happens a lot, much as I love reading EVO.

In the end, it's horses for courses. The S3 is comfortably the fastest hatchback - period - but from what I've read, and if you can live with the looks, the 1-series is more exciting to drive.
 
CJP80 said:
If Audi made rear & 4WD drive cars like Porsche no-one would buy BMW's!

BMW's are defo. dynamically better, but in ever other respect they fall below the standard set by Audi, with the exclusion of ride comfort in certain models.

This is my opinion as someone who has driven virtually ever car in the Audi and BMW range.
Click to expand...

Is that "driven" or "owned"?

So why DON'T Audi make a rear wheel drive car then...? Increased market share, surely?

Aside from dynamics, what other criteria do you consider important? Build quality? I think there's nothing in it. So far, with my experience, BMW is (was) better. Engines? I believe BMW produce some of the best engines in the world. Customer services (something I read as repeatedly bad on this forum with Audi) I found better with BMW.

Whilst I do enjoy my Audi very much, it is plagued with rather annoying quality issues which I would not expect; BMWs are by no means perfect, however on balance they were better than my Audi ownership experience to date and my local BMW dealer is in a different league to the Audi one.

Why then did I move to Audi you're asking yourself? I fancied a change, as I was getting increasingly bored with their bland Bangle design strategy and BMW have no product like the S3. However, this will be my last Audi.
 
I have a brilliant audi dealership. been waiting for a week now for 1series bumf but still nothing. looking at babybmw.net maybe a3 is better at holding its price. still youbuy a car coz you like it - right
 
I saw an Alpina D3 last night.
I was trying to ignore them,as it would take a minor miracle for my MD to agree to one of them.
I'm going to have to try though,because they're a stunning motor.
You should see how Autocar gush about their longterm one too.
 
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