7k off a loaded leftover 35i and walked, should I go back?

[Monterra]

This was my plan after driving both iterations of the car a few times and having the 28i as a loaner and seeing disappointing (26ish) fuel economy. Be patient and strike on a 35i that is IMO kind of a head scratcher, niche car that will probably linger due to the 28i being plenty powerful (when asked) and substantially better epa numbers along with lower price tag. Well that time came, I had my chance with a very fair trade allowance (after almost walking immediately with a low ball number) and I let it go (at least for now.) Hard to say why but 40k is still a lot $ and I still love the idea of getting mid 30s-40 mpg with an oil burner as much as the 35i makes me smile every time I'm in it I couldn't pull the trigger.

35i owners: What steady cruising hwy mpg 75 is this car capable of?
Would you hesitate if you had the chance to do it over again?
Should I run back and buy this little unassuming rocket?
It doesn't have sport or paddles...help!!

[paradoxical3]

Originally Posted by Monterra

This was my plan after driving both iterations of the car a few times and having the 28i as a loaner and seeing disappointing (26ish) fuel economy. Be patient and strike on a 35i that is IMO kind of a head scratcher, niche car that will probably linger due to the 28i being plenty powerful (when asked) and substantially better epa numbers along with lower price tag. Well that time came, I had my chance with a very fair trade allowance (after almost walking immediately with a low ball number) and I let it go (at least for now.) Hard to say why but 40k is still a lot $ and I still love the idea of getting mid 30s-40 mpg with an oil burner as much as the 35i makes me smile every time I'm in it I couldn't pull the trigger.

35i owners: What hwy mpg 75 is this car capable of?
Would you hesitate if you had the chance to do it over again?
Should I run back and buy this little unassuming rocket?
It doesn't have sport or paddles...help!!

1. If you drive around 60-65mph, 27mpg is doable. I drive at 80-90 and get 23-24 being heavy-footed.

2. No. I actually did have the chance to do it again due to electrical issues and got the same car again.

That being said, I would NOT get a 35i that was not a M-sport with paddles. But that's just me. The sport suspension and seats are a very big deal for me.

[Red Bread]

Ours is an X-Line, steady state at 75ish is probably around 28-30 mpg.

No paddles is not a big deal, manually shifting the 6s is not an enjoyable experience for me, but I'm a manual person, my wife is the automatic one. I just keep it in D with occasional use of DS.

Sport and M Sport did not make a significant difference to me during test drives (especially if you consider the tire difference), it's a tallish wagon with awd, not a sports car. If you're looking for every last bit of sportiness and handling, there are plenty of better choices. For us, the X-Line struck the right balance. Coming from her previous 135i coupe, it's still plenty fun to drive and the x-drive fixes the open diff issue of really pushing the 1er.

My wife is 5'3", so the sports seats are a no go for her as the bottom cushion, even with the adjustable section fully retracted is too long for her to be comfortable. I really didn't expect to like the standard seats, but with the adjustable lumbar, they're actually pretty decent for long trips and okay around town.

[Monterra]

Points taken Red, thanks- this was also X-line (love the wheels)
28-30?? That N55 really is an amazing engine. Maybe I'll go back and scoop her up.
I think I'd prefer sport seats but am fine without M-sport, harsher ride and humunga fat steering wheel.
Looking for a fun AWD car/crossover that I can still comfortably commute in and hopefully get decent mileage when not heavy on the wick.

[Monterra]

BTW- keeping the 1er long term, maybe forever so not giving up a sportier albeit slower car in this process so even though its a great deal having 2 fairly similar cars is what I'm considering here...

[Red Bread]

A manual 128i is a much different car than the X1. I like both, but in different ways. Having both around would be nice. Our N55 X1 is considerably more efficient than our N54 1er was. It's been a really good, enjoyable and reasonably sporty car. From keeping up with some of the fuel efficiency threads, the gap between the 28i and 35i X1's is pretty minimal, it seems that the weight of the X1 burdens the supposed benefit of the 8s transmission, or it's just simply that the N20 drivers all have really heavy right feet.

[Grovsnus]

I probably get around 26 mpg at that speed, if reasonably flat. Of course, it's still hilly everywhere up here.
(I get much better mileage around 55)

Would I get a 35i again? You bet. Spending a couple of hundred more a year on gasoline is not worth mentioning compared to the price of the car. And how it effortlessly does what you ask it to is just amazing.
But, would I get it without sports seats? No. That would be a deal breaker. Half the fun is how you can toss it around corners and accelerate hard, even going uphill. I can't imagine that without side bolsters and lumbar support making my whole back supported.

As for paddles, I use them all the time. They may arguably be more of value on the 6-speed 35i, as you don't have to switch gears as often. You also can take off in 2nd gear in the 35i - the 28i won't let you, if I understood nospam correctly. But not everyone likes paddles, so it may not be an issue.

[Monterra]

They are quite different driving experiences but from the view from the drivers seat and overall look and feel of things are pretty similar. I didn't like the 28 for two, actually three reasons:
1. Sound when pushed hard
2. Felt slow until you pushed hard
3. Overstated fuel economy seemingly regardless of how gentle I tried to be at times.

[eric9610]

So, i had ordered a fully loaded '14 n20 sdrive msport and could not wait for it to arrive. I ended up going with a '13 35i off the lot with no line loaded, the deal was sick similar in discount to yours. I would do it all over again. The 35i has a much richer sound and the car does not need to be pushed hard to go fast. All the points you made were key factors in making me pick the 35i. The paddles are overrated in my opinion, nothing like a true 6sp. with an average speed of 75 you can get 30mpg.

get the 35i and you won't regret it.

[danielj]

I've babied the 135 at 70 in eco pro mode and got up to 26 MPG - my best ever. At the end of the day, what are a few MPG. If it costs $20 more a month in fuel charges, is that that big of a deal? If it were I would have shopped for another vehicle.

I love the unassuming power of the 3.0T. No one suspects you have that much grunt under the hood.

I've never driven a non sport model but think if I got another, I may pass on it. I may change my mind tho after driving one

[eric9610]

Originally Posted by Monterra

They are quite different driving experiences but from the view from the drivers seat and overall look and feel of things are pretty similar. I didn't like the 28 for two, actually three reasons:
1. Sound when pushed hard
2. Felt slow until you pushed hard
3. Overstated fuel economy seemingly regardless of how gentle I tried to be at times.

So did you get the 35i......

[Monterra]

Haha, no, not yet anyway. OK don't laugh but on the other end of the spectrum I'm seriously considering the GLK250BT diesel. My wife has heard the word diesel so many times the past few years she was like wha? when I told her I almost bought the X135- even though she's aware of my affinity for it also. My pretty basic GLK build would undercut the X1 by a few k after discount but much of that savings would go to the expensive maintenance but I figure I'd get 35 vs. 25 highway (roughly) so it is a tough call. Its a surprisingly nice vehicle, no drag racer to be sure but very solid, nice interior, sweet sounding diesel grumble. I'm truly confounded- right brain says X1, left says GLK250 but also a little concerned about reliability/LT cost to own it. Diesel will almost certainly hold its value better. X1 has all the goodies I'd mostly pass on with the GLK to keep the discounted price comfortably south of 40. I need a tiebreaker!

[Red Bread]

Taxi or tall wagon? It's your call. Just kidding, but after working in Germany for a few years, I really can't shake the image of MB as taxi cabs. My dad has four older MB's, one's an old E diesel and they've all been reasonable on maintenance, if that's the only thing keeping you from the more economical Benz, I wouldn't let that stop you.

[eric9610]

I was torn between many cars but at the end of the day only the x1 had all the things i wanted. I was considering everything from a C63 to a chevy volt. But in the end i decided to stay with BMW since the last several i have had have ran so well. My MB G500 on the other had has had so many problems i could have afforded 2 in the 10+ years of ownership. If you plan to own the car for longer than 3 years i would say go with the BMW all the way. if you are going to lease the car for 3 years get the Benz and ask for them to include the maintenance. Benz quality has dipped a bit in the last several years.

[Monterra]

Going to drive the GLK bluetec again today. Sales mgr said something about maintenance would be thrown in and they seem anxious to sell the car ('13 model) so maybe there's a diesel in my future. If I could have a diesel X1 I'd likely own it already- I view this as a very good if a bit pricier alternative (although its nicer with fewer options) and I'm getting tired of waiting. Why not a 328d wagon you may be thinking? Too expensive and really not a fan of the F30 328i I had for a loaner so other than great mpg why would I prefer, plus pay a premium for a 180hp diesel? BMW has been steadily letting me down since my E82 purchase. Service, new products, electric assist racks that completely fail to mask their electric-ness. I hope they don't ruin the 2 series bc at this point assuming I don't go with the X1 the only BMW I'd seek out would probably be a low mileage used E82 exactly like mine.

[eric9610]

I too was interested in getting the bluetec GLK but they just came out when i was looking and they like you stated are more expensive with less features. The car i cant wait to drive is the CLA 45, may be the the next car!

[bimmerfile]

I test drove several SUVs before opting for the X1, including the GLK350.
If you liked the feel and handling of the 1990's Olds 98's, then you'll love the GLK.

[Monterra]

You're right, handling isn't quite as sharp as X1 (also no sports car) but its my commute/long distance cruiser car, I have a child seat I need to fit in back so I'm fine with it being a bit softer/slower. Its not a 90s olds (and I know my old man had one) and I'm looking forward to easy mid-high 30s mpg that are being reported by owners.

[HBWT]

Originally Posted by Monterra

You're right, handling isn't quite as sharp as X1 (also no sports car)...

It is compared to a GLK!

[Monterra]

Maybe so (test numbers at least for the 350 don't really bear that out), but still as a total package the GLK actually does have a lot going for it- the 2.1 diesel put it squarely on my radar but to my surprise its good enough that it should have been there with the the new interior and solid chasis alone. Base to base it still feels like a luxury car and I just don't get that sense with the X1- ie yes you can make it nice but you'll need to spend quite a bit more to do so- 35i notwithstanding as it doesn't need much- leather/nav but this is also mid 40s by then.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by Monterra

Maybe so (test numbers at least for the 350 don't really bear that out), but still as a total package the GLK actually does have a lot going for it- the 2.1 diesel put it squarely on my radar but to my surprise its good enough that it should have been there with the the new interior and solid chasis alone. Base to base it still feels like a luxury car and I just don't get that sense with the X1- ie yes you can make it nice but you'll need to spend quite a bit more to do so- 35i not withstanding as it doesn't need much- leather/nav but this is also mid 40s by then.

Very different cars, the GLK is nicely done, but it's much more like the X3, which is a good bit nicer inside than the X1 and a lot more functional too. The X1 is really just a tall E91 while the GLK and X3 are SUV's (SAV's if you're into that sort of BMW marketing hype). The diesel GLK was a strong consideration for us too, but wasn't available when we bought. The diesel Q5 is also another thing to consider.

[Monterra]

I kind of like how the GLK (in my mind) kind of splits the difference size wise and to me felt more agile than the X3. Q5 does look to be a beast but it won't be cheap nor as thrifty. GLK with a few things and great mileage sits well with me 37ish post discount.