2008 BMW 135i Road Test Video

By Edmunds Video Productions | Published October 14, 2009

4:25 min

2008 BMW 135i Coupe Somebody needs to put Jenny Craig on speed-dial. The peerless BMW 335i has packed on some pounds in its most recent generation, and this has served to slightly mute its responsiveness. That�s where the 2008 BMW 135i coupe comes in. The 135i offers the same 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged engine as the 335i. The kicker is that this car is smaller and lighter. At 172.2 inches, the 135i gives up 8.1 inches of length to its 3 Series sibling. It also weighs a full 172 pounds less. Its bantam physique and athletic engine give it the sort of performance that had our editors drooling and giggling like toddlers. The 135i�s engine delivers 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque. On the road, the power delivery of the turbo six is so smooth and relentless that it makes the 1 Series fast � very fast � but never furious. This engine simply grunts it out and pulls hard from the bottom of the tach to its redline at 7,000 rpm. Our test car devoured the quarter mile in 13.3 seconds at 104 mph. The 2008 Subaru WRX STI with 5 more horsepower and 48 fewer pounds does the same time in the quarter-mile, but with a slower 102.4 mph trap speed. Zero to sixty? The 135i sprints this distance in a mere 5 seconds. That�s just shy of the 4.8 seconds managed by the WRX, whose advantage stems from the launch traction afforded by its all-wheel drive. This stellar performance does nothing to dispel our suspicion that the 300-hp rating of the BMW�s twin-turbo inline six is conservative at best. Spirited back-road driving proves the 135i can deliver the goods. It dispatched corners with crisp turn-in, an eager willingness to change direction and impeccable grip. It did all this while sacrificing none of the roadworthy poise exhibited by the beloved 335i. The 135i managed a blistering 72.4 mph run in the slalom, easily outpacing the last 335i we tested. It also beat the STI, which logged a 72 mph run. On the skid pad, the 135i generated 0.89g. This puts it neck-and-neck with the 335i and the STI, which generated 0.89g and 0.90g, respectively. Our 135i came with six-piston fixed-caliper brakes and 13.3-inch rotors. These calipers seem like overkill when the heavier 335i and faster M3 do quite well with pedestrian single-piston sliding calipers. But the advantage might come in the form of the consistently firm pedal feel we experienced over several days of determined street driving and extended track testing. This 1 Series comes to a stop from 60 mph in 109 feet. Inside the cabin, our 135i includes the Sport Package, a $1,000 option consisting of an M-sport steering wheel, Shadowline trim, plus an elevated limiter for top speed. Handsome textured aluminum accents are applied with strategic restraint. BMW is one of a few carmakers that have figured out that accents with the dull sheen of hand-worn metal look more upscale than any sort of chrome. And no sunlight gets reflected back into the eyes of the driver, either. Is the 2008 BMW 135i worth it? It depends. The car has a base price of $35,675, and it�s easy to go overboard with the options and jack up the price so that it no longer makes sense. Another caveat concerns its limited backseat space. But if you value a high level of refinement and outright twin-turbo nirvana in a package that�s small enough to toss around, the 2008 BMW 135i is like nothing else.