chowy

I used to think the same about the 35i engine but after an extended 2 day test drive of the 135i I was somewhat disappointed with the slow throttle response which is very noticeable after driving my razor sharp 130i and really detracted from the driving experience. The 135i is faster, no doubt but far less satisfying to drive than the 130i which I have now decided to keep.

Perhaps some nice subtle mods can help to change your mind Steve

It is true to say that the coupe from the A pillar is the exact same car +/- small details but BMW have always done that. Same can be said for the 3 Series but at least this time around, they put different lights on.. Thankfully, the Bangle days are gone as I do agree that BMW lost their way a little although some of the designs have now grown on me notably 1,3 & 5 Series. My fave is still the E30 3 Series, notably M3 and loved the 2002 Turbo shown on previous page

Can't quite make out if these comments are just to have a go at Amanda or if people genuinely don't like the look of the Coupe???? The 1 Series has never been a looker and it certainly has a love it / hate it relationship with car enthusiasts. However, when the coupe came out I thought it looked great, better than the hatch IMO. I think with a lot not liking the 1 hatch to suddenly see a boot on the end will always come to the same conclusion..... I personally was never a fan of the 1 Series originally but the M Sport spec does add some aggression to the looks and now I love it! Going back to some earlier comments re. dealers is that I have had some good and bad experiences with some BMW ones, so I think it's just luck of the draw.....

The new R's are very nice and I agree with you that they are pitching these above the std. hot hatches and add some nice refinement that is not present in the sub £20k hot hatch segment. My personal opinion is that the Golf R20 is more a competitor to the S3 rather than the forth coming RS3 as it is near enough the same car...... Back to the original topic is that after driving the MkV R32 last year, I was impressed and it sounded great but was put off with the £400 p/a road tax bracket :( If the thought of the road tax, low 20's mpg doesn't put you off then go for it Not sure about how muh to service these babies but I know from experience that Audi's are not cheap in this area!

All items now gone

thealienfromura, I've sent you a PM. If I don't hear from you in the soon it goes to the next on the list.

I think the S wheels will look better as the spokes go all the way to the rim edge and will make them look bigger. One problem with split rims in general is that they always seem to look smaller due to the spokes only being able to go to the inner split of the wheel. Making the wheel a darker grey innards will also give a subjective impression of being smaller. You are fortunate that you could get 2 wheels of each with tyres on and put them on each side of the car at the tyre fitter. Have a good look at both sides, decide and then get the 2 tyres fitted to the preferred wheels I'm sure the small cost of this will be worth it.....

Unfortunately, Jonny5ive cannot collect so it's yours if you can collect. Please can you let me know and I will send you a PM with address details

Sorry forgot to mention it's collection only. Johny5ive, can you collect? Otherwise it will go to thealienfromura icito, the springs are yours PM sent

Not been on here for a while as I p/x my Jabbasport tuned Fabia just over a year ago. I just saw that I still have my Fabia Green filter and oil in the garage. If anyone wants it let me know otherwise it will just go in the bin :rotz: I also have a set of Fabia vRS springs for free which were took out when I got my Eibachs fitted. I'm in the Middlesbrough area so let me know if you want them

Test drove a couple of these a few years back when I was deciding on getting a new E46 M3 and I must say that I fell in love with the M5. It was absolutely fantastic to drive and doesn't feel that big either! In fact i would say that it's probably my best drive to date and that includes many cars inc. Rice rockets, M3's and 911's!! That engine is amazing, better than the E46 M3's straight 6 IMO but £40k was a lot for a used car then so I opted for a new M3. Now that the price of gas guzzlers have hit the floor, it would be a great bargain to pick up but only if you can afford to run it!! Yes 20mpg and thats if not driven the way intended!! 17-18 mpg is more realistic if you use the power and 20-22 mpg if driving like a nanny! Then there's the group 20 ins, Max car tax band (£400+ per year), mammoth inspection 1 & 2 service costs (even using a specialist) and if something goes wrong......... My advice...... get one only if you can afford to run it... good luck

Some nice shots there scuff. I've always considered a Tilt and Shift for some portrait work and get some nice effects but unfortunately could not justify spending so much on a lens which would get so little use. Same goes for a fish eye.... I did purchase a Sigma 14mm f/2.8 and i only used it once for around 10 shots and that's it! I sold it only recently for what I paid for it so it wasn't so bad. Glad i didn't get the Canon 14L in the end as I was looking for one before I got the Sigma....

I test drove one before deciding on the 130i and i must say it was nice! The things that put me off was the running cost. like someone mentioned before, top tax band £400 per year and rising! Low 20's mpg... I assume thats why VW have stopped making it as there simply is no demand and I assume the V6 3.2 engine will no longer be supplied in VW/Audi's in the near future! Shame as it's a peach of an engine with a sound to die for!

The free servicing is good if they also give you discount also. It's a buyers market out there. I did have a 118d loan car recently and was impressed by it. I love my 1 series and I would say it's one of the best cars I've owned to date. It feels special to drive, I just love it!!! I would go as far to say I love it as much as when I had an M3 and it's a lot cheaper to run! The new face lift ones have Effeciency Dynamics which include stop start. It takes some getting used to the engine cutting out when you stop and put it in neutral and then start again when you press the accelerator! Have you test driven one yet?