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Little Car, Big Splash - 2008 BMW 128i |
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Written by Jeff Zurschmeide
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Wednesday, 10 September 2008 |
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Few cars have been as avidly awaited as BMW’s new 1-series of cars. Until this year, BMW offered only the Z3 and Z4 two-seaters for those who wanted a BMW-branded smaller car. The venerable BMW 3-series has a much larger footprint than the new series, and so lovers of nimble, gas-sipping sports cars have been hopping from foot to foot in anticipation.  Fast and Nimble
So I was thrilled to get a chance to spend a week with the flagship BMW 128i convertible. This is the car that is BMW’s response to high fuel prices and the trend towards smaller cars in America.
Yet, after a week in the car, I’m conflicted about it. Here’s the story – it’s a great, fun car. The 128i handles like a dream small car. It’s nimble, yet solid. It loves to turn and it’s easy to park. And it’s got plenty of power, thanks to BMW’s legendary DOHC inline 6-cylinder engine. The convertible top works like a charm, and the car generates very little road noise with the top up or down. Inside, it’s all BMW comfort and modern conveniences. What’s not to like?
My gripe is that many great BMW cars of bygone decades made great use of lower-displacement 4-cylinder engines. Cars like the legendary 2002 and 318i had powerful and punchy 4-cylinder engines. Had BMW chosen to use one of the 4-bangers it puts into its 1-series cars offered for sale in the rest of the world, I think it would be almost as fast and just as much fun to drive, but lighter and easier at the fuel pump.
But the 3-liter engine offers you 227 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque, which is very powerful in the small package. The 128i gets 18/28 for fuel mileage, which is good but not great for the size of the vehicle.  Well-engineered, as you expect from BMW
The 128i convertible starts at $33,000 and quickly tops $40,000 when you’ve added a brace of options. But I think that the careful buyer can keep the price well under $40,000 and still get the car nicely outfitted.
The test car included $3,700 for the Premium package - which includes some automatic stuff and lumbar support in the seats. I’d give that one a pass. But I’d keep the $1,300 sport package, which includes nice seats, sport suspension, and 17-inch wheels. I’d leave the $550 paint option, but take the $750 cold weather option with its heated seats. I’d omit the HD radio at $350, but keep the iPod adapter at $400. I’d skip the adaptive light control at $800, but I’d hang on to the keyless access system at $500.  Compact and Handsome
In short, I could have everything I want and my 328i would cost me just about $36,875. And that’s a deal compared to the 3-series convertible, which starts at $43,000. Another interesting factoid is that the 1-series coupe starts at about $28,000 while the 3-series coupe starts at $32,700, so if you’re considering the whole range of BMW offerings, you can get yourself a nice 1-series convertible for about the same money as a 3-series coupe or sedan.
The bottom line is that if you’re shopping BMW, they’ve added a pair of attractive options for you to consider. If you’re not ready for a MINI Cooper, you can now get yourself behind a BMW badge right around $30,000.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 10 September 2008 )
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