2010 BMW 135i is rocket ship, rather than fuel efficient

BMW challenges small car stereotype

Leave it to Germany’s performance car maker, BMW, to challenge small car stereotypes.

BMW’s entry model, the 1-Series, is a 14.3-foot-long, two-door, four-passenger subcompact car that’s smaller than a Toyota Camry. But it’s the 2010 1-Series — not the bigger, five-passenger Camry sedan — that comes only with six-cylinder engines rather than a fuel-thrifty four banger.

No wonder the 1-Series has a lower gasoline mileage rating — just 18 miles per gallon in city driving and 25 mpg on the highway for the test model — than the Camry. This is akin to the fuel economy rating of some sport utility vehicles, such as the 2010 Lexus RX 350 with two-wheel drive.

Pricewise, the 1-Series challenges stereotypes, too. Even though the 1-Series has the lowest starting retail price of any BMW-branded vehicle at just over $30,000, prices can soar to $40,000, and that’s with a manual transmission. Even an iPod adaptor/USB connection, which is standard on some lower-priced vehicles, is a $400 extra on this BMW.

Obviously, the uneconomic 1-Series charts its own road among small cars. Sold as a coupe and convertible, the 1-Series has the attractive, familiar looks of other BMWs with kidney-shaped grille and svelte side styling.

But as is BMW’s way, there’s no cutting back on horsepower and torque.

The base, rear-wheel drive, 2010 128i Coupe starts at $30,025 with manual transmission and has the same 230-horsepower, 3-liter six cylinder that’s in a 2010 BMW 3-Series car.

With automatic transmission, the lowest-priced 1-Series Coupe starts at $31,400. The uplevel 135i Coupe, which has a 300-horsepower, twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine stuffed into a car that weighs less than 3,400 pounds, has a starting retail price of $36,125 with manual transmission and $38,300 with automatic. The 1-Series convertible has an MSRP, including destination charge, starting at $35,075 with manual transmission.

Competitors to the 1-Series are an odd lot.

BMW owns Mini, which is a purveyor of premium, performance-oriented small cars. But Mini’s Cooper comes only with four-cylinder engines, is a flexible hatchback and has a starting retail price of $19,500 for a 2010 model. Audi’s smallest model, the A3, is a four-cylinder-powered hatchback, too, with a starting retail price of $28,095. Both the Mini Cooper and A3 provide better gasoline mileage than the 1-Series.

Mercedes-Benz’s smallest car, the C-Class, is sold as a sedan with a starting MSRP, including destination charge, of $34,475 with V-6.

Introduced in Europe some six years ago, the 1-Series is based on a shortened 3-Series platform, and at least one U.S. automotive enthusiast magazine referred to the 1-Series as a “slightly smaller and slightly faster version of the 3-Series Coupe.”

Indeed, the 2010 135i with 300-horsepower, twin-turbocharged six cylinder that was the test car seemed too pricey to avoid comparisons with the well-established 3-Series cars.

Despite the excellent driving and handling characteristics of the 135i Coupe tester, I wondered, in these economic times, how practical the 1-Series can be for many buyers, even those lusting for a BMW.

Trunk space for the coupe is 10 cubic feet, with much of that beneath the rear window.

The 1-Series back seat doesn’t beckon passengers, since they have to maneuver in and down onto the cushions behind front seats that slide forward some. At 5 feet 4, I found I could sit back there OK, with just 32 inches of legroom. But I didn’t want to be there for a long trip. Meantime, 6-foot-tall passengers struggled to be comfortable in the back, especially if the front seats were occupied by tall folks, too.

I liked the firm support of the front bucket seats, and the optional beige leather trim, while a bit pricey at $1,450, gave an upscale feel. With optional M Sport package, the tester’s sport suspension helped the car move crisply through traffic, with body movements controlled impeccably.

Steering was responsive, too, without being twitchy, and the 135i nimbly slipped into parking spots. But I had to remember how long the coupe doors were, because they could bang into adjacent cars in compact parking spots.

The ride, with 18-inch wheels wearing performance tires, could become tiring because of the nonstop road noise coming through from the tires. And passengers felt vibrations and even some jarring on all but the smoothest and newest of asphalt pavements.

The real kick, though, came from the almost raw power the uplevel 3-liter, twin-turbocharged, double overhead cam, inline, six-cylinder engine delivered via a six-speed manual in the test car. An oh-so-strong “oomph” would propel the car even at low speeds when I pressed the accelerator.

Torque peaks at an amazing 300-foot-pounds as low as 1,400 rpm, and working the manual tranny just right in the relatively lightweight 135i, I could get a rocket ship sensation.

Standard safety items include curtain air bags, antilock brakes and electronic stability control.

Last month, the federal government noted a safety recall for certain 1-Series cars going back to the 2008 model year. The insulation around the pre-tensioner on front safety belts in a severe crash might ignite. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports BMW has not yet identified a fix for the problem.

Another recall last summer also involved safety equipment in earlier models of the 1-Series sold here. Consumer Reports magazine puts 1-Series reliability at less than average.