Not feeling the background music all video. Hard to decipher road noises/exhaust/people talking and having this music on in the background. I would prefer music during the intro/outro, and moving shots of the car then quiet it back down during cabin segments.

The unloved 128i is fantastic out of the box - the mods done on this one really wakes things up. And the N52 is a gem of an engine, just the basics to keep it happy. Very nice ride 👍

Naturally aspirated BMW sixes are some of my favorite engines. Beautiful sound, fantastic power band. 👌

The 128i is an excellent car, I absolutely love mine. Especially after suspension, an alignments, rear diff, and 3 stage intake manifold with a 130i tune.

This is a seriously cool build, reminds me of all the mods that were popular before 2016 in the 1600/2002 community. Classic BMW spirit to pull a few select parts from across their lineup and mate it together.

I went from FR-S -> 335i -> 128i and I found it to be the Goldilocks, especially after doing similar mods to this gentleman. I'm surprised he hasn't done the 3-stage intake manifold. Between that, headers, intake, exhaust (secondary cats still present), and the associated tune, it brings the car up to 275-280 hp and improves the top end dramatically. There's a MILVs mod that is last on my list that gets 1mm additional valve lift and then you're knocking on the door of 300 crank hp. The LSD with shorter final drive is the other big piece of that puzzle. I did a 3.64 with 3-clutch unit in mine from BimmerWorld. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/grR4e9FhuK68pn0.html

I think the 1 series in general just has been forgotten a little bit. I remember when they first came on the scene I was like wow, they reincarnated and modernized the E46 and called it a 1 series, brilliant. I also think the exterior styling aged well and goes well with the 1 series short wheel base up on its toes stance.

Like those high shots? We got them with the Insta360 X3! store.insta360.com/product/x3?insrc=INRPEIR&TheSmokingTire&X3car

Love the 1 series. Some good suspension, wheels, and an LSD and you've got a seriously good dual duty car. Great choice on those wheels too!

Dope epi. The guest's personalities is perfect for a channel like this. Plus it's not about a supercar, but personal car. 🔥

I loved this one! The NA inline-6 that lasts forever despite daily driving and track work is exactly what makes BMWs great. Back when the chassis was better than the motor

Have to agree. I had a 135 for three years - enjoyed the car but very complex, and expensive to own. Traded it for a 128 and I could not be happier - not near as quick as the 135 but far more practical, reliable, less complex and less expensive to own while still being a blast to drive.

I'm going to have to watch this later since I just got to work. But I did buy a 128i coupe last year for its balance of comfort and capability. As much as I love how visceral the BRZ is (having driven plenty for work before and after the purchase), the amount of road noise and ride harshness in comparison, not to mention the lack of visibility, the 128i is a wonderfully balanced car not just for being a small f/r coupe by todays standards, but one that can actually be driven comfortably for hours on end without the fatigue. If only they had a limited slip diff and more engine note from the factory. I'm unfortunately stuck with an automatic (it was a work trade-in I jumped on), but considering they are pretty much as quick as a first gen BRZ manual for acceleration, its not a horrible hit (unlike if one buys the BRZ in two pedals). Before Covid struck, I was already getting my girlfriends impressions on different vehicles for a third car. A Mustang coupe, MkII Audi TT 3.2 (the VR6 and visibility are some of my favorite aspects, though the interior lacks the character of the Mk1), and lesser extent Genesis 3.6 Coupe were among some of my ideals. I brought home an FR-S, and as much as she understood why I loved it as a drivers car, the flinty ride and interior noise just going to dinner was enough for us to decide it wouldn't be "that car" for us. Prior to that, I had a 330i at work I'd been driving around for a while, and it changed my old perceptions of the E90 from being "this sold well, why?" to understanding its duality. I took her to test drive an E91, and it was settled... the search was on, until Covid struck. Her work was closed, and prices went up. Hope lost. One morning I pulled into work to see a 128i on the street, not even knowing it was a trade from our sister lot some four hours away. Remembering it too had the N52, and remembering that I actually liked driving them (yet the E90's always left me somewhat cold before that one 330i manual), I asked who's it was. Hearing it was a trade in, it felt meant to be. Get my BMW and compact coupe fix all in one. It even had the sport package, came in a good color to ward off obvious dust ( Silver Cashmere metallic), and a lack of iDrive. Perfect? No. The TPMS and a bad brake sensor have lights on the dash, which I'm not as concerned about as the diff whine and occasionally clunky 2-3 shift. Having bought it with 120k and not knowing for sure its history, I figured the water pump and thermostat were likely a ticking time bomb (indeed by 126,000 miles it reared its head), but aside from that, an AC compressor, a passenger window regulator, and learning the woes of the HID's in a carwash (someone didn't seal things right), it's actually been a blast. New Bridgestones, charcoal filter delete, and silicone intake boot later, I'm mostly fine with where it is. Though yes, stainless lines would be nice for the brakes, and will likely go that route.

Had a 125i coupe. It only had about 220hp but was one of the best cars I’ve ever owned, the straight six sounded great too.

The n52 engine is the better match for both the 328i and 128i, lightweight and so slick up the rev range. Nobody talks about the fact that the block is made about of magnesium alloy for weight savings and that it has individual throttles in the form of Valvetronic. These platforms RULE!

I’m glad to see the 128i get some love. Mine looks very similar to this, same colour, ARC-8s. I’ve got the slicktop, which was hard to find, and sport package (for the seats) and no iDrive. Supposedly that spec puts it under 3100lbs but I have yet to confirm that. The LSD and M3 arms like this guy has are next on my list. I’ve done Ohlins R&T suspension, refreshed the brakes and added Hawk pads, and the wheels so far.

I have a 2006 330i with n52 i used to have a 2008 330ix and a 128i I love the way these cars drive routine maintenance plus learning to work on my car has made it affordable and learning to work on my car

Bravo 👏🏼 I’m still enjoying my stock 08 E82 w/ sport pkg I bought new in Feb2009. The smooth N52 👌🏼

Have this exact year and model but mine is a convertible. 112k miles and absolutely no issues so far. Drive one if you find one and you’ll know why this is a special car. Solid review on the 128i🙏

I have completed pretty much all the same mods on my e46 330ci. LSD, diff, pss10. It’s. Great. But If I was doing it today instead of 10 years ago I would of bought the 128. At this point e46s are so old that you really have to want an e46 specifically for it to make more since then modifying the 128. Such a great car.

I have a 130i (Europe only 4 door hatchback) and very much the same applies. Fantastic car, reliable and very fun to drive, and comfy even with poyurethane engine mounts because I wanted a tall chassis mounted shifter. I can also attest that M3 control arms are the way to go: no more understeer and a much better steering response!

Recently got in an accident in my Tacoma truck and my dad blessed me by letting me use this bad boy until my truck is fixed and I literally love driving this thing. Powerband is excellent, steering is smooth and the car is just all around super responsive.

Just picked up a nice 2011 for $8500! 130k miles and well cared for.

These things are gems. I wish they were common but they are so darn rare, particularly with the sport package and heated seats.

Awesome build here! One thing to note, people need to stop calling the B58 a "SUPRA" engine... when it is in a bunch of BMW cars prior to the Supra.

this was my first car i got about a year ago, and i gotta say it has been a great first car. i got it w 47k miles so still very young, it has been easy to work on yourself, and i agree with the turbo problems in the 135i! that also played a part in my deciding to go 128.

I have a 2011 128i auto and I love that car some much. Planning to purchase an m2 or m4 competition now but still keeping my 128i.

Guys I owned an N52 car. Trust me they’re speaking facts. My dream was to do a 328i E92 RWD 6 speed with a lil weight reduction, 3 stage intake manifold, AA headers and tune. Probably make around 240whp and it would be the perfect car. Engine is so much smoother than the 335 I bought after it. I made more money and started chasing horsepower but I honestly never had a driving experience like the old 328 I had. Power isn’t everything

No joke I bought one right after this video and I’ve had it for about 5 months now, and this thing is amazing

People don't realize how special the 128i is. NA I6 and a 6 speed manual, true 3200 lb car with modern suspension is a rare treat these days. I've been in love with mine since I got it about a year ago. After racking up thousands in speeding tickets driving my 450 whp C6 I still manage to get tickets in this 128 as well lmao. HP really is just another drug, you wind up getting used to it in the end and go broke trying to chase the high. Keep the rubber side down friends!

I’ve had my 2012 for 7 years and still love it.

nice to see all specs of car being appreciated and adapted to one's taste ! looks to be a very nice build, especially the self assembled diff. otherwise, as a personal preference, the inserted music in the video "distracted" me a bit from the discussion. it was ok in your supra VS type R video as it had an edited aspect. however, for one takes, i'd argue to just keep a clean music-less audio.

Probably one of my favorite one takes in recent memory

This is why I love my 07 Z4 3.0si roadster. Pros: Top tier N52 engine 255hp, top down, engine bay a mile long to DIY everything.

I like the little music when the fly by comes on it’s like an old action movie love it 😂

I like naturally aspirated 6 cylinders. Of course i love a peppy smooth N/A BMW Inline 6 which I had all through college but I also actually love an N/A V6 as well has to at least rev to 7-7.5k though

Absolutely agree with this vid. I have a 135i N55 vert and a 328xi N52 touring, both manuals. Both much heavier than this car, but on the same spectrum. Between the 135 (stock m-sport suspension) and the 328 (KW v1) there isn't as much of an excitement gap as you would think. The light weight of a 128i coupe would make it absolutely the most fun non-M BMW, turbo or NA.

I fell for the BMW NA 6 with my e39 530i. It's not fast but its a fun car to wring out, i considered the 540 but with the added headaches of that engine and higher purchase prices (especially for manuals), i deemed it not worth it. The farther we move on from the 128i the more I want one, such a great balance of size/power.

I've owned for 7 years a 125i E82 remapped to 130i, with a Quaiffe LSD. That is to this day the best car I've ever owned, the N52 engine was superb, reliable and efficient while the sensible size of the car made it super fun on country roads.

I had an e36 M3 with the s52 which is the old school predecessor of the engine in this car, similar horsepower and all and it was very torquey thru out every gear. Very fun to drive even with it not being crazy fast in a straight line

Mega props for showing 128i love. I know the 135i has more power, but for long-term reliability, this is the way to go

I really enjoy this build, Nice and simple but efficient. I really do wonder why the owner didn't do a simple intake ( or even just a better filter ) tune on it. While not going to get insane amounts of power it would most likely wake up the power-band a bit more and I'm sure make the car even more fun and make his mods work even better.

Im a turbo boy but I love bmw i6 engines had a few and they’ve been great!

That is an awesome road! The boring roads around my new home town are killing me

In Europe we do not have the 128i but we have the 125i that is the same engine 265hp of the 330i, I have been checking them so many times but they are not as cheap as this 128i in the US.

The music is really weird in the video. Especially on the drive by at ~6:50 where it’s so loud it drowns out the car? Maybe it’s just me but I don’t need background music and don’t like when it takes away from the actual sound of the video. If this is what the algorithm desires then I guess I’m in the minority. I won’t stop watching because it’s TST but this specific background music format is no good for me.

Great review! The background track/noises were pretty distracting though

Even more of a sleeper is the e90 328i. There is not a big weight difference compared to the 128i (sub 200 lbs. as I recall) and they are much easier to find. Plus, you can get more variants (sedan, coupe, rwd, awd, etc.) depending on your needs.

I was shopping around for a 128i and I saw this video but I decided to watch it after I bought one. I bought one and now I have watched it

The 128i is the better pick over the 135i in my opinion because the 1 series is a narrow body shortened e90. Because of that the fenders can't fit much tire. The 300hp stock 135i plus the weight and no LSD makes the car unbalanced out of the box. Removing weight and adding a lsd makes it perfect.

128i is best car. I used to tell people that if you could go back to 1999, time travel all the engineers responsible for the E36 M3 and bring them to the late 2000’s, this is what they would build.

I thought the same thing of the Msport 4cyl 2 series. Light red and fun. And pretty cheap anymore for an older one.

Just got my 128i m sport last month. I feel like the 128i buzz has been growing recently.

I love how they added music to the cut scenes but the first one made me think I left TheCarPassionChannel on in another tab bc its the exact same as the outro music lol.

Music during the talking is quite annoying, other than that glad to see a regular viewer car back on the channel!

Having owned numerous "1ers," I can say with authority: a 128i M Sport manual is an outstanding drivers car. I do love my 135is for its performance, N55, and rarity, but comparatively - the 128i is a more civil and silky driver. These 1 series deserve all the praise they receive. They are a delight!

100% I bought my daughter a 2010 128I and I thought it was a bear better than all those other cars one J R it is pretty reliable and have a fun

This thing is remarkably like my old 128i. I ordered mine from Germany (for a lease! Residuals were crazy high then- the lease was cheaper than a vw golf’s lease). White, 6 speed no options except the m sport package. Then I installed m3 subframe bushings, like this guy- an LSD with lower gears, really stiff touring car racing suspension, the widest Azenis rt-615k square tire setup I could fit, and big sway bars. To me this was the last real bmw. The straight 6 IS bmw- these things have a super light magnesium block- it’s light and it handles pretty close to perfect. I miss it- but I traded it for something equally awesome.

Own the 4 door version of this car. The e90 328i 6 speed as a daily. Put 50k miles on it in 2.5 years. It’s been very reliable.

Johnny Harris vibes with the orange Patagonia jacket

8:46 reminds me of the opening scene to the original 1969 version of The Italian Job

Wasn’t a fan of this but now I want one!😝

Please dont ruin the car market - shut up!! There is nothing left for us poor ppl

Lots of people say BMW isn't reliable but that's because they buy the wrong ones!! NA inline 6 is their bread & butter can't go wrong with those they are extremely reliable !! Been a bimmer guy over 10 yrs I love them

Other alternatives to this car, with the same amazing N52 N/A engine and a manual, are the 130i hatchback, the classic E90 330i and the Z4 3.0Si, all fantastic cars.

Yup. I’ve been saying this the whole time. 128 is a gem.

Can you do review on a BMW E89 Z4 35i/is DCT/6spd. Not sure why no one does a review on the E89 Z4. Awesome cars!

Don't forget the BMW Z4 E86 3.0si coupe, which is basically the much lighter and more HP version of the 128i.

You forgot to mention the biggest advantage. Anti corrosion methods. The 128i came from the factory with a 12 year anti corrosion warranty. It also uses way more high strength steel with structural adhesives. It is a car built for long term use, unlike the Japscrap.

Not related, but can't wait for Matt and Zach to test a Z06

it's kind of rare to see people get behind the less powerful version of a car. used to seeing "why would you waste money modding x? just buy y."

I been thinking of supercharging one of these if I can find a slicktop

I've modded my F22 220D In the exact same philosophy, all the suspension parts, better tires and brakes and just an engine tune.

As a n55 owner, triggered upon seeing the title. My bro has a 128i so its all love. Lol all jokes aside, dope video. 1 series always my fav 😍

Dammit car reviewers blowing up another one of the automotive world's best kept secrets!! These, with Msport and MT are already almost impossible to come by. 😔

Love these cars. It's hilarious when people spend $35k on a BRZ that doesn't perform as well and will never sound good when a 128i for $6k exists. But, I'm SHOCKED he didn't put in a 3 stage intake manifold. Significant performance improvement but yes a tune is needed. If you want to get a much better sound and even more power get a high quality intake and headers. Headers make this car into a dream. You don't even need to mess with the rest of the exhaust. Really strange this guy tracks the car but doesn't care about engine performance. Too bad about the yellow lights.

ive really enjoyed my e90 335d 400hp 600tq 40mpg 170k miles has been very reliable also does well at autox

I always like the 1 series. Good looking car and used prices are coming down.

there has always been an argument for "Get the cheaper one and put the better suspension on it" for Mustangs, BMW's, and others. It's a proven concept. There's some wild V6 mustangs and non turbo BMW's.

Not a fan of the music personally, would rather hear the car. At least have more subtle music with less random noises that overpowers the car's engine noise. Especially during that flyby. Some people may like the music tho, not for me.

I was on the fence about the music during the intro segment, but when it went to the driving... it's really unnecessary. I understand the desire to make it more interesting, but it feels like a seasoning that's just out of place here.

young enthusiast here, love my E90 328xi, N52 club.

Awesome, what a cool dude and a cool car!

Adding the 3 stage manifold from the 330i/530i gives it just a bit more power and makes it the perfect canyon/track car

Would you guys prefer a non m3 e46 or 128i? I can't decide between the two. I can do some wrenching at home but am by no means super experienced.

128i so slept on

What if…….M put their hands on the N52/N53 and made it into an S motor. Individual throttle bodies, High Lift M Magic on the Valvetronic system , little more displacement, higher rev limit etc etc. What I think you would have is a character simliar to the E46 M3 S54 but, more reliable, smoother and more powerful throughout the rev range.

I had a N55 135i and drove it from NY to Cali and the engine was destroyed due to rod bearings. Prior to the engine breaking, many components were breaking down constantly and parts were unreasonably expensive. The 135 looks great on papaer but there was always something missing. If I were to do it all over again I would probably have a very similar set up to todays guest. 128i Manual + LSD + coilivers + performance brakes & no short shifter. Overall though, I wouldnt recommend buying a 1 series, I replaced mine with a Porsche Boxster base manual, which has been pretty rewarding to drive, straightforward to work on, and decently priced parts.

I believe N52 bmws will blow up in popularity soon after the jdm kids wake up and realize the asking prices for 200hp rotted out and beat cars are no longer worth the prices anymore. I sold a 04 RSX type s in meh shape for a 09 128i for only a $100 difference and I couldn’t be happier with how it drives

finally getting some recognition

I don’t remember these cars being well received when they were new? In fact, I remember car reviewers of this era complaining that the throttle response in the 328i was poor at the time. Anybody else remember this?

Straight six is one of the best engine noises.

I miss mine. I had more fun in my 128 than my m235i.

Thanks !

Had a 135i convertible, I really liked the form factor, seating position, trim size, good steering feel. A stage one tune made it pretty quick. The handling up to about 7/10 was very pleasing but would lose composure when pushed hard. The convertible affected the chassis rigidity but was good enough. The 128’s had an early version of electric power steering so were not on my list. (Correction: Some euro models had EPS, it appears US models were not EPS)

I had the z4 3.0I manual it was amazing little car. I have a 135i now and oh my god I’ve owed it for 3 years and it’s been sitting for about 2 and half years haha I’m lS swapping it n54 amazing engine until the start breaking

yes exactly everything cost money N54s and n55s can both be reliable it's pretty obvious if the cars making double the amount of power is going to need more maintenance ( almost everyone Tunes them to 400 horsepower ) I have a friend with a 335i and he has 350,000 km on it still going strong . he is also taking it to the track multiple times .

yes! Sidewall! 205/50 forever for me in my ND

I wanted to gatekeep the 128i but i hope to see more nicely set up ones. This is exactly how i want mine to be lol

Needs headers, milvs, euro intake and tune 😊 completely transformed my 130i