MK7 GTI vs M135i

[Poached]

How long are you planning on keeping the car?

Don't get caught up in the reviews too much.

Whichever one you go for, you aren't stuck with it forever.

[Bill_the_Bear]

It's discounted from a £38k car they have in the showroom and want to shift, which luckily includes almost all the kit i like the look of.  Sounds great getting a £38k car for just over £31k, but gotta remember BMW overprice their options (not that VW don't) so I view the stellar discount with respect to that.  This makes it just slightly cheaper than my GTI order is even after the 9% discount I got on the GTI.  It is missing some of the spec from the GTI (doesn't have sunroof, only semi keyless, no rear cam, no DCC).  It's also the wrong colour, black.  Admittedly does look good in black but I would have preferred blue.  There is no extended warranty available but it includes a 5 year (I think) service plan.

Must be slow August sales yeah.  Apparently there is another interested customer (usual sales bull?). Other than that they are putting on great service (unlike VW) but then they want to make a sale so...

I loved that 6 cylinder engine so much this is very very tempting!  I'd probably keep it for 3 or 4 years at least.

[Poached]

With this sort of money on the table I would rather have a car in a colour I wanted.

Yet another Bmw or Aldi in resale black...

It's not that black is a bad colour it's just common.

And yes sounds like sales pressure...

[Bill_the_Bear]

Black isn't too bad... shame it wasn't blue but its offset by the fact its available right now!  He's yet to come back to me with the factory order option, but claims this level of discount won't be available on a factory order because it would be too low margin (he claims loss for them but they always say this).

Anyhow, VWCS promised to email me tomorrow with an update on my order and an offer for my p/x problems.  I've sorted a private sale for the p/x (third time lucky?) so I've decided I'm going to tell them it's too long wait so they can either give me a significant discount or I'll take my deposit back and hand it to BMW.  If they want my business they can put me under £30k.  I figure that is a lot to ask for so if they actually do it I won't regret staying with the GTI and passing on the BMW deal.

[drisser]

Bill, all who are pondering what to do with their order, good luck and hope you make the right choice.

I finalised a deal today and went for the intermediate option of a used 135 coupe.  My local BMW dealer had just got in a 60 plate, 1 owner car with just 20k miles on the clock and I got it for under £20k with the usual BMW warranty etc.

Metallic Graphite, Full Sat Nav, Harmon Kardon hi-fi, Xenons etc.  Bascially all I need and thank god a lovely manual 6 speed box non of this auto rubbish    306 BHP, rear wheel drive, 0-60 in 5.3 secs, its all I need to be honest and will do me for 3 years then I can sell it privately knowing it hasnt cost me a ton of depreciation.

IN the end I loved both the golf and to a lesser extent the M135, but I couldnt justify buying something new when I could be moved abroad in 3 years.  The 135 Coupe I bought ticks all the boxes and has already taken a £15k depreciation hit in 2.5 years so it was a cracking buy really.  I would really urge anyone pondering a new M135 to drive a 135i Coupe if you like the looks.. you get 99.9% of the performance in a much tighter handling, lower centre of gravity package that just feels much more intimate than the M135.  Truth be told it is more like the GTi to drive, just with a bit more punch.

Will try and post a pic of the car i bought if anyone is interested.

I will be keeping up with the forum and hoping you guys all take delivery ! Cracking forum by the way, some great debates, they are way more valuable than reading road test

Andy 

[Gryzor]

Sounds like a really good choice Andy, certainly given your future position.  The coupe looks much, much nicer than the hatch, and if they did a 5 door version in that style, I'd have seriously considered one myself.

As for Mr Bear, I dunno' mate...  Personally I wouldn't bother with the BMW in a colour I don't necessarily want, and instead just focus my energies on the GTI and getting the information and best deal I can.  As you said before as well, I'd also consider knocking off things like the pano roof, leather and PP.  It'd still be all the car you'd ever need, but much cheaper.  Question is, what would that do to the as-yet unconfirmed build date?!

[monkeyhanger]

If Bill waits a few more days he should know if he is confirmed BW37 - should change on the tracker this Thurs evening/Fri morning if he really is BW37. Unless something is really off, Bill should get a status change in teh next week or 2 unless he really is BW40+ and noone wants to tell him.

How much longer are you prepared to wait until they push you into a BMW Bill?

[drisser]

Couple of pics in case anyone is interested

Won't post any more in case I get shot down for making it a BMW forum 

Hope the links work..

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd365/andysexyberkshire/135%20COUPE/135coupe2_zpsf63376f7.jpg

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd365/andysexyberkshire/135%20COUPE/135coupe1_zps5a25e8b4.jpg

[CraigW]

Couple of pics in case anyone is interested

Won't post any more in case I get shot down for making it a BMW forum 

Hope the links work..

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd365/andysexyberkshire/135%20COUPE/135coupe2_zpsf63376f7.jpg

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd365/andysexyberkshire/135%20COUPE/135coupe1_zps5a25e8b4.jpg

Congrats Andy! Very nice and much prefer that shape compared to the hatchback

Hope you will hang around the forum even though you have ventured over to the dark side 

[Poached]

Bill, all who are pondering what to do with their order, good luck and hope you make the right choice.

I finalised a deal today and went for the intermediate option of a used 135 coupe.  My local BMW dealer had just got in a 60 plate, 1 owner car with just 20k miles on the clock and I got it for under £20k with the usual BMW warranty etc.

Metallic Graphite, Full Sat Nav, Harmon Kardon hi-fi, Xenons etc.  Bascially all I need and thank god a lovely manual 6 speed box non of this auto rubbish    306 BHP, rear wheel drive, 0-60 in 5.3 secs, its all I need to be honest and will do me for 3 years then I can sell it privately knowing it hasnt cost me a ton of depreciation.

IN the end I loved both the golf and to a lesser extent the M135, but I couldnt justify buying something new when I could be moved abroad in 3 years.  The 135 Coupe I bought ticks all the boxes and has already taken a £15k depreciation hit in 2.5 years so it was a cracking buy really.  I would really urge anyone pondering a new M135 to drive a 135i Coupe if you like the looks.. you get 99.9% of the performance in a much tighter handling, lower centre of gravity package that just feels much more intimate than the M135.  Truth be told it is more like the GTi to drive, just with a bit more punch.

Will try and post a pic of the car i bought if anyone is interested.

I will be keeping up with the forum and hoping you guys all take delivery ! Cracking forum by the way, some great debates, they are way more valuable than reading road test

Andy 

Sensible choice whether you move abroad or not imo.