Anyone want to talk me into/out of a 135i?

[Glacial Pace 32]

I've been looking at n54 135i's recently and I'm looking for some input. 

First off, values. I'd want a manual so they seem to be roughly $25k for a good one, and maybe just under $20k for a not so good example. Have these bottomed out and started climbing already? They seem a LOT more than a similar age & km 130i. I realise they are not the same car, but the 135 seems like it's 2.5x the price. The 130i appeals less to me, I don't like the look of the hatchbacks as much. 

How much of a problem are the turbos? Iy doesn't look that easy getting to them if you do need to replace or rebuild. 

Any thoughts on what car pricing in general might be doing over the next 6 months to a year? Higher interest rates and fuel costs can't be great for cars like this. 

Thanks for any input. 

[Jacko 2154]

125's occasionally pop up, same basic engine as a 130 just detuned to not make stock 135s look slow (its only software) on the forecourts, and coupe body. 

I suspect pricing will remain fairly static, 135s are enthusiasts cars... probably get 2 groups of buyers - those who dont know what theyve bought and then suddenly get slapped with repair bills, and the enthusiasts where logic goes out the window when it comes to gas prices etc. 

130 Vs 135 pricing is weird, 130s are awesome undervalued which makes them great buying (likely due to the odd styling, and people thinking a 120 is the same thing). 130s are way rarer than 135s, I saw something like 60k 135s produced Vs 14k 130s. Havent seen 125 numbers, but suspect rarer again.

If you are not specifically after a N54 and going silly fast, I wouldn't overlook a 123d, manual one would be rocking horse sh*t but they do exist and would be great little car. 

 

2c.

[Glacial Pace 32]

Yeah, I'd put myself in the enthusiasts category, and it wouldn't be a daily driver so fuel costs and potential to be off the road for repairs are not the end of the world. 

I think if I'm going to get one I'd be going for a 135. 

[str8_6 275]

Owned an n54 (e92) for 5 years/50km (still in the family and running perfectly). Not one fault in my ownership. Was my daily and I absolutely loved it. I’ve also had a couple of BMW’s with the N52 3.0i motor. N52 is okay, but I got bored quickly and I definitely can’t get over the looks of the hatch. 
I tried both platforms when I was looking (135i and 335i) and felt the 335i was a little nicer to ride in. Both are great performers though. 
There’s lots you can read about online in terms of what goes wrong, but heaps of knowledge on how to remediate. 

[Glacial Pace 32]

They're are a lot fewer manual 335s out there, I'd consider a 335 if the right one came along but I am certainly more interested in a 135.

Anyone been watching values of these over the last few years? I know car values have certainly been holding strong if not rising since covid messed everything up but what were these going for 3 years ago? 

[Gaz 1060]

17 minutes ago, Glacial Pace said:

They're are a lot fewer manual 335s out there, I'd consider a 335 if the right one came along but I am certainly more interested in a 135.

Anyone been watching values of these over the last few years? I know car values have certainly been holding strong if not rising since covid messed everything up but what were these going for 3 years ago? 

Certainly on the rise now, were a 15k car 5 odd years ago

[Glacial Pace 32]

Just now, Gaz said:

Certainly on the rise now, were a 15k car 5 odd years ago

Thanks. That's what I figured. Anything financial is going to be interesting over the next few years but I doubt these will drop much now. 

[M3AN 4016]

Yep, 16k 3 years ago for a good 135i.

[Glacial Pace 32]

16k will now get an ok auto car. If I could find a decent manual for under 20k I think I'd be doing well. 

[elias 253]

Would definitely recommend from a driving perspective ,as far as value goes, they seem to have gone up, I paid 12.5k for my auto one less than a year ago, would be tricky to find one for that now. 

As far as turbos go, wastegate rattle and turbo seals are definitely an issue, obviously depends on mileage, they are a pain to get to, need to drop subframe etc etc, and rather expensive. Wastegate rattle itself isn't too much of an issue until they no longer hold boost and you get the 30FF code, in some cases this is due to vacuum line leaks rather than the wastegates themselves, but they are well known to fail. 

Other common issues, obviously the high pressure fuel pump, water pump, leaking injectors, as well as other general maintenance such as gaskets etc. 

For an enthusiast its a great car overall, especially if you enjoy working on it yourself, and don't depend on it to get to work etc, although when properly maintained, quite a reliable car. Obviously you will run into a few issues when you inevitably decide to tune it at some point, as it will expose any weaknesses such as spark plugs, coils, fuel system etc.

Overall an extremely fun car to drive, with plenty of power, especially when tuned, the biggest downsides being the common issues and the lack of a LSD which can make traction an issue. 

[Blackie 510]

39 minutes ago, elias said:

 the lack of a LSD which can make traction an issue. 

OP is after a manual car which I see some 135i seem to have.

[Glacial Pace 32]

7 minutes ago, Blackie said:

OP is after a manual car which I see some 135i seem to have.

Pretty sure none of them had a lsd. It was not a factory option. 

[Jacko 2154]

Not an M car = No LSD option from factory, as stupid a decision as that was. 

[Blackie 510]

My bad. Just see them on TM every now and again where people say they are rare option on manuals.

 E.g.https://www.trademe.co.nz/3519443825

[M3AN 4016]

31 minutes ago, Jacko said:

Not an M car = No LSD option from factory, as stupid a decision as that was. 

Oh, I didn't know that, is it a blanket rule of thumb across their range?

23 minutes ago, Blackie said:

My bad. Just see them on TM every now and again where people say they are rare option on manuals.

 E.g.https://www.trademe.co.nz/3519443825

Interestingly the LSD claim has been removed, I had read it when this car was posted earlier. It's still mentioned in the Q&A.

Edited June 13, 2022 by M3AN

[Jacko 2154]

As far as Im aware, its across whole model range. LCI cars can have e-LSD coded as factory option, its sh*t. 

[Driftit 2078]

That car was listed for $18k ono when it was in Carterton a few years back.  We were going to check it out but it sold.  It sat on the market for quite a while.
We stopped looking for a 135 when the prices started heading back into the mid 20's.  My wife loves the shape.  But can't justify 3 x the price we got our 130 for.

[GorGasm 563]

Lots of nice N55 DCTs, which could be a good trade off between Auto/Manual?  Have had an N55 for 4+ years now and only had basic maintenance required.

The market is flooding at the moment due to increasing interest rates/increased cost of living, so you may be able to talk people down.  It's certainly much harder to ask top dollar when there's 3+ more of the same car at the same price.  Earlier in the year there were hardly any Maserati GTs for sale and no 4.7s below $65k.  Now there's heaps and a few below $65k.

Edited June 13, 2022 by GorGasm

[Daniel0663 30]

130i is value for money, rather pay 12-15k for a 130i manual than 25k+ for a decent 135i manual. The cost to maintain n54 spirals quick and fast, even if you can do the work yourself its costly. N55 135i seems like a better value considering they're starting to drop in value and likewise with the f20/f21 m135i etc.  

[Glacial Pace 32]

There are literally 0 n55 135 manuals listed on trade me right now, unless I'm missing something. 

I realise that some people don't particularly care, or are willing to compromise but I do really want a manual. 

[Blackie 510]

130i prices are all over the place. Similar automatic ones can be had from anywhere from 6k to 11k depending on the day of the week. Manuals are reaching upwards of 14k+ but as much as I wouldn't own an auto, I don't think a manual is worth that money having had one. Like someone said earlier in the thread, you'll get bored. 

135i have a huge big HP scene overseas which I think is only going to push desirable ones up even further in years to come. N54 seems to be the preference over the N55 for modifying. Do N55 even come with a manual?!

[Glacial Pace 32]

Not sure if the n55 can with a manual option, there are none on trade me though so possibly not? 

[GorGasm 563]

N55s apparently had a manual option but I'd expect that to be super rare.

A 135i manual is gonna blow a 130i away.  I had a 130i auto and it was pretty boring.  Cool stuff costs more money.

On Trademe the white one in Timaru or red one in Wellington are my picks.

Edited June 14, 2022 by GorGasm

[Daniel0663 30]

4 hours ago, Glacial Pace said:

Not sure if the n55 can with a manual option, there are none on trade me though so possibly not? 

Yes it did, however very rare. There was a high km 135i n55 manual sold few months back. 

[Glacial Pace 32]

4 hours ago, GorGasm said:

On Trademe the white one in Timaru or red one in Wellington are my picks.

Agree. The white one in Timaru unfortunately has white leather which is not me at all. I think my ideal colours would be white with red leather. I don't love the colour of the red one in Wellington, but it does look like a nice car.