2009 BMW 1 Series: 1 Year Later, Keeps Getting Better

Summary

When it arrived here in mid-2008, the BMW 1 Series signaled the Bavarian automaker's serious intent to deliver BMW-grade driving excitement in a smaller, less costly package. As if to show just how serious, initially only one model was available: the high-performance BMW 135i Coupe, with 300 twin-turbocharged horsepower.

Full Review 2009

For 2009 BMW has expanded the series, adding the BMW 128i, with 230 horsepower and nearly all of the same amenities, for $6450 less. Better still, you can now buy beautifully made, high-quality convertible-top versions of both models.

The 1 Series is almost seven inches shorter overall than the next car up in the BMW line, the popular 3 Series. The 1 Series wheelbase is four inches shorter than that of the 3 Series, and it's a significant 2.7 inches narrower in width. The 1 Series is meant to be a serious, sporty competitor to all the front-wheel-drive Japanese, Korean, and domestic cars in the entry luxury coupe class. BMW brings its highly developed rear-wheel-drive platform to the fight.

Trims and Available Options 2009

For 2009, the BMW 1 Series lineup has expanded to four models: the 230-horsepower 128i and the 300-horsepower 135i, each available as a coupe or a convertible. All are powered by 3.0-liter inline-6 engines driving the rear wheels through a standard six-speed manual or optional ($1,325) six-speed automatic transmission.

The BMW 128i Coupe ($29,400) comes with automatic climate control; premium AM/FM/CD audio with auxiliary input jack; a leather-wrapped, multi-function steering wheel; leatherette upholstery; cruise control; power glass sunroof; high-gloss black interior trim; rain-sensing automatic headlights; fog lights; and 205/55HR16 all-season tires on 16-inch alloy wheels.

The BMW 135i Coupe ($35,850) adds, in addition to its twin-turbocharged engine, a firmer sport suspension and high-performance brakes; xenon headlights with adaptive light control; retractable headlight washers; Gray Poplar wood interior trim; and 215/40YR18 front tires leading 245/35YR18 rears, both of course on 18-inch alloy rims.

The BMW 128i Convertible ($34,000) and 135i Convertible ($40,150) are equipped similarly to their coupe counterparts, except that the 135i soft top rolls on less radical 205/50HR17 rubber front and rear. Both come with a fully automatic fabric folding top.

A Sport Package ($1,300) for the 128i models includes sport suspension, sport seats, M-style steering wheel, Shadowline trim, and wider tires on 17-inch rims.

Options include leather upholstery ($1,450), heated front seats ($500), rear park distance control ($350), navigation ($2,100), BMW Assist ($750), Sirius satellite radio ($595), HD radio ($350), iPod/USB adapter ($400), Smartphone integration ($150), and xenon headlights ($900).

The 135i Coupe and Convertible offer variable-ratio Active Steering ($1,550) and, new for 2009, a heated steering wheel ($150). Both convertibles offer a rear-seat ski bag that loads through the trunk ($175). Various Cold Weather packages ($600-900) bundle some of the above-listed equipment, while Premium Packages ($3,400-3,700) combine leather upholstery with power memory seats and other amenities.

Safety features that come standard on the 1 Series include frontal airbags, seat-mounted side-impact airbags, side curtain airbags (coupe only), ABS, electronic stability control, traction control, cornering brake control, and launch control for getting started on slippery surfaces. The brake lights include a panic-braking mode that lights up the entire lens extra bright whenever the brake pedal is stomped hard. A tire-pressure monitor is standard.

The outboard sections are then sub-divided horizontally, with a fog light at the top and a small grille underneath. For both convertible models, drag coefficient increases slightly to 0.34.

Stylish Interior and Features

The steering wheel tilts and telescopes, helping drivers of different shapes and sizes to find the ideal driving position.

BMW claims the fourth-generation system, which the 1 Series adopts for 2009, is more natural and intuitive in operation than past versions have been.

All 1 Series coupes come with a 60/40 split folding rear seat than can provide almost triple the trunk room of 10 cubic feet. The soft top takes up less trunk space than a convertible hard top would, which is partly why the design uses a soft top. Still, cargo room shrinks to just 8 cubic feet.

Front leg room is reduced by a quarter inch, and head room by three-quarters of an inch. The losses in rear seat room are a bit more consequential, where shoulder room contracts by nearly a foot. Leg room is reduced by three-quarters of an inch, and head room by little more than a hair (0.1 inch).

The optional leather upholstery for the convertible incorporates what BMW calls Sun Reflective Technology, a special pigment which reflects both heat and ultraviolet rays. Additionally, the convertibles' automatic climate control system adds a top-down mode that reacts less to interior temperature and more to the exterior climate and sunlight.

First Drive 2009

Driving a 300-hp, 3400-pound rear-drive coupe built on a short-wheelbase chassis adds up to a great deal of driving enjoyment, especially when the engine's torque curve is absolutely flat from 1300 to 5000 rpm and the engine redlines at 7000 rpm.

Top speed is electronically limited to 130 mph (or 149 mph with the Sport Package). EPA estimates are 17 mpg city/25mpg highway with the manual transmission; and 18/25 with the automatic.

Because the BMW 135i is essentially a scaled-down 335i, its ride, steering, and handling carry the same exemplary qualities as the larger car. Its smaller front steering tires are matched to the job of pointing the car while the fatter rear tires lay the power down in wonderfully linear fashion. The car's weight is distributed 52/48 on the front and rear tires.

The 135i's brakes use massive six-piston calipers at the front and twin-piston calipers at the rear, with 13.3-inch front discs and 12.75-inch rear discs and a built-in brake drying and anti-fade feature.

We found the steering, cornering, and braking performance of the BMW 135i to be exemplary, perfectly matched to the huge acceleration power of the engine.

Electronic driving aids abound in the 1 Series, including antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and cornering brake control, dynamic traction control, dynamic stability control, and a switch that can disable the DSC system for track days or generally more involving driving through the woods.

2009 Conclusions

The BMW 1 Series cars have all the style, performance and features a driver could want in a compact package. It's built around one of the best chassis in the segment, and the only one with rear-wheel drive. The Los Angeles Times says the 135i engine's "sound is so ferocious and bittersweet, so carnal and wicked, somebody ought to name a heavy-metal band after it: Velvet Chain Saw." "For the money, it's hard to think of a car that puts together as much performance, handling, refinement and user-friendliness in one package as the 2009 BMW 1-Series." says Edmunds The addition of two convertible models expands its appeal.