I’ve spent a fair bit of time around BMWs over the years, and the BMW 135i still stands out as one of those cars that genuinely earns its reputation.
Driving one for the first time, you instantly understand why it became one of the real-world stars of the segment. The facelifted model carries the same spirit as the original BMW, but with sharper looks and a bit more punch under the bonnet, making it a worthy rival to the Volkswagen Golf R.
What strikes me most is how this hot hatch balances everyday usability with genuine performance. The dynamics feel tuned for real roads rather than just a test track, and BMW has clearly worked to keep lease deals tempting for buyers who want thrills without breaking the bank.
Even small touches like the reshaped headlights, the taillights stretching into the bootlid, and the more sculpted design of the front bumper show how much attention goes into every model lifecycle update, even without major chassis revisions, thanks to BMW’s policy of continuous improvement.
It wasn’t always smooth sailing, though. The car had a shaky start when first launched plenty of impressive performance on paper, but it lacked the raw excitement people expect from a proper hot hatch.
Thankfully, the 2022 revisions turned things around, giving the car a far more characterful feel. Some purists still miss the old sonorous 3.0-litre engine, and I get that nostalgia but the current car has a beautiful interior, remains genuinely fast, and is more practical day-to-day than the older M140i.
BMW 135i
Looking back almost feels nostalgic now. It’s hard to believe the predecessor had rear-wheel drive and a proper six-cylinder engine, while today’s 1 Series-based M135 runs on a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired with four-wheel drive.
Recent mechanical tweaks sharpened the handling, but there’s a catch: power actually dropped by 6bhp, and weight climbed by 100kg, making the newer car technically slower. Naturally, this raises the question of how it stacks up against rivals like the Audi S3, Ford Focus ST, and other rival hot hatches.
Engine, Performance & Drive
Under the bonnet, the older turbocharged six-cylinder engine got a boost of 10bhp, taking it to 322bhp, built on the same N55 unit used in the M235i coupe since 2014.
Despite that modest bump, BMW didn’t promise faster 0-62mph times manual versions hit it in 5.1 seconds, while the automatic does 0-60mph in around 4.9 seconds. Peak torque sits at 332lb ft, available from just 1300rpm, paired with either a six-speed manual or the eight-speed ZF automatic, with a limited-slip differential offered as a dealer fit option.
Driving the facelifted car feels familiar, almost like slipping into an old favourite jacket. The engine stays responsive, full of torque, and lively near the top end something the Audi S3 can’t quite match, since its unit often feels comparatively lifeless.
The manual gearbox I tried was a touch notchy, occasionally fussy shifting into third gear or fourth gear, though the eight-speed automatic proved smoother and more convenient around town, even if it gets slightly flustered under hard traction demands, especially with the open differential rather than a true drift-mobile setup.
Steering inputs feel direct, and the chassis balance stays composed, though it’s not quite as sharp as a full M cars experience for on-the-limit thrills more of a halfway house.
The shift to xDrive changed the formula entirely. This all-wheel-drive system brings the car closer to the Audi RS3 and Volkswagen Golf R in feel, running as front-wheel drive in daily driving before switching to AWD when extra grip is needed.
Power dropped from the old 335bhp 3.0-litre unit to a 302bhp 2.0-litre, yet 0-62mph still arrives in style, with a top speed of 155mph, helped by standard launch control and a slick eight-speed automatic gearbox. The trade-off is sound the smaller engine and exhaust leave you feeling a bit detached, even with strong grip, and some buyers coming from an M140i noted the missing excitement.
BMW listened to that criticism. In 2022, hardware and software updates some borrowed from the 128ti reworked the suspension with new lower arms, making the car stiffer and more responsive, while recommended tyres switched to performance-focused rubber and the artificial engine noise sounded more convincing.
The result feels far more entertaining, with better traction and genuine playfulness, even if some testers still find the low to mid rev range more engaging than the top end, and note the busy ride could use more refinement.
The latest M135 runs 296bhp, with an official 0-62mph time of 4.9 seconds, just behind the Mercedes AMG A35 and VW Golf R (both around 4.5 to 4.7 seconds), though it trails the Audi RS3 and Mercedes AMG A45 S, which justify their price premium with serious pace. The engine pulls strongly until about 6000rpm, after which it runs out of steam, and despite four exhaust tips, much of what you hear is fake engine sound pumped through the speakers rather than genuine acceleration noise something you can dial back outside Sport mode.
The seven-speed automatic gearbox (no manual gearbox option here) feels sharp in Sport Plus mode but sluggish otherwise.
What I genuinely appreciated was the numb steering that’s still surprisingly precise steering, paired with a lovely grip balance that beats the earlier car by a wide margin.
It sits nicely between the composed Audi S3 and the more playful Ford Focus ST, allowing a bit of rotation from the rear wheels mid-cornering, with four-wheel drive mainly there for stability through fast sweeping bends.
The optional M Dynamic Pack adds lighter wheels, uprated brakes, stiffer suspension, and grippier tyres, making the car more track-focused and agile, though the £3000 price tag is hard to justify against the Golf R’s adjustable adaptive suspension.
The standard adaptive suspension isn’t adjustable, so the ride stays a touch knobbly, and wing mirrors generate noticeable wind noise alongside some road noise. As reviewer Oliver Young put it, the car is “good but not great fun.”
Interior & Comfort
Step inside, and the interior feels instantly familiar if you’ve sat in any other BMW every control sits exactly where you’d expect.
The materials and construction feel genuinely solid, though the Mercedes-AMG A 35 edges it slightly with more theatre. M Sport heated front seats wrapped in suede-like fabric come standard, alongside a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and the widescreen infotainment system, plus auto LED headlights, two-zone climate control, and a sportier steering wheel as part of the M Sport trim.
There’s no shortage of personalisation either. The M135i Plus pack brings 19-inch alloys, sun protection glass, and an upgraded stereo, while the Tech Pack and Comfort Pack add a powered tailgate, heated steering wheel, and electric front seats.
You can also add a panoramic sunroof, extra safety kit, and sportier exterior add-ons, and since 2022, the bold Sao Paulo Yellow shade borrowed from the BMW M4 joins the usual colour palette of greys, blacks, and blues.
Visibility is genuinely good, and the driving position feels spot-on. There’s no rotary controller for the infotainment here, which makes the Audi S3 feel a touch more user friendly inside by comparison. The driver’s seat and steering wheel adjust generously, especially with the M Sport seats, which look like they belong in a BMW M4, complete with chunky side bolsters and an illuminated M logo on the headrest. Opting for electric adjustment also unlocks lumbar support and a massage function, which I found genuinely useful on longer drives.
The forward view stays clear thanks to slim windscreen pillars and an unobstructed look over the dashboard, though the rear pillars are chunkier and limit visibility over your shoulder.
A curved screen spans the dashboard, combining a 10.7in digital driver’s display with a 10.3in infotainment touchscreen though sadly, the iDrive dial is gone across the entire 1 Series, meaning you control everything through touchscreen taps or voice commands. Even the climate-control settings, like temperature and fan speed, run through the screen rather than physical switches.
The graphics look sharp, even if touch inputs aren’t quite as snappy as in pricier BMWs. Standard kit includes DAB radio, Bluetooth, sat-nav, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay, paired with a six-speaker, 100W stereo, while a head-up display and 12-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound system are available as extras.
Overall, the dash and door tops use artificial leather or soft-touch plastics, with genuine metal-look features a small but appreciated detail compared to some Mercedes rivals.
Practicality & Boot Space
Practicality improved significantly once BMW shifted the 1 Series toward front-wheel drive underpinnings, freeing up space for both passengers and luggage.
The all-wheel-drive layout doesn’t cost much versatility, and rear-seat occupants now enjoy noticeably better leg room and elbow room, though headroom remains a touch tight for six-footers.
Boot space grew by 20 litres, matching both the Golf R and Audi S3, helped by a wider tailgate opening that makes loading boxy items easier than in the M235i saloon just don’t expect towing capability, since there’s no towbar option here.
In the back, head room and leg room stay reasonable for most adults, and the interior feels usefully wide, with handy door bins, a deep central armrest, and a center console tray adding genuine storage.
Compared with the Mercedes AMG A35, AMG A45, and VW Golf R, rear space holds up well, though the Ford Focus ST, Honda Civic Type R, and Skoda Octavia vRS offer a bit more room if that’s the priority. I’d skip the panoramic sunroof, since the roof lining curve can intrude on a rear passenger’s eye line.
Boot-wise, the Octavia vRS still wins outright, but at 380 litres, this car beats its premium rivals the Audi S3 and A35 plus the Golf R. The shape stays usefully boxy, with a shallow load lip, and you can even option 40/20/40 split rear seats instead of the usual 60/40 split most rivals offer.
Reliability, Safety & Buying
Pricing has shifted over the years. The M140i replacement launched at £31,875 for a manual three-door, with the five-door adding £530, and most buyers opting for the eight-speed automatic gearbox for an extra £1430 on the list price.
Safety-wise, Euro NCAP awarded the 1 Series a full five-star safety rating back in 2019, covering autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian detection, cyclist detection, and lane-departure warning, with optional extras like a head-up display and cross-traffic warning.
Reliability hasn’t always been a strong point the 1 Series placed a disappointing 72nd out of 75 cars in the Driver Power 2023 survey, beaten only by cars like the Range Rover Evoque, Citroen C3 Aircross, and Vauxhall Mokka. BMW overall landed 21st out of 32 manufacturers, which, frankly, leaves room for improvement.
Running costs matter too. A starting price near £41,500 pushes the car into the premium VED road tax bracket, adding £390 on top of the £180 standard rate until the car turns six years old nearly £2,000 extra over that time.
CO2 emissions from 168g/km also place it high in company-car tax bands, though every BMW comes with a reassuring three-year warranty, unlimited-mileage cover, and an optional service plan at £20 per month.
On fuel economy, the newer 2.0-litre engine beats the older 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine, returning up to 38.2mpg with careful driving better than the Mercedes-AMG A 35 or Volkswagen Golf R, both under 40mpg, and slightly ahead of the Cupra Leon, unless you choose its plug-in hybrid version.
Compared with the Audi S3 and Mercedes AMG A35, this car actually holds the lowest list price, though the Ford Focus ST and VW Golf GTI undercut it further.
Fuel economy sits around 37.2mpg, with CO2 emissions landing it in the steepest BIK tax band expected for a petrol-powered hot hatch, though buyers chasing lower company-car costs might consider the Alpine A290 or Hyundai Ioniq 5 N instead.
Standard equipment covers automatic lights, wipers, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, and 18in alloy wheels, with 19in wheel designs available as upgrades.
While not explicitly tested, the wider BMW 1 Series placed third out of 25 cars in the family car class for the What Car? Reliability Survey 2024, beating both the Audi A3 and VW Golf, with BMW finishing eighth out of 31 car brands overall a genuinely solid result. Every model carries the same three-year unlimited-mileage warranty, matching Mercedes. Euro NCAP again awarded a maximum five-star rating, though the Mercedes A-Class scored slightly higher on adult chest protection and pedestrian safety in older testing.
Safety kit includes automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-departure warning, traffic-sign recognition, speed-limit assist, and proximity warnings, with the optional Driving Assistant package adding blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and rear cross-traffic alert.
Technical Highlights
Mechanically, this generation doesn’t stray far from its roots, but plenty of electrical updates and connectivity updates make a real difference day-to-day, starting with now-standard LED rear lights. Every car across the 1 Series range also gets satellite navigation as standard, plus an embedded SIM card for emergency calls, covering the mechanical terms owners genuinely notice in daily use.
Beyond that, a range of internet-based services are available, including live traffic information, smart phone remote connectivity, and a handy concierge service.
You can even link Spotify or Napster to the car’s entertainment system to stream music on the move. On the driver assistance front, features like a rear view camera, High Beam Assistant, Speed Limit Info, Lane Departure Warning, and Collision Warning now come across the entire range.
Rivals
The Golf R remains its closest direct rival, sitting around £2200 higher on list price, though both offer genuinely comparable performance and fun to drive characters choosing between them really comes down to personal preference.
The Audi S3, starting at £30,940, actually undercuts this car by £250, offering similar performance, though many drivers, myself included, find it slightly less engaging behind the wheel than either the BMW or the Volkswagen.
Verdict Is the BMW M135i a Good Car?
Looking at the whole picture, the BMW M135i had a genuinely shaky start, offering plenty of impressive performance without quite matching the excitement expected from a true hot hatch. The 2022 revisions fixed much of that, leaving a far more characterful car, even if some still miss the old sonorous 3.0-litre engine.
What remains is a beautiful interior, genuine pace, and a car that’s noticeably more practical than the older M140i it replaced.
Models, Specs and Alternatives
As a proper hot hatchback, this car sits at the very top of the 1 Series range as its flagship version, and despite being BMW’s smallest car, it still delivers genuinely punchy power figures thanks to its clever xDrive all-wheel drive system.
Where the old M140i relied on a 3.0-litre straight six, today’s car runs a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine producing 302bhp, hitting 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds quicker than the old car with the xDrive four-wheel drive system keeping things planted on the road.
Early criticism around missing excitement and technology pushed BMW into action even before the official mid-life facelift, restoring genuine hot-hatch X factor.
By spring 2022, the suspension was recalibrated, tyres changed, the soundtrack improved, and software tweaks refined the xDrive all-wheel-drive system, transforming the overall driving experience though cars with adaptive dampers stayed closer to the standard model in feel.
It now drives closer to the Mercedes-AMG A 35 or the slower Honda Civic Type R, and buyers wanting something different might prefer the cheaper BMW 128ti.
Being the range-topper, it comes well equipped, including the upgraded infotainment system, heated M Sport seats, sat-nav, and exclusive styling tweaks, with the price difference over rivals usually small on a typical PCP finance deal. Inside, the widescreen infotainment system, digital instrument cluster, premium materials, and ambient lighting make the cabin a genuine highlight, while the rear seats and boot both offer noticeably more room than before.
What’s New?
The latest chapter began in June 2024, when the BMW135i xDrive was unveiled and went on sale, packing 296bhp and pairing exclusively with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. UK deliveries followed in October 2024, bringing the updated car to British driveways for the first time.
FAQs of BMW 135i
Is the BMW 135i fast?
Yes, the BMW 135i hits 0-62mph in as little as 4.8 seconds, making it a genuinely fast hot hatch.
Does the BMW 135i have all-wheel drive?
Yes, it uses BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system, switching from front-wheel drive to AWD for extra traction.
Is the BMW 135i practical for daily use?
Absolutely it offers a spacious boot space, comfortable leg room, and a genuinely practical interior for everyday driving.
How reliable is the BMW 135i?
Reliability has been mixed, with the 1 Series placing low in the Driver Power 2023 survey, though BMW overall scores decently.
What rivals the BMW 135i?
Its closest direct rival is the Volkswagen Golf R, alongside the Audi S3 and Mercedes AMG A35 for genuine hot hatch thrills.
