BMW 130i vs M135i - Battle of the Baby BMW

The BMW 1 series today is an affordable performance car, but which BMW 1 series do you go for? The first generation BMW 130i or second generation BMW M135i? Let's find out!

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Chapters:
0:00 History
1:16 Drivetrain Reliability
2:42 What Sounds Better?
3:08 Interior
4:13 BMW 130i Driving Experience
6:15 BMW M135i Driving Experience

The BMW 1 Series is a range of subcompact executive cars (C-segment) manufactured by BMW since 2004. It is the successor to the BMW 3 Series Compact and is currently in its third generation. Positioned as the entry-level model in BMW range of products, the first generation was produced in hatchback, coupé and convertible body styles.

Since 2014, the coupé and convertible models have been marketed separately as the 2 Series, therefore the 1 Series range no longer includes these body styles. A four-door sedan model became available for the Chinese market in 2017, using the front-wheel drive platform that is also used the basis for the third-generation 1 Series hatchback.

A high-performance BMW M version called the BMW 1 Series M Coupé was produced for the first generation. Due to the 1 Series coupé model being replaced by the 2 Series, the 1 Series M Coupé was replaced by the BMW M2 in 2016.

For the first two generations, the 1 Series used a rear-wheel drive layout, while all-wheel drive was introduced as an option since 2012. For the third generation introduced in 2019, the 1 Series switched to a front-wheel drive layout, while retaining the all-wheel drive option.