Buying 130i advise needed!! *URGENT

[nero1943]

Alright guys, I am thinking to put down a deposit on a 130i. Before I do this I wanna make sure a few things. I wanna order an auto instead of the stick shift. ( due to the gay traffic in Taiwan Taipei ) But I don't really wanna pay more and loose performance. I know manual will be more fun to drive but I can't really sacrifice as a daily driver. I saw 2006 Geneva Motor Show 130i's auto has paddle shifters. Anybody know this will include in Taiwan's 130i auto? ( we get euro specs here )

Lastly, I am guessing an auto 130i's cost is similar to a new E90 325i.

[328iSANJ]

Alright guys, I am thinking to put down a deposit on a 130i. Before I do this I wanna make sure a few things. I wanna order an auto instead of the stick shift. ( due to the gay traffic in Taiwan Taipei ) But I don't really wanna pay more and loose performance. I know manual will be more fun to drive but I can't really sacrifice as a daily driver. I saw 2006 Geneva Motor Show 130i's auto has paddle shifters. Anybody know this will include in Taiwan's 130i auto? ( we get euro specs here )

Lastly, I am guessing an auto 130i's cost is similar to a new E90 325i.

Is it just in the UK that manual/stick shift is the preferred choice?? Have you seen the rush hour traffic in London?? Yet the majority of us drive with manual shift. Do you like being in control of your car or do you prefer it deciding for you, when you need to shift up or down?? Seriously, put your deposit down for a manual. Paddle shifters only belong on an F1 car. And the ones on normal cars are rubbish....even those on Ferraris, Lambos, Mazeratis etc etc...:evil2

[Low Level]

Automatic? What are you thinking??!

[metale]

Manual is my choise.

Still, I think the auto can come fitted with the padles. Make shure to find how to set it on sport mode :D

[dawgeatdawg]

Standard. Thank me Later.

[96 328ic]

Manual Ftw!

[nero1943]

Is it just in the UK that manual/stick shift is the preferred choice?? Have you seen the rush hour traffic in London?? Yet the majority of us drive with manual shift. Do you like being in control of your car or do you prefer it deciding for you, when you need to shift up or down?? Seriously, put your deposit down for a manual. Paddle shifters only belong on an F1 car. And the ones on normal cars are rubbish....even those on Ferraris, Lambos, Mazeratis etc etc...

I was hoping 130 might release something like SMG but I highly doubt it. Yeah I really wanna get a stick but the traffic here is real bad. Lots of stop and go. Average speed between 60km/h. Did I mention lots of scooters? Man, this sucks!

[taiheung]

He is not kidding. If it is anything like traffic in the Phillipines then I can understand why you'd want an auto model. I do know that my mechanic is in the process of ordering an automatic. All I heard was mentioning something about 6spd auto and ability to pull a boat.

:D

[HBpredhunter]

forget it.. autos suck im glad i got rid of my 328.

[Zev]

I got some weird facts the other day re the 130i from TV

TopGear : BMW 1 series are RWD
Speed Week (May 2006) reported two 130i's as being FWD.

Hope this is not an option I will need to select when I get one.

How confusing. Hope someone here with one can confirm.

Cheers

[taiheung]

What? That's not right at all.
Are you talking about the 2 130i's that were killing their competition?

Definitely RWD.

[Zev]

They were racing at Winton (Australia I guess) in the wet and were all over the shop. Under steer front wheel drift .... I guess the commentator got confused.

Better be RWD thats what has me looking at one ;)

[taiheung]

All E87s are RWD definitely!

Do these cars look familiar?

http://rapidshare.de/files/17541941/130i_side_by_side.mp4.html
http://rapidshare.de/files/17541657/reverse_grid_130i.mp4.html

Taken from http://www.babybmw.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4124

[Zev]

Yep, they would be the ones ... but wet .... very very wet !!

Commentator definitely confused, look like RWD on a dry track to me.

[confuZion3]

My dad's Z4 3.0si has the automatic with the paddles. When you activate the sport mode the paddles really come alive. Upshifts are made instantly (from the second you pull the paddle) and, in sport mode, are made firmly; while downshifts are also made quickly, but the car blurps the throttle for you now so that there is no drag-down (you know, when an auto downshifts without you presssing the gas). It's pretty cool.

Still, it shifts up for you, so they are pretty useless unless you want to shift before the redline, or downshift out of the current gear without resting your foot on the floor.

Give it a try.

[taiheung]

Yep, they would be the ones ... but wet .... very very wet !!

Commentator definitely confused, look like RWD on a dry track to me.

Usually I love commentary but I wanted to smack myself when all the guy could think of was saying that they were 2 different colours. It's like - COME ONNNNN!!!!!! Learn your material or hand the mic over to someone else.

No one cares what colours the damn race cars are as they scream around the track in 1st and 2nd. I would have rather heard about the fact that one had 18s vs 17s at the VERY least.

[Zev]

Usually I love commentary but I wanted to smack myself when all the guy could think of was saying that they were 2 different colours. It's like - COME ONNNNN!!!!!! Learn your material or hand the mic over to someone else.

No one cares what colours the damn race cars are as they scream around the track in 1st and 2nd. I would have rather heard about the fact that one had 18s vs 17s at the VERY least.

Deinitely bad commentators (may have been due to the weather) but they seemed to feel confident that the drivers names on the side of the car indicated who was driving which one !!! rotflmao

[IdriveBMW]

manual still

[drindanz]

Manual, autos suck