I had a 130i back in 2011. I test drove the 118i and it didn't feel slow at all, so I guess the 125i should be even closer to the 130i. The sound however, really felt diesel-like in comparison to the 130i. I hated the sound to the point that I waited one year and ordered the 6-cylinder as soon as it was released.

 

I pondered this myself last year to replace my 130i (as well as a F series 125d when i had my really sensible head on!)....didnt get to drive a F series 125i in the end but after reading a lot of others opinions i deceided that i would miss the effortless 3litre 6pot and that without a remap the 125i wouldnt be enough for me, also the 125d was a big let down and agricultural i thought much like all other 1 series diesels ive driven, such a shame BMW never put the 6pot diesel in a 1series imo.

Let us know what you think if you get to drive one, sure it will feel nice after a VW camper though

 

Power delivery wise, I was more than happy with our old 125i and impressed by the little or no turbo lag (coming from other turbo cars - Evo 4, Brabus ForFour).
Yes, there is pretty much no nice soundtrack to the engine and that I think you'll really notice the difference on. To be honest, if I hadn't got to go in a 6-pot, I'd probably still have the 125i (albeit remapped!)

 

I had an E87 130i for 9 years, and last year I replaced it with an F20 125i, so I was in exactly your position!

To be honest, the 125i feels, if anything, faster in everyday driving than the 130i did - it has much more torque at low revs, so there is much less need to drop gears and floor it to overtake other cars. The 130i only really felt fast to me once you'd got the revs up to 4000 or so; the 125i feels fast when you put your foot down at 1500rpm. There's no turbo lag at all that I've noticed on it - it just goes when you push the pedal. I don't know if the one you are looking at is auto or manual - mine is an auto, and the auto box suits the engine very well. Bear in mind there is a fairly big difference between how it feels in Sport and Comfort modes (and in Eco mode, where it feels like the boot is full of cement) but in Sport mode, it feels very nippy indeed.

Handling-wise, there's not much in it - the 125i is a bit lighter, but not such that I can tell much of a difference in terms of how it handles.

I was a bit worried going from the 6 pot to a nominally slower 4 pot, and I didn't get the chance to drive a 125i before I bought mine, as no-one seems to keep them as a demonstrator, but there really is nothing to choose between the E87 130i and the F20 125i in terms of real-world driving speed; on paper the 130i is very slightly faster but the 125i feels just as, if not more, quick to drive. I've got no complaints at all about mine coming from the 130i. I get about 5-6 mpg more out of the 125i than I did the 130i, FWIW.

 

What he said ^^
Check out the 125i BMW Performane upgrade too, it was on offer recently for £700.

 

What he said ^^
Check out the 125i BMW Performane upgrade too, it was on offer recently for £700.

I'm just p*ssed off you can't have the M Performance upgrade on an auto...

(It's a manual-only option - something to do with insufficient cooling for the additional power on the auto, I believe.)

 

I can get it either as its from July models and mine is March :-(

 

Hi guys, long time member just looking at getting another 1er after a 3year Vw camper detour. It's a rather nice 13 plate 125i with great spec.

Rodd

Coventry Sytners per chance? Have pm'd you!

 

Thanks for the replies guys, I test drove the car today and it did feel a good bit quicker than the 130i, quite punchy in fact. Although Eco and comfort modes were pretty poor, I couldn't really see the point. Had a good chance to floor it so feel I got a good representation of its power.

The car isn't at a BMW dealer, it's a 13 plate and the 2 services on record weren't done at BMW. Just wondering how important a FBMWSH actually is? Interested if this would effect resale down the line? I didn't put a deposit down as wanted to check with you guys first.

 

Probably depends on how long you plan on keeping it, and what you'll do when you do get rid.

Given it's already 3 years old, though, and you'll presumably keep it for at least 2-3 more years, I'd not be too worried about the lack of BMW stamps in the book. It's quite surprising that the previous keeper didn't keep it within the BMW service network while it was still under warranty, but once the warranty is up, quite a large proportion of cars go outside the dealer network for servicing, so yours won't be that unusual. It might cost you a couple of hundred quid at resale time when the car is 5 or 6 years old, but that's not worth losing sleep over - plus the lack of BMWSH is probably good for a few hundred quid off what you'll pay for it now!

 

Decided to give the 125 a miss, i may regret it but head ruled over heart after test driving a 120d, surprisingly it felt as quick as the 125 although i know its not. If the 125 had better sound like the old model, even if it was one of those symposer things i would have gone with it without fail. I really liked the midrange shove from the 120d, its GTI quick and the sound didn't appear much worse than the 125i. Hoping i don't regret it but i put the deposit down on the 'd', FBMWSH, 1 owner and saved £1700, just hope i dont pass any 125i's on the motorway for fear of opening a wound.

Now...can the single exhaust be converted to the twin like on the LCI 120d?...

Cheers for the input guys, much appreciated.

 

You can buy the twin exhaust tips as part of the BMW performance accessories

 

Having owned a 125i for 4 months now I do love the performance, but do agree the noise is a little uninspiring. Mine is an automatic and is sport mode it does make a good sound on upshifts, it's just speed limits of 100 km/h means you are backing off just as it gets going. When you do use the performance though, it does like a drink! Eel only get the 118d here, so diesel wasn't an option.

I feel that a new back box would be good, but in Oz, finding any parts is not easy.

Overall though, it is a cracking car and in most respects, a massive step on from my 2007 E87.