2009 BMW 128i: Rare and satisfying, except fuel economy - Boston Globe
BMW has referred to its vehicles as the "ultimate driving machines" for so long the phrase has become as much a part of the company's identity as Mazda's "Zoom Zoom. It suffices to say that a BMW is almost always enjoyable to drive. Today's featured vehicle – the BMW 128i – is all of that. The 128i is the smaller, engine-wise, of BMW's two 1 Series coupes. The turbocharged 135i bumps both those figures to 300. Our test car had a 6-speed Steptronic automatic with paddle shifters. It was fun to use the paddle shifters for a short bit, but just popping it in drive and listening to the exhaust tone quickly changing its tune with the crisp shifts was almost as satisfying. It looks great, hardly like the baby, entry-level BMW that it is. It handles great, with true near 50/50 front-engine, rear-wheel drive balance. Our 128i started with a MSRP of $29,200, plus a destination charge of $825. If you could stop there, we could see this as an entry-level sports coupe. However, an array of ``normal'' BMW options pushed the final price to $41,345. We had the Sport package ($1,300), Premium Package ($3,700), Steptronic with paddles ($1,425), Xenon headlights ($800), and Navigation system ($2,100) as the major... A combination iPod/USB adaptor was $400. That's more expensive than an iPod. Source: www.boston.com
