BMW 128ti Review - Has BMW's new front-wheel-drive Hot-Hatch recipe worked?

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BMW's 1 Series hatchback has been a success for the brand; a volume-seller filling the void left by what has become a much larger, more expensive 3 Series, and representing many motorists entry point into the brand.
But enthusiasts also loved the rear-wheel-drive drivetrain, coupled with, in some models, a 6-cylinder motor. It was a unique recipe in the world of hot hatches - there was nothing else on the market like it.
However, neither of those features are now available on a 1 Series. There are no 6-cylinder powerplants available, and the power is now sent to the front wheels, or all four.
This meant that the BMW was now going to have to properly square off against some stiff competition, most notably with the ever-popular Volkswagen Golf GTI.
And so, Bavaria has come up with this, the BMW 128ti. With a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol motor up front, sending power exclusively to the front wheels, the two cars couldn't be more closely matched. Power and torque figures are also almost identical.
In this review, our video guy Ciro De Siena tries to answer the question, has this new hot-hatch recipe from BMW resulted in a delicious and satisfying eggs benedict that you would happily share on instagram, or is it a sloppy mess that you might write about on tripadvisor?
Only one way to find out.
BMW 128ti price in South Africa:
R707,918
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Bookmarks:
0:00 Intro
1:19 Front Wheel drive
2:37 Turbocharge
3:31 How does it drive?
5:01 BMW 128ti vs Golf 8 GTI
6:16 Interior
7:02 Outro

[@ayandangcebetsha1562]

You're right, more than 80% of buyers didn't know and didn't care that their 1 series was rwd, petrol heads make up a small minority of buyers, especially for new cars.

[@XITSONGABombaMugaza]

BMW has underwent the greatest change in these previous 3 years, it just doesn't seem to impress me. The more I look at how big their grills are, the more it reminds me of how beautiful the past generation's were. But hey! Bmw is still bmw, premium 💁🏽‍♂️

[@yongamasotondoshe7518]

those grills are very much needed for air intake

[@XITSONGABombaMugaza]

@@yongamasotondoshe7518 thanks professor Jeremy Clarkson

[@siphocalvin]

@@yongamasotondoshe7518 I agree

[@releM15]

@@yongamasotondoshe7518 nonsense

[@DarrylRadcliffe]

Makes me look at Audi and think, maybe that “boring” same face generation after generation was the way to go

[@livingcolours1541]

The previous straight 6 will always be the number one one series. Full stop.

[@bravofoxable]

Amen!

[@mlulekideandladla]

The M140i was the cream of hot hatch before the A45s came to the scene

[@christohees9150]

Agree with you 100%

[@christohees9150]

@@mlulekideandladla lol the m140i is still king 👍

[@johnfranklin6394]

You pointed out that the tires were very worn on the 128ti in your head-to-head video. I think you need to test the 128ti on a decent set of fresh tires, such as the Michelin PS4. Other reviews I have seen suggest the 128ti more than holds its own against the mk8 Golf GTI when on a decent fresh set of tires. Also, odd that the SA car does not have red stitching on the steering wheel. My UK car has red stitching and looks all the better for it. Plus we get more power and torque in the UK car (195kw and 400nm).

[@thatokhende170]

We appreciate the content!!

[@funananinetshiozwi3849]

Point remains even if they did not know if it was front or rear, the driving experience of front and rear do differ and that will be felt indeed, if you want a front wheel drive why not go for the group that has done it the longest 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@LightHouse31073]

I just love the BMW 128ti's interior. I feel its worth it. As compared to the GTi, it just feels like it has all the interior qualities its known for gutted out and all you have left is material made from an ice cream container. Its sad. I get that it was all about cost cutting to try and make profits that were lost from the scandal but this is just too much. I'd still pick the GTi.

[@vellymagagula6490]

What scandal? Come now we wanna hear this

[@caven7056]

​@@vellymagagula6490 how can you not know the diesel scandal

[@carlosnunezfernandez3384]

First test I see they talk better about the GTI than the 128ti, but as I said in the other video before, what can we expect from people that they are making times with a car with wear tires...

[@sibusisonhlapo3367]

I just came here to monitor the beard and hair cut I'm extremely happy abou the look I've got my eyes on your car reviews enthusiasm🤞

[@prk5339]

I've driven that car and the front end is amazing. On the previous test the tires was old and shitty tires. Put better tires on. And give it a fair chance.

[@kidmabe472]

Damn 80% didn't know that its RWD or FWD 😂😂 ... I don't blame them for switching it up... I do feel they should have offered the M135i with an option of RWD

[@__starchild2]

Please review the 1999 - 2003 BMW 320i E46, thats one of my favorite BMWs in the oldies

[@johnmajor9564]

I once heated that BMW isn’t suitable for SA heat especially in contrast to Merc etc. Any opinions about that?

[@vert3cx373]

Good honest review. I do think they have lost the plot here. Shout out to the production and audio visual team, you guys rock. Such high quality content and delivered tastefully too. You guys are up there with the best of the best car KZbin channels. 👏🏻👌🏻

[@ababalwejama2352]

Merc A250 reviews plz

[@avuazahc1966]

The car is great in many ways maybe except track days but still is capable if you put Michelin PS4 not average Turanza. As for me i wouldn't trade this over GTI

[@jasonquarsingh3002]

Bmw should offer alternative color accents to the red, like blue or violet even black

[@avuazahc1966]

THERE IS

[@andr3000]

Do a proper review of the M140

[@kwezibooi1192]

I felt that moment of silence🤣🤣truly a loss for the motoring industry

[@martinu.6921]

Well, if someone is looking for a track tool, an M2 or an even better Porsche Cayman are the better cars to go with. A hatchback, if it's hot or not, is always a compromise between usability and - in this case - sportiness. From these points of view, the 128ti is probably the best offering in this class, in my opinion. Interior quality and handling are clearly better than in the Golf 8. Perhaps a little slower on the track, but perfectly adequate for everyday use. More than the front-wheel drive and the lack of a six-cylinder engine, I am saddened by the lack of a manual gearbox.

[@MrSWW]

South African version of carwow with Matt Watson

[@genomicdanna2963]

It has Bridgestone turenza tires

[@swoopSAUCE]

Its by far the best looking hot-hatch out at the moment.

[@memeguyTM]

The megane rs puts this to shame pal. It's discontinued as will most hot hatches be

[@jayjayjya]

They say they saving costs ,but the price is still crazy high

[@christophergreen6980]

Yes they save, so they can make even more profit lol.

[@deanwilliams2374]

So then the question is, is the Mini better and why does BMW bother

[@phizzytfc]

M140i is gone?😭

[@svahed123]

From the moment the video started, just got this negative vibe and attitude towards the 128ti in the review. That thumbnail told me this is going to be a negative review from the way he pouts. Car reviews should be neutral, compared with other cars showing their strengths and weaknesses and whether you think it is a good buy or not. We should applaud BMW for taking up the challenge of competing against a car with 30 years of history behind it. They only hype up the GTI and bad mouth the BMW. That's not right.

[@tabokatabz373]

They just watch international reviews then come here and deliver the same nonsense they watched, nothing original.

[@louishopwood3861]

Still don't understand why the SA version has less power than the European 128ti?

[@theomachaba1826]

High African temperatures leads to early engine failure. The engine had to be detuned for this specific market

[@louishopwood3861]

@@theomachaba1826 thanks for letting me know

[@jachinchetty2412]

This is what you call a Good review... Completely unbiased 👍 Either way the gti is king and will always be 😝

[@mnqobigumede4714]

I'm in love with this car❤😭

[@TheOppolite]

Most people dont care. But i do care so i got a f20 lci. Not a fan of the designs of their 2020 lineup across the board either.

[@MattDCay]

Anyone else hear the GTI exhaust sounds playing instead? 😂

[@avuazahc1966]

Nop. . .this car actually has a deep sound

[@nyikoluckyhendrickz]

The love i have for the 1 series is automatically transforming to Golf GTI & Hyundai i30N 🤞🏾😔

[@nickparsons5369]

Most new cars are so exceptionally boring. The market for well-looked after, fun used cars is going to grow fast in the enthusiast community.

[@ScrotyMcDickface]

Don't you people get the underpowered version of the BMW compared to the European market?

[@thatongobeni3544]

moment of silence indeed

[@spy0619]

Do these okes only have a GTI, 128ti and a Yaris to review ?

[@avuazahc1966]

Yes. . . . . .For now

[@releM15]

Yes there is a semi-conductor issue world wide. So getting Manufacturers to offer other alternatives is difficult as there is no stock of vehicles country-wide.

[@louishopwood3861]

Also, it has the crap 'standard' tyres on I believe. BMW offer a no cost option to upgrade to PS4s, which are supposedly miles better.

[@schlix101]

Wow, as a no cost option the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 are definitely a MUST HAVE then! That's just a "No-Brainer"! I can definitely vouch for them! I use them on my SUV (you get an SUV version of the Pilot Sport 4) and ran into a situation once where I am sure I would have slid, lost control and potentially rolled over the car if it where not for the Michelin PS4s! And that with a fully laden SUV on a holiday trip with the Family! The level of grip these tires offer, especially in emergency situations, are next level! They may not be as quiet as some other tires, especially over harsher surfaces; Yet, they are not to harsh... It's a small trade-off knowing you have superior road-holding performance, when needed! When I told my story to one of the tire guys at TWT (The PS4 tends to pickup a lot of slow punctures, in my experience), he reckoned that the PS4 is probably the best performing road tire you can fit to a car. I tend to agree.

[@louishopwood3861]

@@schlix101 that's awesome to hear. I think I'll definitely have to get some for my car!

[@goku2612]

Put on proper tyres and test it again

[@avuazahc1966]

yes .......not taking average tires to track and complain the car's handling

[@YusufGinnah]

So BMW has finally made a *_GTi_* 😆🤣🤣🤦🏻‍♂️ After all those years with my BMW friends telling me that Front Wheel Drive wasn't as much of a car than their BMW's... Now it's (almost) identical power and torque as a Golf GTi and also a 2.0 4cyl turbo front-wheel drive...

[@harrisra4944]

Sounds faobulous.

[@ianhamilton5201]

Hmm. You seem out of step with the majority of other reviewers who rate the 128 above the mk 8 golf. I have neither car, had a mk7.5 gti and also have driven Octavia mk 4 VRS, and wouldn’t go near that golf 8 infotainment system if you paid me. Hateful thing. GTI 7.5 so much better to own / use daily I suspect.

[@ThePlot4]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I like this guy

[@NtonkaR]

They surveyed the wrong people

[@pornokid333]

a front wheel drive bmw...is like a big screen black and white tv -_-

[@Zwesh_3]

You ability to make like or dislike a car is scary😂😂😂

[@zakimarzuki8227]

1:20 I believe Renault also produced a RWD hatchback in the past. So it wasn't only BMW.

[@nedyahyakcam]

It was the only new hatch back on the market from 2005 (when the Clio V6 went off the market) until this 1 came out. The words he used in the order he used them were correct.

[@shasha023]

BMW is the better car, the interior is just miles ahead of the plastic of sea that is the VW, funny thing is they cost the same but the BMW looks like quality and the VW looks like a budget car on the inside. Seriously what are VW thinking selling a GTI at R700k

[@kgmk7604]

One that’s fully kitted hits R850k

[@shasha023]

@@kgmk7604 jesus, for a hatchback WOW VW has really lost the plot

[@Mike-mi1tx]

Do some research before posting inaccurate info.Feature for feature on Golf vs the BMW and you paying over a R100k more for the BMW hatch vs the golf GTI standard.

[@sillimilli3802]

Im still shook by the A35 and A45 AMG's that cost over a million for a bloody hatchback.. Like really?

[@shasha023]

@@Mike-mi1tx LOl where did you do your research? BMW is 10k more and is a better car, no cheap plastics, unlike the golf which is built from plastic. GTI might be better to look at but inside its a disappointment and its only R10k less than a fcking BMW. FYI this is a FACT! Read more please!

[@aldra744]

why to speak about 6 cyl, then you compare car with Golf and Yaris

[@justindaniel5959]

No vrrpha sound from the BMW. GTI looks better and sounds better. GTI takes my money if i had the money.Crazy prices these days.

[@Bmwbroo]

Rwd it should be

[@4den63]

Every company is switching to a 2liter

[@bravofoxable]

😪... Very sad indeed.... This one, mmmmmmm, no.... For now....

[@maxperlov7071]

The gti had much better tires than the 128ti in this video

[@avuazahc1966]

yes. . . .imagine tracking a car with Turanza tires

[@Greg65]

I wont buy a GTI because of the DSG gearbox reliability and i will never buy a front wheel drive BMW! Manufacturers should just revert back to a good old 6 speed manual gearbox in their hot hatch`s and i will buy one tomorrow. Auto box`s may be more refined to drive, especially in traffic.....but they are not engaging or fun, auto gearbox`s are meant for old men and ladies!

[@jasonquarsingh3002]

Rip RWD hatchbacks

[@sillimilli3802]

They will come back with batteries, VW already has a rwd ID3

[@sizweshongwe331]

This is a bmw? Not so sure!😥

[@did.it.myself9022]

Ai lol banyile nje la..

[@TheAvela]

The red sides look 🤮🤮 otherwise nice car.

[@brucekendall52]

You will soon be driving electric cars so a lot to look forward to??

[@sisekoqondazimasasakwe2597]

First 😊

[@wimpievandenberg934]

First

[@TheBullyBambi]

Has it worked? No…

[@nazmo_za9654]

BMW shot themselves in the foot by giving a press car with rubbish tires

[@gswagger1123]

OMG!!! I Love those farts 💥💥💥

[@ntuthuzelopakade2583]

😂😂BMW people are busy making excuses. Tires this tires that. The fact is FWD is not RWD

[@refemelemalete3622]

The 1 series has become a car for ladies who want to own a BMW. So sad.

[@TheJoStephan]

Immediately no, immediately no... I’ve seen what I needed to see... no.

[@C22RLD]

Interesting, the opposite opinions of every other review, erm ok

[@kompilebohang952]

mmh..this car doesnt look good at all!!

[@harrisra4944]

Awkward silence.

[@nicovanrensburg6191]

BMW days are over, gone are the days they ruled they premium sport car market. They are years behind in technology when compared to a Tesla. A slow SIX seconds to get 100km/h, the slowest Tesla does it in 4 seconds and fastest in about 2 seconds. In car technology is dated, can't even be updated over the air.

[@christohees9150]

Lol a bmw m5 cs will do 2.8 sec and 10.6 1/4 mile 😉

[@pekzasuccess9334]

This was a pretty sad review 😕

[@cornedenecker1636]

Haha kaaaaak car🤣

[@made4k249]

The only clown who drove and didn't like the BMW 128Ti.. bah

[@ZulumanNdodana]

im nt a BMW buyer bt u knw BMWs usually use backwheel drive,matter fact me and all my friends knew that when we where little kids..BMW dropped the ball here.not buying this car anymore was looking to buy