BMW 130i Hatch - So Good I Bought One

With the ISF and Euro R gone I've been carless for a few weeks. But after driving this BMW 130i Hatchback, I knew exactly what was going to replace them. It really was that good!
0:00 Background
0:37 Exterior
0:53 Drivetrain
1:35 Interior
2:37 Auto Driving Experience
4:13 Manual Driving Experience

[@aidandare]

427,000km on my Manual LCI 130i. Occasional track days and regular hillclimbs haven't caused any issues. Picked it up at 380,000km.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Holy hang that’s impressive

[@Sam.Angel.330]

Amazing! I'm thinking of getting a e90 330i with n52

[@jamesmedlow]

The 130i is a hidden gem and they deserve far more recognition than they get. The engine howls, especially if you can find a BMW Performance intake and exhaust . Such a great car.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Absolutely man I'm adoring mine it's so fun

[@overnightpartsfromjapan01]

Always been tempted by the 130i. Big engine in a small car like a Blade Master but this actually handles and drives nicely.

[@liamlindsay1458]

Unlike a blade master hahah

[@KiwiCarLife]

Haha the Blade's are cool but this is actually designed to handle the 200kW it's been given. The Blade most certainly isn't

[@Edgar_84]

Just when I was looking to buy one it seems like Liam is already ahead, now I am super excited about owning one myself. Hidden gem indeed.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Haha yeah man would recommend!

[@ptime5612]

Absolutely this channel love your energy and how much you enjoy the cars very down to earth

[@KiwiCarLife]

Haha thanks man!

[@harveyhalloway]

That 6 pot sounds glorious, well done on acquiring an iconic 130i!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks! And yep it sure does

[@biggerinjapan298]

Great video thanks, such amazing cars. I’m in the Uk and been on the lookout for a good 3 door manual for months. Will be future classics I’m sure. Enjoy 😊

[@KiwiCarLife]

Wait for the right one and you’ll love it!

[@johnnoble1790]

I have a 2007 130i with the auto box, I love the double clutch and paddles on the steering wheel, sounds so good when you chop it down. plenty of grunt handles good and fast as well.A great car

[@KiwiCarLife]

Nice man!

[@bubbles4136]

Look forward to seeing what adventures this car brings.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Got plenty of plans!

[@duffydon1741]

Im at 237 000km 6SMT bought mine brand new, only changed water pump 2 yrs ago for the first time, other than that, no issues at all, still running n factory roll out parts, amazing engine and handling, this is the best none Mcar, will drive it to the end of the world, never selling this thing!!!!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Very nice!

[@benh4222]

ive liked these for a long time ❤

[@KiwiCarLife]

Me too!

[@davedonnelly8681]

Had one of these in 2012. Couldn’t stop driving it to the point I was putting 10k on it every 2 months. Fantastic car. Sold it when it got to 100k as was worried it would cost me a bomb long term. Seems they are one of the more reliable bmws.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah 100%, there's very little to go wrong with these which is why I bought it

[@spadgm]

Congrats mate, that looks like a wickedly fun car for great money!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Ooh yeah I love it so much

[@bmw-130i]

very nice!! congrats on your car!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man!

[@robftw24]

Love the passion, great vid

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man

[@robftw24]

@@KiwiCarLife no worries. BMW 130i is 100% going to be my next car

[@kip8790]

I bought one of these 5 years ago, 3door lci manual and absolutely love it. Over here in the uk they are so cheap as well.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah man pretty much the only “good” cheap manual BMW you can buy. I love mine

[@nix123ism]

I can't believe you bought this car! I have watched your vids on the caldina gt4 and accord as thought about them but ended up with a BMW 130i auto just a month ago for a price i couldnt say no to, would have loved to get a manual but my auto was half the price of what manuals go for, love the car, never owned a BMW but for the money you cant beat it.......

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah man I’m so happy with mine too

[@dirkastani5060]

Awesome car mate hope you enjoy it

[@hondamanvtec2894]

Its a Bmw The Workshop will enjoy it the most

[@KiwiCarLife]

Haha that's such a non BMW owner thing to say. When you actually own one, especially an M54 or N52 car, they really don't have many issues. N52 in particular has proven to be very reliable

[@gpajic1987]

I have one with headers, gruppe m intake, Lsd, milvs, m3 control arms, bushes, BMW 6/2 pot brakes, Dinan short shifter, Shockworks coilovers and a Recaro CS. What a fkn car honestly!!! I've had so many cars but this is genuinely my favourite - so much so that i had to get one again after i sold my first 👌

[@KiwiCarLife]

That’s awesome man

[@gpajic1987]

@@KiwiCarLife if ever in Melbourne, come drive it 👍

[@roskataqv]

Congrats bro, hope you find love for the Accords again.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Oh believe me I still love accords I’ve just moved onto rwd drive cars

[@TJA2023]

Imported many of these until 2019... Great value motor car

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah man they’re awesome!

[@eugsoh81]

Very nice, inspiring!

[@KiwiCarLife]

@@eugsoh81 thanks man!

[@SpeedyK1wi]

I've been on an on and off hunt for one of these for a while as a replacement for my diesel peugeot (yes, it breaks down alot) but haven't found the right spec yet. A blue 3 door with the M-Sport kit would be mint. Good job on finding a manual one and now I can watch you mod yours before I get mine haha

[@KiwiCarLife]

Haha yeah tbh I'd give up on finding a 3 door. They only come as UK imports. Weren't sold in Japan or NZ with 3 doors, only 5. Get a 5 door LCI M Sport like mine but in blue

[@SpeedyK1wi]

@@KiwiCarLife ah, good info to know, cheers :)

[@jackosmeister]

The E81s in NZ are all singapore imports, cool car. I have an NZ New manual 130i, have had it for 8 years and 300,000km

[@topmarques]

I have a 3.0 manual Motorsport edition 3dr in Carbon Schwarz. I'm not selling it for now ;-)

[@DrivenDynamicAutomotive]

Love the review man, have also been looking at replacing my accord perhaps with a 130i, would love to get an LSD for one with all the cool interchangeable M3 and 1M suspension components

[@KiwiCarLife]

Would thoroughly recommend!

[@nickt3655]

Good one mate👍

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks 👍

[@CarClown]

Cool Car!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks

[@lavine0823]

Nice video bro...So I currently drive a Scirocco R...Its hella fun but I still miss my BMW e82 125i(coupe)...So I had a Celtic tune mine but ran it basically stock...It was de- tuned from factory 160kw (despite having much the same engine as 130i)But a save everyday tune and we were getting 211kw.... I like the Scirocco but I would love to get into a 235i/240i

[@KiwiCarLife]

Mmmmm yeah bmw just have a way they drive aye it’s nice

[@MTechGuy]

I daily drive a manual 130i down here in CHCH, great little cars!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah man they’re awesome aye

[@dannyspankos]

Just bought an M140i, completely different vehicle coming from Driving Honda's. Very impressed with the bmer!!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah man they’re also very good

[@Alkhoholic]

Half way after watching this video, I was gonna say "Mate you need to come back to Auckland and do a part 2 with a manual to do justice to this car. I will lend you my 130i manual 😂 I'm happy you bought one, I think that sums it all up 😅

[@KiwiCarLife]

Haha epic man

[@Caleb__main]

Actual real one

[@KiwiCarLife]

Quality content, except this comment is gonna get removed when I set it back to private sorry hahah

[@DabDabGoose]

Really like this car, soo close to buying one a few years ago, for me it was between this and the R32 Golf, I went with the golf because a good deal came out at the time but I'm 50/50 on either.

[@KiwiCarLife]

I’ve got a 130i vs R32 video coming very soon! Both are great

[@DabDabGoose]

@@KiwiCarLife Nice, though they where probably the biggest two competitors they are different cars, the Golf feels more of a Cruiser GT type car if anything as the engine is more on the lazy torquey side, where as the BMW feels a bit more peppy. Where I feel the R32 catches up is the sound of the VR6 is just nuts.

[@robertoelzilcho3947]

Nice one! I have an auto and I was sold the moment I test drove it. Also, pretty sure these have the ZF 6 speed manual, Getrag in the 120i etc. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks! I’m loving mine for sur

[@Sam.Angel.330]

is it reliable?

[@Vikturus22]

congrats on the purchase. Hope you enjoy it! would love too see some videos on the E38 Also best hatchback for under $10k is still a mk6 gti.

[@KiwiCarLife]

I would much rather have this 130i over a GTi, coz RWD and N/A engine. R32 vs 130i now that's more of a hmmmm

[@mattdebyl8806]

@@KiwiCarLife130i is more powerful and a lot lighter. Plus much better balanced than the R32.

[@piercewhiteley]

My dad had one of these in manual when they first came out. It was a surprisingly quick car & felt entirely different from the 330i from the same era

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah man they’re awesome

[@kiwi-lp1zb]

Met you a lil while back for a meet. Had the underglow purple civic haha. This E87 130i hatch was my first car and with a slightly louder exhaust it hauls ass shouldve got you to review it. Miss it.

[@KiwiCarLife]

I remember you! And yes they're awesome aye

[@dcvin2]

I just found out your channel! This is the channel I've been looking for! NZ guy reviewing cool used cars :) I'm in the market for a 130i as well. Do you mind if I ask you how many ks yours done and was it around $10k?

[@KiwiCarLife]

Hey man yeah I paid 10k for mine

[@hjd5973]

Love mine already for 4.5 years, no idea what could be more entertaining in same pricerange. BTW, 25th of August there will be a BMW 130i meeting+trackdriving in Meppen, Germany. Interested to join?

[@KiwiCarLife]

Nice, I’m in New Zealand though so would be quite the treck to get there

[@hjd5973]

@@KiwiCarLife Damn crazy, always driving upside down😁

[@luanbenjamin]

be cool if you had a little mini seris "best cars for under 10K" would be super interesting. Enjoying the content

[@KiwiCarLife]

We've got something similar coming out soon1

[@BittaThisBittaThat]

3.0r Sedan with the 6MT would give it a run for its money in the 2004-2008 sub 10k class.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Funny you say that, I own one of them too haha

[@skux93]

Yeah subie h6 is a sleeper

[@someguy4576]

I've never been a fan of the 1-series, but I'm sure it handles awesome. My dad used to have an E92 325i and it's hands down the best handling car I've ever driven. Sadly though, it was plagued with injector issues, as it had the later N53B30 direct injection engine in it. One of those DI injectors ran 300 euros, and the urgent advice (and practically the only way to move on from the issues) was to replace all six at once if one started leaking/acting up. Admittedly, the car had had a bad previous owner and an even worse service record for it's last few miles before he bought it, but the issues eventually caused him to ditch the car. Still though, the driving experience with the M-suspension package never ceased to amaze me, it's so insanely well planted. I have to admit that the one time I got to borrow it for a longer drive, I did kind of think it was a shame it was a 6-speed DCT instead of a manual, even though the DCT was lighting quick on the shifts.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Few issues here, 130i was never sold with N53 here, only N52 so no injector issues. And they never came with a DCT, only 6AT ZF or 6MT

[@someguy4576]

@@KiwiCarLife I've never really looked into what the 130 came with, I was just sharing my experience with it's bigger brother. It's a true blessing they never came with the N53 though, good ole port injection is the way to go. Hope the bimmer treats you well, they're a blast to drive I'm sure.

[@konholio2]

Not sure whats with the Honda fans either completely hating on BMWs or adoring them. I consider myself a Honda fan but I also have a 3 series with 3 liter engine :D

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah haha there’s a lot of people who really don’t know much about BMW’s with a lot to say

[@driventogaming2879]

Fab video. Love a manual beemer..

[@KiwiCarLife]

Ooh yes

[@thatguyben3128]

_interest review, looks a lot younger than 2008!_

[@KiwiCarLife]

Absolutely

[@17t135i]

Yeah E87 is a fun wee beast especially in manual 🎉🎉🎉

[@KiwiCarLife]

Absolutely!

[@Kingsoupturbo]

I have a 2006 530xi 6 speed wagon, its such a good motor and trans, I can only dream of what it would be like with 1000lbs less to haul around, delicous I'm sure.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Oh yeah man it’s awesome

[@derricklemoncito8238]

Yo whereabouts in Auckland did you film the test drive part?

[@KiwiCarLife]

Ridge Road

[@GGLiEx]

love my 125i coupe (same thing mechanically just in pretty). the engine note at 2800-4500 rpm is just pure bliss. and downshifts with heel and toe are all too satisfying. it needs brakes suspension and a diff though.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Nice man!

[@LightsOutLow]

I love mine

[@KiwiCarLife]

They’re awesome aye

[@jackweta]

been looking at 135i N54-N55 also 140i & 240i with B58 engine

[@KiwiCarLife]

They’re awesome too

[@karvenwai4985]

Hi, how does the offset pedal position feel for you? I struggle to find a comfortable position in manual Bimmers after driving manual Hondas.

[@KiwiCarLife]

I think it’s great!

[@karvenwai4985]

Wonderful! From a K24 to N52B30, you sure love your torquey and revvy engines!@@KiwiCarLife

[@ptime5612]

Looks 100 times better with a beard!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Oh gee here we go 😂

[@dcvin2]

How does the driving experience compare to E85 or E89 Z4s?

[@KiwiCarLife]

Very similar, underneath they’re almost the same car. 130i more practical though naturally

[@samclark3500]

I’ve just sold my 130i to replace it with a mk5 golf R32 as I found the 130 was really difficult to live with. Fine on a back road but miserable for day to day activities and hopeless if you want to take more than 1 passenger, + minimal boot space. Mine was also plagued with Vanos issues and virtually every seal/ coolant hose leaked (had only done 110,000k’s) I found the ZF6 dull, interesting that you say the ratio’s are suited to your liking as I found them to be far too long! Good for motorway speeds though as cruising along at 110kph at 2100rpm was good for the wallet. Best of luck with your one and I hope it treats you better than mine did!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Fair enough man sounds like you had a rough time with yours

[@Inspherespace]

Don’t know what you are talking about 130 is great on long trips as well as mountain blasts and has way more potential than the golf , lighter, RWD , better chassis- proper drivers car needs an lsd, plus a few suspension tweaks to make it an Mlite, engine is reliable , enough room unless you’re a family of big units

[@Anees-]

How has the golf R32 been so far? Also is it a reliable car?

[@samclark3500]

@@Anees- it’s been great! Have put an scorpion non res exhaust + wheels and springs on it so far, and it’s just so fun to drive all of the time! No reliability issues but definitely a thirsty car - but that could just be a bi-product of me wanting it to make cool noises haha

[@kip8790]

@@samclark3500 I went the other way after the r32 for 7 years - r32 is the better sounding car for sure. Gotta say though the 130i is way more fun with the rwd.

[@henryscarsnz]

I bought a BMW 323i E90 in January. N52B25 absolutely love it. Let me know if you wanna review

[@KiwiCarLife]

Good engine

[@henryscarsnz]

@@KiwiCarLife Unfortunately it only makes 170hp due to the detune. It’s still decently quick 👍

[@Will0w_Th3rianPawzz]

I got a stock gk5 jazz but is looking for a second car rwd.It's either rx8 or BMW 130i. Test drove rx8? what do you think I should get.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Definitely 130i haha RX8’s are a nightmare to own

[@Will0w_Th3rianPawzz]

@@KiwiCarLife Could you review rx8 see how they compare.

[@EyelessSnowy]

Any future plans for it?? A long term project like Earl turned Into 😅

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yep got plenty of plans!

[@danmurphy5889]

Why not the 135i? the n54 twin turbo has some crazy tuning possibilities

[@KiwiCarLife]

Reliability, extra cost, and I don’t care about big power

[@bensonallsop5653]

What made you choose this over the mk5 r32

[@KiwiCarLife]

RWD g

[@bvc100]

Wait, did i hear that correctly? You used to own a Z4? What happened to the E89?😢

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yep! Can go back about a year and check out the videos. Was a great car. Sold it and my CL9 Accord to buy the ISF

[@markmcgrath9098]

Love these, would love to get one. You got a bloody good price at $10k. That price would get one with 200k+ km and probably needing some maintenance catch up in Oz.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah cars are definitely cheap here

[@The_Noticer.]

I can only find high milage examples here. Like 200.000km+. No idea how well the N52 holds up past that milage..

[@KiwiCarLife]

Let's be honest, how well does any engine hold up after 200,000km?

[@Anees-]

How has the car been holding up any issues with it so far?

[@KiwiCarLife]

Nah it’s been mint

[@xbattleangel17x57]

Does anyone know how reliable this car is and what sort of maintenance costs to look out for

[@ReonBradshaw]

They’re pretty reliable cars due to their simplicity (manual/torque converter, no direct injection, no turbocharging, no unnecessary tech, etc.). Main things to look out for at this age is the valve cover gasket and electric water pump. Also may be worth servicing the transmission if it hasn’t been done already. I’ve had 2 and neither have ever left me stranded, just the common oil leak from the valve cover gasket. Other than that just go through your basic used car checks (tyres,brakes, battery, etc.) and you should be sweet.

[@KiwiCarLife]

The N52 is known to be a very reliable engine. Maintenance will be not much different to any normal car

[@keno88]

Lovely car mate, but with these Beemers you really are a glutton for punishment 😅 enjoy it while it’s running 😎

[@willchalk7424]

What bmw have you owned? And how much did you pay?

[@KiwiCarLife]

Lol they really don't have any issues as people say. N52 has proven to be very reliable

[@perpetualgrin5804]

Good luck, please be honest with the maintenance costs and reliability😅. Hope you prove me wrong. I love long gears, Australia has plenty of long, flat straights😅.

[@KiwiCarLife]

I'm not expecting to have too many issues The N52 has proven to be reliable

[@TassieLorenzo]

It's the most reliable BMW engine of that generation, but I'm still not so convinced it is (and the whole car is) reliable period. Good luck!

[@elpadrino7598]

I thought the LCI came with the N53?

[@johnlemon7130]

The 1 series retained the N52 in both pre-LCI and LCI form unlike the 3 series and up. Though the LCI did get the N52N (black engine cover rather than silver, plastic valve cover rather than magnesium, etc). Not getting the N53 is definitely a blessing since you don’t have to deal with direct injection headaches imo

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah N53 was more of a euro market thing. In NZ we never got the N53 in any car, only N52 and N54

[@ArunaVidu]

When he had the Accord. I was thinking of it as the best overall car of 2000's to buy, but I now think, what about a E90 BMW 5 series.. hmm.... May be not reliable and expensive to maintain.

[@KiwiCarLife]

E90 3 series is also great, 130i more available in manual though hence why I went for this

[@marlonbaird6070]

From Honda to bmw, both brands are amazing driver cars..congrats on the beemer. The n52 can be reliable just dont follow the factory service intervals and use OE parts instead of chinese crap one can find...

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah funny a lot of people who like Honda also like BMW

[@Sam.Angel.330]

Is it reliable?

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yes probably one of the most reliable modern BMW’s

[@moonbrothers9098]

Hairdressing school here we come!!

[@KiwiCarLife]

You know it

[@nostalgiclife1075]

Breaking My Wallet

[@KiwiCarLife]

Only the V8 ones haha

[@nostalgiclife1075]

@@KiwiCarLife was wondering what are the reliable BMWs to go for?

[@KiwiCarLife]

@@nostalgiclife1075 anything N/A I6

[@lemonjuice2179]

review a runx

[@KiwiCarLife]

Already done a few 2zz cars

[@lemonjuice2179]

@@KiwiCarLife true

[@jwf10]

as someone who enjoys fixing cars, a 335i at around the same price is much better value for me

[@KiwiCarLife]

Hahah yeah I don’t enjoy fixing them so the 130i is perfect

[@davidcb7275]

Funniest car ive ever had

[@KiwiCarLife]

They’re cool aye

[@enpleineforme6429]

I will die owner of my bmw130i ❤ ❤

[@KiwiCarLife]

Mmm yes strong vehicle

[@timfitzgerald109]

Noice 1 mate

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks!

[@MrKrueger88]

10 grand to buy , 10 grand to fix up , 10 grand in maintenance and 10 grand in depreciation . They're great to drive , but the Jap cars are just so much more reliable and cheaper to own .

[@KiwiCarLife]

I know you're exaggerating for dramatic effect, but that is so untrue. N/A I6 BMW's have proven to be very reliable, and these 130i's, especially the manual's have actually been appreciating

[@AKK5I]

Owned my 130i for a year now and nothing has gone wrong with it, no oil leaks, electronics perfect. Just regular oil changes and a bit of mechanical sympathy is needed but that might be too much for you champ.

[@tunod-]

I would get the 1 series but I just cant get over the fact that it looks like a kid's toy to me. I see a 1 series and I immediately imagine some snob riding that shit and abusing it and not knowing anything about cars. It's a fricken kids car. Same reason I wouldnt ever buy a VW GTI just because to me it looks like a childs car. Berline any day for me.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Fair enough, I also don’t love the way it looks but it drives so good I don’t really care