Under the Hood

The 135i's turbocharged inline-six makes 300 horsepower and 300 pounds-feet of torque. It works through a six-speed manual or BMW's seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Either car hits 60 mph in about 5 seconds, BMW says. The M Sport Package adds a sport-tuned suspension with high-performance, six-piston front and two-piston rear brakes.

If that seems like too much, consider stepping down to the 230-hp, normally aspirated 128i, which is covered separately in the Cars.com Research section.

    See also:

    Center armrest
    Storage compartmentThe center armrest between the front seats contains a credit card holder and, depending on the equipment version, a compartment or a snap-in adapter. Opening Press the button, ...

    Switching on automatically
    Select transmission position R with the engine running. The images from Top View and PDC are displayed when the system has been switched on using iDrive. ...

    The concept
    Dynamic Performance Control optimizes the handling characteristics of your vehicle when starting off, cornering, and during evasive maneuvers. To achieve this, the system variably distributes t ...