Here in the UK where fuel prices are mega, cars like the 123d are a godsend. Manual box and a basic tune and it's a proper fun car. Have a go of a tuned 535d or 335d, they're something else. Shame they only come in Auto though.
@@sesh3508 check out the Audi 3.0tdis. Specifically in B8 A4s, when theyre straight piped they sound absolutely unreal, better than most petrol cars. Unfortuanetly not quite as quick as the n57s though
So glad you did this comparison. 123d always been a car that fascinated me. Must admit it's the weak timing chain attached to the BACK of the engine that put me off in the end.
Yeah funny you say that, the owner of this one bought it for $500 because the timing chain was cooked haha. Fixed it up and now it’s keeping up with my 10 grand 130i!
I own a manual 123d from new, with DPF, you are looking at 5.6 l/100 on average. That is driving around 120km/pH. With DPF, EGR delete, swirl flat removed performance tune for 30 % performance increase, 5.2 l/100 km. Mi e had 232K kms before the chain chain snapped.
2:43 cars particularly expensive there due to taxes? Here in the Netherlands its the same. All cars are bought base spec. I imported my FC1 from Germany, Executive trim with all bells and whistles. Can't find those NL-original. Because of our tax system, cars are tens of thousands more expensive than Germany.
There’s interesting rules in NL around ‘trade’ vehicles too. Having steel panels instead of rear windows etc. I remember a video of some guy who transformed his Audi TT Quattro into a Ute so he could avoid a heap of taxes. Same with another guy and his Q8 V8 TDI.
You should try the PD’s we have over here in the UK. 1.9TDi VW engines that come in numerous VAG cars. Surprisingly quick once mapped. It’s all torque and they go pretty well but I agree with you mate, they lack the soul of a performance petrol engine. Good video bud :)
I have an E70 X5 35d and it's great for pulling/fuel economy, and sounds half-decent as a straight 6. Yet having had an E46 320i 2.2 I-6 and Z3 2.8 I-6 (both manual), the sound and feel is to die for compared to the diesel, even the M57 straight 6. I'll trade torque and economy for a more emotionally engaging drive. I'm with you, the petrol I-6 is the better choice for sound/feel/delivery.
You act like your car has a massive performance advantage over him. His car has 201bhp.. STOCK. With a map he’s got the exact same bhp as you. So you don’t have significantly more power. I’d take the petrol purely for the sound and the way it feels but a remapped 123D is easily on par with a 130i.
I've got an f10 530d for daily driving. Engine actually sounds lovely from 2-5k rpm. And that 580nm torque figure with zf8 transmission makes for quite magical power delivery. Just did a road trip akl taranaki wellington and back and got 5.9l/100km average. Oh and car cost me less than 10% of its new price at 11 years old.
Really enjoyed that comparison, certainly comes down to horses for courses, both pretty good cars, I certainly remember those diesel 1 series models being driven briskly when I lived back in NZ and thought they would be a bit of fun which is not normally something you would think about a diesel car! I would still prefer the 130i though as I like N/A better than turbo cars.
Nice one! I remember a forum topic in the old days saying “power sells cars, torque wins races”. Have a go at early 2000 Fabia RS, monster 2l turbodiesel with 6mt
In the beginning you say the petrol makes more power, but the diesel stock 203 hp with intake and exhaust and chip done is probably close to or over 260.
I'm a bit confused. I thought the LCI e87 tended to come with electric power steering, but it looks like both of the cars in this video had HPS reservoirs. I wonder if it's a regional thing?
Nah with most BMW's things are introduced progressively. For instance, mine is LCI, but still has pre-LCI infotainment. Also has pre-LCI HPS. I think EPS came out in 2009 ish. Certainly most LCI E90's (as they were launched in 2009 rather than 2007 for E87) have EPS.
Here in Oz, the price of diesel is at least the same as 95 Ron fuel and sometimes higher. I reckon the higher service and fuel costs would net out at the end of the day compared to the 130i. I do 150km round trip to and from work on a daily basis and I reckon the 7-8L/100km open road fuel consumption of the 130i would be just fine vs the diseasel powered variant.
Tbh the 130i in my experience is more like 8.5-9.5 on open road. Never been able to get close to 7 even hypermiling it. But yeah in NZ diesel is quite a bit cheaper so makes it a bit more worthwhile.
@@KiwiCarLife and then it comes down to which one you or I would actually want to drive on a daily basis and if we’re prepared to pay a premium to do that. I dd an e34 touring 150km a day to and from work. Is it cheap? No. Is it reliable? Pretty good in the 15 years I’ve owned it. Do I like it? Hell yes. I’d probably suck up the potential running cost premium of the 130i and drive that one myself.
123d with a tune should be pushing the same break figures as the 130i and 500nm of torque so the difference in power is negligible, could even be more. I’ve seen 123s make 250 on a basic tune but also seen some make 270. Torque around 480 to 510nm. Mines 265bhp and 500nm.
Every time i think about buying 330d or 530d i think about 330i and 530i and the diesel surely has more power in the low rpm range but overall the petrol is faster and 3l petrol has sufficient low end power. Also petrol can be converted to lpg so at that point only the m57 tuneability is the only upside besides low rpm at highway speeds. I can see the appeal of diesel engines but they are not superior. Maybe cheaper? Need to buy one to see if its worth it
With a set of sensible wheels that 123d isn't that far off the 130i. I'd ove to have a 130i here in the UK but you just couldnt use it because of the fuel cost.
I agree with your points around diesel, another benift they do have though is they are built stronger as combustion is their "spark" so can get more milage out of them
I’ve owned the F20 125D before my E87 130i. The 125D had 300hp and 600nm and pretty much the same engine as the 123D, it was definitely faster down low. The 130i has more top end. Next to the fact that the E87 chassis is way more fun than the F20 chassis the 130i is also way more fun to rev out. The 125D was practical in daily use because of the torque, it also sounded quite decent with a downpipe but it will never match a 6 cilinder. The fuel consumption of my 125D was around 6L/100KM and my 130i is around 12L/100km so thats the only thing I miss about my 125😂
In the rolling race, the diesel only gets ahead because it's an auto. I think if you did auto vs auto the petrol 6 cylinder would objectively win. If you look back it was only catching up every time the 130i had to shift
My friend took me for a blast in his dad's M sport 4.0l diesel X3. Holy crap man!! By far the fastest diesel I have ever been in, also one of THE fastest cars I've ever been in. Couldn't believe a diesel could do that. It was soo quick, it was actually quite ridiculous.
Tbh i differ a bit from the Oppinion, the sound of a 130i imo isnt that great, for me its not special enough to be wort the extra cost of a petrol, i run a Audi TT 2.0TDI and would never go for a 2.0TSFI, its just like a GoKart and the 123d of a friend isnt far behind. For Sound id get something like a 5.0 Mustang GT, B58/DAZA engine, with more Sound that the 130i can do. Daily the diesel all the way imo
Awesome pair of cars, 6 cylinder petrol is very hard to beat though. I'm surprised with how well the diesel did in the roll race. If only the 123d here were manual. I've got a manual Golf Mk6 TDI I put Bilstein B16's and Whiteline sway bars in last year, it's a hell of a lot of fun on the Tassie roads where I live. The torque surge in 2nd and 3rd gear is especially fun and perfect with a manual transmission.
Not really, 123d was very slightly faster maybe? Every race had a slightly different result. He is also like stage 2 tuned so stock for stock I'd wipe him
Here in the UK where fuel prices are mega, cars like the 123d are a godsend. Manual box and a basic tune and it's a proper fun car. Have a go of a tuned 535d or 335d, they're something else. Shame they only come in Auto though.
Hell yeah I’m in the states and a friend of mine has a tuned and deleted + 335d and it’s a friggin rocket
@sesh3508 Simple tune and it's on par with the M3. Should be illegal 🤣
Yeah man it’s an amazing combo of speed and fuel economy
@@KiwiCarLife big downside is the sound with the diesels IMO, but any relatively sensible person can get over that
@@sesh3508 check out the Audi 3.0tdis. Specifically in B8 A4s, when theyre straight piped they sound absolutely unreal, better than most petrol cars. Unfortuanetly not quite as quick as the n57s though
So glad you did this comparison. 123d always been a car that fascinated me. Must admit it's the weak timing chain attached to the BACK of the engine that put me off in the end.
And it only comes in automatic.
Yeah funny you say that, the owner of this one bought it for $500 because the timing chain was cooked haha. Fixed it up and now it’s keeping up with my 10 grand 130i!
@@KiwiCarLifeAh, there ya go. What was his repair bill like roughly?
Was it pricey to fix? Im thinking of buying a 123d@KiwiCarLife
@@Tiger_Pawzzzzz They were sold with manuals in Europe
I own a manual 123d from new, with DPF, you are looking at 5.6 l/100 on average. That is driving around 120km/pH. With DPF, EGR delete, swirl flat removed performance tune for 30 % performance increase, 5.2 l/100 km. Mi e had 232K kms before the chain chain snapped.
Wow! That's remarkable man!
Hard to unsee the guy coming out of the bushes 🙂
Now we know where the body is.
HAHAH that was Jack the owner I thought I’d thrown that in as a lol
I had a 123d for seven years and i miss it now. Such a characterful car. I would always recommend the 123d
Yeah man I was impressed it was great to drive especially for a diesel
2:43 cars particularly expensive there due to taxes? Here in the Netherlands its the same. All cars are bought base spec.
I imported my FC1 from Germany, Executive trim with all bells and whistles. Can't find those NL-original. Because of our tax system, cars are tens of thousands more expensive than Germany.
Not really, rego is only $100 a year
There’s interesting rules in NL around ‘trade’ vehicles too. Having steel panels instead of rear windows etc. I remember a video of some guy who transformed his Audi TT Quattro into a Ute so he could avoid a heap of taxes. Same with another guy and his Q8 V8 TDI.
Great video ... watching from the other side of the world , in Gibraltar
Wow! A long way away!
You should try the PD’s we have over here in the UK. 1.9TDi VW engines that come in numerous VAG cars. Surprisingly quick once mapped. It’s all torque and they go pretty well but I agree with you mate, they lack the soul of a performance petrol engine. Good video bud :)
Yeah driven a Skoda fabia vrs, it was stock so pretty boring but I’ve heard they go super well
I have an E70 X5 35d and it's great for pulling/fuel economy, and sounds half-decent as a straight 6. Yet having had an E46 320i 2.2 I-6 and Z3 2.8 I-6 (both manual), the sound and feel is to die for compared to the diesel, even the M57 straight 6. I'll trade torque and economy for a more emotionally engaging drive. I'm with you, the petrol I-6 is the better choice for sound/feel/delivery.
Yeah that’s the thing, diesel is objectively better but you can’t beat driving fun of a petrol
Diesel isn't for everyone, but there is a 135xd doing 8 second quarter miles, M57 diesel and Xdrive haha
Goodness yeah that’s fast!
that car is from Romania, sadly it cought fire last year at a dragrace and it burned down
You act like your car has a massive performance advantage over him. His car has 201bhp.. STOCK. With a map he’s got the exact same bhp as you. So you don’t have significantly more power. I’d take the petrol purely for the sound and the way it feels but a remapped 123D is easily on par with a 130i.
@@ESKATEUK yeah that’s the point, stock it has a massive performance advantage which is why with just a tune it’s amazing he can keep up!
great video! i think there are many showrooms with cool cars that will provide you cars fro filming ?
Thanks man, and nah it’s usually just mates or fans of the channel
I've got an f10 530d for daily driving. Engine actually sounds lovely from 2-5k rpm. And that 580nm torque figure with zf8 transmission makes for quite magical power delivery. Just did a road trip akl taranaki wellington and back and got 5.9l/100km average. Oh and car cost me less than 10% of its new price at 11 years old.
Wow! Thats impressive yeah I think an i6 diesel would be great, 4 cyl just sounds like a tractor haha
My wife drives a 118d so yep we have a tractor too
Really enjoyed that comparison, certainly comes down to horses for courses, both pretty good cars, I certainly remember those diesel 1 series models being driven briskly when I lived back in NZ and thought they would be a bit of fun which is not normally something you would think about a diesel car!
I would still prefer the 130i though as I like N/A better than turbo cars.
Yeah everyone’s saying the same thing, the diesel is objectively better but everyone prefers the petrol haha
HIÍ, Please what tire sizes does the white bmw have on the R19 wheels?
Unsure sorry, I’d say 235 front 265 rear
I have a 2007 130i with an auto and DCT gearbox I love it and will keep it even if I get another newer BMW.
Nice man they’re some of the best bang for buck cars around
Nice one! I remember a forum topic in the old days saying “power sells cars, torque wins races”. Have a go at early 2000 Fabia RS, monster 2l turbodiesel with 6mt
Yep a made has a fabia VRS. Might do a review
jack coming out of the bush after a wee is priceless lmao
HAHAHHAHA
What are the wheels on Jacks car, they look really good on it.
I’m not sure I think they’re like M2 reps
I’m looking to purchase a 130i. Just wanna know how the reliability of the n52 is and your overall experience with the car. Great videos btw 🙌
Yeah man it’s honestly one of the best and most reliable cars I’ve owned. Would definitely recommend
Bought mine at 92.000 km, now at 265.000. Zero repairs in the engine room so far
N52B30 is one of the most reliable Bmw petrol engines from the 2000s
With the petrol prices over there, the 123d makes a lot of sense!
Yeah but you gotta pay road user charges too
In the beginning you say the petrol makes more power, but the diesel stock 203 hp with intake and exhaust and chip done is probably close to or over 260.
Yeah the petrol makes way more power from factory, but with the mods this one was packing some punch!
I'm a bit confused. I thought the LCI e87 tended to come with electric power steering, but it looks like both of the cars in this video had HPS reservoirs. I wonder if it's a regional thing?
Nah with most BMW's things are introduced progressively. For instance, mine is LCI, but still has pre-LCI infotainment. Also has pre-LCI HPS. I think EPS came out in 2009 ish. Certainly most LCI E90's (as they were launched in 2009 rather than 2007 for E87) have EPS.
Mine in europe in 9.2007 and has eps (123d manual lci)
Here in Oz, the price of diesel is at least the same as 95 Ron fuel and sometimes higher.
I reckon the higher service and fuel costs would net out at the end of the day compared to the 130i.
I do 150km round trip to and from work on a daily basis and I reckon the 7-8L/100km open road fuel consumption of the 130i would be just fine vs the diseasel powered variant.
Tbh the 130i in my experience is more like 8.5-9.5 on open road. Never been able to get close to 7 even hypermiling it. But yeah in NZ diesel is quite a bit cheaper so makes it a bit more worthwhile.
@@KiwiCarLife and then it comes down to which one you or I would actually want to drive on a daily basis and if we’re prepared to pay a premium to do that.
I dd an e34 touring 150km a day to and from work. Is it cheap? No. Is it reliable? Pretty good in the 15 years I’ve owned it. Do I like it? Hell yes.
I’d probably suck up the potential running cost premium of the 130i and drive that one myself.
@@markmcgrath9098 yeah I’d have to agree. Wow an E34 touring 150km a day! That’s awesome
Which is more reliable from the two?
I'd say the 130i. 123d is known for timing chain guide failure and turbo wastegate failure unfortunately. 130i is rock solid
Bro u need to do the 4door Nissan skyline 350gt vs the Lexus is350, we need to see that👀youlll get them views to☝️
Hmm yes that would be interesting
Feels more faster and agile because it weighs less and the four pot doesn’t stick out as much G.
I think you’ll find the iron block and twin turbo diesel weighs more, vs the alloy I6
123d with a tune should be pushing the same break figures as the 130i and 500nm of torque so the difference in power is negligible, could even be more. I’ve seen 123s make 250 on a basic tune but also seen some make 270. Torque around 480 to 510nm. Mines 265bhp and 500nm.
Yeah man they've got an impressive amount of potential in them!
whens the e46 m3 video coming?
Shh shh
Every time i think about buying 330d or 530d i think about 330i and 530i and the diesel surely has more power in the low rpm range but overall the petrol is faster and 3l petrol has sufficient low end power. Also petrol can be converted to lpg so at that point only the m57 tuneability is the only upside besides low rpm at highway speeds. I can see the appeal of diesel engines but they are not superior. Maybe cheaper? Need to buy one to see if its worth it
Yeah cheaper to run and great torque and tuneability, but I prefer petrol.
_great comparison, petrol for the enthusiast, all day every day_
Indeed
You gotta do a video comparing radar detectors
That would be interesting
With a set of sensible wheels that 123d isn't that far off the 130i. I'd ove to have a 130i here in the UK but you just couldnt use it because of the fuel cost.
Yeah that’s understandable
I agree with your points around diesel, another benift they do have though is they are built stronger as combustion is their "spark" so can get more milage out of them
Yeah true, they seem to be more reliable and last longer. Not all though
I’ve owned the F20 125D before my E87 130i. The 125D had 300hp and 600nm and pretty much the same engine as the 123D, it was definitely faster down low. The 130i has more top end. Next to the fact that the E87 chassis is way more fun than the F20 chassis the 130i is also way more fun to rev out. The 125D was practical in daily use because of the torque, it also sounded quite decent with a downpipe but it will never match a 6 cilinder. The fuel consumption of my 125D was around 6L/100KM and my 130i is around 12L/100km so thats the only thing I miss about my 125😂
Yeah that’s the thing aye, the petrol is more fun but for the same performance it uses way more fuel lol
@@KiwiCarLife yeah it definitely hurts the wallet more😂. Diesel torque is also very fun tho, but nothing can replace a good sounding engine.
Got a 2011 640i you can drive if your ever in chch
Oh lovely yeah next time I’m down I’ll hit you up!
335d or 330d e90 review coming? :D
Yep 335d on the way!
In the rolling race, the diesel only gets ahead because it's an auto. I think if you did auto vs auto the petrol 6 cylinder would objectively win. If you look back it was only catching up every time the 130i had to shift
Yeahhh although the auto 130i’s are slower. I think either way it would be extremely close
My friend took me for a blast in his dad's M sport 4.0l diesel X3. Holy crap man!! By far the fastest diesel I have ever been in, also one of THE fastest cars I've ever been in. Couldn't believe a diesel could do that. It was soo quick, it was actually quite ridiculous.
there's no 4.0 diesels in BMW's , they're 2.0 or 3.0. If you were in an M40i that's a 3.0 turbo petrol
@@danmurphy5889 ah I see. Yep that’s what it was. Thanks
Yeah man the N57 is impressive
130i was still warming up.
Temp? Or speed?
Tbh i differ a bit from the Oppinion, the sound of a 130i imo isnt that great, for me its not special enough to be wort the extra cost of a petrol, i run a Audi TT 2.0TDI and would never go for a 2.0TSFI, its just like a GoKart and the 123d of a friend isnt far behind. For Sound id get something like a 5.0 Mustang GT, B58/DAZA engine, with more Sound that the 130i can do. Daily the diesel all the way imo
There’s a big difference between a 2.0L TFSI and an N52 3.0L I6 though. You mention B58, that’s like 5 times the price!
Awesome pair of cars, 6 cylinder petrol is very hard to beat though. I'm surprised with how well the diesel did in the roll race.
If only the 123d here were manual. I've got a manual Golf Mk6 TDI I put Bilstein B16's and Whiteline sway bars in last year, it's a hell of a lot of fun on the Tassie roads where I live. The torque surge in 2nd and 3rd gear is especially fun and perfect with a manual transmission.
Oh yeah man I imagine that golf would be fun. But I love my 130i though
Got a stage 2 123D with downpipe, the noise and power are something else and I used to hate diesels and BMW. Made myself look a right tit 🤣
@@NunyaFookenBusiness haha I was the same!
I can’t believe he’s put an M badge on a 123D…
@@ESKATEUK he bought it like that someone else did
2:07 lmao
HAHA yes that’s the owner jack after going for a wazz
Standard 123d is faster round Nurburgring than 330d!
Really? Wow
the performance wasn't similar - the 130i got toasted!
Not really, 123d was very slightly faster maybe? Every race had a slightly different result. He is also like stage 2 tuned so stock for stock I'd wipe him
Diesels are designed to pull things 🤣
But not to pull women😂😂😂
@@gaycha6589 99.99% of the time cool cars don't pull women, they pull other men
@@crts1683 perfect
HAHHAHAHAH
Any auto car will beat that rubbish old junk
Rubbish old junk referring to a manual transmission? Or BMW in general?