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Chiming in and probably a little biased but the 128i is nothing to sneeze at. They are horrendously overlooked by "enthusiasts" who see a "1" in the front of the model and dismiss it. The E82 chassis is excellent for quite a few reasons but mainly how many parts translate over directly from the E9X chassis. Will mean its well supported for the years to come and lightly used parts can be had easily.
IF you are going to buy a 128i, please hold out for at least the Sport package. It makes a huge difference in both your comfort and the daily enjoy-ability of the car. If you're really picky about bits and pieces, theres a 2013 M-Sport 6MT 128i listed in the 1Addicts classifieds for a pretty reasonable price, considering how rare they are to come by. You could likely save a few grand for a normal Sport model thats a hair older but it won't be as desirable later down the road.
And as far as mileage goes, yes, the NAi6 will be less efficient but my MPG readings have been in the 28-30 MPG when I treat it well. It doesn't always calculate the same but its not too far off.
IMO, 128i 6MT "MUST DO" mods are:
BMWPerformance short shift lever and bushing (massive difference in shift feel)
eBay clutch stop (massive difference in general drive-ability)
3Stage Intake and Bimmerlabs FREE 130i tune (make sure the DISAs are good, but this makes it a new car)
Decent tires
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