BMW 128ti review

Remember when the original, RWD M135i launched at a fiver below 30 grand, and tore a fault line through the hot hatch establishment? Well, the 128ti does something a little similar. Priced from nearly £34,000, its closely matched to the Golf GTI and Focus ST on list price, but looks a little more competitive as a lease. Strong residual values make the BMW a better PCP proposition than rivals with less premium badges.

It ought to be a wee bit cheaper to run, too. BMW’s claimed 40.9mpg and 158g/km of CO2 are both around ten per cent better than the 128ti’s key rivals, and we know from experience that this engine and gearbox yield some quite startling real-world fuel economy. In a good way. While we’re on the grown-up stuff, the warranty is three years and unlimited mileage.