Hello,

I recently had my coupe totaled and am thinking about a BMW sports car as a more mature replacement.

I have a lot of interest in machines with the N55 motor. I really like the 435i, but insurance quotes for that model are rather unfavorable for me. So, I have been looking at the 135i (2011+) and M235i as alternatives.

One thing that confuses me is the fact that these two models are approximately the same price in the used market (between $18k and $22k for examples between 60k and 80k miles), except for the low mileage M235i which begins to exceed $25k. This contradicts my expectation since they are of two different generations. Insurance costs are also nearly the same.

I would love to spend less and go for a 135i, but I’m finding it hard to justify if I can get a (in my opinion much nicer) M235i with the same miles for $1k to $2k more.

Is there a clear reason for this? For example, is the older 135i better than the M235i in some aspect that I’m not seeing? Is it just the rarity factor?

Thanks for your thoughts and insight.