Isn't it just terrible when your nasal cavity prepares you for a sneeze that just doesn't materialise? You know the feeling, when the pressure and tension builds up inside your head for that most satisfying, explosive sensation and then it just disappears. It's the anti-climax or anti-climaxes.

BMW's 125i Coupe was much like a botched sneeze with four wheels, I reasoned after the first drive. Having been highly smitten by the twin-turbocharged 135i a year earlier, the psychological association was unavoidable.

After all, they do look very similar and after hopping in and sinking into that body-hugging driver's seat and firing up its 3.0-litre six-pot, I realised that it sounds rather similar too.

In my opinion, few engines produce a better acoustic sound track than BMW's six-cylinder petrol motor; it's got a smooth but predatory growl that will make you want to drive with the windows down even if you're in the dodgiest of neighbourhoods.

It's only when you mesh the right pedal into the floor that you realise why the 125i is R77 500 cheaper than the 135i.

Without the turbines to replace the air density that Highveld altitude robs, the 125i's performance was underwhelming. It took 8.5 seconds to get from 0-100km/h and 8.8 seconds from 80?120km/h. Not exactly slow, but then almost every C-segment hot hatchback we?ve tested in the last few years has bettered those times.

Weight is another nail in the 1-Series Coupe's coffin ? 125i tips the scales a hefty 1560kg. It's almost as heavy as a 3-Series, as it doesn't boast its bigger brother's arsenal of lightweight components.

So the 125i might not be fast in our books, but if you've never driven a 135i, it might just satisfy you. And besides the performance deficit, the 125i was an otherwise very satisfying car to drive.

That's something BMW never fails at ? making you feel like you're driving a sporty car. From the supportive seats to the small, fat and grippy steering wheel and the telepathic sensation you get through it when you take corners ? it's all really uplifting in a world where carmakers seldom get such details right.

And the cornering brings its own fun factor in the 1-Series, being rear-wheel driven. While not quite as sharp as a 3-Series, road holding is very satisfactory overall and ride is comfortable too.

Admittedly it's not the most practical of cars; room in the back is tight and there are other niggles, like the front seat bolsters that will prove too tight for any wider than average person. But those are things you?d normally expect in a smallish coupe.

At R328 000, the 125i Coupe is not too much more expensive than a hot hatchback, and could make a cool alternative, although we'd probably be even more tempted by the cheaper 120d turbo-diesel.

Just don't test drive a 135i if you can only afford a 125i.