This review is meant to focus more on the car's performance on the road, and not so much on the financial aspects and inusrance details.
The BMW 1 Series, is BMW's 2nd attempt to create a small, hatchback car, the previous one being the 3-Series Compact, which accroding to popular opinion was definetely not one of BMW's best. My family were in the market for a new car, and my father was looking to buy a small practical city car, and had practically settled on the VWGolf 5. However when we both attended a car exhibition, I completely fell in love with the looks of the 1 series. After constant haggling on my part, I managed to persuade him to take the 1 series for a test drive. And that was when he too fell in love with it and settled on it.
I beleive that people attracted to BMW's new car deisgns, which are definetely not conservative, perhaps with the exception of the new 3-series, will love this car. Visually it has an element of sportiness to it , with weird out of place, curves near the sideskirts reminiscent of the Z4. The car's looks are bold, and suggest that it was designed
and built, not with a spirit of practicality at heart, but in an attempt to maximize driving pleasure.
The average person will realise this, once they get into the drivers seat. The dashboard, is neither too basic, nor is it clustered with a plethora of buttons, like one might find in say a French car. The interior emanates to the passengers and driver a sense of class, a sense that this car, was not built as most other hatchbacks are, but instead built like the rest of BMW's range, built like a larger luxury saloon. The plastics used for the buttons and interior, are well built, stodgy and firm, the smell the car's interior gives off (that of a new and expensive car) is still there after nearly 2 years of use, the dials and lights emit the traditional BMW orange, and two small and unobtrisive orange lights situated near the reading lights give the cockpit a space age feel when one is driving at night on unlit roads. The cockpit layout and design is beautifully done as well, it is uncomparable to any other small cars interior in terms of beauty and aesthetics.
When first driving this car I was amazed, at how good it felt to drive, at the enjoyment it gave me, going round corners. Being rear wheel drive, and having a heavy steering wheel, it is like no other small car, it gives the driver a sense that he is driving a much larger luxury saloon. However its small size gives it an extra dimensions of sportiness and in some respects it is remniscent of a roadster. BMW's Dynamic Stability Control System and 50:50 wieght distribution ensure that the car handles superbly in any given situation. I can remember the first time I drove this car fast on a roundabout. I felt the traction control kicking in, engaging the brakes on one of the four wheels to keep the car from spinning, and heard the tyres squeal, and I couldnt stop a huge smile from creeping across my face. In addition to the handling, the ride is superb. I have heard of a lot of people complaining that BMW's runflat tyres are uncomfortable, but in my personal experience, they give the car a firmer grip on the road. Even though the ride may be bumpier thant that of other hatchbacks, the superb suspension system still gives off the sense that you are driving an expensive and luxurious car, and is not bumpy enough to the extent of being uncomfortable, like a sports car would be. Even though the handling is almost as good as a sports car's. I wouldn't describe the engine as powerful, but is more than adequate in getting this car, which despite its size is quite heavy, from A to B, without a fuss. Admittedly fuel economy could have been better, but this is adversely affected by the car's sporty and joyful nature which eggs you on to drive it as fast and aggresively as you can.
The other powerful plus point of this car are its electronics. I have not driven the sat-nav/i-drive version and have heard that BMW's i-drive system can get quite irritating, but the basic version still has a cluster of useful and impressive electronics. For example, the air conditioning system is dual zone and can provide different temperatures for the right and left sides of the car, and is very powerful to say the least. It can de-fogs the windscreen in a matter of seconds, can detect bad odours entering from outside and switch air circulation to the interior automatically to deal with it, and has a function to keep the car warm with heat taken from the engine if you decide to make a 5 minute stop to buy a cup of coffee for the road. Other useful features include automatic windshield wipers, automatic headlamps, and a powerful onboard computer which can detect any issues the car might face which are likely to develop into a problem, such as oil levels in the engine, or when you have a punctured tyre. It will even tell you itself when it requires servicing or oil changes. The stereo is also of superb acoustic quality, with crisp crystal clear sound, and there is even an auxiliary port to which one can conncet their mp3 or minidisc player.
Now onto the neagtive aspects of the car. Admittedly in the back it is a little short on space. The rear seats are not the most spacious you will find in a hatchback, and the boot is not as large as it is in other cars. The rear door openings are constrained in size by the rear wheel arches. In addition, rear visibility is poor due to the large roof supports at the back and the small rear windscreen. Aside from these two points however the car itself does not suffer from any other significant problems.
In conclusion this car was made in my opinion for the youthful driver. It has bold, daring and unconventional looks. It may not be the most practical hatchback, but it is definetly and by far the most enjoyable hatchback to drive. The amount of electronics it contains, even down to the fact that the car is started with a button instead of the traditional turn the key in the ignition method, indicates that it was built for a newer generation of younger drivers. It may not be the best family car in the samll city car category but it is definetely the best handling and drving car in the category, aimed at people who enjoy driving and who do not view it merely as a means of getting from one place to another. It is true that its price tag is higher than that of its rivals, but the fact that BMW's retain their value much more than other brands, the huge difference in the enjoyment it gives the driver than other cars, and the difference in the sense of luxury it provides, justify this difference. In conclusion if you are in the market for a small practical family car, to drive around the city in and make your life more comfortable, steer clear of this car. If instead you are looking for a hot hatch, something that will excite your senses and bring your racing instincts to the surface, a car which is fun, joyful and playful, almost juvenile, while at the same time retaining the sensibilities and luxuries any BMW would have than this is the car for you.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
BMW 1 Series - Hatchback - Rear (RWD) - 6 Speed Automatic, 6 Speed Manual - 1995 cc - Max Speed: 130 mph - 143 bhp - Diesel - Available Trims: SE, ES, Sport, M Sport
BMW 3 Series - Saloon - Rear (RWD) - 6 Speed Manual, 6 Speed Automatic - 1995 cc - Max Speed: 140, 143 mph - 163, 177 bhp - Diesel - Available Trims: ES, SE, Sport, M Sport
BMW 1 Series - Hatchback - Rear (RWD) - 6 Speed Automatic, 6 Speed Manual - 1995 cc - Max Speed: 139 mph - 170 bhp - Petrol - Available Trims: M Sport, SE, ES
BMW 3 Series - Saloon - Rear (RWD) - 6 Speed Manual, 6 Speed Automatic - 1995 cc - Max Speed: 130 mph - 143 bhp - Petrol - Available Trims: M Sport, Sport, SE, ES
BMW 1 Series - Hatchback - Rear (RWD) - 6 Speed Manual, 6 Speed Automatic - 1995 cc - Max Speed: 142 mph - 177 bhp - Diesel - Available Trims: ES, SE, Sport, M Sport
BMW 3 Series - Saloon - Rear (RWD) - 6 Speed Manual, 6 Speed Automatic - 1995 cc - Max Speed: 137 mph - 150, 170 bhp - Petrol - Available Trims: ES, SE, Sport, M Sport
Advantages: Plenty. Residual values are also truely astonishing! Disadvantages: The rear doors - they don't open very wide and it's hard to manage getting very young children and the elderly in and out
Blackdog23 21.06.2006 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of BMW 116i
Advantages: Plenty. Residual values are also truely astonishing! Disadvantages: The rear doors - they don't open very wide and it's hard to manage getting very young children and the elderly in and out
Blackdog23 21.06.2006 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of BMW 116i
Advantages: Genuinely Different. Economical. Spacious. Very Well Equipped. Great to Drive. Feel Good Factor. Disadvantages: Visibility is Compromised. Some Just Will Not Like it!
RICHADA 24.09.2006 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: exceptional
Review of Honda Civic 1.8
Are you the manufacturer / provider of BMW 116i? Click here
Feb 7th, 2007
very helpful by (100%):
