I had the good fortune to have this car for a week as a courtesy car and I was impressed! Didnt want to give it back in the end!
I have always liked the look of the 1 series as it is quite different to any of the other hatchbacks. I was given a brand new 2008 118dSE Automatic in Silver. ... Read review
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 1 Series - Hatchback - Rear (RWD) - 6 Speed Automatic, 6 Speed Manual - 1995 cc - Max Speed: 127 mph - 122 bhp - Petrol - Available Trims: M Sport, 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 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: 140, 143 mph - 163, 177 bhp - Diesel - Available Trims: ES, SE, Sport, M Sport
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Advantages: Solid build, good performance, great drive Disadvantages: Cost
I had the good fortune to have this car for a week as a courtesy car and I was impressed! Didnt want to give it back in the end!
I have always liked the look of the 1 series as it is quite different to any of the other hatchbacks. I was given a brand new 2008 118dSE Automatic in Silver. I believe with the extras this retails at around £20'000-22'000.
The standard features were 5 doors, cd player, driver and passenger ... ...boot pop. The car also featured optional extras including air conditioning, 17" alloy wheels, automatic gearbox with sports shift and also rear parking sensor.
Initially I was not looking forward to driving a diesel as I have only driven petrol cars for the past 10 years, however as soon as I started the drive was excellent.
The keyfob is not a conventional key, the entire fob fits into the dashboard, you then ... more
I had the good fortune to have this car for a week as a courtesy car and I was impressed! Didnt want to give it back in the end!
I have always liked the look of the 1 series as it is quite different to any of the other hatchbacks. I was given a brand new 2008 118dSE Automatic in Silver. I believe with the extras this retails at around £20'000-22'000.
The standard features were 5 doors, cd player, driver and passenger airbags, electric windows (front and rear), remote central locking and boot pop. The car also featured optional extras including air conditioning, 17" alloy wheels, automatic gearbox with sports shift and also rear parking sensor.
Initially I was not looking forward to driving a diesel as I have only driven petrol cars for the past 10 years, however as soon as I started the drive was excellent.
The keyfob is not a conventional key, the entire fob fits into the dashboard, you then have to press the brake pedal and press the start button. This is the first car with start/stop button ignition and its something that really grew on me!
The diesel is fitted with a turbo, this was subtle when you were driving in town and when you opened it up a bit the turbo could really be felt. The acceleration in normal auto mode was very smooth as were the gear changes. Moving the gear knob to the left activates auto sports mode, quicker gearchanges and a more aggressive feel. Once in auto sports mode you have the option to maunal shift up and down through the gear, a nice option. This is particularly good if wanting to overtake on the motorway and need a quick burst of speed. Fuel efficiency was good, in and around town I averaged 30-35mpg and thats without economical driving.
The ride was quite firm but did not comprimise comfort. Driving around London I encountered numerous speed humps and the BMW remained solid and firm over them yet the impact was absorbed well. The handling of the car was excellent, the 1 series is the only rear wheel drive car in its class and you can really feel that in the handling. Its steering was very responsive and the power assisted steering was not too light and still gave you good feeling.
This car was an automatic so did not come with the new stop-start engine system. This comes on the manual and allows the cars engine to turn off while stopped at traffic lights and will automatically turn back on when you accelerate, very efficient on fuel and the environment!
The interior of the car was black cloth and quite smart. The storage features were excellent, an under seat tray on the passenger side, arm rest storage, medium glove compartment, sun glasses holder and a few more storage pods on the dashboard make it very convienient. The boot was smallish sized, if you have a family it might be hard to fit everything in!. The cd player and speakers sounded clear and crisp and had all the usual functions. The optional air conditioning was really easy to use and you could split the temperature between passenger and driver.
Overall, I was pleased with the 118d. It made me really consider the 1 series as a possible car for the future. It may be the most expensive car in its class but I believe you pay for the quality, reliability, design and performance associated with the BMW badge.
Advantages: Great drive, fine balanced car Disadvantages: Rear space poor and rear doors restrict access
Bought one for my wife, but ended up driving it. Preconcieved ideas about what it looked like and how it drove meant that I hated it before I had even sat in it. Huge suprise when I did eventually drive as it really is good to drive. Exceptionally well balanced, feel much bigger and the engine is suprisingly reponsive.
However, if space is a premium (ie you have one or more young chidren), then you MUST look elsewhere as it has minimal space in ... ...putting children in car seats almost impossible - a real fault in the car design. Add to this a small boot and space is its achilles heel.
Many people complain about the hard ride due to the run-flat tyres. Having had two punctures in the space of 2 months, the run flat tyres were a god send and to me, simply adds to the 'sporty' ride.
If you are a keen driver and want a bit more oomph then I would highly recommend an engine remap. This takes the ...
pharmacy123 20.09.2007
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of BMW118d
BMW 118d SE or ES (can't recall which!). I love my new BMW. I am new to the brand, only purchased mine a few months ago. But I am very happy with it, and am trying to persuade my partner to buy one too. What a change to drive a quality car!
My main reason for buying it was its green credentials, with the car tax at only £35. Its not the money as much as the principle behind it (ie. if the government sees fit to charge low tax, then it must be an ... ...start-stop feature, where the engine cuts out when stopped at traffic lights. I was a bit dubious of this feature before I bought the car, but was concerned about my engine constantly running even when my vehicle was stationary (not to get preachy, but it really bugs me when folk sit in their cars at the side of the road with the engine running for no good reason, all cars should have this feature!). With the BMW, as soon as I put the car into neutral ...
vsarah 30.07.2008
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of BMW118d
Advantages: Beautiful drive with great fuel economy, very stylish. Disadvantages: Very difficult to keep clean!
It was a job to decide whether to go for the 118d SE or Sport but in the end I plumped for the multi-function steering wheel rather than the sporty seats. In fact it's a really sporty steering wheel and suits such a stylish car.
Other great features include the programmable remote key - so each driver can store their own information, and the oh-so-groovy-but-are-they-really-neccessary 'puddle lights' that light up your door handles in the dark. ... ...the amount of space left when the beep goes continuous.
As a shorter person, I can get a really comfortable driving position with excellent visibility - with the exception that the rear panels are rather wide. One thing to note if you're new to BMW is that to raise the seat, you need to have all your weight off it, so if another driver has the seat lower, it helps to raise it up before you get in.
The car drives beautifully. Much of my driving ...
helenstuff 24.05.2007
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of BMW118d
Value for Money
Road Handling
Comfort
Features
Fuel consumption
Looks
Quick review of BMW118d
I've owned this car since May 2008 and have had a number of experiences to fully test it's mettle. It is fantastically good on summer roads and as much fun as a go-kart. In the wet, like any rear wheel drive it does become a little too responsive. I have also suffered a large accident in a BMW 1 series, when I was hit twice. Despite my whiplash, the car was as strong as I could wish for and withstood the impact of two large vehicles which were written off. It was quickly repaired by BMW, who's service was top quality.
It is solid over speed bumps yet soft over potholes. It has a good quality interior and is quick off the mark. It is also very, very low on tax especially for company car driver.
I would happily, buy again. ...
northants_tom 07.01.2009
Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of BMW118d
Advantages: a real drivers car Disadvantages: pricey but worth it
I've had my BMW 118ES for a few weeks now. Although not technically an SE it has a few extras that make it pretty close. I love it - it drives beautifully and the boot is big enough to fit 3 dogs! I have read comments that the rear seats do not have much room but, as I don't have children and rarely carry passengers, this is not a problem. Those passengers that I have carried have not complained though to be fair! At present I am getting 49.5mpg ... ...some town/some country roads). One feature that takes a bit of getting used to is the auto cut out when the car is stopped and you put it in neutral - an energy saving feature. It took a while before trusting it to start again immediatly when you put your foot on the clutch and put it into gear but it makes for a quiet wait at the traffic lights! This latest version has great eco credentials with a £35 road tax being the most appealing due to low ...
wend33 26.04.2008 (28.04.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of BMW118d
