BMW 3 series: compact all the way...

Advantages: Great buys at the moment
Disadvantages: Will be replaced in 2005

...After a somewhat disastrous encounter with a VW I decided that in my next car, I wanted to stay German as I was impressed with the build quality of the VW but that I wanted a little more prestige but without a huge price tag. A BMW 3 series probably doesn't say cheap to most people but I have just purchased the BMW 1.6 ES special edition for £16, 495 including metallic paint. What do you get for your money? With this special edition I have got a 1.8 litre engine with 150 BHP. Standard features of this car include: Air conditioning (manual) CD Player 162 alloy wheels Electric front widows M3 steering wheel and gear stick (no controls) Sports suspension Anthracite headlining Storage compartment pocket The base price is £15, 995 and metallic paint will set you back a further £500 ish. This car is...

nickjj78 07.09.2004 · Read review
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Review of BMW 316i

BMW 1 series as an everyday family car

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

...My wife and I have had our fair share of cars over the past 5 years or so - about 12 in total - and each one was very different to its predecessor. For example, we went from a Ford Escort to a Peugeot 206; a BMW Z3 to a VW Golf; from a LandRover Discovery to Porsche 911; and from a BMW 330d Sport to a Fiant Punto Mia (1.2). Most recent ly we changed from a BMW X3 to a BMW 116i Sport. If asked to choose which of all the cars we have owned I would recommend the most, I would say that depended to whom the recommendation was being made; however, if like us you have a young family and an active lifestyle, although you might imagine the versatility of a 4x4 such as the Discovery would be a good bet to get my vote, I would honestly have to say that, pound for pound, the 1 series has been the best buy by far. Let's start with the most...

Blackdog23 21.06.2006 · Read review
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Review of BMW 116i

BMW Sytner Chigwell

Advantages: Great customer service, aparently no matter who you are.
Disadvantages: Services can be a bit pricey, but not as bad as you would think.

...I have visited BMW Sytner a few times over the last 3-4 years & I have to say, they have the best customer service i have experienced at any dealership, bar none. I am not your typical kind of guy you would see in a BMW showroom, I am 27 years old but look like I am 17, I probably go there looking a bit rag tag aswell (I think i do it on purpose, i am not fond of face value). But I always feel that they treat me with the same courtesy as all of their customers I have been to Sytner for 3 series parts a few times & no matter how small the problem, the staff are always very helpful & polite. They took their time to track down some E36 washers I could have probably got anywhere & smiled at me when i thought they would charge me for it!, lol. Specifically, i find parts prices are not that bad at all compared to mercedes or renault. I...

krslim 23.04.2009 · Read review
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Review of BMW

BMW 120d - The only 1 Series??

Advantages: Well built, rear wheel drive, excellent handling, fast, good fuel economy
Disadvantages: expensive to buy and fix, run flat tyres as standard

...Having had several test drives across more or less the full range of 1 Series', trying to establish which version I am likely to buy, I can honestly say that for me there is only one choice! Whilst all are put together to the high standards we have come to expect from BMW over time, I can't help but feel that the price difference in models presents you with a bargain when looking to the 120d. The 118d is a good car in itself, but the difference in grunt received from the extra £800 of going a model up is well worth it. Granted, the majority of what follows is not 'standard' equipment on the car, but when is it ever with BMW?? The m-tech extras are again worth the extra money, as the handling, looks and performance are so greatly refined that you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd bought a sports car. The six speed gear box is...

Proximus 17.01.2007 · Read review
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Review of BMW 120d

BMW 3 Series

Advantages: Fast, comfortable
Disadvantages: Drinks petrol

...I bought my BMW after my B reg Orion fell to bits. It was about time I bought a new car. I searched on the Internet for the model I wanted (had to get a 1.6 because I knew I wouldn't get insured on anything else!). I found two, one R reg for £8,000, which the dealer would not negotiate on, and a T reg for £6,750. I was lucky because the company were doing a deal at the time. So, f you hold out, you'll get one at that age for around £7,000. However, mileage in all BMWs is quite high. I think this is because they are mostly used as company cars. However, don't be put of by this fact as BMWs are renowed for their reliability. The exterior of the car is sleek and sophisticated and presents a very professional look, especially in black. The bumpers are colour coded and the alloys give it that finishing look. The windows are slightly...

Pheonix5284 20.07.2003 · Read review
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Review of BMW 316i Coupé

Halliwell Jones Chester (BMW) - Give Them A Wide Berth

Advantages: Some pretty cars to look at in the showroom
Disadvantages: Poor after-sales, the ability to 'create' problems with your car (then refuse to accept liabilty)

...My wife purchased a 2nd hand Mini Cooper last year (2008) and included with the car was the TLC 5 year servicing plan. The car didn't appear to have been serviced upon collection, and the absence of any service book dealer stamps would seem to confirm this, so in March this year (2009) the car was booked into Halliwell Jones Chester (BMW) for a service. We explained the situation to the service desk advisor who assured us that the car would receive the necessary attention. When the car was collected, the mechanism which operates the drivers' seat sliding back/forth was inoperable - we'd had no previous problems with the seat (or the car at all) until that point. The dealer agreed to replace the seat rails and mechanism under warranty, but argued that they hadn't caused the seat to fail. Coincidence therefore? In the weeks following...

thpba3 19.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of BMW

BMW Hexagon is poor

Advantages: convenient N London location
Disadvantages: unresponsive staff, expensive

...Hexagon BMW are hopeless. I had my car serviced at the Kentish Town site in December and they ordered a part for me that needed to be fitted. Have tried to contact the service contact (AR) there on 3 separate occasions during January to get the work done - he won't call back. No-one else I have spoken to seems to have any idea what is going on with this repair. I also visited their sales showroom on great north road recently to look at swapping my 7-series for a newer one, but hardly anyone around to help and the one youngster there had limited interest as he said that they were cutting jobs. BMW Park Lane is owned by BMW and I think I'll stick with them going forward....

m1000 14.01.2009 · Read review
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Review of BMW

BMW 5 Series 530i Sport Touring - Apr 2004

Advantages: Comfort, power, smoothness of ride, after-sales service.
Disadvantages: Expensive to run and maintain, unconvincing in ice and snow!

...owners that they really shouldn’t be blocking the outside lane of dual carriageways/motorways especially when there is a BMW trying to pass you! In conclusion, you pay a lot of money for a 5-series BMW and the running and servicing is expensive but for your money you get one of the most advanced driving experiences there is today and the after sales is, in my opinion, second to none....

wetherby.beans 19.03.2007 · Read review
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Review of BMW 530i Touring

BMW Approved used car warranty in doubt

Advantages: I have seen none to date
Disadvantages: A BMW approved used car from a main dealer proved to be a nightmare

...Two months ago, I purchased a BMW 323ci convertible from Vines of Guildford who are BMW main dealers. The car is 8 years old and had just over 47000 miles on the clock. It was sold with a BMW used car warranty but with certain exclusions due to its age, explained to me after I had paid a deposit on it. In the last couple of weeks, knocking noises have started coming from the engine which have progressively got worse. I've owned three BMWs and I know these cars well but I've never had one do that before. Very worried I checked the service history booklet 'Evidence of maintenance work' that came with the car and this is what I found ... 09/05/2000 Pre-delivery check No running-in check at 1250 miles 20/11/2002 Oil service at 12632 miles (6 months late) 05/05/2005 Oil/Inspection 1 and 2 at 21055 miles (1 year late) And then no...

cravenh 09.11.2008 (24.11.2008) · Read review
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Review of BMW

Advantage BMW

Advantages: A good all rounder and relatively cheap to run.
Disadvantages: None.

...wear is amazingly slow. There is 27,000 miles on my current set of tyres and there is still 6mm of tread all round. My BMW is very kind to its tyres even after using its handling potential. Insurance is the one area where I was surprised. All the talk was of premiums running at the £700 to £800 mark. The fully comprehensive premium with the Halifax cost me £385 I could not believe it either! Servicing My 5 Series is reasonably cheap to live with. The servicing requirements depend on how the car is driven and my experience of mostly motorway and A road driving has led to service intervals of 13,000 miles or thereabouts. As the car calculates its own servicing needs I would expect town driving would require more frequent maintenance. An oil service costs about £120 and the car always come back washed and vacuumed. The car requires...

Shekera 20.10.2001 · Read review
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Review of BMW 523i