BMW 1 Series – any good?

Following on from the discussion on sat nav capability I have sussed out that our new 1 series sat nav does have full postcode capability, but it won’t let you select a house number.

I can’t make it show the contents of my phone screen on the car dash screen either via BT or USB connection. The Google Maps sat nav instructions comes over the in car entertainment system, but the moving map doesn’t come up on the screen. I can’t find any option to make it do it. I don’t have the upgraded sound system, just the sat nav option so maybe that feature is only averrable on the upgraded sound system option.

Tested a 118d in 2014. Unsure what spec, but it had parking sensors, auto gear box, auto headlamps etc. It drove nicely. The bonnet seemed to extend a fair way ahead. Boot and rear leg room were fine for a car of its size. Driver and front passenger were accommodated well. Visibility was pretty good from the driver’s seat. RWD felt nice in the spring weather.

Few folks let me into standing traffic from junctions or side roads when I had it.

Nearly got one despite the BMW reputation. But didn’t.

The M Sport ones are definitely the ones to go for. They’re not the best looking car, but the M Sport kit makes them much easier to look at.

I was considering a 118d M Sport as my next company car but I was between the face lift and MY16 cars so would have missed out on the standard free nav plus the lease deals weren’t great so I couldn’t add the options that I wanted due to budget constraints. Shame really because I liked the car that BMW leant me for a morning.
Royal Blood – Their best bits sound like the first 30 seconds of a Nu Metal track and the rest of their stuff goes downhill from there.

With regards to RWD in winter, they’re not as bad as people make out. Our 330 (auto) coped fine last Christmas when we went up to Sheffield and most of the roads weren’t gritted (including the Chesterfield Bypass). We made it to Lodge Moor without incident.

Our 330 (auto) coped fine… last Christmas when we went up to Sheffield and most of the roads weren’t gritted (including the Chesterfield Bypass). We… made it to… …without incident.

Same here – 2002 330i M sport auto which I owned for 8 years. Even drove it through a foot of snow (when I should have taken the Kuga actually) and although I was careful it coped OK.

Ours is an E90 on run flats which are supposed to make it even worse. It’s been exaggerated somewhat.

My old E46 was fine too.

Enjoy the new car.

Had an m sport 118d as a temporary company car for a few months last year. Nice car, handled well and a nice place to sit but I wouldn’t spend my own money on one.

It was comically awful in snow. Couldn’t get it up my drive in an inch of snow (and I grew up in NE scotland so I know how to drive in snow).

I haven’t driven my 1’er in the snow yet, but I got round perfectly ok in an E90 I once had . I did load the boot up though to give it more weight over the back wheels.

Lovely. My brother signed order form for his M135i last week. Hoping I’m allowed a go!

My Mrs recently got a 14 reg 120d. When she first got it I thought it was really nice. She’d upgraded from a Clio and I was still driving my 55 reg focus.

As others above have said leg room in back ain’t great. But it’s a fun nippy little car with all the bells and whistles.

I’ve recently upgraded my car to a Passat estate. When I get in the Mrs’ car now it feels a tad cramped and the ride is pretty hard in comparison.

Neighbours’ got the M-spec 1 series. That is a seriously harsh ride with low profile run flats.

Not talking you out of it. She really enjoys the car. Enough performance to put a smile on her face.

Not talking you out of it.

Too late for that.

and the ride is pretty hard in comparison.

I didn’t find that at all on the test drive, although all of my cars since 2003 have had “sports” suspect & low profiles so maybe I’m just used to it.

I find the ride on the m-sport (18s, run flats, sports suspension) better than in the old shape without sports suspension (17s, run flats, non-sport suspension). It’s just more refined in the F series cars over the E series.

I don’t find the ride particulary harsh on my M-Sport, but it’s definitely more fidgety than my previous Golf.

Bit late to the topic with my experience thoughts! I’m lucky enough to have daily access to a F20 120d Sport Manual & a F30 320d M Sport Auto.

As 2 litre diesels go its a pretty spot on engine, a good economy / performance mix with a relatively linear power delivery for a diesel.

M sport wins hands down in the looks department, I prefer the 8 speed auto with this engine but the manual is still good.

I find the 3 series far better for motorway journeys due to its size but the 1 series far more fun to drive, the F30 is a bit of a barge to drive compared to the older E90.

I think you will enjoy the car, for me its more fun to drive than recent drives in Audi’s / VW’s / Fords. Nice colour as well!

Kryton – just seen post on another thread. How much deposit did you have to put in if you don’t mind me asking, and what year is it?

Mrs FD needs a new car soon and that looks like a bargain!

It’s a Oct 2013, 16k miles. It was up for £16750, I negotiated to 15,950 plus 2 years BMW + (warranty plus no issue call out). £5k down, £128 per month for 3 years £9k final payment limited to 8k miles pa. It’s important to realise I only drive max 6k per year and I intend to exchange the car for a 3 series in two years, never paying the baloon payment. For me this is cheapish motoring until nursery payments end and free up some more money.

Fwiw all of the “what’s my car worth” sites value it between £14500 and £17000, dependant on condition. And seriously it is A1 all over.

Make sense?

The flaw in my plan is I love the car, such a massive improvement from the original and so smooth even on 18″ run flats’ 62mpg on a recent 100m motorway run, I’m averaging 55, and our Kuga will be 10 years old in 2 years. Mrs K, knowing it’s all the car I really need is thinking we should change the Kuga for a Hybrid petrol suv or estate (it does the school runs) and I keep the Bmw. Anyway I’ll worry about that in two years time!

Ps : Tim c description above is spot on btw, you need to drive the 120d – the engine to go for – to appreciate 7 secs, 320nm and 60mpg in a RWD brilliantly handling package, it’s ridiculous in a smiley way.

Got to drive it to appreciate it.

Ah ok. The low mileage tie in and massive deposit explain the ‘cheap’ per month price. Think we will keep looking at a Fiesta 🙁

For comparison £1500 down would have been £192 a month. I wrote of my previous car and was lucky to get slightly more than I paid for it – hence the available deposit.

So £260+ a month to drive for 500 miles? Or 52p per mile in rental cost alone, plus tax, insurance, fuel and maintenance. 😯

Ask all these people taking about lease how much thier deposits are. I looked into leasing, I couldn’t get vrs or focus 1.0 eco boost cheaper, plus I wanted an option to own the car. Check my history.

Of those 6000 miles of fuel 4000 plus is paid by my company – and at 20ppm I actually profit before claiming tax relief.tax is £30′ insurance is £313 2 drivers London fully comp. no Maintenance or mot in year 1.

Edit: – all the above disregarding fuel gives me £210 per month btw over 24 months.