A 1.6TDI Match BlueMotion or a BMW 116d Efficient Dynamics – the BMW has a slightly better spec.

Performance and mileage seem to be equal as does price

Which would you choose and why?

I like my golf, quite unassuming but never driven a 1 series BMW.

BMW maybe nicer to be in but to my eyes at least fugly as from the outside. I contemplated the 135i for a while but could not get past the look of the thing. The golf is just another golf – vanilla. But a nice Tesco finest vanilla, not your nasty value vanilla. Auto or manual?

Purely on looks ..the Golf ..

I have always looked at the BMW ..and thought why ?…Its not like it’s a ” cheap ” version ..but to these eyes it’s bloody ugly !

Resale value? For me I would rather have a BMW. The golf is dull as dishwater.

It looks like every other boring mundane hatch out there. That’s why I drive a Civic 😂

It’s for my mum who’s about to retire.  She’s saying manual, but I’d like her to try an Auto/DSG.

I would agree. My mother is now on a dsg polo and I’m glad about that as a smooth gear change was never her thing. My new car is DSG (s tronic) too and it is great.

Prefer the driving position with the 1 series

But I would go for the Golf at this level, just for the extra space in the cabin and boot, plus the VW dealers are in a different league locally compared to BMW!

I’ve had a 1-series and it was pretty decent, however I much prefer the latest Merc A-Class and picked that over the BMW and the Golf.

Current have a 1 series .  Bigger than it looks,. Very dynamic drive, classy and solid.  It’s more of a driver’s car.

<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”> Versus the gulf – there are times I’d love to be bored and easily cruising the motorways, there are others I don’t.  Nicer to have the choice IMO and the BM has the Eco/Comfort/Sport mode for you to choose which.   </span>

The golf is dull as dishwater.

As opposed to the other 110hp diesel being considered?

I’d have the Golf. There is something a bit desperate and grasping about low end BMWs

Depends what you want in a car, if you want to just get from A-B then either, if you enjoy driving A-B then the BMW.

There is something a bit desperate and grasping about low end BMWs

Only if you consider car ownership to be indicative of the size of your cock.  We are all over 17 here .

The 1 series is as well specified as most of the range, its not “low end” at all.

which one has indicators (clue)

Do women of retirement age go for a “dynamic drive”? I’d say they would probably be more concerned about the harsh ride on those run-flat tyres.

I’ve always thought of the 1 series as something those who couldn’t afford a 3 series would buy instead of a golf just to have a bmw badge.

Which would you choose and why?

The Seat Leon.

Marginally cheaper, same build quality as the VW (that may or may not be a good thing…), looks better IMO, I gather they are meant to be ‘more sporty’ in handling.

Do women of retirement age go for a “dynamic drive”? I’d say they would probably be more concerned about the harsh ride on those run-flat tyres.

True – Kryton was less enthsiastic about his 1 series (or at least what it is like to be in) on that thread.

My 70+ year old mum has just bought a DSG Yeti – she loves it. Maybe another option to consider, slightly higher driving position, easier to get in and out of.

We have a 65 reg 1 Series 118i M Sport and can highly recommend them. It’s a lovely place to sit, is built rock solid, blows every other standard hatch I’ve had out of the water for driving dynamics, is quiet, comfortable and pretty practical for a hatch.

I would agree on the looks of the mk1 and 2 but I think the mk3, especially with decent lights and wheels looks very smart. They finally got it right IMO.

As for the Golf, we tried one when we got the BMW but couldn’t get past how painfully dull it was. It was about as beige as it’s possible to get albeit beige by Dulux. What finished it off was when we looked at the Leon and Octavia and couldn’t tell the three apart inside. If I was going VAG I’d save money and get the Seat/Skoda or spend basically the same and go for the Audi A3 as that is a genuine step forward inside.

RWD.

And 2 fingers to the imbeciles that judge you io your car.

True – Kryton was less enthsiastic about his 1 series (or at least what it is like to be in) on that thread.

Fair comment.  I’d just been battered senseless in Builth Wells and had a shitty 4hr drive home with a bad back and a frozen shoulder.  I also need new rear tyres which should be factored into the comments, my car is a shithole an needs a thorough clean inside and out and smell of wet sweaty bike kit.

However ive just finished reading a thread in 2 years ago during which I was buying the car. Advice on baby Bmw site is to keep the 120d engine which is why they are increasingly rare on the market, and standard tyres help comfort – although as I said my 5yo tyres are worn.

It’s a good car, drives well, is quick handles well and is cheap to run.  If I do change it, it’ll be to gain the auto box.

It’s a good car, drives well, is quick handles well and is cheap to run.  If I do change it, it’ll be to gain the auto box.

You may be disappointed with the 8 speed auto box.  Its not DSG, silky smooth, you dont even notice it change, but try and use it manually and you click the paddle and it changes gear a second or so later, its slightly tedious

I’ve had a mk7 golf 2.0tdi GT and currently have a 125d.

I prefer the driving position in the BMW and the engine is a gem. I’ve really enjoyed the last 50k in it including driving sideways up an Alp in the snow.. it might be seen as some as a weirded ‘cant Afford a good car’ model but frankly, those people are pricks to judge income / aspiration / social standing based on a car!

However, get the golf. The 1 series is just not as easy to live with every day. Even getting in and out of the 1 series isn’t as easy as the golf. Plus, we’ll its a golf! Get an auto if you can, it’s a bit more money but modern autos are lovely!

PS Kryton, how few miles must you do to have 5year old tyres on!? I’m getting though a set approx every 10k Miles on the rear – that’s 5 sets in 2 years!

I typed 5 but I meant 3 :).   I’ve done done 21k miles I on them – Potenza’s.  Most of my driving is M/way.

Funkydunc – I will test drive before the pcp ends, but there are times I’d like to get my foot off the clutch in traffic / relax on long journeys.

A set of rears every 10k? We’re at 17k on the original set with plenty left to go!

I’ve got the ZF 8 speed in mine. Great box and there no way it’s a second + to change gears, especially not in sport mode which it would be if you want the car to hold the gear for more than a few seconds. Too many gears? yes absolutely. 8 is too many to remember and you have to change down 3 times for every bleeding corner. I leave mine in auto now and it does all the work for me. It’s not like I’m going to shave any time off on my commute home by changing gears at peak revs so I just don’t bother!

Got a BMW 1 series and had the latest Golf as a hire car. The Golf is by far the more practical car. The 1 series is very small inside. I’m no goliath, just 5’9″ and it feels small to me and the rear is tight for adults. The Golf is alot more spacious and practical. However the BMW is the nicer drive – not necessarily in terms of capability, the Golf felt grippier, but the BMW just has a nicer feel to it. All subjective of course.

The BMW has the auto box too and its great. Doesn’t necessarily change gear when I want it to, but then years of bad habits means that I don’t necessarily know when the best time to change gear is, so I just let it do it’s own thing. Can get a little confused when creeping along, but when driving normally it’s great and far better than a manual.

The thing to do would be to get your mum to go and test the 2 cars and see what she prefers.

Cars are so subjective (see above :-)) it’s better to get the person paying for it to make the decision.

Test drove the golf and beamer and ended up with the 1 series as it was a bit more comfy and nicer feeling, and more fun to drive (might not be important for your mum?) and it was 2 grand cheaper than the equivalent golf!!

Caveat: I don’t care much about cars, my final choice was that I preferred that the beamer was a 3 door!

For your mum you say ?

Which is easy to get in and out of ?

Honestly get something like a juke but not a juke … they are rubbish and my mum hates hers.. vunderpowered… but it’s much easier for her to get in and out of, as opposed to the merc coupe she had.

The 1 series is as well specified as most of the range, its not “low end” at all.

Where would you say a 116d sits in the BMW range?

Where would you say a 140i sits in the range?  What about a 316d ES?  Or a 218i SE? Or a 518d SE? Or a 2 Series grand tourer?

Your judging your cars based in size it appears, as I alluded to earlier.

See your assuming I’m judging it based on size,

a 140i or the 135i that preceded it would be toward the upper end of the BMW range in performance, as would an M2 obviously

A 218i and 316d would both be lower end.

Something like a 520d  would be just about right in the middle, along with say a 330d or 330i.

So again where do you think a 116d would be?

Also lets try to forget the 2 series grand tourer exists 😉

In the STW tradition of recommending what you own. How about a Volvo V40? I just bought a D3 Lux Nav to replace my dead XC90 and it is surprisingly lovely, especially the adaptive cruise control. Not as easy to get in and out of as an Audi Q3 or similar but very nice and better than a BMW 1 series I would suggest.

Which would you choose and why?

Short answer, the BMW because as you say “the BMW has a slightly better spec.”

But really, test-drive both and see which you prefer.

try and use it manually

Why would you entertain doing such a thing?

I first had a then-modern auto maybe fifteen years ago, I thought “sod that, I’ll change my own gears, I want to drive it.”  I lasted about two weeks before I stuck it in Drive and never touched it again.  If you want to use it manually, get a manual.

Thought I really wanted a 120d M Sport, test drove one realised I didn’t.

‘drivers car’s lols

FFS. Have a word. Stop believing Top Gear is a lifestyle and this driver shit exists.

You’ll be a passenger in less than 10 years, maybe 5.

Self drive cars are where we need to be. Not agonising over trim, percoeivp engine size, torque, and all that stuff. Get in line and get where you are going safe and with no need to make progress.

Self drive cars are where we need to be. Not agonising over trim, percoeivp engine size, torque, and all that stuff. Get in line and get where you are going safe and with no need to make progress.

That ladies and gents is the world I want to live in. In my place, in a line, nice and safe and sound. I echew pleasure for a place in line.

Ah right, yes of course. Tell your mum to walk everywhere until she can buy a self drive car. Ffs

as I said above, having actually owned both for over 50k Miles, get the golf. It’s better for getting in and out of, especially in the back. Auto is great, strongly recommend that. Suspect the rest of the specs are so close it doesn’t matter.