How badly do you want a BMW? I know someone who actually feels they have, “entered a relationship with the BMW brand.”
When the BMW 3-Series Compact first came out I didn’t think it would last. It seemed to me that buying one would be to tell the world you can’t afford a full-size car, but were just desperate to have a BMW. It’s never attractive to seem desperate, so I expected slack sales.
But the market proved me wrong and the BMW 1-Series, effectively its replacement, has continued BMW’s incredible story. It is the brand that can charge lots, sell lots and still be popular.
Based on an office survey of 5, I can telly that the BMW 1-Series styling, like Richard Madely, divides popular opinion. Some hate the car because they say it has the design of a 3-Series clumsily squashed. Others love it as the personification of everything a baby BMW should be.
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Because the BMW 1-Series styling is not to my tastes, I was expecting very little of the interior and the drive. When you climb into the cheapest entry-level car of some top brands, you find disappointment after disappointment. Nothing from trim quality to design lives up to the expectations set by their main products.
But from the moment the cotton of your trousers hits the seat, you start to feel like you are in a 3-Series. The door trim and dashboard are the same. Which is to say very good. The seat material has an understated style to it and every control has the distinctive weight and balance of quality manufacturing. The seats adjust lumbar, angle, height and base depth to provide any body shape with the support and driving position that suits them.
Of course, there is no Sat-Nav, which is staggering on a car that is over £20,000 new and still over £12,000 after 2 years. But there is now stop-start technology available on some, which combined with thrifty diesels mean you can save a packet on fuel and buy a tom tom. Of course, you also get to smugly drop your ostentatious BMW key on the pub table and tell your fellow drinkers how you are saving the planet.
The two cars that most will compare the 1-Series to when looking to buy are the Mercedes CLC (formerly the C-Class Sport Coupe) and a Volkswagen Golf. But it feels a lot smaller than both and is just as expensive. So the big question for car buyers is what price you put on the superior driver experience?
The car’s styling gives the cabin a dark, comforting, cocoon feel. The steering wheel feels seductive and the instrument binnacle curves round the driver to make you feel important and involved in something important. The corollary is that in city and sub-urban environments, the small mirrors and windows mean cyclists can appear from nowhere and parking requires thought.
On open roads, there is poise in a BMW’s handling that is not quite matched by anyone else. The feedback from the steering is eloquent, letting the driver know precisely what is happening without fuss.
Around town there is no road noise drones, the clutch is firm but not too heavy and the car’s size makes commuting in rush hour easy enough.
The new 1.8 litre diesel engine delivers, like the rest of the car, an impressive compound of qualities. It is throaty at low revs to give you a sense of fun, quiet at cruising speed, economical and yet will not embarrass you in a drag race. (You probably won’t win, though). On the motorway it is just about powerful enough to not damage this carefully designed balance of qualities and remains peaceful as you cruise for several hours without realising how long you have been gone.
Summary
A compelling small car that delivers a much better experience than it’s looks suggest. Well made, highly competent and enjoyable to be in. Not quite as practical as some of its rivals and certainly not cheap. But a better driving experience.
Road test car details:
BMW 1-Series 118d ES 5dr Hatchback
OTR: £20,215
0-62: 9 secs
Co2 / KM: 119
MPG: 62.8
By: Matthew Tumbridge