BMW 1 Series Hatchback

Just thought I should leave a few words before reluctantly trading-in my 116i (need/want more space)! Hopefully the review will help some readers make up their mind either way, as the previous reviews on this car and others have helped me. Transitioning from a "Bread and butter" Japanese salon, this nifty machine has provided much driving pleasure with its tight handling, surprising pace and assuredness on the road. A tad more power would be very much welcome but it is very much an enjoyable, driver-centric ride. Armed with driving-assistance and intuitive infotainment tech that is still very much current 3 years on, ferrying my young family was always an ease. Alas, the space and ride height do get a bit in the way when you have young kids and the miscellaneous stuff that you need to stash away. Managed around 15km/L (around 600+km/ full tank), which is very decent for a non-hybrid vehicle. A pretty good-looking, sporty thing to look at as well. That said, the Mercs A200 may be objectively sleeker. Beauty is in the eye of its beholder etc. Etc. Overall, I very much enjoyed the experience. There were some minor maintenance issues but nothing that PML didn't eventually resolve quickly. The F40 is a great first "Nice" Car.... Read More

Was considering the A3, A180 and 116 hatchback. Compared to the other 2, the 1 series was my choice because: Better drive and ride than A Class (A class rear sus is torsion beam) - the lower performance numbers doesn't translate to the drive experience but of course A3 has much higher output Better interior than A3 (A3 center gear "Tunnel" Looks budget compared to 1 series and A class) Lower depre than A3 and A class (A3 depre >$20k!) Cheaper than A3 and A180 Of course some of the above are my subjective opinion, YMMV. In the end, the design of the center gearbox "Tunnel" And high depre of the A3 was a deal breaker for me as was the A180's torsion beam rear suspension and the gear lever being mounted at the steering wheel (also MB is a bit too common/mass market for my liking). I also considered the A3 1.0 but the depre would still higher than the 1 series and it would lose the main advantage it had over the other 2 which is the engine output. My only doubt about the 116 was the engine output - although it felt alright during the test drive, I was unsure if it would leave me wanting in the long run. In the end I found a pre-own 118i and now I have my perfect car at just $15k depre :)... Read More