2011 BMW 118d Reviews

The smallest vehicle in the BMW car range, the 1 Series uses sporty engines driving the rear wheels. Like everything else produced by the German auto maker it's aimed at those who enjoy driving, rather than people who treat it as a chore. However rear-drive inevitably steals cabin and boot space, something that's more

The 1 Series gave aspiring owners a propeller badge but costs mount with the miles. New The blue-and-white spinner emblem of BMW has been one of the more desired badges on the Australian motoring landscape. With so many aspiring to own a BMW, the company expanded its model range so more could join the club. The 3

Ewan Kennedy reviews the first and second generation BMW 1 Series coupe and hatch from 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 as a used buy.

Graham Smith reviews the first-generation BMW 1 Series as a used buy.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the used 2004-2014 BMW 1 Series.

Graham Smith road tests and reviews the 2008 - 2012 BMW 135i as a used buy.

Even in its smallest model, the 1 Series, BMW has stuck to its guns in providing pure driving pleasure. Witness the use of rear-wheel drive to provide the sort of chassis balance that keen drivers just love.The downside of RWD is that there isn’t a lot of room inside a BMW 1 Series because of the long engine bay needed to house straight-six engines, space for a driveshaft under the floor, and a differential under the back floor.  Having said that, the cabin has good legroom in the front seats, though some may find foot-width is restricted.There's not a lot of passenger space in the back unless the front occupants are willing and able to give up a fair bit of their legroom. By the way, BMW does sell a front-wheel-drive car – it’s called the Mini. However, it’s not exactly spacious in the back seat either.When launched in Australia in October 2004, BMW 1 Series came only as a five-door hatch. A smart two-door coupe and a pretty little soft-top convertible were added to the range in May 2008. BMW 1 Series’ styling in hatchback format gives it a tail end treatment that's almost wagon like. So while the boot is relatively shallow due to the aforementioned differential being under it, there reasonable overall volume.Most of these small BMWs are powered by a four-cylinder 2.0-litre engine.The coupe and convertible aren’t as useful in their luggage spaces as the five-door hatch, but that’s hardly unusual in the sporty market. As always, try for yourself to see how the brilliant baby Bimmer meets your individual needs in people / luggage carrying.BMW 1 Series comes with a staggering choice of powerplants. In petrol format, these range from 1.6-litre and four cylinders all the way to 3.0 litres with six cylinders. Some of the sixes have twin turbochargers, others don’t have a blower at all. The twin-turbo engine is a superb unit and takes the 300 horsepower, 224 kilowatt BMW 135i to close to the famed BMW M3 in its performance.The 1 Series M Coupe, with even more power from its twin-turbo six than the standard turbo-petrol models, provides excellent performance and many are saying it could have been called the M1 to join the M3 and M5 in the high-performance lineup. However, the M1 tag was used on a BMW supercar model in the late 1970s and the company chose not to use it for the new hot coupe.Most of these small BMWs are powered by a four-cylinder 2.0-litre engine. Even the so-called 118i has a 2.0-litre capacity, though others actually do displace 2.0 litres. To further add to the confusion, the 125i engine actually has a displacement of 3.0 litres (it's the six-cylinder unit without turbochargers).Transmission choices are generally six-speed manual or six-speed automatic.An impressive 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine became part of the lineup, in BMW 120d format, from May 2006. The grunt of the modern BMW diesels is great, but they miss out on the virtually instantaneous throttle response provided by non-turbo powerplants so many drivers aren’t keen on them.Improbably as it would have seemed a decade back, the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel is even used in BMW 1 Series coupes and convertibles. It is tuned for greater power, so has the title of 123d, rather than 120d. Transmission choices are generally six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. Some of the smaller-engined, lower cost models were sold with a five-speed manual in their early days.BMW manual gearboxes are a joy to use, with slick changes through the well-chosen ratios. This is another benefit of the use or rear-wheel drive as the gearbox is close to the lever, not way out near one of the front wheels as in a front-drive car. Unless you do a lot of hard commuting we suggest the pleasure of the manual should be yours.BMW is long established in Australia and there are dealers in all metropolitan areas, as well as in major country centres. However, if you do travel into semi-remote areas you may have trouble finding either a dealer or a mechanic experienced on the marque.Ideally a BMW should be serviced and repaired by an authorised dealer as these are complex cars with a lot of electronic components. The car can be connected to a computer to assist in fault diagnosis. There are some mechanics with formal BMW training and who now operate as independent specialists. They generally have a high reputation.A 1 Series with a written service record stretching back to day one will generally fetch a higher price on the used market. Smart buyers of second-hand models will keep up this record ad infinitum. Insurance charges are high for a small car – but not too bad when you consider the complexity and quality of the BMW's body and the fact that you're buying an image machine, not simply a car.WHAT TO LOOK FORCheck the back seat and boot trim in case some large items (such as people!) have been squeezed into a space that wasn’t adequate for them. Many 1 Series live in suburban areas so could have had the odd bump or scratch. Look for signs of crash repairs such as mismatched paint, paint overspray and ripples in the panels.A magnet will tell you if the material under the repaired area is metal – or plastic filler that has been inserted to try and fool the innocent. Engine repairs can be expensive so make sure they start within moments of turning the key. Preferably arrange to do this with the engine stone cold after an overnight stop.During your test drive feel for any hesitation under acceleration and look for oily smoke from the exhaust when the engine is worked hard. Make sure manual gearchanges are quiet and ultra-smooth. Fast changes from third to second gears are usually the first to show problems.CAR BUYING TIPCars designed to be driven hard and fast seldom are. Don’t we live in a strange world? So if you do come across one that’s been driven the way its makers intended it may be best to look elsewhere.

From its debut in 2004 the 1 Series hatch has copped criticism - for its performance or its looks. Almost eight years on, the 1 Series is still with us and BMW has launched the second generation. We drove a very new and improved 118d for a week see to what it had to offer.VALUEYep, it's a little hatchback, but it's a BMW and it'll cost you at least double the price of a Holden Barina. The base model 1 Series, the 116i turbo petrol, starts at $36,900, the lowest priced BMW. The 118i, its bigger petrol brother, is $42,800, while the 118d turbo diesel tested by Carsguide sells for $43,500. Barinas and Beemers are no threat to each other - it's the Golf GTD that keeps the BMW 118d awake. The GTD has more power and torque than the 118d for less, at $41,790. But BMW beats Volkswagen for cachet.Standard features aren't the 1 Series's strength. For all models, you pay for satnav ($2695), metallic paint ($1310), leather upholstery, auto transmission ($3695), heated and powered seats, alarm, rear-view camera and luggage compartment net. Above the base, you've got the Urban Line and Sport Line trims. Urban Line adds $1600 in the 118d and buys a sport leather steering wheel, 17-inch alloy wheels, cloth leather upholstery and not much else.You can't measure a BMW's value by kit. The value is in its brilliant engineering.TECHNOLOGYThe 118d has a revamped version of the 2.0-litre turbo four it had previously. The changes are good for torque, up 20Nm to 320Nm, but power stays at 105kW -- plenty of oomph for a car weighing only 1320kg.Our car had the eight-speed automated manual transmission. In auto it's super smooth and in manual it's good for fast shifts. Fuel economy in the 118d is excellent at 4.5L/100km thanks in part to the stop-start function, which cuts the engine after it decides you've been idling too long. There's also an energy recovery braking system.I averaged 6.1L/100km, having switched off the stop-start function and left the car in manual mode to keep the revs high for more power, too.DESIGNIt's hot from the front, not bad from the back and I try not to look at it from the side - that beak and bottom shouldn't be on the same car. The 2012 1 Series car is 85mm longer and 17mm wider than the old model and is the same height. It's gained a new, rounded nose and grille with larger triangular headlights, and indicator lights on the wing mirrors.Inside is typical BMW - less Chesterfield couch and more like modern office furniture. There's 21mm more leg room in the back but I still can't sit behind my driving position. Then again, I am tall. Boot size is up to 360 litres.SAFETYIt has five-star Euro crash rating. Front passenger head, body and side airbags, plus ABS and traction control. Seatbelt pretensioners are standard.DRIVINGIt's all about the driving with BMWs, right down to the near perfect seating.Get in any Beemer and it's as if those German technicians have secretly obtained your measurements and fitted the driver's seat while you were sleeping.Even in this entry level car the focus on driving is sharp. You don't want to get out of cars that are this good to drive. When I finish my usual route, instead of turning down my street, I keep going.A tad slow to 100km/h (8.9sec), but rear-wheel drive, big torque, excellent chassis tuning and a turbo that delivers quickly makes the little 118d huge fun.VERDICTIt's a posh hot hatch that comes at a price but in return you get a drive that'll beat almost everything.RATINGBMW 118d URBAN LINEPrice: $45,100Warranty: 3 years/100,000kmResale: 55 %Service: 15,000/12 monthsSafety: 6 airbags, ABS, DSC, CBC, DTCCrash rating: five starsEngine: 2.0-litre four cylinder turbo dieselBody: five door hatchTransmission: 8-speed automaticThirst: 4.5L/100km.

THE Stelvio Pass in the Italian Alps sped to the top of the drivers' bucket list a few years ago after Britain's Top Gear crew judged it the best road in the world. Based on the bits shown on TV, Clarkson and co must have been inhaling exhaust fumes at the time.Carsguide retraced the route in what is probably the best four-seater yet built to tackle the lust-worthy drive, BMW's new 1 Series M.The stop-start shots between hairpins that Top Gear showed on TV look good in pictures but they aren't the reason the Stelvio draws car and bike enthusiasts from across Europe. To the north, the pass opens up into a phenomenal flowing road with humblingly stunning scenery.This is the best bang-for-your-buck car ever to wear an M badge and the Bavarian maker's refusal to call it an M1 in deference to the 1970s mid-engined supercar won't matter a damn to anyone who drives it. A rose by any other name.About $100,000 buys a two-door coupe that outperforms the $55,000-dearer BMW M3 in roll-on acceleration and is easier to toss through turns than any coupe this side of a Lotus Exige. It is about $25,000 dearer than the 135i and worth every heavily taxed cent of that.The differential lock proved its worth in the tight, slippery corners. In standard mode exits were marked by a frustrating pause as the traction control lit up to show it was struggling to keep rubber from slipping.Push the button to let the rear axle redirect torque and that hesitation drops back to a heartbeat before it hooks up. In theory, disabling the traction software altogether would help, too, but a strong sense of self-preservation intruded on that thought.The twin-turbo six-cylinder engine has won a swag of awards and in this guise is good for 250kW/450Nm. The alloy suspension components and 19-inch alloys from the M3 catalogue minimise weight and the interior features run from leather dash and seats to internet connectivity. This may be the first BMW made without an options list. The three paint choices are no-cost.This car has the best proportions in the M range. It is fundamentally a wickedly reworked 135i coupe, with 55mm added to the track to keep it planted on the road when the going gets silly. The flared guards needed to accommodate the extra track and meatier rubber give the baby M a distinct family resemblance to the M3 coupe.The quad exhausts and vented gills on the sides are trademark M design features. Changing gears quickly, the driver can hit an arm on tall bottles in the single cupholder on the centre console. The interior is straight out of the 135i but it's all been leather-wrapped with contrasting stitching. Even the gearbox gate cover is suede.The basic BMW 1 Series package is five-star rated and the extra attention that's gone into the 1 Series M should improve on that. The brakes would slow down a supertanker and repeated hammerings do no more harm than covering the front wheels in brake dust.Negotiating the 48 torturous switchbacks that mark the Stelvio's ascent to 2757m, the driver realises the difference between what rates as great TV and what rate as great roads. The M car outhustled and outhandled Subarus, Audis and Porsches alike as it carved a line through the rain and snow-topped bitumen.But the switchbacks themselves just aren't that much fun. It's a second or two of full acceleration, then hard on the brakes as speed bleeds back to single figures.But on either side of the hairpins the road opens out enough for the vehicle to flow from curve to curve and car and driver each work hard to maintain a decent pace. The coupe hits 100km/h in 4.9 seconds, fuel consumption is 9.6L/100km, and CO2 emissions are 224g/km.Me, I want 1. If I had $100K to part with, this would be the car. The only comparable car in terms of cornering dynamics is the Porsche Cayman and its lack of rear seats makes it less practical as a day-to-day driver. There are quicker cars and there are better handling cars but this is the best compromise I've driven.'There are quicker cars and there are better handling cars but this is the best compromise I've driven'

A new 1 Series gives BMW a club to take to the Volkswagen Golf - and anyone else looking to muscle in on the bottom end of the prestige market. The base BMW 116i is a $36,900 buy before on-road costs, or $7500 more than the Golf 118 Comfortline - and a bunch of Asian rivals. Question is, is the extra cash worth the cache, or is the VW a better buy?This is the cheapest BMW to hit the market - and it's perfectly priced to bait buyers into at least considering the propeller badge. BMW says the base price has been cut by 5 per cent and the car now has many more features. They include a 6.5-inch display, Bluetooth, MP3-compatible stereo, cruise-control with auto brake function, stop-start fuel saving and keyless start.The Beemer comes with a six-speed manual; the eight-speed auto - a first for this segment - is a $2700 option on the base model. The Golf 118 Comfortline packs eight speakers to the 1 Series' six but misses out on the 6.5-inch display and hi-tech cruise control. Step up to the $42,800 BMW 118i (125kW/240Nm) or $43,500 118d (105kW/320Nm) and rear parking sensors, dual zone climate-control airconditioning, 17-inch alloys, rain-sensing headlights and fog lights are standard.The BMW wins this fight. The new car has been wired up with a bunch of clever gear, from the auto-braking cruise control to the eight-speed auto overhauled twin-scroll turbocharged engine. The base engine's outputs are 100kW and 220Nm but the peak torque comes in from 1350-4400 revs. That gives the 116i reasonably steady acceleration - its 0-100km/h time of 8.5 seconds beats the Audi by a second but is half a second off the Golf. There's also a new switch on the centre console. The "Driving Experience Control" system lets drivers choose between four modes - Eco Pro, Comfort, Sport and Sport +. Eco Pro, as the name suggests, optimises fuel use by adjusting the engine fuel mapping and also tries to minimise the time accessories such as the airconditioner are in use.This is the pug dog of the BMW family: the 1 Series looks like it's been kicked in the nose. The kidney grille/headlamp combo just doesn't match the proportions of the rest of the family and has the new 1 looking like a Chinese knock-off at a motor show. The side profile is much better, with the shoulder line extending into the rear lights. But those lights aren't the traditional red BMW bands and that's a bad thing. The 1 Series should be an aspirational car that reinforces the brand; not a vehicle that doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the line-up. Interior quality is a marked improvement on the last 1 Series and BMW has managed to give a prestige feel at a discount price. It has grown in width and length over the old model to give rear seat passengers marginally more leg and shoulder room.Engineers at BMW would throw themselves in front of the car to ensure it had a five-star rating. It's a point of pride for the Europeans and the usual gadgets -- six airbags and electronic stability and traction control -- should give the BMW a five-star rating at match the outgoing model. There's also an electronic diff lock on the rear to tame things if you turn the stability control off. The 1 Series is also the only car in its class with rear-wheel drive and that gives an extra element to play with while you're fighting physics to keep the car on the road.The BMW is the best handling car in the class outside of a Golf GTI or similar sports model. It was already good but the widened track gives it a better balance through turns. The 118i is the pick - the extra 25kW and 30Nm over the 116i makes it a more responsive car across the rev range. But 1 Series target buyers - young, upwardly mobile professionals - want to be seen to be helping the planet.It is here the "ultimate driving machine" earns an electronic hobble. BMW calls it the Eco Pro program; I call it a software virus. It basically neuters the car's extraordinary eight-speed auto and dulls the engine and throttle response. This environmentally friendly setting is one of the reasons the 118i uses just 5.9 litres/100km of fuel in official testing. In the real world it is tolerable - until you try any of the other settings. The Comfort, Sport and Sport + modes progressively return the Beemer to battle action.Road noise on rough surfaces is louder than expected in a BMW but is about right in terms of the rest of the class. The electric steering is precise without quite having the feedback or weight of the 3 Series models. The stop-start system is smooth but not best in class - Mazda3's i-stop system is quicker to refire. Rear room has grown and a couple of adults could now spend an hour or so in the back.This is serious competition in the small car class. BMW has set the price to tempt top-end Asian buyers and thrown down the gauntlet to its Euro rivals as it chases a bigger slice of the biggest pie in town.