2012 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

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.

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.

A BMW convertible: sun up, top down, wandering along quiet scenic roads in the last days of winter in south-east Queensland. Life doesn’t come much better than this. So we decided to make a weekend of it and dawdled up to Noosa to get a break away from the routine of feeding a computer with endless words.The second generation of BMW’s 1 Series was released in Australia in October 2011 in hatchback form. But the convertible in which we have just spent a most enjoyable week is carried over from the previous generation, albeit with some changes of the ‘soft’ bits of the body to give it strong visual links to the gen-two cars. These were made in April 2012, hence us being able to justify spending another week in one of our favourite soft-tops.After driving for over 500 kilometres the little 118d convertible was still showing about a third of a tank of diesel left. The efficiency of all current BMW diesels is extremely impressive. Fit a little 2.0-litre diesel engine (yes, we know, the badge suggests 1.8-litre, but it isn’t) unit into a lightish car and fuel consumption in the low fives is there for the asking.On our holiday trip the fuel consumption was in the mid five litres per hundred kilometers range, principally because the only time the roof was closed was when we left the car parked and unattended. There’s something about the Noosa region that makes you want to stop outside a trendy eating spot and leave the car open so you can admire it while you dine.With the roof closed, therefore making for better aerodynamics, it would be easy to get the fuel consumption down into the high fours on easy paced trips on motorways. Around town that would lift into the six to seven litres per hundred kilometre range in commuting traffic, even more if you are tempted to enjoy the free-revving ability of the 118d engine (free revving for a diesel, that is).Exterior changes to the shape of the new-gen 1 Series hatchbacks are relatively minor and the updated shape of the 118i and 118d convertible could easily be mistaken for a brand new model by those who aren’t into car spotting. Expect an all-new convertible sometime during 2014, though BMW hasn’t announced the date as yet.Having a soft-top rather than a folding hardtop in the modern manner means the little Bimmer looks like a ‘proper’ convertible. Whereas a hardtop with the roof raised –  which for most people is most of the time – it looks like just another coupe.The 1 Series is the smallest in the BMW range and in convertible format, interior space is further compromised by the need to provide space into which the roof can be lowered. This means the back seat is really only suited to kids and, even then, tall occupants in the front seats will probably have to give up a bit of their legroom to make room for the little darlings in the back.Boot space is also compromised by the roof mechanism, but we were able to get a couple of aircraft cabin bags in there and used the back seat for softer items of luggage. The front seats are reasonably large and are well-shaped for cornering support, without going to the extremes of large bolsters that make ingress / egress awkward.On the subject of safety, the little convertible has electronics that minimise the chances of the car going sideways, then strong rollover protection should the worst happen. Naturally even the smallest models in the BMW range gain a full suite of crash safety features.The two great attractions of BMW vehicles are their status and the driving experience. The aforementioned lack of interior space is chiefly due to a large centre console to cover the gearbox, a central tunnel to house a driveshaft and a differential under the boot.All these apparent handicaps are soon forgotten when we threw ‘our’ BMW 118d at hard corners on demanding roads in quiet hilly areas away from the tourist throngs. Superb balance is immediately obvious, as are responsive steering that almost seems to read your thoughts, and the huge amounts of cornering grip the little Bimmer provides.The ride can be rather firm in some circumstances so try to find some rough road surfaces during your pre-purchase test drive. Those who are simply looking at the prestige of sitting between spinning-propell or badges may not feel comfortable. Those who put sheer driving pleasure ahead of all else will simply love every moment they spend behind the wheel.The turbo-diesel engine provides plenty of torque after a minimum period of lag at lower revs. Once wound up it gives plenty of satisfying acceleration to get out of bends promptly, and also to make overtaking simple and safe.Lack of interior and boot space are soon forgotten when we threw ‘our’ BMW 118d at hard corners on demanding roads.

When BMW entered the small car market with the 1 Series eight years ago some thought a car using rear-wheel drive wouldn't work in a machine of this size. They pointed out that tight interior space would tell against it when all its competitors had space-saving front drive.Over a million sales later BMW has proven it was right in sticking to rear-drive. Indeed the unique selling proposition (USP) and the upmarket air inherent in a rear-drive car has no doubt been a factor in the success. There are plenty of keen drivers more than happy to trade the mundanity of interior room for the joy of excellent chassis balance and superb handling.Now we have the second-generation BMW 1 Series with more space in the back seat, more about that in a moment. ValuePricing starts from $43,500 for the manual and $46,577 for the automatic.Better still, the 1 Series has been trimmed in price, partly due to the value of our dollar, but also because the continuing weakness in the European market means the Australian branch can push a tougher deal through head office. To sweeten the deal, higher equipment levels than in the outgoing 1 Series add to the value equation.DesignVisually, the new BMW ‘1 Series is a solid evolution of the first model, but clever shaping has given it more style. You wouldn't exactly say it competes with the Italians in its body shape, but it’s certainly less severely German in its lines than in the past.Though there is 21 mm more rear legroom, the back seat is still not a comfortable place to accommodate adults travellers any more than short distances.Try the kids for size during your own test drive if they are likely to grow into the hulking teenage years before the end of your ownership period. The height of the little Bimmer is unchanged because there was already good headroom in all seats.Boot space has benefited from the longer body, up 10 per cent to 360 litres, which is pretty handy in a car in this class.The first models to be released are in Australia are five-door hatches with the choice of two 1.6-litre petrol and one 2.0-litre diesel engines, all turbocharged. Larger engines, three-door hatches, coupes and convertibles will follow over the next few years.DrivingThe BMW 118d we have lived with for the past week uses an upgraded version of the 2.0-litre diesel from the first generation 1 Series.It now produces 105 kW and 320Nm (up 20Nm). The official fuel consumption number is 4.5 litres per hundred kilometres. During our review period it sat in the five to six litre range on the open road and rose to six to eight litres around town in some quite heavy traffic conditions.Though this wouldn't be our engine of choice in a BMW, the turbo-diesel can do the 0-100km/h acceleration test in a reasonable 8.9 seconds so has a semi-sporty feel to it. In gear acceleration is more important than pure sprinting in real life driving and the solid torque from the revised powerplant gives the little BMW a strong feel once the turbo lag has been passed. Slide down a gear in anticipation of overtaking so you get the torque up and running, and you spend a minimum of time on the wrong side of the road when overtaking. We will try to get ourselves into the more powerful of the two petrol powerplants and report on them. Somehow economy engines and BMW don’t make a good combination in our minds. Even better will be the high-performance 1 Series models that are further down the track.The ride is relatively firm at times, but the excellent balance, wonderfully responsive steering and excellent cornering grip the little Bimmer provides will appeal to those who see cars as more than mundane transport.Stylish in a way that was missing in the original manner, the all-new BMW 1 Series will attract many new customers to the marque. The reduced prices and the choice of several comprehensive options packages will do it no harm at all in the upperclass end of the small car market.VerdictIf you’re moving down from a larger car or getting out of one of these boring compact SUVs then be sure to put one of these small BMWs on your short list.BMW 1 Series 118dPrice: $43,500 (manual), $46,577 (automatic)Warranty: Three years/unlimited kmService interval: Variable (condition-based servicing)Thirst: 4.5 L/100kmSafety: Not assessed (previous model five-stars)Equipment: Six airbags, ABS, ESPEngine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel, (105kW/320Nm)Transmission: Six-speed manual, eight-speed automatic; rear-wheel driveSuspension: Aluminium double link hinged tie bar front, multi-link rearDimensions: 4324mm (L), 1765mm (W), 1421mm (H), 2690mm (WB)