BMW 118d review (2004-2007)

Overview:

Model: BMW 118D
Bodystyle: Five-door hatchback
Engine: 2.0-litre diesel
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Date of Test: January 2005

What is it?

For families who love their Ford Focus, BMW hopes this will become the only one for them. The 1-Series is compact by BMW standards, a five-door hatch from a company famous for its saloons, and the cheapest car to wear the famous propeller badge in a generation. A giant leap into the unknown, in other words, but one made necessary since the company’s disastrous flirtation with Rover. To stay independent, BMW needs volume, just as Mercedes conceded with the A-Class. The 1-Series is the car to take annual BMW sales well over the all-important one million figure. No pressure, then.

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Where does it fit?

The baby BMW? Well, it’s not THAT small. Key dimensions mirrors what BMW considers rivals – so Ford Focus, VW Golf, Vauxhall Astra, Renault Megane. The usual contenders, to which the appeal of the BMW’s premium badge also wades the Audi A3 Sportback, Alfa Romeo 147 and Mercedes A-Class into the equation. Entry-level pricing from £15,000 means BMW is shouting its desire for volume from the rooftops, but there is a proviso; to spec a 1-Series to the standards of volume rivals means spending an extra £2,000 on top of that. Premium badge, premium pricing, even for this most mainstream model yet.

Is it for you?

Any BMW is still an object of much desire, so factor in five-door practicality and relative affordability, and many people will make no excuses. The 1-Series has also been subject to an intense and deeply ‘trendy’ marketing campaign, with memorable music and dancing donkeys. Straight away, the 1-Series is a cool car for the designer generation, and that’s something buyers willingly buy into. Of course, they must get used to the unusual styling first. Initially all big headlights and awkward lines, it takes time to appreciate the cleverly cut panels and coupe-like profile, but we can almost assure you that, given time, they will.

What does it do well?

Start it with a button as seen on the Z8, and prepare for a drive distinct from any other front-driven rival. This is a ‘real’ BMW, so rear-drive and 50-50 weight distribution. The wheelbase is long, the engine sits behind the front wheels, the driver is pushed back right to the centre of the car. Why? For handling. It’s taught, fluid, sporty, keen to turn in and, frankly, fantastic. Little ruffles the 1-Series which always feels composed and eager, and the weighty steering is accurate, reassuring and completely uncorrupted by power, unlike front-driven rivals; it feels like it’s doing something even through the mildest of bends (and the small, chunky wheel is wonderful). The drivetrain is so smooth and slick, the long-throw gearshift always feels special and brakes are powerful and easy to modulate. We drove the less powerful of the two diesels offered (both are 2.0-litre units) and found it commendably vibration free too, with a power delivery that is a lesson to many rivals. It still sounds like a diesel, but certainly doesn’t feel or drive like one.

What doesn’t it do well?

The ‘initial’ ride is firm, jiggly and stiff even on motorways. Blame the run-flat tyres, because point it at pot hole-strewn city tarmac and it absorbs the scars without fuss; once you get the suspension working, it’s actually OK, and very quiet in operation. You‘ll have to work at the steering too, for at slow speeds it’s extremely weighty, and the gearchange of our factory-fresh test car needed a firm hand; experience tells us they become easier after a few thousand miles. It takes a while to get used to the long gear ratios – sixth is strictly for motorways only – and the engine, for all its smoothness, is only adequately powerful; the chassis could handle much, much more power and the shove you expect from diesels never really emerges. A low-set seating position is wonderful until you need to get out, which is a struggle, and it’s perhaps best not to take lanky children to the showroom when you’re buying. They’ll dismiss it right away, preferring the Golf/Focus/Astra, which doesn’t induce claustrophobia.

What’s it like to live with?

Rear drive means a big transmission tunnel running through the car, plus a shallow boot because of the 5-Series-derived suspension beneath. The car’s thrusting layout also means a cramped rear, all making this a selfish choice. It’s a five-door hatch, but not a family-orientated one. Those in the front are fine though, enjoying firm seats and a simple but high-quality dash. The instruments are clear and the stereo simple to use but with a clear sound; a CD player is standard. Note though, air con and alloys are only included on SE and Sport models, which come with a near-£2k premium over the Focus-rivalling base models that few are likely to buy. But you’ll save with 50mpg combined economy and a £500 all-inclusive 60,000-mile servicing package, even if group 11 insurance is more than what the mainstream boys impose.

Would we buy it?

Believe the hype. The 1-Series is all that you would hope, a driver’s car masquerading as a family hatch. The practicality front is a bit of a façade but it’s certainly more useful than a 3-Series Compact, and we predict many people will ignore moaning teenagers just because they can own a BMW. It will be a very basic one if they’re buying with Focus money though, but so long as you have the £700 air con option on a standard car, who cares about auto-dim mirrors when it drives this well! The 118d is underpowered given the competence of the car but is very smooth and economical, and the ride quality won’t feel half as bad as you first think once you become accustomed to it. One for the shortlist!

Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre turbodiesel
Power: 122bhp@4000rpm
Torque: 206lb/ft@2000rpm
0-62mph: 10.0 seconds
Max speed: 125mph
Economy: 50.4mpg (combined)
Price: £17,340

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