German Car Zone

Finally testdrove my first BMW ever! I must say, I liked it.

This wasn't going to be like my usual testdrives, where I drive alone. My mother and my sister came along for this testdrive and that explains why I only took five pictures (and crappy ones at that). Well, where to begin? The car we tested was a black pre-facelift 118i with the old 122-horsepower engine and a 5-speed manual transmission with practically no options. The outside was completely basic.



First impressions. I think black is a terrible color for the 1-Series as it hides the elegant and curvacious lines this car has to offer. The car looks quite small and compact from the outside but the interior is surpringly decent in terms of space. I found the material impression to be much more premium and upscale than the current BMW 3-Series sedan. I didn't quite feel at home in the rear seats (I am 6'4"), but I did have ample space in the driver's and front passenger seat. Let the testdrive begin.



The interior is much better than the 3-Series' in my opinion. It appears better built and I fine the design sporty and more dynamic. Starting the engine was interesting. You need to insert the key chip into a little slot below the engine start button. Once this is done, you need to depress the clutch and press the engine start button and the motor rumbles to life. This was still the old 122-hp 4-cylinder motor. It was very smooth and even in neutral had a nice sporty sound to it.



Taking the car out on a drive, I found the engine to be very responsive and agile in 1st to 3rd gear. At higher RPM's, I felt the engine slow down a bit meaning the rev-happiness sort of declined. Still, you could hammer this baby all the way to around 6,500 RPM and then shift into high gear and experience the beautiful engine sound and sports feel. The 122-hp 118i wasn't a blissteringly fast car overall but it felt agile. I wouldn't call it a torquey a engine but the gear ratios seemed to do much of the magic. I think the newer 143-horsepower engine should be a big improvement - and that's the engine my sister's 118i is going to have.

The clutch was heavy and sensitive. It didn't take long to get used to it. The 5-speed manual transmission felt average. It was generally smooth and precise but it didn't feel like the transmission described in various BMW reviews which state that it's "slick and precise" etc. Either way it was a joy to drive. I could already see that an automatic was going to take a big portion of the driving joy out of this car - and I tried convincing my sister, who was seated next to me, to stick to the standard transmission. It was all to no avail. We ordered her 118i with the 6-speed automatic after the testdrive.



The best part was the handling. You could just feel this car liked to be driven in a sporty fashion. The steering feel was very direct and the road feel is excellent. Body roll is practically non-existant, even in tight curves taken at 80-100 km/h it was no problem. The 118i stuck to the road like glue and it inspired driver confidence. This really was impressive. The brakes were excellent too. Responsive and quick acting.

The comfort wasn't too bad too. The suspension wasn't exactly ultra-rigid as some reviews claim. I found it to be a perfect balance between sport and a decent quality of comfort. No complaints here. The standard seats did a decent job of keeping you in place and I found them better than the optional sport seats, which are harder.



Overall, a fun little car. I can't wait for my sister's 118i, then you'll be getting a review of an A/T 118i! Later I allowed my mother and of course my sister to testdrive it. My sister liked the car overall. She had no real complaints except for the sensitive clutch. My mom, who has no idea about cars, complained about how it doesn't feel as big as the E320 and how it's not as comfortable etc. LOL




By the way, the final Claudia Wimmer BMW 118i looks like this:

-Havanna Gray + Metallic
-Advantage Package
-Comfort Package
-Body Colored Door Handles
-Shadow Line 9
-Stoff Network "Anthtrazit" (cloth seats)
-Heated Front Seats
-Sun Blocking Windows
-Xenon Lights
-6-Speed Automatic Transmission
-Smoking Package (because of the electrical outlet for her aftermarket navigation system)




The car should arrive in mid June!

Great review Christian, could this be the start of your BMW reviewing career?

Seems like you liked the car overall, I liked the comment your mum said, how is doesn't seem a big or comfortable as your E320, what does she expect.

Those are nice options she has chosen. Good that she has got the Xenon headlights, they improve the looks a lot, and also means she gets the angel lights.

Looking forward to your review on your sis's car!

Thanks Christian for this detailed review. It sounds like the 1 series makes a lot fun to drive.
It's sad, that your sister's BMW don't get the white colour, but also Havannagrey is a great colour. Which type of rims will the 1 series have - the standard wheels or some "bigger" tyres?

Awesome review man...I still have to finish it though. I just wanted to get a word in before this becomes a 2-3 page affair. LOL

Your sister is lucky! She must be very happy...congrats from me to her!

Perhaps! I was dying to try the 325i Coupe and the new X5 3.0d they had on the lot, but I guess I'll start doing that as soon as the car arrives. The good news was that the salesman who sold us the car was an ex-employee of the local Mercedes dealership and he knew my dad from long back!!!

LOL, my mom is pretty car clueless. She thinks driving an automatic is "safer" because you have both hands on the wheel. You get the picture...


Xenon lights are a must. We first experienced them on our 2002 Mercedes E320 and they totally make driving at night a lot safer. My dad's 1989 500SL has pretty "weak headlights" because it doesn't have Xenons.


Same here, same here.

It was a very fun car to drive. I can only imagine a 130i!

Small, compact, lightweight, RWD...you name it, this car was fantastic. The 122-hp engine was decent but the 143-hp should be great. I'm just hoping it copes well with the automatic.

Claudia's 118i will have nice light alloy rims. None of that plastic hubcaps stuff. I can't find a picture of them online right now, but you'll see them once I post pictures of the car!


Claudia is happy!

Thanks. She's happy alright. See the pic I posted ^above^.

Before you buy the car, you should say, we will only buy this car if I can get unlimited test drives of what ever BMW I want! That should seal the deal!

HA ha ha...Yeah just saw the pic. I'd have a big smile on my face too if I just got a new car...especially the one I wanted!

Can't wait for the 143-hp 6spdAuto review!

LOL

The guy did try selling us a 5-Series. He jokingly complained that my father has been driving that E-Class for way too long and it's time to get a BMW...

Oh boy, my father absolutely hates the BMW 5-Series.