USED BMW 1 Series Hatchback (04 - )

My car

I like the car, drives nice but mine went faulty 4 times within 8 weeks, not good for a MY2011 plate, same fault each time, BMW Dealer and Head Office were not interested. What chance have you got when the Head Office says not willing to escalate as each dealer is a franchise?

The car handles and has got enough power to cruise nicely, I was getting 500-600miles out of a full tank on my journies. Shame about the reliability and Customer Service.

My car

We have owned our 1 series for over 2 years now and have covered nearly 60000 miles in it. My girlfriend is the main driver and she returns about 42mpg which is quite respectable. Personally I only manage to achieve about 38mpg but then I drive with a little bit more “spirit” than maybe she does. It’s our first BMW and I have to say that the overall experience hasn’t really been an enjoyable one. The car itself is uncomfortable, with the suspension crashing over the smallest pothole or bump in the road and the seats give us a back ache if we’re in the car for more than an hour. The driver visibility is really bad with the A-pillar blocking out a lot of the road and there is a general claustrophobic feeling for me (and I’m only 6 foot). The boot is adequate in size and the rear seats are ok for an adult. It’s the little things that make owning it a bad experience; like using the awkward window switches (you have to lift your shoulders and then force your elbow in the small gap between the seat and the door) or the heavy, thick steering wheel at slow speeds, the clunky gearbox, or the irritating warning beeps for everything, or the poorly positioned cup holders where you have to lift the armrest to use them...the list goes on. It just doesn’t gel as a well designed package.Our experience with the dealers hasn’t been pleasant either, with awkward and unhelpful people serving us and each annual visit has cost over £1200. Probably wouldn't buy another!

My car

I wrote the 4th review on the list about my 116 d se. I stand by everything I said in it. My fuel consumption with 14500 miles on it has new gone down to 37 MPG. That is something i took up as an issue with the dealer. Their response??? They laughed at me at said I must be mistaken. Im not. I dont think this is a way to treat a customer, but to be honest I dont think they give a damn. The car has just been returned to me having had the stop start leave me stranded in the middle of a dual carriageway. After being recovered I was told that I needed a new wiring loom and a new starter motor. Thank God for warranty. I'm so hacked off now that not only would I NOT buy another BMW I'm very seriosly considering getting rid of it.

If there is a follow up I will of course post it on here but I dont think I need to hold my breath waiting for a response.

My car

Had the 123D M Sport for a couple of months now. I was looking for something, fun, quick and good on fuel. Not an easy combination, but think I found it! I originally wanted a Golf, but to find something with similar performance and spec was looking at about £1500 more for the equaivalent car so then started looking at the 1 series. Glad I did. So Have so far averaged around 44-49mpg, which I think is great for a car with 204BHP and a 0-60 of 7 seconds! my 2 kids are fine sat in the back, but it is a little cramped for adults. The car is fantastic to drive though, a real drivers car, the M Sport is not the most comforatable (you may want the SE for a bit less rattle over bumps, but I dont mind it. You need to be a bit careful in the wet with this much torque going through the back wheels, but apart from that, it's a real feel-good car. Looks-wise it's a bit of a marmite car. I preferred the look of the Coupe but went for the hatchback because (a) The extra seatbelt in the back and (b) The spec that was available (used) on the BMW website. Mine comes with bluetooth and it works really well and would recommend this option. I would recommend this car because I am not sure of any other car in this class that would offer so much fun and be so frugal?