USED BMW 1 Series Hatchback (04 - )

My car

I think the car is very enjoyable to drive and well finished. It is my first diesel and I find it remarkably quiet once it is in motion. It is also very smooth and economical for a 2.0-litre car.

The boot space is perfectly adequate for me and my wife and, unlike some commentators, I like its somewhat unusual appearance. Occasionally, I have problems in changing into the right gear but this may simply be because I have never previously had a car with a six gear box.

I think the only real criticism I have of the car is that getting into the back seat is not as easy as it should be and I suspect that BMW will address this issue when introducing the mark-two version of the car by slightly extending the length of the vehicle. This should also mean that the leg room for rear passengers will be slightly increased, although the present arrangement is no problem for members of my own family.

With hindsight, I perhaps should have bought an automatic as my wife would find it easier to drive the car (she is only 5 feet tall), but this is only available in the 120 version of the diesel. I wonder why this is the case.

I feel BMW will do well with this car and I am hoping that because it is a BMW it will hold its value a great deal better than my last two cars, an Alfa 156, followed by and Alfa 147. Both of these were very enjoyable cars although not as well built as the BMW but the depreciation on each of them was horrendous.

My car

I purchased this car in December and at the moment I am reallly pleased with it. My choice was between a Golf and I think there is no comparison. The styling of this car definitely is a headturner - maybe this is because it's new on the road.

The space in the back is a bit tight but would not out me off purchasing.

The seating is quite low down, which gives it a sporty feel. If this car had not come on the market, I probably would not own a BMW so that is a bonus to me.

The only downside is all the extras I needed to pay for.

My car

I bought a new BMW 1-series (120i automatic) for £19,500 cash and a trade in of £2500 on my BMW compact. It is excellent when it works!

Unfortunately I have had 3 engine electrical or power problems in less than 3000 miles already requiring major attention, two of which were associated with sudden loss of power and potentially disastrous in a powerful small car usually travelling on motorways. The disruption has been a nightmare and the car has been in dock 18 days and counting...

My dealer has been unhelpful despite a 10-year relationship and has not told me what went wrong or what has been changed and expects me just to carry on until the next potential disaster at which point they “might” change the car – if I survive! I am used to advising people and find their approach paternalistic and as if they have something to hide.

My car

My 120D was purchased for the main 50-50 weight distribution and rear-wheel drive, which most other small hatchbacks do not offer. This car drives great!

I am pleased with my new ownership of this wonderful driver's car.

Having reviewed the factory options, I got carried away and specced up this car to £31K! I strongly recommend the 'comfort access' option which you can enter and start the vehicle without the need of inserting the ignition key into the awkward hole on the dashboard.

The i-Drive is included for the sat-nav, this is a real pain and distraction to use. The front/rear parking sensor full colour display unit is impressive.

Minor faults are: single tone, on twin-tone horn, hatchback lid dropping down FAST, Bluetooth phoneconnection is not reliable.

Previously I owned a Porsche Cayenne, which was a terrible car, I kept it for under a month! The 1 series is a wonderful car. However, I am concerned with residual values as most dealerships do not have a waiting list, and can deliver quite soon.