BMW 1 Series
Did our posh family hatchback prove a practical allrounder, or was it too compromised for the daily grind?
118i M Sport auto
A CLASS-LEADING FAMILY car needs to wear multiple hats. It must don the Trilby of feeling at home in the city and the baseball cap of entertaining on the open road, while all the time being ready to rock the balaclava of comfortably ferrying a full complement of passengers and their luggage.
The 118i proved equally adept in all three situations. As a city car (my primary use), it offered a happy medium between usable space and compact dimensions, making it a better urban companion than the larger 3 Series, but not being so small as to cripple its longdistance credentials.
What’s more, its idrive infotainment system was sensational: simple to use, elegant and efficient. I can’t think of a better setup, especially in combination with BMW’S ‘Live Cockpit Professional’ (the digital instrument cluster behind the wheel). As the automotive industry moves to standardise touchscreen functions, BMW has stood firm on its use of physical controls and should be praised for it.
When it comes to specification, M Sport trim is a must; it gives the exterior a more aggressive edge while elevating interior quality with extras such as full leather on the seats.
On the other hand, the optional M Sport Plus Package is hard to justify. As a driver who wants to get involved in the process, I liked the idea of its improved brakes and more direct steering. In reality, though, I struggled to really justify this hot hatch-style setup on a 138bhp family car, particularly at an extra cost of £1500.
The biggest point of contention with my 118i, though, was its fuel economy. As an urban dweller with a fairly short commute, I wasn’t expecting amazing results from my car’s 1.5-litre petrol engine, but to average between 28.5mpg and 32.0mpg was disappointing.
No matter how dedicated I was to BMW’S Eco Pro driver training system, I never really improved on those numbers, and with a trigger-happy stop-start system, it could sometimes feel like the car was working against me. It was only on the motorway that things dramatically improved; here, a useful 45mpgplus was achievable, even with a full load.
Compared with previous iterations of the 1 Series, BMW has done things a little differently this time around, and the car is all the better for it. It’s more comfortable, more refined and more spacious than its predecessor, and in a class stuffed with safe designs, it also looks refreshingly different.
In short, I loved my time with the car. If you’re looking for a family hatchback that balances on the fine line between sporty and sensible, I’d recommend putting the 1 Series at the top of your shortlist.
LOGBOOK
BMW 1 Series 118i M Sport auto
Mileage 4803
List price £28,580 Target Price Price as tested £37,500
Test economy 32.0mpg
Of cial economy 53.3mpg
Dealer price now £23,198
Private price now £20,621
Trade-in price now £20,295
Running costs (excluding depreciation) Fuel £662 £26,311