Comments:
5000 Km / 3000 Miles in the Beemer
Where to start off ?
So after a month i've already travelled quite some distance with the new 120 diesel.
Due to the fact it takes up speed so easily i fear for my license ...
Interior is fine as well, the Alcantara seats give good side support and are adjustable in many directions .. however on the long trips my back really started to hurt, they are simply to hard, especially compared to the soft French seats of the Renault which i got used to !
This is one of the nicest cockpits to date for a modest car and that steering wheel is fabulous !
The 120d comes with bigger brakes compared to the 118d, a 2 liter as well but only 150 hp ... there is another 2 liter with 2 turbos and 224 hp / 450 Nm .
To give you guys an update; i bought this car to replace the Clio RS, but i'm keeping the RS as a second (kind of) car, still have an Audi A4 Diesel but i think it's done 500 miles these last 2 months ... .
BMW 120d ... two liter turbocharged stove, 190 horses at 4000 rpm (i think) and 400 Nm at 1750-2250 rpm-ish ... 8 speed ZF automatic transmission.
I'll start with the BIG plus, the main reason i bought this car .. the ZF 8 speed ... it had to be an automatic and this IS the absolute best on the market these days. What a joy if you want to be lazy and let the car do whatever your brain desires ... so this way we also come to the BIG minus ... no matter how wonderfull this transmission is i really really really miss the joy of poking around the shifter myself, especially when one's used to the fabulous manual gearbox of my little Renault ... (it's actually a Nissan gearbox).
The same counts for the engine ... effortless overtaking slow to medium speed traffic is a piece of cake ... in auto 'D' mode you can immediately decide to select one or two lower gears and hit the throttle, the respons is ... errrr ... let's say fast ... BUT ... nothing compared to the little Clio . On the other hand once the BMW is off ... it goes damn fast, remember you have 400 Nm at your disposal at very low rpm.
Road handling .... there really isn't much i can say to this point yet. Since the engine is just driven in i only had a few chances to try some fast cornering, the wide types provide a lot of grip but the weight is there, the full (unloaded) 1460 kilos. That's 240 kilos more than the Clio but they feel like 500 more strangely. I guess it's just a matter of getting used to it so more on the sheer driving pleasure in a later post with some videos i hope .... remember RWD and fully (i hope) deletable traction control 
!!!
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Due to the fact it takes up speed so easily i fear for my license ...
Interior is fine as well, the Alcantara seats give good side support and are adjustable in many directions .. however on the long trips my back really started to hurt, they are simply to hard, especially compared to the soft French seats of the Renault which i got used to !
This is one of the nicest cockpits to date for a modest car and that steering wheel is fabulous !
The 120d comes with bigger brakes compared to the 118d, a 2 liter as well but only 150 hp ... there is another 2 liter with 2 turbos and 224 hp / 450 Nm .
The tires are runlets ... and here i really have a BIG issue ... in Belgium we have a lot of very bad concrete roads which i've gotten used to thru the years of driving and trashing around. On these roads the Clio can be a real nasty beast which literally slams it's tires down because of the hard and lowered suspension.
The first evening i took my wife out for a drive with the 120d and unavoidably we came onto one of these concrete roads ... after a few miles we looked at each other and couldn't believe how hard the ride was, imagine this with the hard seats and you know i was thinking what the heck did i buy ? The problem lies in the fact this car is equipped with runflat tires and a friend told me the Bridgestone's are amongst the hardest ... :-( ... so for now i'll have to live with that 'problem' but i fear once i got to know the car better (how to drift it) the 400 Nm will be adequate enough to solve the problem.
Do i like the looks of the car ?
Do i like the looks of the car ?
The rear seems a bit strange to me, proportions are a bit awkward to me.
3/4 rear view is better but those lights are too big !
I mentioned before it is a hot hatch but Luc described it better being a shooting break. I like this view a lot better already !
The nose-view is the best, the typical BMW-kidneys are bigger now and the gaping mouth where you can see the radiator (or is it an intercooler?) are quite impressive to say the least.
Verdict ?
3/4 rear view is better but those lights are too big !
I mentioned before it is a hot hatch but Luc described it better being a shooting break. I like this view a lot better already !
The nose-view is the best, the typical BMW-kidneys are bigger now and the gaping mouth where you can see the radiator (or is it an intercooler?) are quite impressive to say the least.
Verdict ?
None yet, i have to get used to the car more ... but i do think i'll have a look at the new Mazda MX-5 Miata ... for europe there is a 1.5 litre naturally aspirated version with 130 hp at 7000 rpm ... and a 997 kilos on the scale make it a very fun car to drive ... and then there will be the 2016 Alpine .... ;-)
Bim
This message has been edited by bimbeano on 2015-08-03 16:23:45
A good car, but I thikn you will have more fun with the new Miata.
The design of this " 1 ", I alway found it weird. A BMW, yes, but not sure this is the one for you.
Come on, go for a M. Maybe my next car.
Best,
Nicolas.
I tried a bit harder today !
There even is a launch control ... but i fear it's more kind of a clutch-burner ... take-off in first two gears is really impressive .. what follows then is seriously less impressive. The car should be as fast accelerating as the Clio but it doesn't give 10% of the Clio's exhilaration.
... take-off in first two gears is really impressive .. what follows then is seriously less impressive. The car should be as fast accelerating as the Clio but it doesn't give 10% of the Clio's exhilaration.And then ... there's the bendies again :-( ... way too heavy car and a bit wobbly on the springs ... though there's a lot of grip from the wide tires ..... playing with the gears in manual mode is way too complicated because of the 8 gears, i think it will be a long learning-proces ... Miata testdrive is coming closer i fear ... but what do i tell my wife ?
... but what do i tell my wife ?Hmm, already dreaming of a 130 hp , 1000 kilo Miata .. and then stripping 100 kilos of it ....
Bim
Congratulations Filip for your...
purchase ! This is a definitely a good looking , strong and and fun car .
I wish you many, many years of safe driving
Good review too.
Best
Edward
Thank you Edward !
It is good looking indeed !
I'm getting more and more used to it now, just put the auto gearbox in 'Sport' and let the car choose the gears, if needed you can always select 'manual' to keep a certain gear a bit longer ... .
Especially the nose where you can clearly see the radiator and intercooler .. never mind the numberplate (photoshopped and a bit of an unlucky choice of duplicating the wrong number and letter i guess ) ... .
I'm getting more and more used to it now, just put the auto gearbox in 'Sport' and let the car choose the gears, if needed you can always select 'manual' to keep a certain gear a bit longer ... .
Filip
Nice report
I can chime in some of my views as I have the same car, well almost. It's now 2.5 years so before the facelift and I drive a petrol, ahem the M135iX
I fully agree overall. Mine does not have the runflat tires, I simply hate them, but still the ride is hard as a rock. My biggest complaints: a 50L tank, what were they thinking??? I need to stop every hour for fuel if I let it run freely
The 6 cylinder engine is a dream, I also have the sports automatic with 8 gears (standard for X-Drive). I think X-Drive is a waste, just adds weight and sometimes a funny steering impact.
The other thing, I'm tired of the grey Alcantara interior. It looks not so pleasing in the long run. I really don't like Audi's but the BMW interior designers should be sentenced all to drive Audis.
CC
I fully agree overall. Mine does not have the runflat tires, I simply hate them, but still the ride is hard as a rock. My biggest complaints: a 50L tank, what were they thinking??? I need to stop every hour for fuel if I let it run freely
The 6 cylinder engine is a dream, I also have the sports automatic with 8 gears (standard for X-Drive). I think X-Drive is a waste, just adds weight and sometimes a funny steering impact.
The other thing, I'm tired of the grey Alcantara interior. It looks not so pleasing in the long run. I really don't like Audi's but the BMW interior designers should be sentenced all to drive Audis.
CC
135
I considered the M135i and even the Golf R but for economical reasons i sticked to diesel.
Even for a diesel the 50 (or 52?) liter tank is not enough .. and those runfatts ...AAAARGGHHH !!! Lucky i don't have X-drive ;-) ... as it is indeed a waste, my dealer had a 120d X-drive pre facelift with more options and for a better price .. no thanks ... not for me .
... not for me .I really like the interior a lot and don't feel the need for the Audi-exquisiteness but then i come from a Renault Clio with a lot of plastic .
.I know that in the long run Alcantara always gets that certain 'patina' so i'll tr to clean it on a regular base ....
Bim
it was not a rational decision and certainly not
an economical. Even over here the M135 is actually a good package. By the time you equip a 120d with all the options including the M-Package, it is almost the same price as the M135 which comes with all those items standard.
The reason why I chose X-Drive: well not too long ago we did get quite a bit of snow in the Winter, but the last 2 had not seen much at all. There is a lot of power and torque to get on the road so that helps, but cornering you feel the weight and the x-drive. We used to have a Cooper S as a second car and that was no comparison so I can relate how you feel about the Clio.
I don't need fancy silver chrome frames around every switch, that's not what I mean. Not sure if the facelift has seen some improvements, but on mine the interior materials are not that great for most parts. The Alcantara is not bad and I think pretty much the only option. The leather options on the 1 series are pathetic. Black looks cheap, and then you only have two other colours, red and white...argh.
I have another 6 months on the lease. I'm thinking now to change to something (a lot) cheaper and economical, just a bread-and-butter family car, perhaps a Mazda 3 or an Alfa and from the saved money, I will finally buy that classic 60ies English Roadster I have been dreaming of since I was a teenager... 
CC
Mazda 3
A car is never a rational decision unless you buy a cheap 1.2 liter Mazda or Ford ... . The 120d equipped with ALL the possible options will be more expensive than a 'standard' M135i .. but i only picked the necessary options like the M-pack, electric seats, satnav and that blue color ... no need for 1200 Euro headlights or 18 inch wheels.
This way i kept the car 8K cheaper than the 135i and even 5K cheaper than the 224hp 125d.
When your lease ends i would go for the Mazda 3 2 liter 165 hp manual, apparently a great car for the right price. As for the Alfa .. errr which one ? 4C ? i'm not really sure. Off course you could as well opt for the new MX-5 Miata ;-).
i'm not really sure. Off course you could as well opt for the new MX-5 Miata ;-).May i ask for that 60ies roadster ?
Filip
My dream
a Triumph TR4, talk about a hard ride
I need a 4-Door, hatchback, everthing else I cannot "sell " at home as a family car , so no 4C. I will have a look at the Guiletta this weekend, a bit girlie maybe, need to see. I like the brand in general.
, so no 4C. I will have a look at the Guiletta this weekend, a bit girlie maybe, need to see. I like the brand in general.Drive ...
Drive the Giulietta, drive the Mazda 3 ... i think you will like the Mazda more ... the interior might not be like the Alfa but it is more than adequate !
Filip
That's a lot of miles!
You're really driving it a lot!
I echo the sentiments about the 8-speed transmission, it's simply fantastic.
I echo the sentiments about the 8-speed transmission, it's simply fantastic.
ZF .. some further thoughts....
Hi Patrick, it sure is a lot, tomorrow by the end of the day and after 30 days i will have around 5400 km, that should equate to 65.000 km per year (40K miles) ... but it will be more something like 30-35 Km (20K miles).
The 8 speed transmission .. there are 4 modes: ECOPRO / COMFORT / SPORT / SPORT+
When you start the car it automatically starts up in the most uncomfortable mode being COMFORT ; when you're in a traffic jam it quite harsh, when you decide to suddenly overtake a car it either takes a full second to react or it reacts very brute.
; when you're in a traffic jam it quite harsh, when you decide to suddenly overtake a car it either takes a full second to react or it reacts very brute. So after a month i figured out how to avoid these 'problems' ... traffic jam in ECOPRO as the car really drives slow and smooth, ECOPRO off course can be used for extreme fuel consumption battles .. driving 50 mph and getting off the throttle it will glide for over one kilometer , the engine appears to run on some kind of idle mode without using too much diesel (probably interacts with the clutch as well).
.. driving 50 mph and getting off the throttle it will glide for over one kilometer , the engine appears to run on some kind of idle mode without using too much diesel (probably interacts with the clutch as well).SPORT mode gives you a better and more intuitive ride than COMFORT mode and best of all, when you want to go fast it really does 99% what you expect from it ... SPORT+ mode hasn't been tested yet by the Bim , first get to know the car better and honestly i haven't seen much opportunity to go very fast during these 5000 km .. maybe 20 km in total :-( ...
Verdict as you'd expect is pretty positive, the COMFORT-mode only to be used when you drive like a totally normal human being meaning no eco-runs, no racing, no traffic jams ... only soulless driving
Bim
Can you change the standard setting ...
... or do you have to set it to SPORT each time you start the engine?
Marcus
Marcus
It ALWAYS starts up in COMFORT.
But that is not a problem to me, especially with a cold engine/gearbox i like to take it VERY easy the first 5 to 10 km.
And the best part is when you decide to change it from Comfort or ECOPRO with the easy button the car really feels alive in a way that's hard to believe.
The only problem it is to big/wide/heavy for most roads in my region, to have fun you have to go so much faster than you would go in my Clio and i bet i could even have loads more fun in the new generation Mazda MX-5.
I don't think you can ever get any better than naturally aspirated for sheer fun.
Filip
The tiny BMW 1 is too big/wide? ...
... Wow, didn't know you are driving on footpaths and wildlife tracks. I think you would appreciate an X-Bow ...
Marcus
I think you would appreciate an X-Bow ...Marcus
It's probably bigger than ..
.. a 70ies 7-series
X-bow maybe, MX-5 and Elise surely ... even my Clio RS with the wider track and body is probably a lot wider than a 911 / 964
Bim
Really? Wow ...
I was aware that with every generation, our cars grew bigger and bigger. But I did not imagine the amount of growth.
Marcus
Marcus
Indeed ...
Sometimes when you see a tall bloke in an old car he totally looks ridiculous .. i bet i look quite ridiculous in my 205 ....
.. i bet i look quite ridiculous in my 205 .... Filip
I'd call it a hot hatch... shooting brake/break being an estate. [nt]
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