So BMW’s budget offering is back, but is it still a bit naff?
I’ll come clean and admit I’ve never had much time for the old 1 Series. BMW’s range has always been structured in such a way that the further you went from the 5 Series, the worse the cars got, and with it’s cheap plasticky body and basic interior, the 1 Series felt like BMW were fobbing you off. The chief culprit was the looks – the hatchback looked like a dog with a docked tail, and the saloon’s half-baked aping of the 3 really drove home the fact that this was the BMW you only bought if you couldn’t afford the others.
So it’s a good job they’ve changed it, then.
It’s chunkier and much more muscular than it’s predecessor, for a start, to the point where it looks more like a baby crossover than a knock off 3 Series. The hideous docked-tail rear end on the hatchback is gone too, replaced with a much more sculpted offering that looks like someone took some time over it rather than just stopping at the rear pillars. The horrid Tonka-toy materials are thankfully gone as well, and the net result is that this is now a very pretty car. It feels weightier, and more importantly it’s grown a personality and no longer feels like a budget option.
The interior feels nicer too – there’s enough bells and whistles in the standard model to keep anyone happy, and if you want more then BMW will be more than happy to let you go hog wild on their usual mile-long list of optional extras. It’s certainly a huge step up from the dull and dated interior of the old one, which looked in 2014 exactly like the one in my old 2004 645, and though it follows the current trend of cocooning the driver with the central console, it isn’t so egregious that it’ll be hurt the car when it inevitably goes out of fashion.
The internals are pretty much the same as the old model, but then the internals were never the problem. Engine-wise, there’s a selection of straight-four petrols and a smattering of diesels to choose from, the angriest of which will get you from 0 – 60 in just over 6 seconds and the calmest will get you just under 80 miles to the gallon. There’s also an M-tuned straight six petrol available that’ll get you from 0 – 60 in 4.9 seconds, but that’ll cost you close to £30,000 and if it’s performance you’re after then there’s better cars around for that kind of money.
Overall, I like this new 1 Series. It’s at a nice price point at a smidge over twenty grand, and the facelift gives it the genuine place in BMW’s lineup that it desperately needed. It’s cheaper than the Mercedes A Class, and prettier too. It’s also better looking than the dowdy A3, even if Audi’s offering can undercut it by a few hundred quid. I’d probably even take it over the Volkswagen Golf – the VW might be more fun to drive, but comparitively it’s dull as dishwater to look at and it’s not going to be as nice a place to spend your commutes as a BMW.
It’s not exactly a swan just yet, but it’s no longer the ugly duckling.
