Bmw 1

[Neofolis]

Serin's latest advert sig inspired this poll.

I drove a BMW 1 hire car in Barcelona last weekend and thought on the whole that it was a very good car, but there were a few niggling things, other than it being left hand drive.

The indicator stick always returns to the centre so you have to indicate the other way to cancel it if you don't turn sharply enough for it to cancel automatically, but if you time it worngly or push it too hard, it just indicates the other way, most annoying when you have indicated in each direction three times before managing to cancel it.

The window controls are in an annoying position, causing you to have to contort yourself in order to open or close the windows.

The engine on the other hand seems excellent. It was a deisel, but still plenty nippy enough and very quiet other than at very low revs, when it was fairly obviously a deisel. Good standard spec as well.

 

[The Negotiator]

The thing is, it's nothing special, sure, I expect it's fine, as is the Golf yet the price tags suggest it's more than that!

 

[Neofolis]

I should add that my niggles, may not have been problems if I had time to get used to the car, which 4 days wasn't really sufficient for.

 

[Liam]

Have loved BMW since birth, amazing cars IMO, Serins sigs bring me to tears

I would be one a BMW forum or driving one if the damn things weren't so expensive to insure.

The indicators are called "one-touch" I suppose more time and you'd get used to them Neo.

Liam

 

[Neofolis]

In my case they were six or seven touch.

 

[Neofolis]

The funniest part was having not been in a car with keyless ignition before, it took me about half an hour to get the thing started first time, don't laugh. The instructions were in Spanish, but probably wouldn't have helped anyway.

 

[Liam]

Sorry unhappy at being a plumber and skint man I laughed!

Liam

 

[Neofolis]

I could have added that in my attempts to get the car started for the first time, I opened the boot about five times and had to keep getting out of the car to close it.

 

[Helz]

That is one UGLY car, I think the designers were taking the pee to be honest. I have nightmares about how ugly that car is

 

[beau]

total rubbish car

 

[Ben R]

The mechanics at work had a driving day at donnigton last december to the new golf GTI mk5 & they said there was a 1 series there as a comparison. It was a 2.0l petrol & all the mechanics said "after driving the golf the BMW was crap absolutely gutless & uncomfortable". IMO it's ugly but then the whole BMW range is ugly & as I have to work on BMW's quite a bit I can honestly say they're not that well made either. :yuck:

 

[serin]

did someone mention my name???

anyway, i thought id show the sig in question

and i dont think its against the car, (apart from the fact that this family hatch has less rear room than a sei ) more against the ppl who buy them, people who will buy it BECAUSE its a BMW, not because it handles well!

 

[JonnyBoy]

Serin, I think you hit the nail on the head (love the sig pic by the way, Sniff Petrol rocks): people buy them purely because it's a BMW!

Durrr... you could get a much faster and higher-specced car for less money but for some plonkers it's all about that bloody badge

 

[Ben R]

I agree it's a bit like spending £500 on a pair of the latest shoes or trainers.
I've always hated BM's apart from the last M5 & the original 635csi. Rich mans ford & bloody awful to work on.

 

[wolfracepunto]

Cant really vote because ive never driven one

All I can say is it looks like a shoe, but most likely drives really well :chin:

 

[JonnyBoy]

I agree it's a bit like spending £500 on a pair of the latest shoes or trainers.
I've always hated BM's apart from the last M5 & the original 635csi. Rich mans ford & bloody awful to work on.

"Rich man's Ford" - I love it! Gonna use that on a regular basis now.

There's a few BM's that I like. Most of the M versions, the original 6-series, and the early-80's 3- and 5-series too. It's the modern ones that I don't like. 1-series, X3 and X5 are unforgiveable.

 

[lalli]

I must say, it is 1 of the ugliest car I have seen. Looking at it givs you nightmares, and you know that is true. I mean just look at the................the thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The more you look at serins pic of it the more ugly it gets. :yuck:

 

[Trancendental]

Ive driven a 3 series... cant remember the reg but not the latest one the one before, but the latest one I think looks great.

they do drive nice, it was a 1.6i petrol auto. the ride is very smooth and it corners well on standard everything. can be easily beat by a Tipo 1.6 but speed aint everything. I probably wouldn't buy one though even if I did have the money, they are too commercial can't fart without being in the presence of a BMW.

 

[christopher watson]

When i had the panda 4x4, i once went through a ford (a type of river crossing), and the bmw X5 that was tailgating me suddenly stopped - the air intake is soo low to the ground, that water flooded the engine, BRILL. I offered my help (nothing i could have done), but was told 'what would you know about a proper car, you drive a heap of cr*p', to which i replied 'at least mine drives' before getting into my car and driving away (the X5 is probably still in the river )

 

[JonnyBoy]

When i had the panda 4x4, i once went through a ford (a type of river crossing), and the bmw X5 that was tailgating me suddenly stopped - the air intake is soo low to the ground, that water flooded the engine, BRILL. I offered my help (nothing i could have done), but was told 'what would you know about a proper car, you drive a heap of cr*p', to which i replied 'at least mine drives' before getting into my car and driving away (the X5 is probably still in the river )

Poetic justice I loathe X5's and the w***ers who drive them!

Did you ask him where his "real car" was?