Any car with a price tag north of two million pesos deserves extra scrutiny; much more if it’s got a propeller badge upfront. Any car, especially a BMW, costing this much should have nailed the basic things right: an impeccably balanced chassis, solid build quality and everyday practicality. Sadly with those criteria, the BMW 1 Series manages meager score of 1 out of 3; its single point due to its wonderful chassis. That’s a score of 33 percent for those grade conscious folk out there. However, don’t let the poor score turn you off: the BMW 1 Series is still one likeable car, especially if need to simply getaway from the hustle and bustle of city traffic. Despite the flaws, this is one car that will continuously bring a smile to your face.
Just a few weeks apart, the motioncars.com garage played host to the 118i and 120i, both similarly equipped cars sitting P 200,000 apart in terms of pricing. Eagle-eyed readers would have taken note by now that the 1 Series in these photos are of the pre-facelift variety. But don’t worry as the changes are fairly minimal, just limited to a cleaner front bumper and a new selection of wheels and tires. As such, the 1 Series’s design is best described as controversial and polarizing. For some, the exaggerated features such as the bug-eyed headlamps, the long wheelbase and short overhangs create a sporty undertone. Others see the ‘flame-surfacing’ design motif gone wrong. But whatever you make of it, the 1 Series’s looks are made or broken by the package you choose. And there are three available for the 1 Series: base, Executive and Sport.
Steer clear of the base model, whose P 1.850-million price tag nets you with hubcaps and an asthmatic 115 horsepower 1.6-liter engine. The Executive represents the start of respectable 1 Series ownership. However, it was purposely spruced up (especially the exterior) just enough as not to call it bare. The Sport is the looker of the bunch with its fully-painted exterior, fatter 16-inch tires and rear spoiler. But there’s a hefty price premium involved, so it’s a balance between how you want your 1 Series to look and what you can afford. Bottom line: if you want your 1 Series to look right, you’ll have to shell out for the Sport, which is already priced in the 3 Series range.
Outside, the 1 Series is built like any typical BMW: with a flawless fit and finish. However, sadly this isn’t replicated inside. The cockpit feels like it’s built to cost. Generally, the interior feels similar to touch as the 3 Series, and that’s down to the same BMW family buttons and controls. Nonetheless, the 3 Series build quality is sorely lacking in here, where even at the test unit’s minimal mileage (less than 5,000 kilometers), it already produces pronounced squeaks and rattles. Ergonomically though, the 1 Series is sound with a driving position that’s not out of place in a sports car. There’s excellent seating adjustment, but you still sit a bit low. Visibility, especially at the back, is hampered; but it results in a go-kart feel. This makes the 1 Series feels faster from behind the wheel than it really is. For everyday traffic situation, this is very welcome.
With an overall length measuring 4,227 mm and a wheelbase of 2,660 mm, the BMW 1 Series should have had the potential to be much more compact but roomier than the Subaru Impreza (length: 4,415 mm, wheelbase: 2,620 mm). But once you start loading people onboard the BMW, you start wondering where the extra wheelbase has gone. Whether you plan to sit at the front or at the back, the 1 Series is a tight fit, especially if you’re accommodating someone with a large gut. In order to comfortably accommodate a passenger upfront, the seat must be pushed almost all the way aft. Of course, this reduces the rear occupant’s knee room to: zero. Therefore, this car has the dubious honor of being a four-door, two-seater car. Even the Mazda RX-8 had more rear knee room than this. If you intend to have the 1 Series serve as a family car, there will be compromised comfort for everyone involved. So, save yourself the trouble and opt for a much more livable 3 Series instead.
However, if you’re single or an empty nester, the BMW 1 Series shows its worth once you bring it out to the open road. It’s not what you’ll call tire-smoking fast since it just has a 2.0-liter engine upfront (136 horsepower in the 118i, 150 horsepower in the 120i) but it does have exhibit phenomenal driving dynamics. Making do without any sort of electronic gimmickry for its steering, the 1 Series provides a direct and linear steering feel. This car will do anything you want it to do with just a flick of the steering wheel. No fuss. No drama. And because the tires have ample sidewalls (they’re fitted with 55-series across the line), they’re not as tiresome to drive as compared to the 40 or 45-series tires on the range-topping 3 Series. Through corners, the 1 Series feels glued thanks to its short, hatchback body and rear-wheel drive. It’s easy to gain confidence in driving the 1 Series hard because of its sheer chassis balance. This car stays true to old-school BMWs with less electronic driving aids and more mechanical bits tuned right. But in case something does go wrong, the 1 Series is easily halted with its four-wheel vented disc brakes and its start array of safety feature such as DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) and such.
Despite the excellent driving dynamics, I’m personally not attracted to the BMW 1 Series. Though there’s not necessarily tapping the same market, the BMW 1 Series’s fun-to-drive ratio is probably just matched by the Mazda MX-5, though the BMW does offer a much more rigid shell and offers the miniscule rear seats in an emergency. However, the BMW 1 Series is too much of a one-trick pony for two million pesos. Though the BMW 1 Series gives grins and smiles when being driven, any turbocharged Subaru Impreza will manage to do the same. Whether you opt for the 230 horsepower P 1.728-million WRX or the 300 horsepower P 2.398-million WRX STI, both are cheaper than the BMW 1 Series, but offer the same amount of driving fun. Plus, the Subarus have the benefit of more straight line thrust and more useable space inside.
By Ulysses Ang | Photos by Ulysses Ang
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