Arrived: Dec 2007
List price (including options): £30,835
Average economy: 40.4mpg
The BMW 123d Coupé has been -
Racking up the miles, including a trip to IKEA. Now don't laugh; I know it's such a stereotypical thing to do at the weekend, but the 1 Series Coupé isn't exactly the most stereotypical type of car to do it in, is it? Obviously I didn't plan on going to flat pack heaven and coming away with half the store, but these things happen...
At the last second, while in the queue for the checkout, a horrible thought struck me: "the rear seats do fold down, don't they?" A quick sprint to the car park confirmed that yes, thankfully they do, with neat levers accessible from the boot only. Given how stiff a structure the Coupé's body is, it's surprising how much of this area is open when the seats are folded forward and thankfully there was more than enough room for the pile of neatly packaged MDF and screws I bought.
We're loving the -
All-round appeal of the 123d Coupé. Its handling was not unduly affected by the considerable extra weight of my purchases, as mentioned above, yet it actually had the effect of settling the ride somewhat. It highlighted that, though the ride is compliant enough (especially considering this car's M Sport status), it does bob around a tad over smaller undulations.
Amazingly, the long drive back home with 'the goods' had no discernible effect on the car's average fuel economy, which refuses resolutely to budge from just over 40mpg.
But not so impressed by -
Given the immense capabilities of the 123d 2.0-litre twin-turbocharged engine, it may seem a little unfair to comment on the noise it makes. However, this month I was lucky enough to spend time a the wheel of a 125i Convertible, and though it's not as quick nor as economical as the 123d version, you could almost forgive it all that for the lovely exhaust note it makes. It's the only downside to this unit really.
We're looking forward to -
Longer days and shorter nights. Well, Spring is definitely upon us and with more daylight generally comes better weather. Not that the 1 Series Coupé has any problems with slippery roads and cold weather, but we're looking forward to stretching its legs a little on more interesting roads that can become a little treacherous in the Winter. We also have a few really long trips planned in the coming months. More on that later.
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