BMW 116i
Dont Write Off The 116i Just Because Its BMWs Entry Level 1-Series. It Offers A Lot Of Talent For The Money. Andy Enright Reports
Now that the initial shock of the styling has worn off, the
BMW 1-Series is starting to find favour with a great many customers. Most would finger the diesel-engined models as the pick of the bunch but if you do prefer a petrol engine, there are a couple to choose from, the best of which is probably the entry-level 116i. Yes, you did read that right. The cheapest 1-series is one of the highlights of the range.
Just dont put too much store in BMWs base price for the 116i. The advertised price of this variant is £15,995 but, like
MINI, this really is a basic price. Most buyers will add air conditioning, alloy wheels, metallic paint and body-coloured door handles which will add another £2,000 onto that asking figure. Somewhat coincidentally, this is virtually the price of the better equipped SE and Sport-trim levels, leading us to believe that BMW is merely using the base model as an eye-catching price tag knowing that virtually all customers will be spending at least £17,945 on their 1-series.
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The SE and the Sport models feature climate control, 16-inch alloy wheels and front fog lamps. Try to resist the temptation to upgrade to the 17-inch alloys. Although the car does look a bit beefier with the bigger wheels, the rigid sidewalls of the run-flat tyres dont do a great deal for ride comfort. For the same reason, the firmly-suspended Sport trim level isnt the one most would choose on typically bumpy British roads.
The 1.6-litre engine is good for 115bhp and will accelerate the big-boned 1-series through 60mph in 10.6 seconds and on to a 125mph top speed. The lightest of all the 1-series models, the 116i is also the nimblest.
The low weight in the nose of the car makes turn-in razor sharp and if you wanted a car that demonstrated how relevant rear wheel drive is to cars with modest power you couldnt choose better. Put simply, the front tyres are utterly unburdened with trying to put power down and can devote themselves to steering. It may sound simple but it works. Theres no scrabble, tug or kickback through the steering wheel.
At first, you may not be able to quite put your finger on why the 1-series feels so much better to drive than, say, an equivalently priced
Volkswagen Golf or
Audi A3 but punt one down a twisty road and itll become apparent. What more powerful rivals gain on the straights the
BMW claws back through the bends.
"The BMW 116i is a definite grower"
The advantage of getting from A to B just as quickly but with less power is that youre not burning huge quantities of fuel. Drive a 116i in a sensible fashion and youll return over 37mpg. The bad news is that company car user choosers (who will doubtless constitute a hefty slice of 116i buyers) will be hit by carbon dioxide emissions of 181g/km the highest in the 1-series line up. The good news is that due to clever gearing of the five-speed box, the 116i doesnt feel a great deal slower than the 120i during everyday use.
Designed to compete in the prestigious part of the Family Hatchback sector, the 1-series might be truncated in length but spend any time behind the wheel and youll soon realise youre not being shortchanged any of BMWs look and feel. Rear wheel drive has traditionally been something of an anomaly in this market sector and key rivals such as the Volkswagen Golf, the
Alfa Romeo 147 and the Audi A3 are built around front wheel drive platforms. Where front wheel drive has traditionally scored is that its easy and cheap to manufacture a transverse engined hatch with a front gearbox and drive going to the front wheels. You neednt worry about a bulky transmission tunnel running through the cabin so it works in terms of packaging too.
BMW think otherwise. Open one of the narrow back doors and youll spot the compromises made. Theres less room in the back of the 1-series than youll find in a supermini like a
Honda Jazz. With a six-footer behind the wheel, legroom is shockingly bad and the transmission tunnel means that you wont ever want to travel piggy in the middle on the rear bench.
Thats not what the 1-series is all about. If you want a practical car, go and buy a
mini-MPV. If you want the latest urban bauble that will turn heads and get tongues wagging, the 1-series will be more your thing. At a stroke it manages to make the Audi A3 in particular look ridiculously staid.
The interior features a start button to get things fired up and a clean, minimalist look to the fascia. The dashboard resembles that of the BMW Z4 and dotted around the cabin are twin front airbags and head airbags for all occupants. Factor in Dynamic Stability Control, Dynamic Traction Control, Dynamic Brake Control and the non-dynamic but still worthwhile Electronic Differential Lock and theres also a high level of active safety offered. The BMW 116i is a definite grower.
The styling takes a little time to bed in and the big asking price and modest power may well exclude it from the shortlists of many buyers looking for a five-door funster. Their loss. Even if it isnt particularly quick in a straight line, the 116i rewards the keen driver with a level of tactility and poise utterly missing from all of its rivals. If BMW can get prospective customers into the drivers
seat, theyll make the sales.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: BMW 116i range
PRICES: £15,995 - £17,945 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 9
CO2 EMISSIONS: 181g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 10.6s / Max speed 125mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 37.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and head airbags / ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4227/1936/1430
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