BMW 118d SE review - verdict

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BMW 1 Series 118d SE Road Test

Test Date 12 October 2004 Price When New £20,685

Verdict

With rear-seat space that lags well behind the best in the class and a boot that rates only as average, can the BMW 1-series really be seen as a success? You bet it can, because it is competing in a class whose buyers may put different requirements at the top of their lists.

It’s expensive, and its proximity to the 3-series could result in some buyers diverting to a cheaper version of the larger car. But that gap is likely to widen with the arrival of the new Three next year and the One is priced to go head-to-head with the new Audi A3 Sportback.

In areas of engine refinement and economy, cabin materials, build quality and badge desirability the 118d is up there with the best. It’s individual, too, something the conservative revamps of its key rivals from Volkswagen, Audi and Mercedes-Benz can’t claim.

And there’s one crucial element in the 1-series’s make-up that stands out: that final premium car polish that sets it apart from the volume models in this class.

While the Focus and Golf are fast-closing the gap in terms of materials quality, the BMW still has the edge when it comes to the action of its controls and, in particular, its rolling refinement. And with rear-wheel drive it is different in the way it moves down the road.