BMW
10 February 2012
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2008 BMW 1-Series reviews
BMW 1-Series reviews by year of make: 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Read all reviews
Nigel Davis, Warwickshire
BMW 1-Series 123D M Sport 2008
Have had my 123D M Sport for just over a year and now added a total of 17,000 miles in it, bringing it to some 35,000 in total. Mine’s a two door and I love the looks. Engine; brilliant, economical, powerful and grunt available at anything above 1,200 rpm. Handling; brilliant, v precise except maybe a bit more feel back thro the steering would be nice. Ride; good, quiet, would be better with the new variable suspension to deal with bumpy roads, although I understand getting off the runflats makes things better, trouble is you are strongly advised not to mix tyre types which can make changing all four expensive. Driving Position; only BMW get it this right. Luggage Space; good but not huge. Faults; folding of front seats seem to stick and is standard. Tyres are expensive, runflats about £200 each. Don’t go to the dealer as they rip you off. Overall I totally love my 123D, it’s the best car I’ve ever had.
Submitted: 29/05/2011 22:45:20
Mark, Ireland
BMW 1-Series 118i 3dr M Sport 2008
I had a 2005 116i, which was a great car so decided to upgrade a 2008 118i 3dr m sport, which looked fantastic and went well. Unfortunately a week later I was back at the dealership due to a warning light regarding engine power and car stuttering in 2nd or 3rd gear sometimes. Did a bit of research and found possible problem was ignition coils, which turned out to be correct. After three hours wait they replaced the coil and fuel injectors and car seemed more responsive and quieter. Now two weeks later the same thing is happening except car feels much worse sometimes and feels under pressure when accelerating in 2nd and 3rd gear. Called the dealership again to get it fixed again - a replacement car was not arranged (they said they’d pick it up and replace it) so told them I’ll call to them and they have a replacement car ready there and then while they fix my car. Judging by the previous reviews, it borders on the bizarre how BMW have left a known problem in their engines and then wait until unhappy car owners come back. Originally looked at a Mk VI Golf 2.0 TDI and now regretting choosing the 118i.
Submitted: 07/04/2011 18:25:04
Mark, Devon
BMW 1-Series 118d Sport 2008
Had this car from new (one of the last before the Efficient Dynamics - so no start/stop). Has been practical, reliable and economical throughout - no issues to date at 3.8 yrs old. Yes the ride is ’hard’, but there again I have always preferred this to cars that are too sloppy (they make driver and passangers sea-sick after a while). Although I prefer my wife’s car (Peugeot 207 HDi) around town (v light on Clutch and steering) - for anything over 10 miles or so give me the BMW every time. Rear space is cramped, but we manage with 16 yr old (6ft +) teenager (and friends) without major problems, though will admit I miss my 320d Tourer when we have luggage to carry! - but for 355 days of the year it’s more than acceptable. Economy (on this pre-Edynamics model) is good, not outstanding - averaging at the 35K miles point around 44mpg (I’m quite heavy with the right foot). Performance and driving pleasure - what can I say? Sure its not a pocket rocket away from lights - but on the open road, the mid range and top end pull away is delightful; always feel there is more than enough to put the car where I want to when I need to!
Submitted: 17/09/2010 21:21:28
Martin, Hertfordshire
BMW 1-Series 118d es edition 2008
Purchased this 2008 special edition 14000 miles in May, nice looking car, superb to drive good acceleration nice interior lots of extras, ride can be a bit bumpy due to run flats, also like stop/start function. Not yet been able to match the 60+mpg as BMW states, best so far is about 55mpg which is still good. Insurance costs good and road tax only £30. My wife though does find reverse gear very hard to engage sort of spring loaded and cannot engage gear with one hand, i must admit i have had many cars over the years and this must be one of the hardest gears i have come across. Overall very pleased with car and as there are only the two of us space is not an issue.
Submitted: 07/08/2010 20:44:27
James, England
BMW 1-Series 2008
A very good car. I’ve had it from new ;on it’s first service I had to have a new clutch fitted at only 15000 thousand miles which I wasn’t impressed with.
Submitted: 30/11/2009 14:41:28
Mark Longley, Essex
BMW 1-Series 120d M 2008
The 1 series is ridiculously impractical. It’s awkward to get in and out of, the boot is just another glove box and there is very little other space to put things. So, if it’s a practical car your after buy a Ford Focus. What this car does have in abundance is quality - everything feels great, the handling is superb and it’s simply a pleasure to drive. I drive 40K a year on average and was a bit unsure this was a good choice but my heart won over my head and I’m glad it did. I’m 37 and I feel 18 again; absolutely love this car even though it cost a little over £25K I actually think it’s worth every penny. This is my first BMW and I always wondered what all the fuss was about. Now I know!!
Submitted: 25/11/2008 08:58:01
Dan, Surrey
BMW 1-Series 116i SE 5dr 2008
The first thing that attracted me to this car were the looks. It is very distinctive and if you’re tired of bland hatches then this is the one for you... to my eyes it looks sporty and classy. Step inside and the driving experience lives up to the looks. This is a real drivers car, with direct handling and superb grip. I have the 116i engine, and whilst it’s not the fastest thing on the road I find it perfectly fine for everyday driving, and can get up to motorway speeds without fuss. Space in the back is a little tight, although I have had two adults there on a long journey and they never complained. The interior design is as sporty as the exterior, and it all feels very well made. Overall I am delighted with the car. If you want something distinctive, with a quality badge, then you must take a look. Friends and family are equally impressed with it - it’s the centre of attention wherever I go!
Submitted: 08/10/2008 11:26:03
Matthew Collymore, Hampshire
BMW 1-Series 2.0 litre diesel 2008
This is a real drivers car. Excellent body control and balance make driving in rural settings breath-taking. This was the most expensive of all the cars I looked at but the high resale values swayed me. Head and leg room are ample. I really like this car but the ride is just a little too hard when on long motorway journeys, that’s why I can only award it 4 stars.
Submitted: 29/04/2008 09:55:48
Tom, Wiltshire
BMW 1-Series 123d M 2008
I’ve now had this for a month / 2800 miles, and have achieved 44mpg overall, but this is with highly spirited driving (read "ragging it everywhere") - it’s fully maintained and I have a fuel card so the economy and reduced service interval is of no concern to me. I’ve just come back from a trip to the garden centre, and squeezed quite a lot in with the seats down - although the Volvo days of strapping fence panels to the roof are over. I can’t help comparing this to my V70 - on the motorway the idiots in bmw’s would get out of the way in case I was plod, but now _I_ am the idiot in the bmw and progress is somewhat slowed which is exceedingly frustrating. People seem genuinely surprised when I let them out! If I could buy this car all over again, I would remove the M package as the sports seats which are a little too sporty, the side supports hug a little too closely. I would also fit the 6 speed auto box as 1st and 2nd are very short; leaving the lights most petrol hot hatches will win up to around 30-40 (unfortunately the auto was not available to order 5 months ago). The pedals are very close together, it is all too easy to stab the brake pedal with my left foot when changing gear. An auto box would have disabled the damn auto stop-start which is a pain (eventually I’ll work out which fuse I have to ad or remove to disable permanently). I also wish I’d fitted front pdc, as with the high bonnet it is surprisingly hard to judge, and comfort access as the hole-instead-of-a-key is near the centre console, every time I get in the car I go to put the dongle in the ignition which isn’t there! It does sound like a plumbers escort van for the first few miles until it’s warm, but I think that’s true of all diesels. I’m still very happy with the car overall, the niggles are all relatively trivial. The handling is precise, there is plenty of power to get both in and out of trouble, and at the very least it is a conversation piece - as there aren’t many about and I had the model inscription deleted most people have no idea what it is. I genuinely haven’t come across another one in a month. Still only 4-stars as it’s not the 535d touring I really want!
Submitted: 11/04/2008 09:46:21
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