BMW 1-Series Coupe road tests and consumer car reviews

BMW 1-Series Coupe 125i SE5 2009

I bought this recently with 6700 miles. A superb motor car of an older style. What a contrast to my reliable, but souless Audi A3 170 Tdi. The BMW reminds me of my Capri 3 litre, my Alfa 75 3 litre and my BMW 2800, but brought up to date. Fuel consumption around the houses is 30MPG on 91 octane and 33MPG on 95 is good. It took a long time for my Audi to better 40 in everyday runs.

BMW 1-Series Coupe M Coupe 2011

I purchased my M Coupe from Wollaston in Northampton. The good: the performance is just astounding. It has been described as a baby M3, well that’s a pretty good description but it is also so much more. It has a bit less power but bags more torque. 0-60 is just too quick, I’ve had to set the speed limiter to warn me as a quick dab of the right foot for some "safe overtaking" will easily lead to points. The roadholding is phenominal, it sticks and keeps sticking. With all the safety features on it is quicker through the twisties than anything I’ve played in before. 27mpg so far up to the first service at around 1,000miles. Good? Well actually for this car yes, that is pretty amazing. Every time I tease it up to 30 I treat myself to a bit of a blast! The new iDrive is much better, it’s actually useable now. Finally the 7 digit postcode search. A smile every time I start it up. The bad: I thought I’d ticked every box, DAB is an option even though it’s standard in all the new minis. It’s not really that bad though as the engine note is quite satisfying. Except at 70mph on the M4, when the tuned exhaust system does grate somewhat... iPod integration has taken a step backwards in my honest opinion; the search feature takes a lot of getting used to. The ugly: Hard suspension and rubber bands for tyres plus English roads equals lots of re-tracking. The local dealer have carried out two re-tracks under warranty so far, it will get expensive soon. It is so hard to drive even moderately sensibly and if I’m not really careful I will get points. I’ll add to this posting when I have some more running costs etc to mention, however, I did buy a 60,000 mile service pack for only £400 so I hope it’s just tyres and tracking to worry about. And the jungle juice of course!

BMW 1-Series Coupe 120d 2009

My request is that BMW considers adding a 4 door edition to the 1 Series Coupe with doors that open in opposite direction to the front doors. This is similar to another brand which allows the back-door to open backwards which aids a person to get into the back-seat. The door handles are not shown giving the impression that it is a 2 door at first glance.

BMW 1-Series Coupe 125i M Sport Coupe 2009

I’ve had this car 4 months now and still can’t get used to all the looks it gets! Mine is black with red leather interior. Corny? Maybe, but its all you need. I just have to say I had an ’05 Astra Coupe 2.0 turbo previously yet fuel consumption is better in this 3.0ltr BMW! It’s still not a common site on the roads (which is fine by me). I’m not an Audi/Merc or even a BMW 3 series hater, but you turn your head and they are everywhere! This car is in a class of its own; the things BMW gives its vehicles should be a benchmark for all manufacturers. The car is a nice place to be in too, you feel like everything is where it should be, driving position is spot on which makes you feel like you’re driving the car. The 125i gives you an involved, responsive drive, which I look forward to EVERY day. Quick? Yes. Good looking? Yes. Worth every penny? Most definitely yes. But if you live in the northeast of England, please dont buy one, as I still like the attention! Little things please little minds and all that! Seriously though, go see one and go for a test drive.

Responses to this review

I too have a 2003 shogun sport and was disappointed at 44k to find that it failed the MOT for warped front discs. Just under a £100 to repair this includes new pads. I done the change myself to keep the cost down. I also have had to change the track rod ends, lower suspension joints and have had an advisory for the anti roll bar pin bush showing slight wear. I thought these cars were supposed to be rugged and tough? Mine has only done road work and an average of 7k per year. I am beginning to consider changing the car as the more I see and read about them the more concerned I get - Ray Turner from Neath Port Talbot

BMW 1-Series Coupe 123d M 2008

10 months and 25,000 miles in and the trip computer gives me an overall 44.8mpg; 95% of this mileage is on the M4. Still on the same tyres, although still legal they probably need changing soon. One oil change at the first service at 18,000 miles is the only attention it has needed, so the first year has been pretty cheap motoring. I’m going up a star rating to 5 since my last post, simply due to the low running costs. I’m also now used to the auto start/stop feature, it is difficult to estimate the amount of fuel this has really saved though. The SatNav is a constant battle, but there is a neat feature built in to Google maps that allows a business address to be sent directly to the car via sms - this just about makes up for the lack of postcode search capability. It’s a real struggle getting in and out of the back - don’t expect your granny to fit! I borrowed a 135 variant, lovely to drive but just too powerful. I am clearly too old to own one now if I’m thinking like that ;-) Thanks for reading, I might post again around 50K to let you know how much the brake service costs.

Responses to this review

Hi, an update from my initial review. Sadly, the 123d Coupe went back in March as it has come to the end of the lease. I covered 75k miles, overall 43mpg, and minimal service costs - oil and filter changed three times over the 3 year lease. The rear tyres lasted 32k, so two new pairs, the fronts 50k. Runflats, no punctures. There is a happy(ish) ending, I picked up my M Coupe on Saturday. Half the mpg, ten times the fun. I’ll post a full review once I’ve got more than 300 miles on the clock - Tom S from Wiltshire

BMW 1-Series Coupe 123d M Coupe 2008

..update from my previous post after a week of living with a 123d M coupe.. The MPG is creeping up now everything is running in and I’m learning to use the low end oomph, getting close to 48mpg overall so my previous comments about economy are inaccurate. The Sat Nav can be modified to include full post code search, as it is possible to copy the satnav dvd and include custom POIs, similar to the way you can on a TomTom, but to a DVD-RW. Still not quite as intuitive though, pull your finger out BMW and give a premium car full postcode search! A TomTom can do it in 10Meg, there’s loads of space left on the DVD! It feels closer to the previous gen 3 series coupe than the 1 hatch, which is a relief, and with the rear seats down can *just* take a couple of bicycles. Now the tyres are a bit scrubbed it has less tail wag so the sports seats can be justified! Don’t be deceived: it really is only a 2+2 and does have sports performance. In real-world conditions it is significantly quicker than my Volvo T5, mini cooper and neighbours’ R32 golf, which really surprised me - especially as I am broadly adhering to the running in guidelines. The engine is quite special, although it does sound like a tractor, and I must find out which fuse I have to add or remove to disable the auto engine stop - it is incredibly disconcerting especially when slowly freewheeling <5kmh as the engine will cut out leaving you with no servo assist braking! btw, through my company lease scheme the 123dM is the same lease cost as the 120dM due to better residuals, although the tax is marginally greater due to the higher list price.

BMW 1-Series Coupe 123d M 2008

After 24hours of ownership it is clear that the fuel economy figures are completely made up, there is no way I will achieve the 55mpg suggested.. maybe once it is run in.. and if I slipstream juggernauts... SatNav professional is rubbish as it doesn’t do full postcode search, a TomTom at 10% of the price is a better option, but the acquisition time can’t be matched. However, the iPod integration is what I really upgraded to the premium iDrive system for, and it is astounding. Much better than any noddy after market system. The bluetooth connectivity to my Blackberry just works, although background noise is quite loud. The doors are large, making it impossible to park in tight spots, and due to the concave styling it gets very dirty very quickly. The turning circle is great though. Feedback through the steering is adequate, although I’ve been sideways already even with the traction control on which is a little worrisome, although I was just mucking about. Why did I go for a 1 coupe? Well as a company car driver I wanted to tick _every_ box - and I couldn’t do that on the 5 touring I should have bought! As with all beemers, it’s all about the toys... Am I happy with it? Yes, very. I am sure it will grow on me. It’s replacing a V70 T5, so has a lot to live up to.. frankly I don’t thing the fuel economy will be much better which is bonkers, but the handling and gadget integration is much better, as it the company car tax...

BMW 1-Series Coupe 123d 2007

Having owned a BMW 525i SE in the e60 model. I decided to was time i changed cars having changed them every two years or less, I’ve had the 123d coupe since they was available. When i first looked at this model is was very impressed in the showroom at the local BMW garage its seemed like to right choice to go for, but having owned the for 2 months now its not being all that great, there has being issues with the build quality and the level of economy the car has being returning. In real world driving it gets 33-35 at the most this is all done in 30-50mph zones. On the motorway I’ve seen the trip meter showing 55mpg but this isn’t what i got this car for. The car was ordered in the m-sport variant in Le Mans blue with beige interior, I had the 18’’ wheel option, xenon headlights, front seat heating and a loudspeaker upgrade. First off the loudspeaker upgrade is just updated speakers in the original housings, the 18’’ wheels are made of butter they chip and mark very very easy, the xenon headlights had to be replaced due to them not staying on at times when driving, This has being the worst car I’ve owned in a long time Mercedes are built better and Audi’s are in a league of the own with their build quality and features on their cars. I’ve now placed to deposit on a Mercedes CLK 220 cdi coupe. Many thanks for reading my review.

BMW 1-Series Coupe M 2006

The 1 Series M Sport is a stunning example of a small family car. Refined to the max in every way. Stylish interior, excellent seating positions with sports feel but total safety in mind. Although the ride is firm this is acceptable with the smooth and precise steering to compliment the excellent handling. The only item that really lets this vehicle and specific model down is the performance of the engine. BMW should have never released an M version in the 1.6. Not only is the engine seriously underpowered but the fuel consumption is less than desirable. You find yourself frantically shifting down through the gears at the whiff of a small incline, and when the car is complete with a family of four driving can become tiresome especially on long motorway inclines where you are constantly up and down the gearbox. I would love to try the 3litre version or even get a 2.0 litre on a track day to really see the suspension working.

BMW 1-Series Coupe 123d SE 3dr 2007

I test drove a 1-Series Coupe at Millbrook not long ago. It was agile, elegant and the engines were just brilliant. The variant I drove was the 123d SE 3dr and I was mightily impressed and will be purchasing one as soon as is humanly possible.

BMW 1-Series Coupe 120d SE 2007

Having previously owned the old BMW 3 series Coupe I was torn between replacing it with the new 3 series coupe or the all new 1 series Coupe. I’m glad I made the choice I did! I think it is a fantastic looking car and far better handling that the 1 series Hatch. The diesel engines as always go like stink from the off and with the addition of the 123d even more poke is now on offer! Not the most practical car you will ever own and ride may be too hard for some. Great residuals mean a good car buying prospect and cheap Contract Hire and Leasing deals should be available soon!!