ROAD TEST:The new entry-level 1-Series diesel from BMW isn't just a good frugal car, it's a great all-rounder that doesn't ask you to compromise on status, writes PADDY COMYN
FIGURES RELEASED by the Revenue Commissioners told a story that we probably could have guessed without too much trouble.
In fact, it seemed like it came from the Revenue’s “glaringly obvious” department. It said that sales of luxury cars had dropped (gasp!) and that there were just five cars sold this year costing more than €200,000. Journalists delighted in such a riches-to-rags recessionary tale.
But with new car sales sitting down around Ireland’s ankles like a pair of unruly trousers, it’s hardly surprising that the ultra rich – supposing, of course, that there are any left – are hesitant to spend more than €200,000 on a car, when they could buy most houses, or indeed 20 apartments in Tullamore, for the same price.
After the abject misery that was the first six months of 2009, since we’ve all got a bit of sunshine, things, dare I say, have appeared to be getting a little better. People are getting on with being broke and adapting.
We shop clever, restaurants are now offering better value and if for some reason you want a car, you can stroll into a dealer, hand over way less than you used to and get a gleaming new one. That same Revenue report told us that the average spend on a new car this year is €23,395 – down from €27,098 in 2007, when we all apparently used €50 notes as dental floss, following our champagne and foie gras parties.
The luxury brands, therefore, have been hit hard – and BMW is no exception. From a time when it was likely that your house cleaner (one of the two) would arrive to your house in a new 5-Series, they have sold just 147 this year.
It also used to be the case that, in the eyes of the Irish motoring industry, to import a used car from Britain was a faux pas, while we now have the BMW Sterling collection. In other words, BMW Ireland does the importing for you.
While many brands have stood still, BMW has simply adapted to the times. Now, with the newest incarnation of the 1-Series, it’s done it again.
BMW’s 1-Series can now be bought with a new version of its 2-litre diesel engine. Badged the 116d, it is the brand’s most fuel efficient and least polluting vehicle, with a combined fuel consumption figure of 4.4l/100km and CO2 emission figures of an incredible 118g/km.
That, of course, means that you will pay just €104 to tax the car for a year and you will be at fuel stations so infrequently that you’ll probably forget which side the fuel cap is on when you do have to go.
How has this been achieved? Well, it’s all down to Efficient Dynamics, starting with stop/start technology that means you can put the car in neutral at the lights and the engine will switch off and start again when you press the clutch again, thus saving fuel.
It also has low rolling resistance front tyres and an electronically controlled water pump. All this adds up to brilliant fuel economy.
After a week in the car, with several M1 motorway runs, it was returned with a quarter tank of fuel on board, and that hasn’t happened to us in some time.
So you might assume that, because this car has been tuned on the frugal side of things, it won’t be too much fun to drive. Well, you’d be dead wrong.
Much to our surprise, we found the 116d to be more than adequate. 0-100km/h takes 10.2 seconds, which may sound a little jaded, but when you compare it to the 15 seconds it takes the equivalent A-Class Mercedes-Benz to get to 100km/h, it doesn’t seem all that lazy. Plus, you get the benefits of that delightful BMW 1-Series chassis.
This car is genuinely fun to drive and, with the DTC button on the dashboard, you can allow for a little bit more playfulness from the stability control if you don’t want to be totally nannied by your car’s electronics.
There is a really good feel to the steering and, while 116bhp doesn’t seem like much, the 260Nm of torque is the figure you really need to pay attention to, as it allows for a relaxed drive without too many gear changes and it’s enough to power out of corners with gusto.
Our three-door model looked the part too, with BMW currently running an offer of giving the Sport model for the same price as the ES, so you are getting 17” alloy wheels and a rather smart body kit, as well as front foglights, heated exterior door mirrors, a sports multifunction steering wheel and sports seats.
Our test car, in white, looked really superb. Sure enough, space is restricted for rear seat passengers in the three-door model, with 50mm less legroom than the five-door version which would be better suited to those who need the extra rear room, although it doesn’t look quite as sharp.
The obvious comparisons will be drawn between it and its premium rivals and it really sees them off pretty easily in most cases. Disregarding the Mercedes-Benz A-Class almost immediately because it looks so weird and seems more like an expensive supermini than a small family hatchback, you’re left with the Audi A3.
There are good offers on that car at the moment and you can have a limited edition 1.9E version, which is also a Band A car, for €23,950.
The Alfa Romeo 147 is too old and not exactly cheap either and the Volvo C30 simply hasn’t worked. More conventional rivals such as the Golf TDi and Focus TDCi are less expensive, but can’t offer the same status of the BMW.
The 116d is a really viable solution to the rather challenging situation we find ourselves in.
Not only can you have a premium car for slightly above the price of a standard enough family hatchback, but you are getting a car that is seriously cheap to run and should hold its value reasonably well.
In three-door form, it might not be as practical as some of its more mainstream rivals, but if you’re in the market for a sporty, frugal and good-looking hatchback, then there should be no recessionary guilt attached to purchasing the 116d.
Factfile
Engine:4-cylinder 116bhp 1,995cc diesel engine putting out 116bhp @ 4,000rpm and 260 Nm @ 1,750rpm
Specification:17" light alloy wheels,manual air conditioning, three-spoke multi-functional Sports leather steering wheel, auxiliary input point, onboard computer, Elektra cloth upholstery, automatic stability control, Dynamic Stability Control, Dynamic Traction Control, Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Isofix Child anchor points; option fitted to test car – built-in sat nav (€800)
L/100km (mpg):urban - 5.3 1(52.3); extra-urban - 3.9 (70.6); combined - 4.4 (64.2)
CO2 emissions:118g/km
Tax:VRT – 14 per cent; motor tax – €104
0-100km/h:10.2 secs
Top speed:260km/h
Bootspace:330l
Price:€29,910