BMW 1 Series hatchback (2004-2011) | owner reviews: MPG, Problems & Reliability

Tell us what you think about your car?

Had this car just over a year, had 54000 miles on, came from owning Alfa's and to be honest I hate it. It's boring inside, has a bad seating position, the front windows won't drop in the cold weather, a battery can cost around £200/300 and is hard to fit yourself, if the battery is not above 75% the clock and trip meter resets, it creaks a lot behind dash, there's hard ride on some roads, it doesn't feel that powerful really for 177hp, and there's an intermittent clutch judder. You're really paying for the badge. The good points are that it's good on fuel round town and looks nice.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

I love this car, but beware there are some very untrustworthy car dealerships out there. I bought my BMW 1 Series recently, the car handles very well in the wet and dry. I would go as far as to say it sticks to the road but on snow it is useless, but I knew I would have a problem with this as it is a rear wheel drive but let's face it - how long does it snow for in England each year? The car is built and designed very well. The things I love the most are the 163bhp, the economy and the look of the car. The thing I dislike is the fuel tank is a very small 51 litres.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

NEVER EVER LET ME DOWN

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Fuel pump failure once. Nothing else has gone wrong

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

first class

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Clutch judder at 4K miles - took BMW agents six months before agreeing to replace under warrenty. Only clutch replaced - not flywheel. 5K miles after clutch judder has returned !

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

The best I have ever owned. Don't have to worry during adverse weather conditions.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Unreliable electrics and some are too susceptible to water ingress

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

No reliability issues

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

No issues

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Only issue has been frozen drivers window in cold weather resulted in auto close losing its setting. Required to go to dealer for reset. This is a design problem on these frameless door cars.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Never had a problem with it. 40,000 miles in, not one fault.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

No problems to date

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

The car meets all my requirements.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Excellent build quality, great handling and more practical than expected. Driving it gives a real feel good factor. Could just do with a little more power

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Previously owned by bmw for use by bmw exec's in the uk it has £17,000 worth of optional factory extras which i love. Downsides: runflat tyres and lack of limited slip diff

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Overall excellant though lacks space in the rear. Great handling & ride, a real drivers car.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Aquality car but economy not as good as expected

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

A great well built car

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

It's ok.economy not as good as expected but overall it works well. not inspiring but good quality

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Have not had the car long enough to judge, but on the whole very satisfied.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Excellent build quality, performance, and handling. Impressed with fuel consumption, however tyres, replacement parts, and manufacturer services are costly.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Quite pleased

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Previous car was a mkv golf gti. The 1er is not quite as practical, almost as fast, has better handling, is more comfortable and goes 50% further on a gallon of fuel. Overall, i think it is great.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

The 1 - series is better looking in the 3 door sport trim that i have. The 116d engine is underpowered, but economical and with sub-120g co2 emissions, it makes economic sense, as a lower tax bill is important as i earn less than i used to. I imagine the 120d would be great fun. Wouldn't choose it if it was my money as too expensive, and 116dsport based on the es model, so has very few standard items, not even a cup holder !!!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Great car to drive generally but sport suspension is a little harsh over bumps. 141 bhp is quicker than expected and cruises nicely on the motorway. M-sport seats are the best seats i have ever sat in, the electric side bolsters are brilliant. We have a 4 year old focus in the household as well and use this if taking passengers on long journeys and if loading the boot up with alot. Rear seat in bmw and boot make the car not as practical but is alot more fun todrive, especially with dct off. Bit of a handful in the winter weather though. Fuel ecomony is around 50mpg which is way off the 62 mpg claimed by bmw even with old person driving. Would buy another one, maybe a 120 or 123d m-sport if price was right.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Fast

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

A triumph of style and manufacturer over practicality. Very uncomfortable compared to a3 and golf, with smaller interior and boot. Poor quality of interior materials compared to the above. On the positive side, it handles like a go-kart, is exceptionally good on fuel and is overall quite good fun to drive. On the downside, the ride is absolutely appalling and i would have given a "0" if possible. If i had test driven on any other road than dual carriageway, i doubt i would have bought the bone shaker (run-flats don't help).

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Performs and handles extremely well. Suspension too hard.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Excellent sporty diesel hatchback - good fun and cheap performance.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

1.Great To drive and the sports seats are very comfortable. 2.Sufficient Performance and good mpg. 3.Not The most practical but for my needs thats no problem. 4.Before Ordering the car i was concerned about reports of hard ride on run flat tyres. I've had no concerns in 60,000 miles and ride quality is perfectly acceptable. 5. As for the tyres; well the original bridgestones lasted for 51,000 miles and i use the handling. 6. I'm thinking of having another 1 series now my 3 year lease is coming to an end.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

As with all bmws the handling and initial performance have been brilliant. And that is as far as it goes. The quality is ok but really does not reflect value for money. I have had issues with the electric windows, the jet washers and now the engine is playing up and will have to be sorted at the due service. For the monthly payments i could get a better built car.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

An excellent, relatively eco-friendly, hatch

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Bmw no thank you

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Generally pleased with car. After 4-5 visits with an auto gearbox problem - this was eventually replaced. Drivers side window motor replaced and currently booked in for park assist fault.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Hugely realiable, comfortable and competent - a joy to drive, particularly on twisty roads. Also surprisingly to cheap to service. Would like a little less turbo lag, and slightly sharper handling (i.e. Sport or msport packages rather than se). Overall very happy with this car.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Mechanically so far so good, but little things like back-seat rattles shouldn't really be there on a what was built as a premium car.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

The car has lived up to my rather high expectations. For a car that is five years old the build quality seems excellent with no bumps or squeaks in the interior. The dealer support that i have received from the network has been excellent, with snagging issues being dealt with promptly. Practicality isn't an issue as i do not have a family although i have moved house in it with no problems. Running costs are a bit steep but i was fully expecting that when i bought the car and on long journeys it has outperformed the claimed figures and my own expectations. I expect to be changing the car in about two years and i fully intent to step up the bmw ladder.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Good all round car. Good performance and economy

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Best bangs per buck . I could not find any other car which gave me the level of performance coupled with the running costs

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I am very happy with my 118d se. It feels really well put together, and everything is well laid out inside. Seat comfort is very good, making light work of 300 miles in one day. The fuel economy isn't quite as good as the manufacturer would claim, but its still pretty good considering the very decent performance on offer. There are only two real drawbacks with the 1-series. One of these is the relative lack of rear seat space. I can understand why bmw have packaged the car as they have, but were i to have to carry rear seat passengers more often i suspect that this would become a real issue for me. The other drawback is the steering, which is a little artificial in feel. Considering that it has electronic, rather than hydraulic, steering its not too bad, but were it to give you better feedback i would feel even happier with the car. Overall, though, i am extremely impressed and would happily buy another bmw in the future.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Running costs are good, handling is fantastic, and the performance whilst not firebreathing is acceptable, considering the £30 ved and is comparable with others ie a3/golf 140tdi.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Look at it as a sports car pretending to be a family hatchback

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Excellent car in terms of drive and equipment, but find the ride a bit too firm. Getting in and out of the back is a bit tricky because of the rear wheel arches, and front seat passengers are often banging their knees on the dashboard.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I hated it and sold it after 5 months of ownership. Never again, I found it overrated. I didn't like the handling, the traction light permanently flashing when I took corners and chewed through tyres. It's geared for motorway driving and isn't great round town. I found it Boring to drive, it had a poor driving position and poor visibility. Also, a drive shaft failed, the exhaust snapped, timing chain was noisy and it needed replacement bushes and wishbones in 5 months of ownership! Before you buy research more than I did.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Great car to drive, solid feeling and fun. Only recently have begun to get some problems but the car never missed a beat for 9 years. Very happy.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

No issues at all

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

So far no problems

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

No problems

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

No problems at all

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

only issue was hydro unit failed which is a known fault.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

No problems.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

No major problems

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Since owning the car a new clutch has been required and therr have been paint issues.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

NEVER LET ME DOWN

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Good car only real let down is the size of the boot. Otherwise happy with it.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Brilliant car, great blend of performance and low running costs. feels a expensive car but does have alot of extras as was a managers demo car before we bought it. really impressed with it and would probably by bmw again. only let down is brake calipers have gone rusty already and bmw wont cover them under warranty because it does effect how they perform.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Expensive but worth it. Wished i had had a 3 door for ease of access as i am a tall big framed person. Really good fuel economy and cheap road tax.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Delightful

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Very dissappointing it should never have been delivered with the body faults that it had and i believe that it should have been exchanged for a completely new car when the faults were pointed out

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Nice, good performance and service at dealer, just propone to punctures

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Great car, always amazed at the economy and love the acceleration and handling.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Lovely finish,smooth engine. nice styling.very firm ride and seat .run flat tyres a nightmare , avoid long journeys on country lanes.Fun To drive handles very nicely.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

It handles like a roller-skate but needs more power. The headlights are poor. All in all it is a competent car but doesn't tick sufficient number of boxes for me.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

High quality premium hatchback and a great drivers car

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Solid car, drives well, a little expensive on petrol and awful in the snow!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Excellent in every way except in heavy snow conditions, it was not as good as my last car which was front wheel drive.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Sporty, economical, an excellent driving car but a bit small to be considered suitable for a family.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

I enjoy driving it as it a comfortable pleasant place to be. While it's not a performance car, it can't be expected to go as one, but it goes reasonably well for a 2.0 diesel.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Well built, economical and good to drive.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Nice drive but too small inside

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Only problem is in poor weather, hopeless in snow

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Excellent balance between value for money, drivability vs performance vs economy and low co2.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Run flat tyres give quite a hard ride Fitted with park distance control but poor all round visibility Lots of blind spots - door pillars and rear window Without pdc would be more like a van

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Good car - poor build quality on the interior. I moved from audi to try out. I think i will be going back to audi or may try landrover who happen to do 4x4's - the performance in the snow was a real let down.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Fell in love with it on the first day! Had to get used to the 6 speed gearbox being stubborn in first gear during cold weather (common issue, no harm, problem vanishes once up to temp) and the stiffer suspension (which is a dream at speeds on a decent country lane) but my god was it a step up from my old A3, the rear wheel drive brings out a sense of effortless power when coming out of a sweeping bend especially when in mid rev range. The engine note is a little raspy, but BMW diesels are known for that. The interior is great if properly specced. Mine came with full leather, heated seats (mainly used to keep pizza warm!), start/stop function and the seat adjustments were great, they even had an option to pump the sides up with air to hug you in the bends. All in all it's a blast, get it remapped, put some decent tyres on it and take it for a spin in the snow for a laugh! Be warned though, the short wheel base is something you need to get used to, plus without the limited slip diff its a hooligan if it does slide, but it gets 7/10 from me.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I saved for a number of years to buy my first car and bought a 4 month old demo car from the dealership with only two miles on the clock. Fast forward ten years and I still have the car and it now has 110,000 miles on the clock. I have had problems with it since day one from the brakes squealing, to the computer system needing replacing, the brakes failing. I have gone car shopping several times since I've had it but due to the massive depreciation didn't have the lump sum needed to buy a new car. I've been told BMW's are reliable and cars for life but deffo not the case with mine. When it works it's great but when something goes wrong which seems to be frequently it's very expensive. I stopped going to the main dealership in the fifth year as found a local garage who specialised in BMW's and whilst not cheap I've received a better service and value for money than I ever did at the main dealership. It's currently waiting to go back to the garage next week for possible head gasket issue and now I've decided to defo get rid but decision I have to make is whether to try my luck and buy another and hope I just had a duff one or move away to Audi A3. When working I love my car, the drive is great, good pick up and it's a good looking car. I have been spoilt by having a BMW and the only other brand which has come close to feeling as luxurious inside the car is Audi but they also cost more. The run flat tyres s have been a god send at times especially when getting a puncture 100 miles from home. Thank goodness for being able to still drive it albeit at 50mph. Have also found a tyre dealer able to fix run flats which helps when it's £100 a tyre otherwise. I would say to buy but only if you aren't on a budget which means no money left to pay for the expensive repairs!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up