Faults:

One time the clutch juddered while pulling away at a roundabout. Could've been user error though.

General Comments:

I hired this car for two weeks while I was visiting the UK from Australia. The price of the rental was less than I'd pay for a Toyota Corolla in Australia. Collected in London, driven down to Cornwall, then up to Newcastle, down to Nottingham, then back to London.

I have a 2007 Ford Focus 2.0L turbo diesel 6 speed manual back in Australia; whilst the BMW was quieter and more refined, it didn't have the power the Focus has. I had to get in the habit of changing down a gear to pass other vehicles on the motorways or go up mild gradients; something I rarely have to do in the Focus. It was akin to driving a 1.8L or 2.0L (non turbo) petrol. I put this down to the fact it's a motor in a lesser state of tune than the 118d/120d/125d, and also being a tight new engine.

This mention about the performance isn't a criticism at all, as it suited me fine for the style of driving I was undertaking. It was a 'stripper' model compared to the version of the current 1 Series sold in Australia, which (in diesel form) is only available as the 118d and comes with kit the 116d I hired doesn't such as leather 'look' seats as opposed to fabric like my 116d in the UK had. I'd be quite happy to buy this 116d in Australia if it was available though, as the 1 Series sold here starts in the upper $40K bracket I believe and is classed as a 'premium' car.

I saw only one 114d while I was in the UK; the first thing I noticed was now small the wheels looked.

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

Brilliant performance with handling to match, in fact I think it could handle more.

Build quality is faultless.

It will hit 37.2 mpg on a motorway run at 70mph, but mixed driving will normally reach 25mpg.

Automatic is excellent, much better than the DSG alternatives as the automatic is purely that. With the double clutch, change ups are instant.

Tyres are expensive, £425 per pair. Rear ones last 10k.

A lot quicker than I thought, it's won a lot of traffic light take offs and some top end races.

Faults:

ABS sensors failed four times.

Suspension squeak.

Airbag warning light illuminated due to poor connection.

Dash buttons fall off!

General Comments:

Owning this little car has been an unpleasant experience, and has resulted in 12 months of hassle!

My previous Rovers, MGs and Hondas were far more reliable.

The BMW is very uncomfortable and not a very nice place to spend any amount of time.

Avoid the 1 Series, it's the most overrated car on the road!

Faults:

Nothing at all.

General Comments:

A fantastic car that prides itself on its handling. The car hugs the road and despite trying, I cannot get the car to go sideways, it corners like it is on rails.

Excellent fuel ecomony too. A tank of diesel will do 450 miles very easily...500+ miles if driven sensibly.

The 118D is a much faster and responsive engine than the 116i engine as well.

Diesel models are a much better than petrol models and their value in the used car market reflects this. It is definitely worth investing in a diesel.