[ovekvam]

Today I had a drive in a 218i Active Tourer, to compare it to our 116i. On paper these cars have some similarities, with the same power output and torque. Both cars with 6 speed manual transmission, and both equipped with M-Sport suspension.

My main reason to test it, was to see what the new 3 cylinder engine was like, and to see how well BMW has implemented front wheel drive.

The engine sounds better than the inline four in the F20, but they both have a noticeable and annoying turbo lag. The 3 cylinder engine is perhaps slightly more responsive. It also feels stronger at high RPM, where the F20 runs out of breath close to the redline. Both engines are set up to pull strongly at very low RPM.

The gearbox was a pleasant surprise. The throw is significantly shorter, and the 218i has automatic rev matching that works surprisingly well. I am old enough to know how to do this manually, but enjoyed letting the car do it. It was both quicker and more precise than I could have done it.

So far, the 218i is easily ahead.

But it has some flaws. It feels top heavy and less sporty to drive. The driving position is also too high, and the sport seats are not as good as in the F20. The new steering wheel (also used in new F20/F21) felt cheaper to touch, but I liked that the rim was less thick. It also looks better than the old one.

The steering does not have any pull when front wheels break traction, like older FWD cars had. It does of course have some understeer under power, and the steering feel is rather vague on the limit compared to the F20, but not bad for a FWD car.

The suspension seemed to be harsher than in the F20, and there was slightly more road noise, but this could all be caused by the run flat tyres the car was equipped with. I don't have that on the F20.

The brake pedal was more sensitive than in the F20, needing a lighter touch. I can't say that one is better than the other, it is more a matter of habit. You'll get used to it. I didn't get to push the car to see what the brakes are good for when they get really warm.

As on all newer BMWs, the blinker stalk is a bit awkward. To indicate left-right in a roundabout, you need three actions. On most non-BMWs, two is enough.

So my verdict is that the car is not bad, but I prefer the F20. Looking forward to the new 3 cylinder engine in the facelift version, and I hope it has the auto rev matching. (And I usually don't like automatic stuff)