[VernM135]

Originally Posted by Panoz

Sorry but I feel that you made some ,pretty much, silly statements above. The fact that u happen to own a relevantly quick car , doesnt mean that all the rest are garbage.

I can say that being also an owner of a 400++hp 335i , I find my baby-116 (M package) to be very very satisfying in terms of power , responsiveness and general driver's feeling.

To answer to OP i must say that the difference between 118 & 116 is quite noticable. If you dont mind the little extra , go for 118.

If u decide for the 116i though u'd certainly not disappointed.
Selecting m/sport package makes quite a change on handling and feeling.

just chill dude, i was making a joke as not to offend the owner of the 116i with my previous statements.
I have no problem with a 116, people that like it can like it, its still a good bmw. personally i just dont like entry level models. hence my suggestion on the thread topic to go for 118i.
in my experience ur car is pretty much seen as a status symbol and having an entry level model doesnt help much. you yourself have a 335, why not show off ur 320? cos its not the same.. u have more confidence showing off a better/faster/etc etc car..that my point. (while not shooting yourself in the foot when buying it)
as i said, i really like the M package..so if it at least looks the part when you can only afford or need a 116.. then

[ovekvam]

The one series is not much of a status symbol, is it? My impression is that the image says "wife-car".

[VernM135]

Originally Posted by ovekvam

The one series is not much of a status symbol, is it? My impression is that the image says "wife-car".

well i dont see you driving a new ferrari or lambo...so it pretty much is a status symbol in your budget range because you are proud enough of it to drive it and spend your money on it and not on a Kia or Citroen

It might be a wife-car but men love it (us included)
its a premium and sporty hot hatch.
Same effect, just like guys want Mini CooperS or JCW..not only women anymore. as soon as it get a sporty appeal, instant man car

the connotation on gender for cars is ever changing as they evolve

Merc A class was a breadbin wife-car, now its hot hatch...and more men want it than ever before

its all about what works for you as the user..all things considered

[ovekvam]

Originally Posted by VernM135

well i dont see you driving a new ferrari or lambo...so it pretty much is a status symbol in your budget range because you are proud enough of it to drive it and spend your money on it and not on a Kia or Citroen

It is almost the other way around. I don't like status symbols. I guess I could afford a Porsche or something like that, but I don't like the symbol value. It would also be difficult to make me wear a Rolex watch. This is why I used to drive an E36 Compact, and now the one series. They have the BMW technology I like, but not as much status value as a 5-series or M3.

If I had an M135i, I would have been tempted to put a 114i badge on it.

[VernM135]

i have to agree though, i dont really like it either, but our society or environment always forces that in some way or at some point unfortunately.
i dont even wear a watch anymore cos people judge you based on that

i just like being unique in some way..

had a cooper S camden with normal mini stripes on the bonnet and GT stripes on the back. also wrapped my air intake...looked totally different to any other mini.

and then took that 118i in liquid blue with the 17" 5spoke mags, (the m sport package wasnt even available yet)...but which i didnt see any other one like that for the time i drove it..now there is a few. best car i've had for that good price. power of a mini and space of a almost-sedan

now my m135 i put on 1 or 2 m performance stuff to make it look different to some of the others i've seen around here. luckily most people take it in white, i havent seen any in silver here

its not so much about having a fast or expensive car...only to have one that i like for the money i allow myself to spend..and basicly getting value for money and personalizing it in some way makes it yours

[ovekvam]

Originally Posted by VernM135

its not so much about having a fast or expensive car...only to have one that i like for the money i allow myself to spend..and basicly getting value for money and personalizing it in some way makes it yours

Yes, I think most of us can agree with that!

[steff_bmw]

Originally Posted by ovekvam

It is almost the other way around. I don't like status symbols. I guess ing like that, but I don't like the symbol value. It would also be difficult to make me wear a Rolex watch. This is why I used to drive an E36 Compact, and now the one series. They have the BMW technology I like, but not as much status value as a 5-series or M3.

If I had an M135i, I would have been tempted to put a 114i badge on it.

Haha still the same I see I just joined here after buying a 116i and noticed your name I thought maybe it is him.... read a few posts and it is you lol.... how u doing ove it is steff e30 320 se 1990red with the old slushbox from gus' s bmwe30.net site from scotland.. (what happened to that site btw) . Are you still doing your ice racing ?

Anyway hope everythings good with you you were the man on e30's... and in some ways I miss them.. anyhow upwards and onwards.

Real men do it in the corners OO=00=OO

[ovekvam]

Originally Posted by steff_bmw

Haha still the same I see I just joined here after buying a 116i and noticed your name I thought maybe it is him.... read a few posts and it is you lol.... how u doing ove it is steff e30 320 se 1990red with the old slushbox from gus' s bmwe30.net site from scotland.. (what happened to that site btw) . Are you still doing your ice racing ?

Anyway hope everythings good with you you were the man on e30's... and in some ways I miss them.. anyhow upwards and onwards.

Real men do it in the corners OO=00=OO

Hi there!
I'm doing fine. Still participating in track days on ice, of course. The F20 is great fun in slippery conditions, even without a proper limited slip differential. It has great balance and quick steering. Too bad about the sluggish throttle response, though.

The E30 forum faded out when the cars got too old, and most people moved on to newer cars. But I still miss my old 318iS as well.

[AusF20/F48]

Some may say it is the budget range, but times are changing
In this new world where compact cars are now predominant, the 1er now attracts those who would not have considered a smaller car before. (me)
For not a lot of money, the 1er would be considered by many people as an affordable 'quality brand' they would like to get into.
In the world of performance and drivability the 1er also fits in pretty well (125i and M135i) are a budget priced quick.
I bought my 125i M Sport as it fitted what I was looking for at present. Hatchback, well engineered, fairly quick and affordable.

I think most people would be happy to have a 1er as their daily drive.

[steff_bmw]

Originally Posted by ovekvam

Hi there!
I'm doing fine. Still participating in track days on ice, of course. The F20 is great fun in slippery conditions, even without a proper limited slip differential. It has great balance and quick steering. Too bad about the sluggish throttle response, though.

The E30 forum faded out when the cars got too old, and most people moved on to newer cars. But I still miss my old 318iS as well.

Im glad your doing well nice to hear.

I agree the steering on this is very good its very direct. I must admit the throttle response is shocking. I was used to that in the old auto e30 hit the kickdown and then wait then you were off. But even that old e30 had constant power delivered through the staight six m20 (? cant remember now) engine.. slower but smooth. Anyway im just getting used to this car just now.

Yeah Gus did say he would move on and people would buy newer cars. Did you see the 2 old E30 M3 evo's "barn find" left in storage with the delivery miles on them

Question for you . the OBD I pressume there a plug in bluetooth adaptor you can purchase and run some software on your mobile. What software and what connector

[ovekvam]

Originally Posted by steff_bmw

Did you see the 2 old E30 M3 evo's "barn find" left in storage with the delivery miles on them

Question for you . the OBD I pressume there a plug in bluetooth adaptor you can purchase and run some software on your mobile. What software and what connector

Didn't see the barn find.

About the OBD, there are plenty of bluetooth connectors available, for instance from Deal Extreme. They should be marked ELM327. Some of the cheaper ones are however copies, which might cause some incompatibility. I use an app called Torque to look at diagnostics and read values from the car. My lap timer (RaceChrono) can also tap into it when measuring 0-100 and things like that.

I do have one issue with my OBD-connection. I can not read engine speed (RPM) for some reason. It could be due to a cheap bluetooth connector, but I suspect it is something else, as I see many (all?) have the same problem. Maybe BMW is not sending this signal according to the normal standard.

That means that apps making V8 engine sound will not work.

[steff_bmw]

Originally Posted by ovekvam

Didn't see the barn find.

About the OBD, there are plenty of bluetooth connectors available, for instance from Deal Extreme. They should be marked ELM327. Some of the cheaper ones are however copies, which might cause some incompatibility. I use an app called Torque to look at diagnostics and read values from the car. My lap timer (RaceChrono) can also tap into it when measuring 0-100 and things like that.

I do have one issue with my OBD-connection. I can not read engine speed (RPM) for some reason. It could be due to a cheap bluetooth connector, but I suspect it is something else, as I see many (all?) have the same problem. Maybe BMW is not sending this signal according to the normal standard.

That means that apps making V8 engine sound will not work.

hmm I will look into that .. ebay here I come, I need to buy that and a set of matts. And consider howto get a car mobile phone bluetooth setup going.. I have the phone symbol on the steering wheel but my Audio is the business CD / radio ? slightly confused... Just checked I think I only have the e87? Date of manufacture 2010 for mine the F20's didnt start till 2011 I beleive. Doh schoolboy error there.... please moderators can I still post here?

What winter tyres do you recomment for these cars? if i remeber correclty you used to go on about the Nokian hakapellitta tyres. Thinking of buying a cheap set of wheels with winter tyres on

[ovekvam]

Originally Posted by steff_bmw

What winter tyres do you recomment for these cars? if i remeber correclty you used to go on about the Nokian hakapellitta tyres. Thinking of buying a cheap set of wheels with winter tyres on

I recommend Michelin X-Ice Xi3. The Nokians are slightly too soft for my taste. They make the traction control and stability systems kick in way too early. The Michelins last significantly longer as well. The grip levels are about the same.

[Vervain]

Originally Posted by AusF20

Some may say it is the budget range, but times are changing
In this new world where compact cars are now predominant, the 1er now attracts those who would not have considered a smaller car before. (me)
For not a lot of money, the 1er would be considered by many people as an affordable 'quality brand' they would like to get into.
In the world of performance and drivability the 1er also fits in pretty well (125i and M135i) are a budget priced quick.
I bought my 125i M Sport as it fitted what I was looking for at present. Hatchback, well engineered, fairly quick and affordable.

I think most people would be happy to have a 1er as their daily drive.

Yeah you're right. The 1 series makes so much of sense. A quality drive at a good price. People just need convincing to move into a smaller car especially since they don't make use of all the space in their larger sedans and SUVs..

[RMech]

Hi All,

Before buying my 116i M Sport, I read a lot of forums to try to understand whether the 116i would be powerful enough for me, or whether I should be considering the 118i.

I just thought that I should post this comment, for anyone who may be in my position in the future.

I found this video very helpful, where the 116i and 118i are compared back to back.

I would also like to point out that, although there are obviously faster 1 series, (not least the M135i, which gets a LOT of support on the forum), I have personally found the performance of the 116i very impressive.

With a great balance between performance and cost (especially running costs) I am a very happy 116i owner. I tested the 0-60 mph acceleration and found that it was under 8 seconds, which is very good considering that mine is a steptronic.

I know that Ovevkam tested his 116i and got 138 bhp at the rear wheels, which depending on the efficiency of the gearbox must be considerably higher at the crank.

This website below estimates that it would be nearer 180 hp at the crank rather than the 136 hp that BMW states.

http://www.mk5cortinaestate.co.uk/calculator4.php

I hope this is helpful for anyone considering a 116i.

Happy Driving!

[Vervain]

Originally Posted by RMech

Hi All,

Before buying my 116i M Sport, I read a lot of forums to try to understand whether the 116i would be powerful enough for me, or whether I should be considering the 118i.

I just thought that I should post this comment, for anyone who may be in my position in the future.

I found this video very helpful, where the 116i and 118i are compared back to back.

I would also like to point out that, although there are obviously faster 1 series, (not least the M135i, which gets a LOT of support on the forum), I have personally found the performance of the 116i very impressive.

With a great balance between performance and cost (especially running costs) I am a very happy 116i owner. I tested the 0-60 mph acceleration and found that it was under 8 seconds, which is very good considering that mine is a steptronic.

I know that Ovevkam tested his 116i and got 138 bhp at the rear wheels, which depending on the efficiency of the gearbox must be considerably higher at the crank.

This website below estimates that it would be nearer 180 hp at the crank rather than the 136 hp that BMW states.

http://www.mk5cortinaestate.co.uk/calculator4.php

I hope this is helpful for anyone considering a 116i.

Happy Driving!

Yeah I believe BMWs are underrated in general.

FWIW, I ended up going with the Audi A3...

[No one]

Originally Posted by RMech

Hi All,

Before buying my 116i M Sport, I read a lot of forums to try to understand whether the 116i would be powerful enough for me, or whether I should be considering the 118i.

Hi,

Not to ruin anyone's joy, I would still notice self-convincing is an escape from reality. You should simply choose the better, if you can. If you can't, well, that's it. No fairy tales. "To express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself... That, my friend, is very hard to do."

Happy driving!

[RMech]

Originally Posted by No one

Hi,

Not to ruin anyone's joy, I would still notice self-convincing is an escape from reality. You should simply choose the better, if you can. If you can't, well, that's it. No fairy tales. "To express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself... That, my friend, is very hard to do."

Happy driving!

Hi No one,

I'm not trying to self convince, I'm trying to give a balanced view on the 116i. I read so much negativity about performance, that I thought perhaps it would be terrible to drive. The reality is, that it performs much better than I hoped.

Obviously if we have unlimited resources, we choose (on the whole) the nicest things we can afford, but most of us choose some sort of compromise. My budget would have allowed me a 118i sport or a 116i M Sport. I chose the M Sport and am certain I made the right choice, because I'm very happy with the 116i performance.

I'm not trying to say that the 118i is not faster than the 116i, I'm simply saying that for other who have a limited budget, they should not underestimate the bang for buck that the 116i provides (as I did).

Just look at the video to see the difference between 116i and 118i in the real world.

I'm just trying to share the benefit of my research for anyone who may think the the 116i is sufficient for them, but like myself has been alarmed by comments on forums, that make it sounds underpowered (usually from M135i owners).

[No one]

Hi RMech,

Originally Posted by RMech

I'm trying to give a balanced view on the 116i. I read so much negativity about performance, that I thought perhaps it would be terrible to drive. The reality is, that it performs much better than I hoped.

My comment was not about your being pleased with 116i, it was about your attempt to compare it with 118i.

My 118i is a huge performance improvement over my previous car but if I could choose a 125i (the M Performance power upgrade is a must for it ) instead I simply would, even though the difference is far smaller. My point is it's just no use looking at performance figures if you can't go past the price ones.

Originally Posted by RMech

My budget would have allowed me a 118i sport or a 116i M Sport. I chose the M Sport and am certain I made the right choice, because I'm very happy with the 116i performance.

You appear so much concerned about performance (in this and another thread) that I would suggest you chose wrong, but you know yourself better, of course!

I can confirm the value of M-Sport package (the optional M-Sport brakes mustn't be overlooked!) but if I had the similar choice against a 125i... Anyway, setup against performance is not performance against performance, is it?

Originally Posted by RMech

Just look at the video to see the difference between 116i and 118i in the real world.

Too much of a gap, IMHO. They must be biased. If that is "almost the same" then what are different planets?

Originally Posted by RMech

comments on forums, that make it sounds underpowered (usually from M135i owners).

It is. By the comparison. Comments from M135i owners on lower versions are worth nothing. If they say "just the same thing!" would you really buy that?

[ovekvam]

With 138 hp at the rear hubs, the power at the crank is probably somewhere around 150 hp.

I can afford any F20 I want, but I would take the 116i again. Actually next time I want the 3 cylinder version. I don't really need more power, so why waste money on it? The 114i seems slightly underpowered for my needs, but the 116i is just right.

[Kiwi]

Originally Posted by ovekvam

It is almost the other way around. I don't like status symbols. I guess I could afford a Porsche or something like that, but I don't like the symbol value. It would also be difficult to make me wear a Rolex watch. This is why I used to drive an E36 Compact, and now the one series. They have the BMW technology I like, but not as much status value as a 5-series or M3.

If I had an M135i, I would have been tempted to put a 114i badge on it.

Why worry about what others think or believe. You don't go out and buy an item because of the status symbol of it, well we don't in New Zealand. We buy because we enjoy the product. If you would like a Porsche or Rolex then buy them.

Their's a so called entry model for every product and I don't see the 116i as an entry model I see someone who has purchased to suit their needs.

[RMech]

Originally Posted by Vervain

Yeah I believe BMWs are underrated in general.

FWIW, I ended up going with the Audi A3...

Hi Vervain,

The A3 seems like a really nice car. In fact this review rated it as better than the 1 series.

I'm assuming you are happy with it?

What attracted you?

I'm just curious as to what spec you went for in the end i.e. closer to 116i or 118i ha ha?