BMW 1-Series Forum (F20) 135i - 1Addicts.com > Second Generation 1 Series Forum > 2012 BMW 1-Series Sporthatch (F20) Discussion > How is the ride quality in the 1 series?
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      09-12-2015, 11:15 AM   #1
Tamasine
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How is the ride quality in the 1 series?

I live in an area with quite a lot of uneven roads and speed bumps. I've driven a Mini previously and I was used to being jostled around any time I went over less than good roads. I'm guessing that was because of the short wheelbase and harder suspension.

I really like the F20 series but was wondering if you folks find the ride quality and comfort ok? (especially those who have to drive around town on bad roads). Do runflats make it much worse, or are they much better now than they used to be?

Thanks! Sorry my first post is a newbie question.
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      09-12-2015, 12:01 PM   #2
ovekvam
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I drive an F20 with M Sport suspension, and find it rather comfortable. A lot better than any Mini. I do not have runflats, and my experience is that the difference is significant, but the comfort is not all that bad with runflats either. They are beter than they used to be, but still not good enough in my opinion.
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      09-12-2015, 02:50 PM   #3
padders
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Adaptive ride makes a big difference. If you are that concerned, either get a model with std (non M-sport) suspension, go for smaller dia wheels or pay the extra for the adaptive dampers. I think my 125d rides really well to be honest, even on 18" wheels. The gen 3 RFTs are streets ahead of the gen 2 rock hard things
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      09-12-2015, 02:57 PM   #4
ovekvam
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Just for the record, I do not have adaptive suspension, and I don't like it. For me, the comfort setting makes the dampers too soft for the springs. The non adaptive M Sport suspension is spot on when new, but our car with 35000 km is starting to become a bit too soft.
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      09-12-2015, 03:25 PM   #5
Tamasine
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Thanks. Well I was thinking about either a 116i or 118i Sport which would have 17" run flats (plus automatic transmission). So this would be the standard suspension?
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      09-12-2015, 04:02 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tamasine View Post
Thanks. Well I was thinking about either a 116i or 118i Sport which would have 17" run flats (plus automatic transmission). So this would be the standard suspension?
You can select between standard suspension, sport suspension or adaptive suspension. I think there is also a rather rare performance suspension available.
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      09-12-2015, 05:55 PM   #7
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I think something has to be said for how comfortable the seats are. I mean, pop your car into SPORT and you'll feel the suspension firm up and the bumps feel more pronounced. However, it remains comfortable and that has to be in part thanks to the seats

EDIT: I should note having had both run flat tyres (on my 116D) and normal tyres (on my M135i)... well, with the low profile both types have reinforced side walls and are at 38 psi but I guess the non run flat tyres seemed a little smoother on the same roads.
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Last edited by matthewcornish; 09-12-2015 at 06:03 PM.. Reason: Tyre talk
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      09-13-2015, 12:28 PM   #8
padders
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On my LCI at least, recommended tyre pressures for 225/245 18" mixed tyres of any kind is 32/35 so I should imagine you are losing fillings if you run 38psi all round...
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      09-13-2015, 02:00 PM   #9
Tamasine
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I've watched a couple of 1 series reviews and both reviewers said that the ride was good. One of them also praised the sports seats, which may tie into what you have said.

I used my Mini in Sport mode all the time and will probably be doing the same in the F20 if I get it



Quote:
Originally Posted by matthewcornish View Post
I think something has to be said for how comfortable the seats are. I mean, pop your car into SPORT and you'll feel the suspension firm up and the bumps feel more pronounced. However, it remains comfortable and that has to be in part thanks to the seats

EDIT: I should note having had both run flat tyres (on my 116D) and normal tyres (on my M135i)... well, with the low profile both types have reinforced side walls and are at 38 psi but I guess the non run flat tyres seemed a little smoother on the same roads.
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      09-13-2015, 04:44 PM   #10
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Just test drive different models with different configuration and you can decide easier!
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      09-14-2015, 04:19 AM   #11
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I think the sports seats are a must have....many long distance drives with my wife and I ...and she will attest to this! Unless handling is a "must have", I'd be wary of getting a car with too low a profile tyre, especially if they're run flats. IMHO, low profile run flats can be the biggest factor in poor ride quality.
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      09-14-2015, 06:06 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by padders View Post
On my LCI at least, recommended tyre pressures for 225/245 18" mixed tyres of any kind is 32/35 so I should imagine you are losing fillings if you run 38psi all round...
Sorry, it's 35psi on mine for 18" and 38psi for 19"
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      09-14-2015, 09:02 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by padders View Post
On my LCI at least, recommended tyre pressures for 225/245 18" mixed tyres of any kind is 32/35 so I should imagine you are losing fillings if you run 38psi all round...
That's the lightly-loaded (minimum) recommendation though isn't it? Driving with any real enthusiasm causes accelerated edge wear with pressures that low on mine.
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      09-14-2015, 11:31 PM   #14
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I'm from Surrey.. I still have my truck there (pics attached).
If you're worried about bad roads then don't get low profile tyres or run flats, may be get a cheap 4x4? I got the truck because I was pee'd off with all the speed humps, and I can still drive normally in severe snow which is good when <1" of snow stops trains, buses and everything else. The snow picture was taken in Dorking. BMWs are crap in the snow, so I wouldn't even attempt driving it if it does snow. Very risky.
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      09-15-2015, 01:28 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dishy View Post
BMWs are crap in the snow, so I wouldn't even attempt driving it if it does snow. Very risky.
Well, maybe compared to the monster truck, but compared to normal cars, BMWs are doing well in snow. They have close to 50/50 weight distribution, which is good for balance in the corners. I think they handle very well in slippery conditions.
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      09-15-2015, 02:38 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ovekvam View Post
Well, maybe compared to the monster truck, but compared to normal cars, BMWs are doing well in snow. They have close to 50/50 weight distribution, which is good for balance in the corners. I think they handle very well in slippery conditions.
100% agree.

Last winter i have tested my F20 with my A3 and Seat Leon.

F20 was the one that could climb the highest and longest. I could have even made it to the top but had to stop since the road became too narrow and the rear end started to shake badly (was afraid of a rear end scrub) since all assist systems were off.

The F20 had Nokian winter tires while A3 had Bridgestone winter and Leon had some random winter.
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      09-15-2015, 07:51 AM   #17
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Actually I was going to ask about driving in wet/icy conditions. It's one of the things that I'm a bit wary of. To be honest, I don't drive fast in bad conditions so hopefully it would be fine in the rain. Ice - I've been told I would need to switch to winter tyres - is this true?

As for wheels/tyres - if I bought a Sport 116i it would come with 17" runflats as standard. The SE comes with 16" non runflats which I'd prefer but the seats don't look very supportive at all compared with the ones in the Sport.
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      09-15-2015, 09:36 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tamasine View Post
Actually I was going to ask about driving in wet/icy conditions. It's one of the things that I'm a bit wary of. To be honest, I don't drive fast in bad conditions so hopefully it would be fine in the rain. Ice - I've been told I would need to switch to winter tyres - is this true?

As for wheels/tyres - if I bought a Sport 116i it would come with 17" runflats as standard. The SE comes with 16" non runflats which I'd prefer but the seats don't look very supportive at all compared with the ones in the Sport.
That is true. My M pack 3 (2015) could not climb 1% slope with its 18" tires.
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      09-15-2015, 12:55 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by dishy View Post
I'm from Surrey.. I still have my truck there (pics attached).
You should be ashamed (of the truck). Consider this: Top Gear Season 10 Episode 4 - Botswana Special (I guess it was the first and only time I had ever heard of Surrey until it was mentioned on this forum).

Quote:
Originally Posted by ovekvam View Post
Well, maybe compared to the monster truck, but compared to normal cars, BMWs are doing well in snow. They have close to 50/50 weight distribution, which is good for balance in the corners. I think they handle very well in slippery conditions.
I totally agree. My car does surprisingly well in snowdrifts. I even tend to go too fast in snow/mud conditions which is certainly dangerous.

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Originally Posted by Tamasine View Post
Ice - I've been told I would need to switch to winter tyres - is this true?
Absolutely. Just choose those winter tyres properly. My Nokian Hakkapeliitta R (OEM winter wheels set) behave poorly (float around) in temperatures above zero (say, 4 C) and terribly in the very wet (as if on the slipperiest ice). Yet much better in cold. You might need some "light" winter tyres I would guess.
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      09-16-2015, 11:33 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ovekvam View Post
Well, maybe compared to the monster truck, but compared to normal cars, BMWs are doing well in snow. They have close to 50/50 weight distribution, which is good for balance in the corners. I think they handle very well in slippery conditions.
No, trust me when I say BMWs are bad in the snow. May be a better word to use is absolutely pathetic. I have been stuck behind a few BMWs, in snow conditions where snow was on the road. I don't mean the tarmac was wet and it was currently snowing. I'm talking about snow laying on the ground and the car driving over it.
The BMW was not able to drive quicker than a walking pace. During this time, I had plenty of time to look at the turning rear wheels of the BMW in front of me. I could see the traction control kicking in, basically stopping any power going to the rear wheels. Then after some time, traction control would ease off, the rear wheels would begin to slip, the rear end of the car would marginally begin to slip away due to the camber of the road, then traction control cuts back in. All of this happening repeatedly over and over every 10 - 20 seconds or so if I remember rightly, which reduces the car to a walking pace. Mind you, this was in 2010 so may be things have improved since then. But I think BMWs are like this because of the toe-in on the rear wheels. To begin with, the rear wheels do not point directly forward. This is to make the car stable in a straight line but it is not good in the snow. Bear in mind, the OP is not going to be rally driving a car to get it to go where they want to go. Traction loss is deemed as reckless, anyway.

Quote:
Originally Posted by No one View Post
You should be ashamed (of the truck). Consider this: Top Gear Season 10 Episode 4 - Botswana Special
Why mate? I've owned it since 2008, now it's my mums daily driver. I've driven that to Fife, Scotland and back in 3 days, through blizzards where snow was settling on the motorway. No problems. Even has the rare fishnet Recaro interior. The only thing I am not too pleased with is the ancient 3.0 turbo Diesel it runs although it runs happily on vegetable oil (when it's cheap enough to buy).

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Originally Posted by No one View Post

I totally agree. My car does surprisingly well in snowdrifts. I even tend to go too fast in snow/mud conditions which is certainly dangerous.
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      09-17-2015, 12:51 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dishy View Post
No, trust me when I say BMWs are bad in the snow. May be a better word to use is absolutely pathetic. I have been stuck behind a few BMWs, in snow conditions where snow was on the road. I don't mean the tarmac was wet and it was currently snowing. I'm talking about snow laying on the ground and the car driving over it.
The BMW was not able to drive quicker than a walking pace. During this time, I had plenty of time to look at the turning rear wheels of the BMW in front of me. I could see the traction control kicking in, basically stopping any power going to the rear wheels. Then after some time, traction control would ease off, the rear wheels would begin to slip, the rear end of the car would marginally begin to slip away due to the camber of the road, then traction control cuts back in. All of this happening repeatedly over and over every 10 - 20 seconds or so if I remember rightly, which reduces the car to a walking pace. Mind you, this was in 2010 so may be things have improved since then. But I think BMWs are like this because of the toe-in on the rear wheels. To begin with, the rear wheels do not point directly forward. This is to make the car stable in a straight line but it is not good in the snow. Bear in mind, the OP is not going to be rally driving a car to get it to go where they want to go. Traction loss is deemed as reckless, anyway.
The traction you have in slippery conditions is mostly down to tyre choice. When you compare normal one wheel drive cars with the same tyres fitted, the difference is mostly down to weight distribution. Since BMWs have 50/50, and most FWD cars are significantly front heavy, there is a difference in handling. The BMWs are better balanced, and can go faster in the corners on snow without skidding off. We also have an advantage in steep uphill climbs, particularly with weight in the back (luggage, people or a trailer or caravan).

The FWD cars have a slight traction advantage in extremely slippery conditions on flat ground. As long as the car has decent tyres, this situation is usually never an issue, as you always have traction of flat ground. I have been driving BMWs in Norwegian winters since last millennium, and I have never been stuck on public roads.

Regarding the toe in for the rear wheels, that is something all cars have.
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      09-17-2015, 02:55 AM   #22
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If it snows I probably won't take any car out as I don't need it for work and having driven in snow it's not something I would want to do until it clears.

What if it's just heavy rain, lashing down? As long as I drive sensibly would I notice any difference driving the BMW with RWD to a Mini with FWD? Would it handle any differently, especially round corners or roundabouts (again, assuming I'm not driving too fast)?
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