Let me start by saying this. I really do like the BMW 1 Series. You can say that I like every aspect of it. But some people tend to not agree with me on that.
In my humble opinion, the refreshed BMW 1 Series is a car with many qualities and almost no flaws. Before we jump into some of the reasons why I love the 1 Series Facelift, here are a few things about me. I’m young, in my twenties, I’m tall, I mean really tall (6″5 or 2 meters) and I love sporty rides. Aside from the tall part, I pretty much fit the profile of a 1 Series customer.
The BMW 1 Series was released back in since 2004. Successor to the BMW Compact, it has been produced in four different body styles. We had the coupe, convertible, hatchback and the three-door hatchback as well. The first two moved up to the 2 Series class, while the hatchbacks are still sold under the 1 Series badge.
With these being said, here are the five things why the 1 Series excites me.
1. Fun times with the Rear-Wheel Drive
Unlike the Mercedes-Benz A-Class or the Audi A1, the BMW 1 Series remains the only premium compact model with rear-wheel drive. It allows all the young people the means to a hooning style of ownership, with a near perfect 50:50 weight distribution and at an affordable price for a premium RWD. It’s fun in the summer and it’s a riot in winter. With the proper winter tires.
2. It has the looks
When the first generation was released, the wedge shaped 1 Series lured me instantly to its unmistakable design. It looked elongated (for a hatchback sized vehicle that is) and premium. The 1 Series also had a lot of sportiness added to its exterior design, especially in the three-quarter view and rear-end. With the second-generation and consequently the facelift model, the design has matured and evolved, so now the high-performance fully matches the design.
3. Interior Space
For a tall guy I feel comfortable in the 1 Series. The position behind the steering wheel is completely natural with plenty of legroom and elbow space. You can easily drive the car, the center console doesn’t get in the way, you can reach the pedals with ease and getting in and out of it is an effortless task. My experience is mostly with the three-door version, so it might be a bit different with five-door models, but overall, the car offers tall people lots of space.
4. Luxury Feeling
Yes, a 30 000 euros vehicle should offer that luxury feeling. But the 1 Series offers even more than that, starting with LED lights, navigation, automatic climate control, parking sensors and a whole lot of trim and upholstery options. On some more equipped models, the leather is as premium as its bigger siblings, the M-Sport steering wheel is of high quality materials and the cabin is just as luxurious as sporty.
5. Performance Levels
While the BMW 1 Series is mostly a city oriented car, it does pack a pretty nice punch in both the four and six-cylinder configurations. For example, even the BMW 118i in the earlier generation delivers performance driving. The BMW M135i is of course the pinnacle of the 1 Series and its performance has been praised by many journalists from around the world.
