So 9 months in and my 118i continues to impress me as a commuter car and general runabout. My commute is in excess of 150 miles round trip, and overall it’s a smooth, comfortable and fun car to be in. It has all the benefits of a light, agile town car coupled with all the comfort I need for these longer trips. The black cloth sports seats are really comfortable with just the right amount of support, in fact the most comfortable seats I have sat in on any car in this class. It seems to be a car capable of both the town stuff and the long distance comfort. Features are basic but adequate although having a rear camera plus cruise control are additional features I appreciate having especially for the demands I throw at it. Power wise the 1.5 B38 has more than adequate power for cruising, with long gearing in 6th to make cruising effortless and enough on tap to have fun in sports mode. Reliability wise, just one warranty claim for the manual seat adjuster that stuck and needed a complete replacement mechanism. It doesn’t seem to use a drop of oil. If I am to be picky, the negatives are fuel consumption (not as good as its rivals, averaging 40mpg with a mix of town and motorway journeys), some surface scratches on the glass and some of the panels (almost like the previous owner used a scouring pad to wash it), and the fact it’s a manual is not ideal for London. Having said that I also love the manual for its rawness and fun factor. When I purchased it I noted Bridgestone tires all round, but after purchase noticed it had Potenza RFT on the front and Turanza (non RFT) on the back. Surprised as it was a BMW Approved Used car so would have expected tires all round being RFT. I’ve lived with them and the Turanza’s are approaching replacement, so will change them for suitable mid range or premium run flats. I’ve done what I can to improve the cosmetics, and most wouldn’t notice the scratches and imperfections (just me being OCD). I’ve done what I can to polish them out to a degree. Having said that the car presents fine and it’s perfect as a tool for fuss free motoring. My M5 is cosmetically in far better condition. Overall, great car, combining a great fun factor, manoeuvrability, long distance comfort and practicality perfect for the job at hand.
Last of the rwd fun small hatchbacks. A mate has had a 118d Sport auto for almost 10 years and is struggling to know what to replace it with when the time comes.
Sounds like it is serving you well. I know the love / hate relationships with the manual - I love mine and my Mini had to be manual, but when I am in traffic I wish it was auto and it would also be more economical then! You must do a similar commute to one of my colleagues who does 180 miles a day from the new forest to the top of the m3 in his Leon FR touring....
It is a fun car to drive, even after my short time with my Mini Cooper. Always look forward to travelling in it. An M140i must be an absolute hoot, but I am happy with what I have as a commuting / work tool (and lower running costs). And it means I am not reliant on trains which are so unreliable and expensive (£100 round journey including train fare, station parking, and underground). I pay only a third of that using the car.
Yes very similar. I join at junction 13 of the M3 and commute right up onto the M25 and then M4 into London. Round trip is roughly 150 miles. Normal traffic means about 2 hours but this week been beating records and doing it in about 80-90 minutes due to lack of traffic (school holidays). The M3 is not a bad motorway most of the time. As for the manual, I pretty much took the car as it was and compromised on the auto, as they seem to not stick around in the dealer network for long. Mine had a better spec than most with the rear camera and cruise control, and the price and timing was right at the time. It's a fun thing to drive; might consider a short throw gear knob at some point.
I tjink to get from the M3 to the M4 takes you past my very prominent place of work.... I have also been making good time this week but partly because the office is so quiet i have done part days. May also have used the Mini so I could get a tan on the way home!
