BMW 116i 2012 Review

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $36,900
Options fitted (not included in above price): Nil
Crash rating: Five-star (Euro NCAP)
Fuel: 95 RON ULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 5.7
CO2 emissions (g/km): 132
Also consider: Audi A1 (from $26,500); Hyundai Veloster + (from $27,990); Volkswagen Golf (from $21,990)

There's a school of thought that for any BMW to be truly 'the ultimate driving machine', it should displace at least 2.5 litres and boast more than four cylinders. That has been an argument hard to refute since the advent of electronic stability and traction control systems — in the years since the 2002 Ti and the 318iS.

How can the 1 Series, Munich's most basic car in the current (F20) line-up, manage to balance the conflicting needs of environment and safety with driveability in the modern context?

As it turned out the bare-bones 116i on test managed to meet those disparate needs quite well. Granted it was no tyre burner, but nor was it completely starved of performance in a straight line — and there's some compensation in the car's cornering dynamics, which would beguile most drivers.

The BMW's steering felt light at lower speeds, but offered impressive levels of feedback through the wheel once the car was committed to changing direction. Don't forget either; this is an electrically-assisted steering system. Response to input from the driver was immediate — there's simply no better word for it. Flowing on from the BMW's optimal weight distribution and properly sorted suspension the 116i's handling was as near neutral as you will experience in any car at this price level. Grip was outstanding, needless to say, and as the car approached its limits of adhesion it would let the driver know with some complaint from the (front) tyres, but little else. In one really tight corner the stability control fired up, but other than a mild easing of power there were no other symptoms.

The car's lack of body roll and absence of handling vices more than offset any misgivings about the 116i's ride comfort, which was not as firm as BMW's marketplace reputation would have you believe. Ride quality was firm rather than sharp. It would absorb smaller irregularities without qualm and kept the wheels properly in contact with the bitumen over the lumpier stuff.

Like the steering from on-centre, the brake pedal feel was sudden until the driver adjusted to it. In contrast, the power delivery from the turbocharged 1.6-litre engine didn't feel especially gutsy. Turbo lag wasn't a problem to any significant degree, but there was no more surge of power than one might expect of some 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated engines around — and many of those will better the 100kW output of the BMW engine. We're certain some drivers will prefer to leave the car's drivetrain settings (BMW's Driver Experience Control) in 'Sport' mode.

But if the 116i seems down on power, it makes up for it with torque, and the little BMW coped well with different 'environmental' demands. There was enough torque available, for instance, for the car's cruise control to maintain a speed of 80km/h (just under 2000rpm in fifth gear) up a steep hill, which was impressive in itself. That's all thanks to the 116i's spread of torque: 220Nm from 1350 up to 4300rpm. And the car consequently required little effort to just dawdle away from a standing start. Performance motoring, on the other hand, warranted a little more determination from the driver. The BMW would launch quickly provided the engine was revved up around 3000rpm; it's an engine that's largely about mid-range urge. It won't pull out stumps from 1800rpm, but nor is it a screamer. In fact, while the engine is refined right up to the redline, the driver will probably change up from around 5500rpm rather than wait for the last thousand revs. The length of time it takes for the engine to reach its peak speed is a function of gearing also.

That higher-ratio gearing did help with economy and fuel consumption of course. Spending no more than a few minutes on a freeway during the days in our possession, the BMW used as little as 9.0L/100km — and that was with more call for turbocharged induction than was entirely necessary for running around town. As a bonus the frugal fuel use didn't stand in the way of driving satisfaction. One constituent element of the BMW's package that contributed to the lower fuel consumption was the idle stop-start facility, which is one of the better systems around, but the starter was quite apparent cranking over the engine when the light turned to green.

In respect of other NVH-related points, the 116i was very quiet in the cabin at speed. There was no drivetrain noise cruising and the slightest rustle of wind was overpowered by a modicum of road noise. Even on country roads noise from the tyres was subdued. The engine itself is throaty at lower revs, but mostly the turbocharger damps the engine note to what would be acceptable levels for most 1 Series drivers.

Behind the wheel those typical 1 Series drivers won't necessarily appreciate the efforts of BMW designers to achieve the best possible ergonomics. Some drivers will be happy just to motor down to the coffee shop and be seen in a BMW, without concern for instrument legibility or placement of switchgear.

But should the 18-year old F1 aspirant in the family be relegated to driving the 116i for the day, there's a conventional handbrake lever precisely where it should be — next to the driver's left thigh — and the steering wheel has the right rim and diameter to suit most drivers. For some the spacing between the pedals is a little too close — and the clutch pedal is not removed far enough from the footrest on the left. The brake pedal is too high and defeats heel-and-toe, if that's your bag. Shift quality from the manual six-speeder is largely what you would expect from a BMW; the gates are narrow and tight. We've sampled better, frankly, with the BMW requiring more force than other manual boxes. Audi's Q3 SUV makes a better fist of changing gear, in the view of this writer.

Seats were well shaped, but firm in the cushion. In the rear they were quite flat and not at all inviting. Rear-seat accommodation was better by a significant margin than the previous (E87) model of 1 Series five-door. There was headroom enough for real, live adults, and the knee room and legroom were at least adequate for adults also, although still a bit tight. This is where the 1 Series, prestige badge notwithstanding, is on par with cheaper cars in the VFACTS light-car segment.

The boot space was handy, but where one might expect a spare tyre sitting below the boot floor in the front-drive hatch the 116i offered... a battery? Where's the tyre?

While the 116i is good value, based on its core qualities, there are comfort and convenience features missing from the car's equipment list — and they are features you will find in cheaper cars. The danger for BMW is that target buyers for the 116i might also be target buyers for — and we hesitate to mention this — Hyundai's Veloster +. While the quirky Hyundai doesn't properly compare with the BMW in the driving satisfaction, it certainly delivers more kit. The 116i didn't match the Veloster's auto-on headlights, for example, or reverse-parking sensors, heated fold-in side mirrors, climate control and Bluetooth audio streaming. That last one, for this writer, was a glaring omission. There's just one significant element lacking in the Veloster's armoury that the BMW does have... cachet. But anecdotal evidence suggests more people prefer the Hyundai's styling.

All that said, if you really like pedalling a car hard when the whim takes you, but still need a practical daily driver that won't rattle your bones over bumps, the 116i is the best choice for (just) under $37,000. The question remaining then is this: Do you fit the target buyer type for the car?

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