BMW 118i

[blearyeyedboy]

Dear PH Agony Aunts and Uncles,

I'm looking for a Golf-sized replacement for my venerable ten year old Octavia vRS. I don't need as big a boot and I fancy a change from VAG products. After postponing "the next car" three times already for other life events, I'm hoping I finally sort it out!

I'm probably looking at £12-15k depending on how much I scrape together and I did think I was aiming for a Focus ST2... but blearyeyedgirl finds the Recaros uncomfortable. I'm a bit gutted, to be honest, but she needs to be comfortable enough to drive in it too. I was looking at warm saloons but we hope to get a dog soon, so changing a car twice would be an unnecessary pain.

What to do? I want:

• something 4-5 years old (we'll be keeping the car a long time, at least 5 years. I don't need Corolla levels of reliability but it needs to be reasonable.)
• a big enough boot to get a spaniel sized mongrel into.
• 5 doors (baby with childseat, 3 doors would be a pain.)
• 5 star NCAP. My family's going in this wagon.
• I'd like something a little fun. It needs sufficient poke, but fun is more important than poke. Practicality does triumph fun though.

I drive 10-12k miles a year so a diesel makes no sense. (And a lot of my work mileage is stop-start too. I carry a lot of kit so no, I can't use a bicycle. )

So my funds don't stretch to a BMW 125i (and definitely not to a M135i unless it's extremely dodgy)... but I was surprised by the quoted performance of a 118i. It wouldn't keep up with most hot hatches of today but 7.4s to 60 isn't too shabby, and similar to my Octavia vRS.

I'd always shied away from "poverty spec" BMW's with more badge than ability, but it makes sense in my head.

So, dear PH Massive:

• Am I bonkers for considering a 118i? Of course I'd love a 135i but for my budget it isn't happening. I'm not expecting Elise or even Golf GTi thrills but something a little fun to get around in would be nice.

• Does anyone have good or bad experiences of the N13/Prince engine? Online messages vary between incredible praise to vitriol. Some sites imply (but don't show) that BMW had fewer problems than PSA cars. Is there any basis for this or is it just badge prejudice?

• Are there better options than a BMW 118i? Happy to consider estates as well as hatches, but anything bigger than the Octavia won't work for me, and something slightly smaller would be preferred. Anything smaller than a Focus/Golf etc won't be enough for my needs.

Thanks for listening to my waffle,

Blearyeyedboy

[blearyeyedboy]

darren f said:

I cannot comment too much on the alternative options, but I have had a 118i on a rental as a 'stop gap' company car for my 3-month probationary period in a new job. It is a 56 plate 'Sport' trim level (I think)

Thanks for the response and the info. Is that the Mk1, or is "56" plate a typo? (I'm on about the Mk 2 here.)

[blearyeyedboy]

Thanks Darren F. Very helpful.

Thanks all. I think you've convinced me that I'm on the wrong track with this one. Maybe a 125i, but probably not a 118i. Leases aren't going to be right for me; I'm probably going to keep something for at least another 5 years. In 16 years, I'm on my 4th car.

The boot is curiously bigger than a Focus hatch! I learn something new every day...

Hmm... an Alfa Cloverleaf at 12ish thousand? That might work...

[blearyeyedboy]

^ Yes, and I'd love one, but rear doors are a must. Need to get a child seat in and out, and while you can do it with a 3 door it'd be a pain.

Shame they don't do a Megane RS 5 door, but then many purists would lynch me for that thought.

The Alfa Cloverleaf appeals but I'm not convinced its electrics and turbo would last v well once it's nearing 10 years old. Maybe I'm being harsh on Alfa here but warranty claims seem quite high.

Edited by blearyeyedboy on Monday 23 May 21:22

[blearyeyedboy]

Nickbrapp said:

Why not a newer Octavia VRS?

The stupid idea that I fancied a change, but perhaps it might be the best option.

[blearyeyedboy]

Interesting thoughts, thanks all.

As for the "I wouldn't spend xxx on...", I take your point but I've budgeted very carefully and considered what/why/how much. £15k might be pushing it; nearer £12k is more likely but it depends on how a few things pan out in the next few months. I'm no company director sort and I'm more fat than powerfully built - I have a realistic grasp of what I can afford and I'm careful.

Some of it is hubris- it's nice to spend big chunks of my day sitting in something nice- but badges don't appeal to me. How nice an environment something is to be in, how fun (or not) it is to drive and how practical/reliable it'll be to run are all interesting.

Ali_T said:

No thanks. Too many friends and neighbours with horribly problematic German cars to be bothered with the hassle. The days of German reliability have long past. If you want something that won't go wrong, buy a Lexus. It'll probably last forever but, there's the problem. You'll be bored senseless for the rest of eternity!

Ali, I've heard you enthuse about your Giulietta several times. They're clearly not the rustbuckets they were but still seem to feature low down in reliability/satisfaction surveys. What is it that makes you so happy with yours? (And how would you convince others to try them in the face of that feedback?)

[blearyeyedboy]

Don't you just hate it when OP's change their criteria...?

Update- no car bought yet but I think this thread's steered me away from the BMW 118i. It doesn't offer what I'm after.

I might be crackers but both I and Blearyeyedgirl are quite taken with Giuliettas at the moment. Surprisingly decent crash test results too so I can feel a bit happier carrying Blearyeyedbaby in it too. Decent enough boot too... Now I just need to convince myself that reliability isn't *that* bad- not exactly class leading but it's no duffer. Bit worried about turbos going but if you do enough internet research then nearly everything goes wrong apart from Corollas and 90s Mercs... or that's what I keep telling myself anyway...

Watch this space... until the next time I completely change my mind about what I want!