RE: Shed Buying Guide | BMW 1 Series (E87)
Discussion
Shiv_P said:
B'stard Child said:
Aug 2nd hopefully I’ll collect a 2013 125i coupe - looking forward to that as the new daily driver that Mrs BC approves of........
2013 coupe? I thought the new shape 1series was out by then?JakeT said:
Correct. The Coupe ran from 2007-2013. Can still get one or two of them as an approved used one. 
Yeah wanted late model - Less than 60 K Miles - no sunroof - full leather no colour pref - factory Sat Nav and any colour but blackMrs BC criteria - Full Black Leather - Black Paint
You can guess what colour paint and leather it has
The design has aged pretty well, I was surprised a couple of months back noticing a 1 series being crushed in the scrapyard just past Herne Hill that the train tracks run alongside when going into London, thought they would hold value a bit better and wouldn't be SOTW material just yet.
JakeT said:
A 2007 125i with 225,000 miles, sunroof, no nav, and beige cloth seats in beige metallic?
Sounds like a great spec. I really like the late nav in these cars. Useful, and works really well all over Europe.
You haven’t met Mrs BC Sounds like a great spec. I really like the late nav in these cars. Useful, and works really well all over Europe.
Good shout thou you nearly got my idea spec spot on
NicoG said:
This article reads as if to say they are expensive disasters waiting to happen - Is there a single part or system of the car NOT cited as having a problem??
That said, they're everywhere, so can't be that bad....
There is a big car yard near me run by several Polish guys where part exchange cars from garages who don't want them go to die. They always have a few 1 series around and I get all nostalgic for my E46 and think about running one as a shed as I look around when I am bored on a Saturday afternoon.That said, they're everywhere, so can't be that bad....
Last time I was there they were struggling to start a diesel one series, when they finally got it going the engine stank and it was shaking itself to pieces. They had a tidy looking 120i and the guy saw me take an interest so gave me the key and said "take it for a drive, see what you think"
It started easily enough but it just felt like an engine that wasn't 100% happy. Idle was not quite right and it felt like it wanted to stall as I pulled away. Gearbox was not very nice, much stiffer than I thought it would be. To be honest I was not impressed at all and I do think they are just disasters waiting to happen.
Still remember a friend of mine who was a bit of a badge snob and just after getting a decent job (well as good as an avg young'un) went out and bought himself a brand new bottom spec, no options 116i! And it cost him over 16k. Literally no spec. No rear leg room, cramped in the front as well and soooo slow.
Amazing what people put up with for a badge.
Was back and forth to the garage a lot as well. Though he did keep for 5 years.
Think he's got over the badge thing now. Has a subaru xv
Amazing what people put up with for a badge.
Was back and forth to the garage a lot as well. Though he did keep for 5 years.
Think he's got over the badge thing now. Has a subaru xv
My wifes had a 120d SE for 3 years now and I don't rate it at all. We were going to get an M version but the ride was absolutely shocking. Goes very well and does 40-50 mpg and steering handling isn't bad. Seats are poor, I don't like this era of BMW switchgear, it's ugly as sin and I would suggest anybody contemplating buying one listens for sloshing noises from the rear as the hollow axles fill up with water (no I'm not kidding). Boots fill up with water and fry the parking sensors, fuse box connection comes lose and cuts the engine (and servo) under hard braking.
Back in the late 00s, I was looking for a replacement for my VW Passat company car and these were on the list. I could have specced one up very nicely, but the build quality was shocking. Really cheap inside. In the end, I never got to order a Passat replacement as the company pulled out of the UK - but my next job gave me a Mk6 Golf GT-TSI (the twin-charged one). Whilst it may not have had the RWD dynamics of the BMW, build quality was in a different league (we just won't talk about the self-destructing TSI engines or the exploding DSG boxes - once they were fixed it was fine)
Joey Deacon said:
Gearbox was not very nice, much stiffer than I thought it would be.
In my experience, they all do that, sir.it just seems to be how modern-ish manual BMWs are. I've had a manual E90 and F30, and neither had very nice gearboxes, to the point that they gave no pleasure at all to use. Stiff, heavy, agricultural feeling shift action, horribly heavy clutch, and the delay valve in the hydraulics made smooth 1st to 2nd gearchanges a complete lottery even after 60,000 miles of familiarity. I used to dread getting stuck in traffic in both of them, as the effort required to drive them smoothly was just ridiculous, and the outcome still hit and miss. It was like being a learner driver all over again.
Always struck me as odd from a manufacturer which generally gets control weights otherwise pretty much spot on.
NicoG said:
This article reads as if to say they are expensive disasters waiting to happen - Is there a single part or system of the car NOT cited as having a problem??
That said, they're everywhere, so can't be that bad...
I think the 118d does a genuine 60+mpg on the motorway? - Be interesting to hear if long-term owner can confirm or deny that....
They are that bad! my local specialist has one a week for a new chain and head work. My son has a 120D M sport that popped its turbo because of a split plastic breather pipe. He loves it though and regularly sees 61 mpg at the pump! That said, they're everywhere, so can't be that bad...
I think the 118d does a genuine 60+mpg on the motorway? - Be interesting to hear if long-term owner can confirm or deny that....
For something that's supposed to have 'German reliability' it appears that's a lot of s
te. So many problems throughout it's life. The price of becoming mainstream while still trying to appear Premium? Accountants rather than Engineers at the top? I see the 1 series mentioned a lot and I've even considered one myself in the past but looking at this article, I'm steering well clear!
te. So many problems throughout it's life. The price of becoming mainstream while still trying to appear Premium? Accountants rather than Engineers at the top? I see the 1 series mentioned a lot and I've even considered one myself in the past but looking at this article, I'm steering well clear!I bought a 2004 E46 320Td Compact in 2005, and got invited to the E87 facelift launch at BMW when they were still in Bracknell.
Tried a 120d M-Sport and really liked it, but I wasn't quite ready for a change.
But over Xmas 2007 I went to look at a pre-registered 57 plate 123d, and sure enough put a deposit on it!
It was a 123dSE "Dynamic" which meant it had SE styling and 17" wheels, but M-Sport suspension and half-leather M-Sport seats which were really comfortable - even on a 600+ mile trip to France in one day.
It was pretty quick, but not very exciting. It handled and rode well, and was very refined once on the move.
I kept it for over 6 years and 81K miles, but was no longer doing business miles and kept reading about N47 engine cam-chain horror stories so it had to go as it had no warranty and BMW goodwill had ended!
But in the time I had it all it had apart from routine servicing and tyres were 2 LED number plate bulbs, an AGM battery at 4.5 years and a starter motor at 6 years. The battery needed coding to the car so cost over £250 fitted, and the starter motor was over £600! As I couldn't help thinking the stop/start might have been a factor I turned it off every time I used the car after that - although it was probably too late by then!
It was still on the original wiper blades, discs and pads when I sold it (plenty of Motorway use) and averaged 48.7 mpg (calculated, not from the OBC).
I couldn't really fault it, although I didn't realise when I bought it that the 123d had lower gearing then the contemporary 120d to enhance the performance difference so it could possibly have been more economical on Motorways.
But if I really needed a diesel now I'd buy a pre-facelift 120d with the M47 engine as they seem to have less issues.
In 2014 I replaced it with an E46 325ti Compact, which is what I should have bought when I got my 320td Compact.
The 325ti was just so much more fun to drive, even if it wasn't any quicker than the 123d.
Gearchange quality seems to vary hugely on manual BMWs, but my 123d probably had the smoothest and least obstructive change of the 7 manual BMWs I've had so far.
So if I ever bought another E8* 1 Series it would have to be a 130i hatch or a re-mapped 125i Coupe.
Tried a 120d M-Sport and really liked it, but I wasn't quite ready for a change.
But over Xmas 2007 I went to look at a pre-registered 57 plate 123d, and sure enough put a deposit on it!
It was a 123dSE "Dynamic" which meant it had SE styling and 17" wheels, but M-Sport suspension and half-leather M-Sport seats which were really comfortable - even on a 600+ mile trip to France in one day.
It was pretty quick, but not very exciting. It handled and rode well, and was very refined once on the move.
I kept it for over 6 years and 81K miles, but was no longer doing business miles and kept reading about N47 engine cam-chain horror stories so it had to go as it had no warranty and BMW goodwill had ended!
But in the time I had it all it had apart from routine servicing and tyres were 2 LED number plate bulbs, an AGM battery at 4.5 years and a starter motor at 6 years. The battery needed coding to the car so cost over £250 fitted, and the starter motor was over £600! As I couldn't help thinking the stop/start might have been a factor I turned it off every time I used the car after that - although it was probably too late by then!
It was still on the original wiper blades, discs and pads when I sold it (plenty of Motorway use) and averaged 48.7 mpg (calculated, not from the OBC).
I couldn't really fault it, although I didn't realise when I bought it that the 123d had lower gearing then the contemporary 120d to enhance the performance difference so it could possibly have been more economical on Motorways.
But if I really needed a diesel now I'd buy a pre-facelift 120d with the M47 engine as they seem to have less issues.
In 2014 I replaced it with an E46 325ti Compact, which is what I should have bought when I got my 320td Compact.
The 325ti was just so much more fun to drive, even if it wasn't any quicker than the 123d.
Gearchange quality seems to vary hugely on manual BMWs, but my 123d probably had the smoothest and least obstructive change of the 7 manual BMWs I've had so far.
So if I ever bought another E8* 1 Series it would have to be a 130i hatch or a re-mapped 125i Coupe.
Edited by Mr Tidy on Friday 26th July 00:39
This is all well and good but the ones to go for are the 130i in either SE or M Sport trim. Properly quick, wonderfully sonorous, naturally aspirated, straight six, with a 6 speed manual gearbox. This was the first car I owned that made me want to get up and go for early morning drives before the dawdling brigade woke up.
What a fantastic car. The only thing it lacked was a limited slip differential, an issue which Quaife can ably fix for the motivated owner. Oh, and maybe a set of bigger brakes if you're really after it.
Highly recommended. A power slideable hot-hatch?! Abso-freakin-lutely!
What a fantastic car. The only thing it lacked was a limited slip differential, an issue which Quaife can ably fix for the motivated owner. Oh, and maybe a set of bigger brakes if you're really after it.
Highly recommended. A power slideable hot-hatch?! Abso-freakin-lutely!
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