Discussion
I rented one of these in Gran Canaria last week - a new one, had only done 3k miles. I like BMWs in general and it was certainly a better hire car than most of the others on offer.
However, the drivetrain was simply appalling. I was driving it out of the rental area in the airport and there was a steep slope. 2nd already felt quite tall coming out of the car park and as I tried to ascend the slope in 2nd it simply could not get going. It required 1st in a number of situations where it really shouldn't and it also required a fair amount of revs for a diesel to get it going from a standstill (presumably due to the DMF).
The car handled well on mountain roads although needed very careful gear selection (which again I would not expect with a diesel engine car - it seemed to have all the negative characteristics of one without the positives...)
I can't help thinking that BMW have made something to be "efficient" which hasn't worked out. I've not had much experience driving their lower powered models but if I'd spent my money on it I'd be seriously hacked off (although I guess a quick test drive would have sent me elsewhere).
Am I being unreasonable or is this thing a lemon?
However, the drivetrain was simply appalling. I was driving it out of the rental area in the airport and there was a steep slope. 2nd already felt quite tall coming out of the car park and as I tried to ascend the slope in 2nd it simply could not get going. It required 1st in a number of situations where it really shouldn't and it also required a fair amount of revs for a diesel to get it going from a standstill (presumably due to the DMF).
The car handled well on mountain roads although needed very careful gear selection (which again I would not expect with a diesel engine car - it seemed to have all the negative characteristics of one without the positives...)
I can't help thinking that BMW have made something to be "efficient" which hasn't worked out. I've not had much experience driving their lower powered models but if I'd spent my money on it I'd be seriously hacked off (although I guess a quick test drive would have sent me elsewhere).
Am I being unreasonable or is this thing a lemon?
I think that is how most current BMWs are! They drive badly because they are totally focussed on economy and low emissions for low road tax!
I had an F56 Mini Cooper with the 3 cylinder turbo engine as a courtesy car last year.
It sounded like a diesel, was totally gutless unless you revved the nuts off it at which point it went OK even if it did still sound horrible, but by then it was drinking like Oliver Reed!
My OH has an R56 Cooper with the 4 cylinder non-turbo engine. It drives so much better, quieter, smoother and virtually as quick.
Probably not as economical on the Gov. tests and higher emissions, but I'd happily pay a bit more on road tax to get a car that drives properly!
To be fair, I doubt BMW are alone in this - VAG like good results in official tests I believe
I had an F56 Mini Cooper with the 3 cylinder turbo engine as a courtesy car last year.
It sounded like a diesel, was totally gutless unless you revved the nuts off it at which point it went OK even if it did still sound horrible, but by then it was drinking like Oliver Reed!
My OH has an R56 Cooper with the 4 cylinder non-turbo engine. It drives so much better, quieter, smoother and virtually as quick.
Probably not as economical on the Gov. tests and higher emissions, but I'd happily pay a bit more on road tax to get a car that drives properly!
To be fair, I doubt BMW are alone in this - VAG like good results in official tests I believe
DocSteve said:
I can't help thinking that BMW have made something to be "efficient" which hasn't worked out. I've not had much experience driving their lower powered models but if I'd spent my money on it I'd be seriously hacked off (although I guess a quick test drive would have sent me elsewhere).
Am I being unreasonable or is this thing a lemon?
We recently bought a Mini Cooper D for my OH, which shares the engine with the 116d. She is a relatively nervous driver so an S or SD wouldn't have worked, but against expectations I actually enjoy driving her Cooper D. It does weigh 130kg less than a 116d so the engine has less work to do, but I don't find it slow. It has a little over a third of the power of my 335d (which I think you have also) to put this in context. Am I being unreasonable or is this thing a lemon?
I also find the 116i loan cars I get on occasion to be pretty good. These share their engine with the Mini Cooper petrol.
For me at least, the small BMW engines (which are all turbocharged these days) are a huge improvement on the previous generation of small non-turbo engines, which felt utterly gutless at low revs. I recall driving a friend's company 2008 E91 320i and hating the way it needed to be revved to get going - it felt like you had left the handbrake on.
I won't be rushing out to replace my 335d with a 316d - I'm sure I'll stick with 6 cylinders, but I actually like the entire current range of engines.
Be grateful you didn't do the mountain roads in a Polo 1.0TSi - I still have callisters from all the gear-changing.
I'm looking at the 118d as a second-car hence stumbling across this thread. Well the 116d is missing a cylinder so the cr8p performance is as a expected for a budget rental car.
I'm looking at the 118d as a second-car hence stumbling across this thread. Well the 116d is missing a cylinder so the cr8p performance is as a expected for a budget rental car.
Thinking about it, I suspect this was a 116d ED - which has exactly the same engine and badge as the 116d but with very long gearing, hence the OP's difficulty in going up a slope in 2nd. The ED has better official fuel consumption / CO2 figures so there may be a tax advantage over the ordinary model.
3 cylinders plus long gearing doesn't sound a very clever combination.
3 cylinders plus long gearing doesn't sound a very clever combination.
DocSteve said:
I rented one of these in Gran Canaria last week - a new one, had only done 3k miles. I like BMWs in general and it was certainly a better hire car than most of the others on offer.
However, the drivetrain was simply appalling. I was driving it out of the rental area in the airport and there was a steep slope. 2nd already felt quite tall coming out of the car park and as I tried to ascend the slope in 2nd it simply could not get going. It required 1st in a number of situations where it really shouldn't and it also required a fair amount of revs for a diesel to get it going from a standstill (presumably due to the DMF).
The car handled well on mountain roads although needed very careful gear selection (which again I would not expect with a diesel engine car - it seemed to have all the negative characteristics of one without the positives...)
I can't help thinking that BMW have made something to be "efficient" which hasn't worked out. I've not had much experience driving their lower powered models but if I'd spent my money on it I'd be seriously hacked off (although I guess a quick test drive would have sent me elsewhere).
Am I being unreasonable or is this thing a lemon?
My father had one of these 116d's as a loaner, pending his delayed new car. Circumstances led me to have to return it, from Wales to the dealership in Devon. However, the drivetrain was simply appalling. I was driving it out of the rental area in the airport and there was a steep slope. 2nd already felt quite tall coming out of the car park and as I tried to ascend the slope in 2nd it simply could not get going. It required 1st in a number of situations where it really shouldn't and it also required a fair amount of revs for a diesel to get it going from a standstill (presumably due to the DMF).
The car handled well on mountain roads although needed very careful gear selection (which again I would not expect with a diesel engine car - it seemed to have all the negative characteristics of one without the positives...)
I can't help thinking that BMW have made something to be "efficient" which hasn't worked out. I've not had much experience driving their lower powered models but if I'd spent my money on it I'd be seriously hacked off (although I guess a quick test drive would have sent me elsewhere).
Am I being unreasonable or is this thing a lemon?
It was horrible, something felt wrong about ride, the handling, as you say performance was shoddy.
I've driven other 1 series, not particularly good, but nothing like this dreadful car.
What was absurd was that it had advertising for the dealership on the side, but it was advertising for the 118d ; maybe even the car knew it was a wrong un
335d said:
Thinking about it, I suspect this was a 116d ED - which has exactly the same engine and badge as the 116d but with very long gearing, hence the OP's difficulty in going up a slope in 2nd. The ED has better official fuel consumption / CO2 figures so there may be a tax advantage over the ordinary model.
3 cylinders plus long gearing doesn't sound a very clever combination.
Hi - I did some research whilst I was out there (much to the, err, amusement of the wife) and I am pretty sure it was the ED model. The long gearing made it really crap. I did attempt to further amuse the OH by doing a Clarkson impression in a car park, explaining how the car was dangerous and should be banned as driving it in a car park in 2nd required maintaining an indecent speed. I think it was lost on her.... 3 cylinders plus long gearing doesn't sound a very clever combination.
I have a 116d ED as a work hack, albeit the 4 cylinder version. Handles, rides and steers quite well, it's lower than the standard 116d. Goes okay in 'sport', but yes with very long gearing it feels more underpowered than it is. It's really underwhelming when you have stepped out of a warmer car. At least it's rear wheel drive and you can notice it if you really really try.. and there is something rewarding about driving slow cars quickly!
Sidewindow said:
I have a 116d ED as a work hack, albeit the 4 cylinder version. Handles, rides and steers quite well, it's lower than the standard 116d. Goes okay in 'sport', but yes with very long gearing it feels more underpowered than it is. It's really underwhelming when you have stepped out of a warmer car. At least it's rear wheel drive and you can notice it if you really really try.. and there is something rewarding about driving slow cars quickly!
Agree about the handing etc - there's nothing that goes like a rental as we all know... Non RFTs were noted which helped. However, I don't expect to have to slot the thing into 1st when someone in front is taking a tight corner or roundabout rather slowly. It seemed to have a sweet spot around 3k rpm. My Suzuki Swift Sport would have given it a good run for its money and been a hell of a lot more fun. Why anyone would buy one of these things is beyond me.
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