Bmw 1 series?

[Ryan.123]

Considering getting a 1 series 118i m sport, 2007-11 model, roughly 50k mileage

Just curious on any problems people may have had, good things and bad things about the car or whatnot, or if there is a better option for rougly 140bhp?

Also, does the fact that it is just petrol injection rather than a turbo injection play a role in how the car performs?

Any help would be great thanks

[helix402]

Afraid they have a very unreliable engine, the N43. Prone to coil, injector, low pressure fuel rail sensor faults and faulty timing chains.

Have a look on baby bmw forum. A reliable 1 series from that era is the 130i.

[aka_kerrly]

I'd try looking for a a 125i or 130i as the 6 cylinder petrol engines are so so much better than the 4cylinder N series lumps or dare I say it, Id sooner have a 120D.

[RS.123]

Wish i could go for a more powerful engine but insurance is too much as per, also dont do much motorway and long distance driving so would be more suitable to have a petrol rather than a diesel, saves the dpf problems etc,

Do these problems tend to happen to a lot of people or is it just from personal experience?

[aka_kerrly]

Sadly it's reasonably common if you look on BabyBMW. I know 2 of my mates have had 318/118i N engines , one had a headgasket failure for no apparent reason and the other ones vanos timing gear failed after he had spent a small fortune on umpteen different sensors that specialists kept telling him to replace rather than just taking the rocker cover off and actually doing some investigating.

They are strange engines, they can sound smooth at idle but under load don't feel like free revving engines an seem restrained in some way and when combined with an auto box really aren't economical.

How big is the difference in insurance/? If it's a few hundred quid I would assume you would save money in the long run because a 6 cylinder BMW will ALWAYS be more desirable come resell time which helps offset the higher purchase/insurance cost.

[RS.123]

aka_kerrly said:

Sadly it's reasonably common if you look on BabyBMW. I know 2 of my mates have had 318/118i N engines , one had a headgasket failure for no apparent reason and the other ones vanos timing gear failed after he had spent a small fortune on umpteen different sensors that specialists kept telling him to replace rather than just taking the rocker cover off and actually doing some investigating.

They are strange engines, they can sound smooth at idle but under load don't feel like free revving engines an seem restrained in some way and when combined with an auto box really aren't economical.

How big is the difference in insurance/? If it's a few hundred quid I would assume you would save money in the long run because a 6 cylinder BMW will ALWAYS be more desirable come resell time which helps offset the higher purchase/insurance cost.

Insurance is a considerable amount more as not got many years no claims, plus trying trying to keep on a budget for the car and no 125i or 130i are showing up for what i want to spend

If not a 1 series any thoughts on the 1.4 petrol VW sciroccos or 1.4 seat leon mk2’s, both running around 125bhp?

[Smuler]

RS.123 said:

Insurance is a considerable amount more as not got many years no claims, plus trying trying to keep on a budget for the car and no 125i or 130i are showing up for what i want to spend

If not a 1 series any thoughts on the 1.4 petrol VW sciroccos or 1.4 seat leon mk2’s, both running around 125bhp?

I had several 1 series (probably a generation on from your 2011) as loan-cars in period 2014-2016. They were 118s, some petrol and some diesel.
They were dreadful to drive, preferred it when BMW loaned me a Mini. Much more fun and more steering feel.

I don't know your budget, but sub 50k miles 2011 118i's on A/trader seem to be up to 9.5k; approved used minis of the higher spec started at less than 7k£

[helix402]

Another option is a pre N47 120d with the reliable M47. Not the 118d due to the weak diff.

[bearman68]

So, in summary OP, you are being advised.

1) 4 cylinder petrol engines are crap - nice at idle, but rough and underperforming under load.
2) Are unrelaible and cost a fortune to run.
3) Don't get a 120d, becuase the N47 engine is rubbish, and has loads of problems.
4) Diesel engines earlier than the N47 have dodgy diffs.

So remind me again, quite what is the attraction of the BM?

[Mike335i]

I'm not so sure you should write them off so readily, many Internet stories of failing engines and they are not known for being that good, but neither are the VW tsi engines for that matter. If you get one it could be fine, it might not be. I would still consider a well maintained and warrantied one.

As for the fuel injected vs turbo question, they will feel quite different. Technically they are all fuel injected so I'll just assume the question is turbo or non turbo. The newer turbo engines pack a lot more punch in the lower and mid ranges, so they feel much faster more of the time. As they don't need to be revved as hard to make decent forward progress, the theory is they would use less fuel. Reality is you would really use a similar amount!

[aka_kerrly]

RS.123 said:

Insurance is a considerable amount more as not got many years no claims, plus trying trying to keep on a budget for the car and no 125i or 130i are showing up for what i want to spend

If not a 1 series any thoughts on the 1.4 petrol VW sciroccos or 1.4 seat leon mk2’s, both running around 125bhp?

What exactly is it about the 1 series that draws you to it? Is it the requirement of a hatchback and the lure of rear wheel drive? Have you tried insurance quotes on E9X 3 series or perhaps older 1/3 series BMWs and saving some cash as a contingency fund to replace a few bits that perhaps aren't ready to fail on a newer 2009-11 age car?

If you're worried about size difference, i was surprised to find a E91 3 series coupe/estate are barely 25- 30cm longer than a 1 series hatch.

In terms of the Scirocco an Leon, as FWD go they are good chassis & good cars. I've only driven variants with the 2.0TFSI engine and enjoyed both, the Sciroccos low seating position combined with a low sloping roof line really make the car shrink around you where as the Leon has one of the tallest most angled windscreens I've seen that give a really decent view of the road ahead. Clearly the Leon is hugely more practical than a Scirroco and if that matters then its a no brainer, if a 3door is acceptable a Scirocco is better to look at, significantly rarer and has a much smarter interior as the Leon centre console/stereo area looks so cheap and nasty it really spoils the whole inside for me.

[Mattiebmw]

I've got a 2008 120i msport, bought 4 years ago on 72k it's now on 188k. I've had the oil changed half way through the service intervals and never really had any problems. Not the fastest car in the world but has done me ok

[Mr Tidy]

I bought a September 07 123d in January 08 as a pre-reg, so less than 20 miles recorded when I picked it up.

Great car, pretty quick for a diesel but after 6 years or so I started to worry about the N47 horror stories so I sold it at 81K miles.

I've only had straight 6 petrol BMs since then, but not all N47's are going to grenade - although a warranty would be reassuring!

If you find one you like why not take a chance OP?

[iSore]

Ryan.123 said:

Considering getting a 1 series 118i m sport, 2007-11 model, roughly 50k mileage

Don't, they're a disaster. N43 2.0 engine of death with a list of problems as long as your arm. You name it. it goes wrong.

Find yourself a low mileage 118d or 120d with the M47N engine, made up to 07 plate. Now that's a cracking car.

[iSore]

helix402 said:

Afraid they have a very unreliable engine, the N43. Prone to coil, injector, low pressure fuel rail sensor faults and faulty timing chains.

Have a look on baby bmw forum. A reliable 1 series from that era is the 130i.

Add to that a new up and coming fault, the electronic oil pressure solenoid behind the alternator. These can fail resulting in dramatic and sudden loss of oil pressure. I've just sold a crank and a set of rods to a garage rebuilding one that shat itself in this manner.

To think, only seven years previously, BMW were building the M44 twin cam - the one that never seems to go wrong even after 20 years.

[helix402]

iSore said:

Add to that a new up and coming fault, the electronic oil pressure solenoid behind the alternator. These can fail resulting in dramatic and sudden loss of oil pressure. I've just sold a crank and a set of rods to a garage rebuilding one that shat itself in this manner.

To think, only seven years previously, BMW were building the M44 twin cam - the one that never seems to go wrong even after 20 years.

Another fault to add to the list! Now what about the good old M10? I remember when I was an apprentice my mentor moaning about the “new fangled” M40.

[iSore]

M40's were okay, easy to work on and pretty tolerant of neglect and rattly cams if you never changed the oil!

[justinio]

Op it doesnt matter what car you fancy. There will be horror stories all over the internet convincing you that your making a huge mistake.

I say if you want one, go for it, and slap a warranty on there for a bit of peace of mind.

[QuiteQuietCerb]

120d with a remap you won’t tegret it