Buying A BMW 1 Series

[Matt0503]

Hi ,guys im new to this forum so not sure if posted in right place(sorry if not). Right so im 17( yes i know 17 year old with a BMW... bear with me) got my license 2 months after 17 birthday and not been able to afford insurance. I was looking at cars like a corsa 1.2 or toyota yaris/aygo. But insurance is really high for me (£2,600) so i looked on autotrader and fell in love with the e87 1 series. I thought to myself that theres no way i could afford insurance for that. Turns out its only £400 more (£3000) so im set to get a 1 series. Problem is im stuck with a 116i because its cheapest on insurance. But i dont know what to look at. Im really into cars so know basics like how the engine should sound and drive but what are the main problems with the 116's specifically (because thats the only one i will buy) i have around £2,000 now and want to get a car when i start work in march so that i can spend more on car and get insurance straight away. Please dont judge me with buying a BMW im not a boy racer and i (including everyone else ive driven with) think iam a responsible driver for my age.

Thank you for any help in advance.
😀

[Lukas239]

Troll?

1 - you've never driven as a passed/insured driver, you don't know if your responsible.

2 - a 1 series Bimmer will most likely NOT light your world on fire. It's an underpowered lump in a heavy car.

3 - the e87 has one of the worst documented engine flaws with the N47 timing chain.

4 - get a 1k, unusual thing and don't crash it for a year.

[Heathwood]

PH really does have a way of pissing on people’s chips doesn’t it?! Maybe I’m missing something but why the troll accusation?

Whilst it wouldn’t be my choice of 1st car, if it’s what floats the OPs boat then that’s his choice. Oh, and I may well be wrong but I thought the N47 was diesel, which is not what the OP is looking at.

[ollyh1988]

Heathwood said:

PH really does have a way of pissing on people’s chips doesn’t it?! Maybe I’m missing something but why the troll accusation?

Whilst it wouldn’t be my choice of 1st car, if it’s what floats the OPs boat then that’s his choice. Oh, and I may well be wrong but I thought the N47 was diesel, which is not what the OP is looking at.

Totally agree - no need for a troll accusation, it was a legit question.

Personally I’d actually go for the Aygo you mention over a 116i. They are great cars, especially for a first time driver - surprisingly good fun and some very good mpg. Have that for a bit then work up to a BMW? Might find insurance drops quickly when you build up the NCB and then you can look at a faster 1 series. Hope that helps.

[ZX10R NIN]

I don't want to piss on your parade but (assuming you're for real) you're only going to buy a 116i SE (like the one below) which really isn't great & not worth paying 3K (you'd find this out once you've driven one) a year for.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

If you want to pay 3K for insurance then get something with the performance to match that figure:

1.6T Astra SRi 180

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Or go for a more sensible car:

1.4 Alfa Mito Veloce

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

1.4T Grande Punto Sporting T Jet

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

1.5 Mazda2 Sport

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Suzuki Swift Sport

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Less sensible:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Also think about what you've written, you'll be paying a £1000 more to insure a car that's cost you £2000 & remember that if someone hits you which results in your car being written off, you'll only get at best £2000.

[Lukas239]

No accusation, it was a question. There are numerous posts that seem less than genuine.

Still, advice was provided based on the original question. Op as a new driver would be spending over the odds for a car that could st itself.

[Matt0503]

Not a troll whatsoever. I really like BMW's i would buy a M4 if i could but dont have that kind of money especially for insurance. The reason im choosing the 116i specifically is because its cheaper on insurance than the 118 and 120. Secondly i dont mind an underpowered car as i would have to buy insurance with a black box, whether it would be a 1.0 aygo or a 1.6 BMW. Therefore i would like to enjoy my time with a black box in a car that i like rather than a car i would hate. I can afford a 1 series so thought that it would be a much better choice to pay the extra £400 on insurance to drive the car i want

[Matt0503]

As soon as i get a few years NCB i will definitely get a more powerful car but for now im limited to a black box unfortunately

[Mr Tidy]

If you really want an E87 1 Series OP I hope you manage to get one. I had a 123d for over 6 years and was really pleased with it.

Anyway, it's just a thought, but might a diesel work for how you would use your car? Only sometimes they can be cheaper to insure, so it might be worth getting a quote for a 118d or 120d.

Seeing as your budget is £2,000 for the car you'll be looking at a pre-facelift 1 Series, so the diesel engines are the earlier M47 that doesn't have a dpf and seems to be generally more robust. It would only be an issue if you wanted to use it in the ULEZ!

I hope you get what you want. :thumbsup:

[bluezedd]

You might be better thinking about the total cost difference between the 116 and the aygo over a few years, then consider if the difference in running costs would go further in a few years when you can afford to insure something a bit better.

It'd be interesting what the insurance cost difference is for someone with 1 or 2 years NCD. It might be more than £400, or less than 400. Maybe worth a check to get an idea.

[Matt0503]

Right, as you guys suggested i went onto autotrader found a 118d 2.0 and checked insurance. Turns out its £200 more expensive than a 116i. At this point i will be going with the 118 as you guys have said. What are the things i need to be careful about with a 118?
tia

[feisi]

I had an E87 118d before, had 2 common issues but fixed under warranty: ABS fault, fuel breather pipe leaking. The ABS fault was an O-ring and sensor replacement but fuel breather pipe was not cheap to replace as they had to remove the fuel tank to do it. Didn't spend too much on maintenance as it came with 2 year warranty which was nice. Neither MPG or performance was that good being a 2 litre car. 45pmg combined and above 11s to 60 for the SE model if I remember correctly.
Have a look at babybmw.net it has tons of really helpful info.
Again I have to say when I was 17 (I am not 40 yet), my budget for a whole car was £500... well done you.

Edited by feisi on Wednesday 27th November 17:32

[iphonedyou]

Lukas239 said:

Troll?

1 - you've never driven as a passed/insured driver, you don't know if your responsible.

2 - a 1 series Bimmer will most likely NOT light your world on fire. It's an underpowered lump in a heavy car.

3 - the e87 has one of the worst documented engine flaws with the N47 timing chain.

4 - get a 1k, unusual thing and don't crash it for a year.

Google 'troll'.

HTH.

[Lukas239]

iphonedyou said:

Google 'troll'.

HTH.

Do enlighten me.

[Matt0503]

Lukas239 said:

Troll?

1 - you've never driven as a passed/insured driver, you don't know if your responsible.

2 - a 1 series Bimmer will most likely NOT light your world on fire. It's an underpowered lump in a heavy car.

3 - the e87 has one of the worst documented engine flaws with the N47 timing chain.

4 - get a 1k, unusual thing and don't crash it for a year.

1) no one said ive never driven on my own and i think i can tell im a responsible person more than a stranger "thinks iam"

2) it will be alot better for me than a 1.2 corsa which will break every 500 miles.

3) that is the reason i made this thread. (To get more opinions and help)

4) I dont want an unusual car if it means that insurance will be cheaper by only £400-£600 pounds. Bearing in mind £600 is alot of money but not when it cones down to spending £3000+

Anyway. Im really into cars. There is no reason for me to drive a unusual think for £1k as i will hate it for the next few years of owning it.

Also, the car and insurance im planning on buying is all out of my own pocket and not funded by my parents at all. So i would feel quite proud of myself if i could buy and insure a car like a 1 series at 17. Bearing in mind im not a person that likes showing off. Im buying this car purely for myself and not for others to like me as i have friends around me that are there for me and not for the type of car i own.

Sorry for the rant but just wanted to clarify a few things before i make any more comments and make a bad opinion about myself

[Wombat3]

The E8x 1 Series 116' has either an N45 or N43 engine in it. These are unfortunately prone to Timing chain (guide) failure & if it happens you are looking at a top end rebuild as a minimum and a bill of £2K plus.

It may "only be a 116" but it will be plenty quick enough if you learn to drive it properly. Driving well is not just about mashing your foot to the floor in a straight line & you don't need ridiculous power to get yourself into trouble on a public road anyway.

As such if you really want to buy one then find yourself a good BMW Indi who can check it over for you before you buy it. Also look at the service records.

The source of many BMW ills is their silly long life servicing & 19-20K mile oil change intervals. Like any old car, buy on condition but if you can find one with documented regular servicing its more likely to be OK

There is a perception that BMW's are high quality cars (and that therefore they don't break much). The latter is unfortunately not true - especially when it comes to 4 cylinder motors prior to about 2013 if they haven't been looked after - and they can be very expensive to fix.

[StevieT735]

From what I’ve read, general consensus of opinions regarding early 1ers seems to be-
If you want economy, get an early 120d
If you want a good drive, get a 130. (Or a 125/135 if a coupe)

The rest of the range is just a bit crap from what I can gather..... probably better cars out there to be spending your hard earned on.

A mate bought a 116i (in ES trim) as soon as they were released. parked it up at work and gave it the big un about how ace it was. It was crap. Dull to drive, zero toys, literally nothing but a badge. I felt smug as hell when I got back into my 1.6rsi clio with my AC, half leather seats, decent handling etc etc etc......

Your money, your choice. But people are just offering advice based on experience and opinions. It’s your decision.