Faults:

Nothing at all.

General Comments:

A fantastic car that prides itself on its handling. The car hugs the road and despite trying, I cannot get the car to go sideways, it corners like it is on rails.

Excellent fuel ecomony too. A tank of diesel will do 450 miles very easily...500+ miles if driven sensibly.

The 118D is a much faster and responsive engine than the 116i engine as well.

Diesel models are a much better than petrol models and their value in the used car market reflects this. It is definitely worth investing in a diesel.

Faults:

Squeaking sill.

Broke down and had to be flat towed to dealer due to wiring loom fault.

Had to 're-build' front suspension due to odd noises as (what dealer said) power steering hose making contact with suspension.

Heat shield fell off onto gear box causing rattles through gear lever below 2000rpm.

Flat run-flat which nearly cost $900 to replace by dealer.

Squeaking rear doors, body flex.

Cracking/snapping noise from under the dash.

Mysteriously cracked windscreen.

Steering wheel squeaks. - can't be fixed.

Clutch shudder, ongoing and infrequent since 5000kms.

General Comments:

I traded my 40 year old Volkswagen in on this new BMW because it was getting very tiresome and wearing down being used every day. When I test drove the 116i it was a revelation, compared to what I'd been used to.

1 1/2 years later I still cannot drive it properly, the accelerator feels like its modulated through a pillow and can't hold even revs. Some things you can never really get used to and that includes the ride, even with 16inch it’s still very harsh.

The car also has a tendency after cornering to lose power and doesn't come back until 5000rpm or a change of gear.

The car seems to be riddled with problems, a lot of which like the rattles and squeaks can't be fixed because they seem to disappear when I take it to the dealership!

In general the quality seems to be lacking and certainly not what I expected of a new BMW. In one of the few storage places, is a collection of broken parts from the seats. Despite my best efforts the interior seems to be deteriorating with surfaces that scratch and mark easily.

Sure it handles well, but there’s no power to exploit it and fuel economy suffers due to how hard you need to push it just to keep up with traffic.

The steering is quite heavy for low speed maneuverability and becomes tiresome combined with the transmission, after lots of city driving.

Whilst I don't hate the car, air conditioning and and a heater that doesn't gas you to death, wipers that work and safety features are all nice to have, it does cause me grief! I had less problems with my Karmann Ghia and makes me think I should has just suffered with that instead and at least looked good!

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

I have only had this car for just over a month. It is my first brand new car, but not my first BMW. I have previously owned two 5 series diesels.

My 118d ES is the 'poverty' model (nobody buys the actual base model) with just alloy wheels and manual air conditioning to add to the base spec. In reality though, this is pretty much all you need, everything works well.

The interior layout is great and everything is well made. It doesn't have the luxury feeling of a 5-series, but certainly is miles better than the majority of the competition. Unlike another review there are absolutely no squeaks or rattles the car is solid. The car comes with a quite comprehensive diagnostics system - all levels (including tyres) are checked automatically. The keyless start is quite a novelty and individual settings can be stored in the key when there is more than one driver. The automatic door locking when you exceed about 15mph is a nice touch.

The handling is astonishing - it just hangs on without any fuss at all. The de-tuned 120bhp diesel in the 118d is actually quite fast. Not ridiculously so, but certainly fun to drive. I am getting around 46 miles per gallon, which is nice. You do know the engine is a diesel at idle though, but otherwise an extremely impressive drive. The run flat tyres make for a slightly harsh drive on rough roads.

For those who like their radio, avoid the basic model - it is only just adequate. The better professional model features sub-woofers under the seats and it makes quite a difference.

The car is clearly expensive when you add on the options which is easy to do. The basic one I have (in black so it matches the black plastic) is a great car, but just misses feeling special as it is quite spartan. We got a great deal on the warranty and servicing which swung it for us - it actually worked out cheaper than a used 118d, and I'm hoping the residuals will be good! The exterior styling is something you'll love or hate. The back seat leg-room is limited and the boot is not huge. The car is what it is - a sporty hatch for two people who don't visit Ikea that much!