2005 BMW 1 Series 116i review from Australia and New Zealand

No problems as yet.

Had the car just over two months, and have had no problems with it or major complaints so far. Only complaint I have is that the engine can be slightly noisy, but I was told this is common for the 1.6 litre engine.

I test drove quite a few BMW's before choosing the 1 series, and I have to say that the handling is beyond any other car I've driven - you can take corners so fast and so hard in this car and feel like you have complete control. The car feels very solid on the road, and the ride is extremely smoothe, especially on open roads (100km/hr or higher).

Interior styling is nice and comfortable, stereo system has MP3 capabilities and a pretty nice speaker set. Interior does not feel cheap to me, except for the glovebox, which is basically just a flap with a piece of string. Personally the seats are quite comfortable, although passengers have complained about them being hard.

Steering feels heavy at lower speeds, but I enjoy that and find that other cars now feel too "light" when I'm driving. Steering wheel is nice and thick. Having a sunroof really opens up the interior in this car, since the windows are quite short and give the car a bit of a "closed" feeling. Rear leg room isn't amazing, but for short rides it's acceptable.

Exterior styling takes some getting used to, but now I find it to be an amazing looking car. For a 1.6, the power is pretty good, if not huge.. You definitely get more fun and grunt from a manual. The rear wheel drive makes a huge difference.

Push-button start/stop is a great novelty on this car (I never get tired of pressing the button). On board computer tells you everything you need to know, and warns you when a fluid level is low. Airbags all round. Overall solid feel, great performance and high-tech.