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mwerks.com Reviews and Road Tests
BMW’s 3 Series just isn’t what it used to be. Not that that’s a bad thing, mind you; it’s actually a far better car than it’s ever been. Problem is, five generations of evolution mean it’s a lot more car than ever before. It may still be classified as a compact sedan, but the latest 3 Series is no small car. So what do you do when, as a carmaker best known for building compact sports sedans, your smallest model is no longer truly a compact? Obviously, you start with a clean sheet of vellum. That’s exactly what BMW did with the 1 Series. Introduced last fall in Europe, the 1 Series is making a name for itself in the premium hatch market. Until now, the company’s stopgap solution to playing the small-car game was to offer truncated versions of its 3 Series sedans. For the past two generations, BMW has offered what they called “compact” models; the rest of us called them hatchbacks. Moderately successful in other parts of the world, this concept didn’t play out so well here in the States. Do you remember the E36 318ti? It was such a hit here that BMW elected to embargo that variant from these shores for the E46 3 generation. Don’t expect an E90 hatch either- the 1 Series supercedes a lift-back 3. Smart move on BMW’s part; no longer anchored by a lowly hatch, the new 3 will strengthen its position as a premium offering with sedan, coupe, wagon and convertible configurations. Better yet, the 1 Series is its own model, meaning it can eventually spawn its own derivatives, something not possible with the 3 Series Compact.
Launched initially as a 5-door hatch with a choice of 4-cylinder engines, the range may eventually include a 4-door sedan, a 2-door coupe, and perhaps even a convertible, a la CS-1 Concept. Engine options will continue to grow, as proven by the recent addition of a six-cylinder model. And there is even speculation that the 2-door coupe could precipitate an M model. While the future of the 1 Series range remains to be seen, what we do know is that there will be no 1 Series hatch for this market. So what if the 1 Series 5-door isn’t bound for our shores? We still wanted to get a little taste of what’s coming down the pipeline, so we wrangled up a 120i while we were in Europe earlier this year for the Geneva Auto Show. At the time this was the most powerful gasoline-powered 1 Series available, at least until the six-cylinder 130i was unveiled in Geneva during our visit. You can’t fault the 1 Series concept: lively engine in the front, driven wheels in the rear, compact architecture, and minimalist cockpit. It’s the same formula that put BMW on the map (and literally spared the company) in the 1960’s when the ’02 Series debuted. It’s the formula that defined the company and the brand. And it’s the one with which die-hard BMW enthusiasts most strongly identify. For all intents, the 120i is the apparent modern-day 2002.
But enough of the history lesson, let’s go for a drive. In the course of our week, we experienced winter storms, wind, rain, and sunshine. Our route included prodigious stretches of Autobahn, treacherous segments of winding Alpine road, and the occasional snow-packed country lane. But for the snow tires, it was a near-perfect opportunity to experience the little Bimmer in practically every driving condition. We landed in Munich in the middle of a winter storm. The streets were already covered in a mealy coat of the ugly white stuff, and it continued to fall at a steady rate. Rush hour traffic on the A9 was crawling as we drove to collect the 120i, and we soon discovered the pace on the side streets was no better. Eventually, we made it to our destination and picked up our silver hatchback. It took a couple minutes to familiarize myself with the controls and features. It’s no surprise the main instruments are well positioned and easy to read. The only real disappointment is the apparent “hardness” of the interior surfaces. While efficient and businesslike, the 120i’s cockpit is not a particularly inviting environment. Knowing I’ll have plenty of time to contemplate this further, I give the thumbs up to the rest of the crew and we head back out.
My first instinct, given the conditions, was to see how effectively the snow tires managed traction in the small rear-drive sedan. Before they even had a chance to struggle, the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) system introduced itself, practically eliminating rotation at the rear wheels until the car resumed a more sensible attitude. I later remembered that the DSC system could be dialed down a notch by simply pressing the DTC (Dynamic Traction Control) switch in the center of the dashboard. This allowed for a little more fun, but prevented anything stupid from happening. Once on the Autobahn, the 120i exhibited all the typical BMW qualities we’ve come to love, even in the lousy weather and miserable driving conditions. Excellent communication from car to driver bolstered my confidence, despite the unfamiliar surroundings. The congestion of Munich eased as we made our way toward Zurich. Once the snow diminished to flurries we were left to contend only with the heavily salted roads. Between cleaning the windshield and the headlights, my washer fluid supply was depleted before we reached our first day’s destination. Jet-lagged and exhausted, I extended the thigh support on the 120i’s sport seats and settled in for the remainder of our drive. A good night’s sleep and a hot shower were key to getting back in the saddle the next day. For the drive to Geneva, I handed off the BMW to a fellow staffer and rode alongside in another car. Doing so gave me a chance to study the 120i in action. Say what you will about the styling, but moving down the road this car has an undeniable presence. It grabs your attention quickly, even from a distance, wearing an intimidating face that suggests a much more potent machine than the 150 horsepower under the hood. Nevertheless, your knee-jerk reaction is to give it the respect it seems to command.
The roads are clear for the drive to Geneva and we make good time. Rapid transit however comes to a halt once we arrive in town. The Genevese love their cars, they just don’t like anyone using their roads. Traffic congestion is business-as-usual in this city, and so we deal with it as we make our away over the river to our apartment. Fortunately, the compact proportions of the 120i make it ideal for these conditions. Maneuvering about is no problem, so long as you know what’s behind you. The sloping roofline and thick C-pillar make visibility out the rear window all but impossible in critical conditions (Where the hell did that flying scooter come from?). Once we find a parking space in Geneva, the BMW sits for a couple days. Our entourage packs into another more-spacious Bavarian 5-door for the trips to and from the auto show. Even for short trips, the 120i is tight for four adults traveling with cameras and computers. A couple days later, with our journalistic obligations fulfilled, we make the short drive from Geneva to the French border, where the rural roads are a refreshing treat compared to the big-city congestion. The narrow lanes and frequent roundabouts in the countryside are no challenge for the small Bimmer. We meander through several quaint countryside villages in search of a car wash so we can de-crust our pack of cars. A brief diversion at Elefant Bleu reveals shiny paint, something we’ve yet to see on this trip. Drying the BMW proved the perfect opportunity to get a closer look at its styling nuances- much of the 1 Series’ design is so well executed, the gods truly in the details. Progressing southward toward the French Riviera we avoid the main motorways in favor of La Route Napoleon in the French Alps. It is here that we discover the true joy of the 1 Series’ rear-wheel-drive chassis. On the dozen or so passes we make up and down approximately five miles of mountain road, each of us is won over by the unequalled balance of the 120i, with the front wheels doing the steering and the rear wheels delivering the power. Front-wheel-drive, even all-wheel-drive, simply can’t offer the same experience in demanding situations like this.
Of course, this exercise also reveals the 120i’s one major weakness. We all look forward to hanging the tail out a little in the switchbacks. We’ve defeated the traction control and we’re on snow tires, but the Bimmer makes only 150 horsepower. It simply isn’t enough. Even on the Autobahn, the BMW is the slowest of our three cars, all of which are propelled by two-liter engines. Power and torque are both lacking in the lower revs; the powerband is just too narrow for the kind of antics we were hoping for. It becomes immediately clear that the decision not to bring a four-cylinder 1 Series to America is a wise one. The end of another long day of driving finds us in Nice, where the weather is anything but nice. Conditions are even more miserable the following morning as we depart and make our way to adjacent Monaco. A cold drizzle takes some of the fun out of driving the streets of Monte Carlo, the very roads that make up the circuit of the legendary Monaco Grand Prix. Nevertheless, we drive the route, each of us making high-rpm engine sounds to ourselves as we drive under the casino before stopping for pictures at the marina. The seat heaters become my best friend; drizzle turns to snow on the higher-altitude roads above the principality. Things don’t get any better as we move east through Italy. In fact, they turn considerably worse. Snow falls continuously, driven by high winds no less. The Italian Autoroute that loosely follows the coast happens to be a major trucking route, and the combination of snow, wind gusts, and heavy truck traffic makes for the first real white-knuckle experience of the trip. I’m thankful for the snow tires and stability control at this point.
The coast eventually disappears in the distance, and at Brescia we encounter major traffic delays. These delays were a mere precursor to the hours of snow and stopped traffic that would define our time in Italy. Our drive from Nice to Innsbruck was calculated at roughly seven hours. By the time we arrive, we’ve logged over 13 hours of seat time, much of it standing still in three-inch deep snow for no apparent reason. The 120i’s great seats and light clutch are perhaps the only things that have made this day survivable. The morning sun presses through the gaps in my hotel curtains. When I get up to draw them closed I’m amazed to see the Olympic ski jump on the nearby mountainside. The sunshine is just as amazing- there’s not so much as a flurry in site and I can’t wait to get back out on the road. We’ve plotted our journey back to Munich exclusively on the winding mountain roads that make up the border between Germany and Austria.
We spend our last day driving some of the tightest, windiest roads yet. The navigation system leads us down a path so narrow and twisty that the plow trucks appear not to even bother. There is a season’s worth of packed snow on the surface; the only evidence of this being a road is the fifteeen-foot wide clearing between the trees. Amazingly, we encounter traffic coming from the opposite direction, forcing us to squeeze right to what we hope is a shoulder. The 120i is once again in its element. We hit the Autobahn for our brief trip back into Munich. Rush hour forces our attention to the fabulous brakes, traffic racing to a sudden halt. Knowing my remaining time with the little Bimmer is short, I do my best to soak in the essence of the car. Despite the modest power it produces, I’ve fallen in love with the overall driving experience. I’ve even come to appreciate the modern-art interior concept. Sadly, our trip is over. I relinquish the keys and am left holding only the memories of my time in this little German gem. I truly enjoyed the slender proportions of the 120i, and can’t wait to see what they serve up for us in a more conventional sedan shape. Better yet, I can’t hold back an impish grin when I contemplate the joys of a six-cylinder-powered 1 Series coupe. Oh, yeah, put me first in line.
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