Category: Small Family 
Price Range: £16,415 to £25,800
Fantastically good to drive, fuel efficient, distinctive looks, five-star NCAP crash test score
Rear-drive layout means less space inside, more expensive than class rivals
In a class that tends toward the worthy and dull, here is a feelgood car with a real difference
CO2 figures range from 123g/km for the 118d to 197g/km for the 130i. However, be aware that the 116i's figure belies its bottom-of-the-range status - 181g/km (compared to 140g/km for the 118i).
But fuel efficiency is the main story here, especially with savings of 15-20% from the second-generation Efficient Dynamics engines (from 2007) and the addition of an Automatic Stop-Start function. This switches off the engine when the gears are in neutral in non-moving traffic - meaning 0mpg at 0mph - and starts almost instantaneously when re-engaging the clutch. The 1-Series holds its value very well, too.
Latest Readers' Drives About the BMW 1 Series
wrote on 10 10 2007
wrote on 23 02 2007
wrote on 20 06 2006