Buying the wife a 1 Series

[Hi-Tek 3]

So I need to buy the wife a car pretty soon as she'll need one with the imminent baby on the way.

To start with we/I had bandied the idea of either a Volkswagen Golf, Audi A3, BMW 1 series, or a Peugeot 307 SW.

She's come to the concluson that she wants a BMW 1 series which I'm happy about so I'm left with trying to decide which variant is best suited to us.

I won't be driving it often as I have my own car, but suspect I'll be a passenger quite a bit.

Something like a 120i petrol or 120D diesel look like the winner with more Horsepower and Torque than the 116 and 118s (130i would be great but too pricey)

I'm swaying towards the 120D as it has a bit more horsepower and a whole bunch more torque than the 120i, I'm guessing that you'll get close to double the mileage per tank out of the diesel compared with the petrol, and diesel being quite a bit cheaper per litre is a bonus.

The budget is early $20,000s

Some things we want

5 Door,

NZ new (ideally)

Lowish Kilometres,

Manual (ideally) although it seems that manual is only available in the 116i?

Are there any particular options that we should make sure the car has or anything to stay away from?

I'm hoping someone can help with which engine vairants to avoid if there's any.

Petrol engines:

2004- 116i: N45B16 1596 cc I4, 16 valves, 115 hp/85 kW, 150 Nm

2005- 118i: N46B20 1995 cc I4, 16 valves, 129 hp/95 kW, 180 Nm

2004- 120i: N46B20 1995 cc I4, 16 valves, 150 hp/110 kW, 200 Nm

2006- 130i: N52B30 2996 cc I6, 24 valves, 265 hp/195 kW, 315 Nm

Diesel engines:

2004- 118d: M47TU2D20 1995 cc I4, 16 valves, 122 hp/90 kW, 280 Nm

2004- 120d: M47TU2D20 1995 cc I4, 16 valves, 163 hp/120 kW, 340 Nm

Here's a couple on the watchlist:

2005 120i

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=503380969

2005 116i (Manual)

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=484256801

2006 116i (Maual but shitty upholstery)

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=374281579

2005 120D

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=481365497

Cheers.

Edited September 2, 2012 by Hi-Tek

[kiwi535 538]

So I need to buy the wife a car pretty soon as she'll need one with the imminent baby on the way.

To start with we/I had bandied the idea of either a Volkswagen Golf, Audi A3, BMW 1 series, or a Peugeot 307 SW.

She's come to the concluson that she wants a BMW 1 series which I'm happy about so I'm left with trying to decide which variant is best suited to us.

Cheers.

my (manual)120d gets 6.5 l 100 average but I dont do much real stop start but my run to work is a mixture of 100 k and stop lights,and end up with a hill every day.The actual cost of diesel is only half of it.Road user charges are about 240 for 5000 ks,and that adds up.I chipped mine and it revs out better than before but its real strength is the torque for afirca from 2000 rpk till 4000 rpm.Even though i am manual mad i think for a day to day car an auto would be better.I can easily get round 5 l on the open road(flash readings of 2,-4 are common but NZ is a hilly little place)

the tanks not that big(45-50l) and i get round 700 round town and over 900 on the open road.Run flat tyres are harsh riding and expensive

Rego is also a lot more as there is no ACC component on the pump so you pay more at rego time.Rego was about 500 bucks for a year

Edited September 2, 2012 by kiwi535

[Hi-Tek 3]

Run flat tyres are harsh riding and expensive

Rego is also a lot more as there is no ACC component on the pump so you pay more at rego time.Rego was about 500 bucks for a year

Hi Paul, thanks for the reply.

Surely one can just change out the tyres for non-run flat right?

Also with regards to the Registration, what do you mean by no ACC component on the pump? $500 per year is quite pricey, a petrol is around the $250 mark per year for registration isn't it?

Edit:

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/vehicle/registrati...nsing/fees.html

Passenger car 12 Months

Petrol driven - private $287.75

Non-petrol driven - private $417.61

Edited September 2, 2012 by Hi-Tek

[kiwi535 538]

Hi Paul, thanks for the reply.

Surely one can just change out the tyres for non-run flat right?

Also with regards to the Registration, what do you mean by no ACC component on the pump? $500 per year is quite pricey, a petrol is around the $250 mark per year for registration isn't it?

Edit:

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/vehicle/registrati...nsing/fees.html

Passenger car 12 Months

Petrol driven - private $287.75

Non-petrol driven - private $417.61

when you buy petrol there is a acc componeent in the pump price Diesel has none.Sorry i knew it was 4 hundered and something....I think the rims are slightly different but i beleive you can just swap the tyres,but you wont have a spare and there isnt room for one.

[Hi-Tek 3]

I see, I read your post about the pump as being the fuel pump somehow???

That's pretty cheeky with regards to the there being no spare tyre or room for one. No doubt the run flat tyres are stupidly expensive too.

[jjs 60]

So I need to buy the wife a car pretty soon as she'll need one with the imminent baby on the way.

To start with we/I had bandied the idea of either a Volkswagen Golf, Audi A3, BMW 1 series, or a Peugeot 307 SW.

Unfortunately you don't get much for your money with One Series in terms of age, spec etc.

If it was my money, I would think outside the square a bit...

You mentioned a Peugeot 307 SW, but for early $20's you could get a nice 08 or 09 308 HDi hatch with the silky 6 speed auto. These are a well spec'd car with features such as dual climate air and panoramic glass roof. Plenty of grunt and heaps of space.

You are a lucky man that your wife is manual inclined! If she will settle with a smaller car you could get something really fun like a Alfa Mito or Mini Cooper S!

[kiwi535 538]

I see, I read your post about the pump as being the fuel pump somehow???

That's pretty cheeky with regards to the there being no spare tyre or room for one. No doubt the run flat tyres are stupidly expensive too.

yes the 205 55 16 cost more than the 235 45 17s i used to buy for teh 5 series.Stick to the idea of a small car,round town they cant be beaten for parking and manouvering

[Hi-Tek 3]

Unfortunately you don't get much for your money with One Series in terms of age, spec etc.

If it was my money, I would think outside the square a bit...

You mentioned a Peugeot 307 SW, but for early $20's you could get a nice 08 or 09 308 HDi hatch with the silky 6 speed auto. These are a well spec'd car with features such as dual climate air and panoramic glass roof. Plenty of grunt and heaps of space.

You are a lucky man that your wife is manual inclined! If she will settle with a smaller car you could get something really fun like a Alfa Mito or Mini Cooper S!

Fair points there chap.

I agree that you don't get a lot for the money when it comes to a 1 series but wifey likes the look of the 1.

We did 20,000kms driving in a brand new 307 HDi SW through Europe back in 2008 and that was a great car but the Mrs prefers the look of the 1 series. I'd probably prefer the 307 SW (I think the 308 is starting to get a bit too ugly and big).

Size wise it needs to be a 4 door hatch, so the mini is too small, she'd prefer not to have a station wagon like the 307 even though I think it's pretty small.

It will need to fit a Mountain Buggy (push chair) in the boot.

Something like this was what I was originally suggesting

2008 Peugeot 307 SW

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/...n-500254198.htm

Edited September 2, 2012 by Hi-Tek

[Guest Ari Gold]

Ollie, make sure it's got ISOFIX mounting points if you're having kids (congrats btw).

With regards to no room for a spare, pickup a mobility kit with the air compressor and tyre goo.

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2919]

It's your car so go for the features you really want! In terms of desirability and the re-sale value the biggest factors are colour and a decent set of rims.

Xenons with the angel eyes certainly make the front look better to me and personally I would look for an M-Sport.

All models are available as manuals but 99.5% of the NZ new will be auto as that's the make up of the original buyers.

Go for one with as many options as possible, i would look for auto wipers & lights, auto dim mirrors and Bluetooth as a minimum.

[kiwi535 538]

Ollie, make sure it's got ISOFIX mounting points if you're having kids (congrats btw).

With regards to no room for a spare, pickup a mobility kit with the air compressor and tyre goo.

mines a 2005 and has those iso fix loops everywhere!

[jjs 60]

With regards to no room for a spare, pickup a mobility kit with the air compressor and tyre goo.

Hahaha these don't always work... I went away for a dirty weekend, drove over a pot hole and ripped a tyre. Goo was useless and to make matters worse it was winter in Central Otago and the area I broke down happened to have no cell phone reception!

[mjh 26]

A Mark 5 VW Golf GTI would be a good option and also in manual. The Golf is a great car on the open road and around town.

When we had our first child the wife had a new GTI and it was great. However we found that when number 2 arrived the boot was a little small so she went to a X5.

Congrats on the pending arrival.....

[mrad01 0]

My wife has the 118i and her sister has the 120d. Both motorsports in white. I've got a ton of experience with them.

Firstly: we are not chicks. We all moan about the ride quality of run-flats and the kw output of the engine and all this unimportant (to chicks) crap. You aren't buying it for our male (hypercritical) selves.

You wife will love run flats. They are safe, she doesn't have to piss around on the side of the road with a crying baby trying to figure out how to use a compressor. Keep the run flats. She won't whinge about the possible ride quality. Yes, they cost a little bit more, but my wife got a ton of Ks out of hers. They are more resistant to punctures - and if you do get the TPS go off, top them up with air before they go flat at the nearest servo, and they can be repaired. Done it. All good.

Enginewise - the 118i is a 2.0l engine and goes fine. It isn't as fast as the diesel, but gets along fine. Unless your wife is planning to be supermom, get her the auto. She will want to drive while drinking her coffee after 2 hours of sleep the night before. If she doesn't drink coffee - she will soon. If SHE wants a manual, different story, but the auto box in there is great. Sport mode for when she is ripping through town getting to coffee group.

Yes, it has ISOFIX for baby seats.

Yes, it'll be fine for your wife, you, and your baby. And, when you have baby number 2, it'll work for that too. My sister-in-law has 2 skids and it worked perfectly for them. No need for the sterotypical overkill when baby 2 comes along - you don't need a Toyota Previa for 2 kids NZ!!!!! Sheesh. Oh, and you don't have to drive your kids to school which is 2 kms away...another pet peeve of mine....

Handling and brakes-wise, I'm really happy to drive any 1-series - it is a GREAT chassis, nice rear wheel drive and super balanced.

Do it, get the diesel for the best bang for buck - but don't shy away from a mint petrol - they are all good.

Hope that is useful. Ha! Re-reading it, I could get some flack. Ahhh, bugger it - post.

[tobester 9]

A Mark 5 VW Golf GTI would be a good option and also in manual. The Golf is a great car on the open road and around town.

When we had our first child the wife had a new GTI and it was great. However we found that when number 2 arrived the boot was a little small so she went to a X5.

Congrats on the pending arrival.....

My sister got a mk5 Golf TDi DSG recently for your kind of money. Very impressive to drive relative to the mk4 I had, largely due to the 6 speeder and IRS. I don't really like saying this but IMO it eats a 120d for practicality and compactness and offers very much the same internal sizing. Ever sat in the back seat of a 1? Not RWD I know and that means the turning circle is a bit lame, but are you going to drift it? And yes, the thought of the bills to fix a DSG are scary, but like everything they just need to be maintained properly.

[Guest Simon*]

Hope that is useful. Ha! Re-reading it, I could get some flack. Ahhh, bugger it - post.

Great post

[camera doctor 25]

Great post

+ 1

[elmarco 56]

So I went through this exact scenario over the last 18 months...

For my wife, we got a mk5 Golf 2.0 FSi petrol 18 months back because she was pregnant. For 110kw it really gets up and boogies - I find I really need to keep an eye on speed (much more so than the beamers) when I drive it as it does fly off the mark. The 6spd auto (not DSG) really made a humungous difference over the 4spd 307 we were pretty close to taking. It also gets around 8.5l/100km average which is pretty good for a 2l petrol, and more like 6-7l/100km on the open road. Pleasant to drive for me & my wife loves it, good stereo (much better than the E90 and I suspect the 1 series has an identical stereo), loads of cupholders, leather heated seats, dual zone climate control, loads of tie down points in the boot, sh*t loads of airbags & intrusion bars and plenty of room in the boot for pushchairs. Don't underestimate how much stuff you'll need to take with you when they are really small.

The ISOFIX mounts were a must have and make life so much easier - you can get a quick fit base for some capsules (we still have our Recaro one) which uses no seat belts and is a life saver when you have a bub - really fast to clip them in. Keep in mind that you'll need to move the front seat forward when the carseat/capsule is rear facing. I have to drive when we are out as a family as I can't get into the front seat (I'm 6ft 2in) with the baby seat behind it. That will change when we change it to front facing, but you should plan on around 18 months (depending on who you listen to) rear facing.

So the reason I say I've been doing this for 18 months is that I just got myself an E90 2l diesel as the 330ci was too difficult to get the seat in and out of (I finally caved - the E46 330ci is such a good car, and I think much better than the E90). While the diesel is economical at the pump (800km per 60l tank around town), there are the rego and RUC as others have said but I don't see a large difference between it and the petrol Golf (at least 600km per 50l tank around town).

Personally, I reckon the Golf was a masterstroke - I think it is a much better family car than the 320. Similar economy, and much more user friendly (with the exception of the cruise control). Volkswagen really understand their market and did a sensational job with the mk5.

Good luck with the new arrival - and brace yourself for being at least 3rd in the pecking order with zero decision making authority!

[lidistick 70]

Great posts here.

Let me add that before you commit to any car, make sure that you bring the car seat/baby capsule for a test fit. We thought about going from the mk4 golf to a 1 series but with a Recaro capsule, there's bugger all space for a front passenger unless you are a midget. Even in the E39, the front passenger is slightly squashed if you are on the tallish side. Also check the boot with the Mountain Buggy and the baby bags. You'd be surprised how much gear you will end up carting around. !!!

Like Elmarco, we are going to go with a Golf or Golf Plus.

Good luck with the process n the latest addition. Sleep lots now.

[elmarco 56]

Oh and on the runflat thing - my 320 E90 doesn't even have room for a spare which makes me very, very nervous. I've had to get a mobility kit (compressor + goo) just in case as the runflats were removed by the previous owner because they tramlined all over the place. I reckon thats a major flaw in NZ (or Australia for that matter) and I suspect the 1 series is the same. In fact, mine doesn't have a jack, wheel brace or even a lock nut for the wheel - so even if I couldn't fix it with goo & compressor, I couldnt just take the wheel off & get a lift to the tyre shop. It's going to be a tow truck or walking... Will have to sort something out soon.

No such problems with the Golf. I really should have got another one instead of the E90....

[kiwi535 538]

Oh and on the runflat thing - my 320 E90 doesn't even have room for a spare which makes me very, very nervous. I've had to get a mobility kit (compressor + goo) just in case as the runflats were removed by the previous owner because they tramlined all over the place. I reckon thats a major flaw in NZ (or Australia for that matter) and I suspect the 1 series is the same. In fact, mine doesn't have a jack, wheel brace or even a lock nut for the wheel - so even if I couldn't fix it with goo & compressor, I couldnt just take the wheel off & get a lift to the tyre shop. It's going to be a tow truck or walking... Will have to sort something out soon.

No such problems with the Golf. I really should have got another one instead of the E90....

yes the 1 series has runflats,and absolutely no room for spare (and of course no jack).Thats why it will stay runflats.No problems with tramliing,just harsh riding

[Hi-Tek 3]

Some great posts lads, really appreciate it.

Sorry I've not replied earlier, I'm currently working in Africa so busy at work and the whole time zone thing.

Some interesting points made, I'm 6'3" and we're going to be buying that fancy Recaro Baby Capsule package so it doesn't sound like I'll fit in the front passengers seat by what you fellas have mentioned.

Does the Mk5 Gokf sort this issue?

[Guest Simon*]

Golfs and especially the Mk5 must have the most interior space in their class - they really are amazing like that. It wouldn't surprise me if the reversed baby capsule fitted with no dramas.

Ollie what about a B6/7 A4 Avant? Not big cars at all - my missus absolutely loved hers.

[Driftit 1964]

It is interesting reading about the Mk5 Golf recommendations.

What is the servicing costs like? A friend of mine works for Qualitat who are one of the main suppliers for VW and Audi parts. He continuously jokes about the ridiculous service bills for what he calls Europe's Corolla. He has mentioned that they have common problems which are very expensive.

I have very little interest in anything VW so don't pay much attention. But this seems to be a common topic when work comes up in convo. Would be something I would research though.

[elmarco 56]

Some great posts lads, really appreciate it.

Sorry I've not replied earlier, I'm currently working in Africa so busy at work and the whole time zone thing.

Some interesting points made, I'm 6'3" and we're going to be buying that fancy Recaro Baby Capsule package so it doesn't sound like I'll fit in the front passengers seat by what you fellas have mentioned.

Does the Mk5 Gokf sort this issue?

My experience is with the mk5 Golf, and the Recaro capsule with ISOFIX base. In saying I have to drive, I can actually get in the front, although I wouldn't want to do it for a long trip. Ours has leather so I make sure the back of the front seat isn't rubbing on the capsule - someone less caring would probably have no problems.... BUT it is better than my 320 - I can't really get in the passenger seat with it in there.

It is interesting reading about the Mk5 Golf recommendations.

What is the servicing costs like? A friend of mine works for Qualitat who are one of the main suppliers for VW and Audi parts. He continuously jokes about the ridiculous service bills for what he calls Europe's Corolla. He has mentioned that they have common problems which are very expensive.

I have very little interest in anything VW so don't pay much attention. But this seems to be a common topic when work comes up in convo. Would be something I would research though.

I don't find it too bad - the normal service is comparable to a BMW or even our previous Honda (unless something breaks!). They have similar issues to modern BMW's with respect to cooling system plastic parts, and of course they have cam belts. I do know that they can get eye watering if you start talking about DSG repairs - but is it worse than a major E90 trans problem? I dunno....

Not sure I would say they are like for like with a Corolla - similar sizes and that's about it. They are more complex (especially engine/trans) - and I guess VW do play off that in NZ. Ours has all the electronics that my E46 and E90 have so I kind of expect similar part prices. And of course, VW make a lot more of their own parts than some of the other manufacturers so they can set the pricing where they want it.

It would be interesting to see the price of similar repairs between VW & Toyota or Honda dealers (like a cam belt or front rotors & pads) for a 5 year old car.