Selling the 120D Sport... replacing it with a Grande Punto
 

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The 120D Sport

Alright, collected it a few days ago actually, but I couldn't drive it because the insurance wasn't sorted until yesterday. So when I was finally given the green light, I took it out for a couple of hours...

Engine:

My ears will forever regret going for the "D" version, but my pocket and my smile won't. When they said it pulls, holy shit does it pull. Naught to 60 kicks you in the back, and glues you onto your seat. One interesting bit I notice, but am not entirely sure of, is that I heard a "hiss" similar to a forced induction engine dumping air. Whether or not this was the 120 or another car close to me, I couldn't say for sure. I'll find out today.


Ride and Handling:

As I chose the sports pack, I also ended up with the sports suspension, which is lower and stiffer. That, plus the standard run flats, don't exactly make for a magic carpet ride, but it isn't as bad as some journalists say it is. Large bumps (i.e. speed humps) will definitely bother the car. It feels as if the entire rear end of the car "drops" (instead of a wheel first, boot second on an S-class) when it goes over. Road undulations are, surprisingly, fine. Anything slightly reminiscent of the nurburgring, the car simply shrugs it off. The ride noticeably improves once you're going 30mph and over, but anything below that, and your rear end will get to know the road in 3D.

Handling? It is flawless. It feels like a bigger Mazda MX-5, with the RWD very quickly showing it's abilities. Couple that with the same engine in the E90 320d, but with less weight to tug along, and you've got a recipe for some serious city driving fun.

Summary? It's a liveable compromise.


Exterior:

Honestly, the first time I saw the car up close, both me and my father-in-law were taken aback. "What a strange shape" we both exclaimed. The longer we stayed at the dealership, the more it started growing on us. Like loveable fungus. There must be something about the flame surfacing though, because the car looks far far more cohesive in the metal, than in photographs. It looks fat, tall, and bulky in pictures, whereas it looks long, low, and sleek in the metal. I kid you not.

It's like those times when a mate of yours shows you a photo of a girl he says is really hot, but when you see her picture, you think to yourself "she's alright... not that hot though." But when you see her in the flesh, you quickly turn to your friend and say "You're right, she IS hot!"

Seriously. It really is a lot like that. Flame surfacing almost (almost) gives the car's profile a human face. Whether or not that appeals to you is entirely down to personal taste... I, however, think that it gives the car quite a bit of character.

Interior Quality and Space:

In a phrase? Slightly disappointing. You can see that you pretty much paid for the chassis, the suspension, and the engine. It's not poor in a Cadillac or Ford sense, but it isn't great either. The glove box feels cheap, and so do the other harder plastics.

Comfort-wise, the car is fine. The rear space again, isn't as bad as some journos make it out to be. Obviously, a VW Golf would have more legroom due to the FWD setup, but as far as RWD cars go, the rear legroom in the 1-series is only slightly less than the current Merc C-class.

Can you sit 5 adults in comfort? Only if they're not over 6 foot and 220lbs, like myself. 4 of me could fit in it fine. 1 of me in the driver's seat, plus 4 regular sized adults would too.

Seats? I opted for the sports seats (again, came with the package), and they are excellent. So much adjustability, combined with adjustable side support (to hold you down whilst drifting), and a fully adjustable steering wheel, will definitely give you the options to find the perfect driving position.

Rear seats? Haven't sat in them long enough to tell. I will today since the wife will be driving.


Boot space:

"Able" would be a word. Definitely enough room for the groceries, but not for IKEA. You'll have to fold the rear seats down for that (which do fold flat, I would like to add). Again, it's a liveable compromise.


Summary:

What is it like to drive? Brilliant. The clutch and gear change are unbelievably light, and the steering is well weighted and direct. My wife finds it far easier and relaxing to drive than a lot of other "hot hatches", and that says a lot, since she's quite a petite person.

We both agreed that the engine, in a word, is powerful for a hatch of this size. Although I'm alread starting to get used to it, so the plans for a Hartge-supplied engine management unit and exhaust kit (to turn 163bhp into 200+) are well on the way.

Recommended? Only if you're prepared to compromise some space, and some comfort for a wicked engine and sports car-type handling.

Understeer durch technik? Not in this baby. ;)


P.S. Here are the direct links to the full size photos:
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No problems of that kind in a rwd german :)

Must say that it was a smart thing to chose the sport-seats, they are way better than the standard ones that can feel too small. I must admit that I'm not really a fan of the I-series design. Hopefully it will grow on me too. Overall I like it but from the sides I'm not really convinced. The front looks great IMO and the color of your car is very nice. Even if your ears regret it's a diesel atleast BMW diesels are one of the best soundings on the market (compared to other diesels of course). Will propably be a real torquemonster with the Hartge upgrade.

But hey does 0-100km/h in 8 or so seconds really glue you to the seat :wink: :?:

Good luck with your shiny new BMW!

Thanx for review, finally you got it! :P Color is a good choice imo but I thnk it looks in real even nicer :D

Happy and safe miles in your baby :wink:

Surprisingly, yes actually. Of course, come the 45mph mark, you're starting to come "unglued", but you'll be surprised how quick the 45 comes up from naught.

To be perfectly honest, you can tell why it takes 8 seconds. The bulk of the acceleration hits early, then dissipates as it nears the 60mph mark. Unlike that of a petrol car, where the acceleration is pretty much constant up to the point where you've hit 80mph, and then the engine will need to work for the rest, the diesel's power really does come very early, very quickly, then dissipates just as fast.

It's perfect for city driving (overtaking, small gaps, etc.), but not if you're trying to enjoy a long blast down an empty country lane. You'll feel like the car has asthma... or is on steriods.

This, I can assume, probably means that it will be near impossible to drift. How can you balance the throtle when almost all of it comes at the beginning, and then be left with almost nothing as you press on?

I'm not being critcal about it though, just honest. It has its purpose, but that definitely isn't racing.

Re: Got the 120D Sport... photos and a review
 

''There must be something about the flame surfacing though, because the car looks far far more cohesive in the metal, than in photographs. It looks fat, tall, and bulky in pictures, whereas it looks long, low, and sleek in the metal. I kid you not.''

This unexplained phenomenon is true for many cars but it is more significant on the new era BMWs. I have seen several ones and they do look good especially with a nice 18inch set of rims, though this ofcourse will further deteriote the already harsh ride. I understand your rational choice of bying a diesel but i still have a hard time to accept that a sport hatchback can successfuly be combined with a diesel. Hope you enjoy your car.

One thing I did forget to mention was interior build quality. Even if the materials feel cheap, the build quality is still there. The panel gaps are smaller than that of a Mercedes C-class, especially between the larger parts of the car (dashboard and door for example).

Re: Got the 120D Sport... photos and a review
 

It can't. Read the my second post. :)

This is for the "what you drive" section dude ;)
But since the car is new, I am sure you can provide a picture with the owner manual and not a sheet of paper ;)

Hold up, I'll do it right now.

Too sweet, thanks :)

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Here you go. :) I'm off.

Perfect!

Congrats on the car.arent they like 160hp? my mate got destroyed by a 120D in his 135hp punto JTD so from then on we are both afraid tio take them on.lol

you couldnt by any chance make a vid of the 0-60 could you? thats what we are both interested in seeing.just to compare to his.

Nice car, looks really good - good colour choice too :wink:
Do you have any interior shots?

Thanks for posting the pics up, Sir_120d! You knew I was waiting to see the new car! Well congratulations!

BMWs eh? Well the Z3 3.0 I had was probably the best car I ever owned in many respects - quality, handling, etc. The Z3s were assembled here in the US and overall a well-built and screwed together car. I'm a fan of the blue and white propellor for sure.

I know exactly what you mean about the power dissipating quickly in diesels - the PSA 1.9TD they put in the ZX and 306 was very much like that, great til about 3750rpm then it all dies off very quick. Dads 120hp Laguna DCi doesnt seem as bad, doesnt run out of breath as early, but still dies all of a sudden at 4500rpm. I am sure the software upgrade will only improve on the current characteristics. When I upgraded I noticed TONS more torque at low revs and a bit of a powerband from 4.5-6k. Although mine is petrol of course.

As for the hiss you heard, I would very much think that your turbo system has a bypass valve in it somewhere and that is what you can hear. A BPV doesnt necessary vent to the atmosphere, but back into the induction system hence you can hardly hear it at all. It will become more prominent after you drop in a K&N and change the exhaust, even just a catback. Again, this is what I did to the Saab and I can now hear the whoosh as it spools up and a psst as it vents. It's not really loud or anything like a blowoff valve, and if I did an incar vid I am not even sure you'd hear it over the amibent noises that'd get recorded.

Enjoy the new car, at least its RWD! :D