Test drive BMW 1 E87 2004 - 2007 hatchback

Bavarian helicopter

BMW signed up in a golf class. Teacher
 
Many journalists, having met the new BMW of the 1st series, hastened to name this car with a penny, but among the majority of the population of our country this name causes completely different associations, rather reminiscent of the glorious past of the domestic auto industry. Personally, it seemed to me that the BMW has now launched a 120i helicopter in the series, because the M3 fighter, the 645i attack aircraft and the Up -Supervaritum Airliner 760LI are already well known in the world ...
 
Not only the emblem with the propeller, but also the design of the car speaks of the novelty of the novelty to the eminent company BMW. Moreover, the body shape is not atypical for the Bavarian car - the hatchback - does not break the overall impression at all. Even the non-standard feed of the 120th model, not to mention the face, is made in the BMW company style. Large nostrils, double headlights, for some time covered with one glass, long hood, sharp side ribs - the pedigree features of the ancestors. Sometimes drivers of passing cars did not pay attention to the unit, accurately guessing the brand of the car, but many looked around when they saw its profile, and especially the back. After all, so far the cut trunk could only be found on the BMW Compact model, but still it was closer to the style of its own name - pseudo -Sedan (when the trunk lid opens with the rear window). By the way, most likely Compact will disappear from the BMW gamut, especially since in the future it is expected to be as many as one modifications of one - a three -door hatchback, sedan, station wagon and even a compartment with a convertible.
 
The appearance of the BMW of the 1st series is very expressive. The car, as it were, has a competent specialist in metalworking - nothing superfluous protrudes for a given configuration. The main difference from classmates is the swiftness of forms. The unit resembles a predator - if not a shark, then at least a sword fish.
 
The body of the hatchback of the 1st series is completely steel. The engine is located longitudinally above the front axle, and the passenger compartment is shifted back. Distribution on the axes, as it should be at BMW, 50:50. The one has the longest wheelbase in the class - 2660 mm. This has a positive effect on sled qualities (more on that later), but does not save from crowding on the back sofa. And although the seat itself is quite deep, it is quite difficult to get on it through the triangular back door, besides, too little space was left for the legs of passengers, and therefore you have to get a half -broth on it. However, the luggage compartment turned out to be no worse than that of competitors - 330 liters. Moreover, if you back the back of the rear seat, by the way, folding separately, you can get a much more impressive cargo space. However, for BMW this has never been the main indicator - a unit in this sense is also no exception ...
 
Here are the front seats - quite cozy: even people above average height can accommodate them comfortably, however, for this they will have to partially push the rear riders. Standard chairs with an excellent profile, a powerful inflatable lumbar underput and a dead grip of side support rollers provide a tight landing. Naturally, for the greater convenience of the driver, the steering column is adjusted in two planes.
 
The unit salon, of course, is somewhat crowded, but this is a real BMW salon, made without any discounts on the small class of a car. It is clear that its decoration is not as high quality as that of the 5th or even more than the 7th series, but in places and simpler the current treshka, but still the cost of the car is the lowest in the BMW lineup. Although, we note, 30,000 euros (on average) for a golf class many potential customers will seem a little expensive. On the other hand, the founder of such cars - VW Golf - in the fifth generation has already grown up to 25,000 euros (!).
 
With all the similarity of the interior, one with the rest of the BMW models, it has its own characteristics. So, the ignition key - a plastic keychain without a sting - is inserted into a special slot on the front panel, above which the starter button is located. Like a seven! And on the instrument shield there are only two scales - a speedometer and a tachometer with a built -in fuel sensor. Instead of an indicator of the temperature of the engine coolant, the control lamp is not in the style of Bavarian machines. According to the old tradition, the central console is slightly turned to the driver and is virtually indistinguishable from the same five.
 
However, the entire design of a car of the 1st series is a team of a hodgepodge from different models of the company. Most of all, the hatchback is unified with a new three -year -old. For example, the anterior aluminum suspension of MacPherson - from the new five, the rear multi -link - from the future treshka. Moreover, the rear levers are not made of aluminum, but from steel. The same goes for engines. So far, four engines are offered for a unit - all four -cylinder, and all with small improvements inherited it from the current BMW three -tire. Gasoline with a working volume of 1.6 and 2 liters develop 115 hp. and 150 hp Accordingly, and a pair of 2 -liter turbodiesel is even hot - 122 hp. (modification 118D) and 163 hp (120d)! True, diesel engines will be delivered only by order of dealers. Later, an intermediate gasoline option 118i will appear.
 
The most important advantage of the BMW of the 1st series is a bright riding character, however, characteristic of all Bavarian cars without exception. In any case, the driver will be fascinated and completely forget, for example, about crowding in the back seat (in the end, he is not there), and about the fact that he is traveling on the smallest BMW hatchback ...
 
The four-cylinder 2-liter engine equipped with modern Double Vanos and Valvetronic Double systems is able to light. True, it is highly speeding (the peak value of the moment of 200 nm it reaches at 6200 rpm.), And therefore, in the highest gears, he does not really disperse the heavy unit, despite its dimensions. For effective overtaking, you will have to switch to a lower step (this is if there is a regular 6-speed manual gearbox) or trample the gas pedal to force the machine (in our case) to jump to one or even two gears towards the decrease. But at the same time, the engine will sing in a voice caressing the rumor of a true connoisseur of BMW cars. At the same time, the 2-liter four is quite elastic, and therefore does not require frequent impulsion.
 
And if at first it seems that the unit accelerates even with the most powerful engine in the gamut is not very impressive, then, having gained some speed (and the maximum speed of 120i - 217 km/h), you already forget about this. Here is a car that affects memory! Excellent chassis settings will allow the driver to scold on the road in full height. A car is controlled with exceptional clarity: the slightest movement of the steering wheel is enough for it to change the course. With a set of speed, the steering wheel is only poured with a pleasant weight, convincing the driver of his dominant role over the car. At the same time, even more or less rolled steering can afford to play with a controlled skid - it is enough to dose gas. Obvious advantages of the classic rear -wheel drive, coupled with the perfect car weighty.
 
In a dense city stream, a unit feels like a fish in water (for that she is a lame fish) - it seems that you are driving a comfortable, and most importantly, safe in all respects of the picture. And here I would like to emphasize that such a high price of the car is due primarily to its filling, not to mention the silver. In addition to all kinds of electronic systems that monitor the behavior of the car, the one even in the basic configuration affects the list of options. And the most expensive specimens (one of them was present on our test) are equipped with parking sensors, light and rain sensors, not to mention a high -quality audio system and so on, and so on ...
 
Perhaps the golfs will be happy: so far in the class of city cars there were no bright cars. Maybe to argue with the BMW of the 1st series that appeared on the Audi A3 Sportback market, although not a fact.
 
I would not want the reader to perceive this publication as a BMW PR paid by BMW (frankly, for some reason they didn’t really complain our newspaper), but what is good, it’s good. You cannot obviously be called red. It remains to be glad for people who buy themselves or, say, give someone BMW 120i, and notice that the unit you have is not a school assessment at all, but an original and solid car in its class.
 
Text: Andrey Konstantinov, Ekaterina Butsukina
 

Source: Mkobil magazine [12/13/2004]