USA Today: "It's Easy to Imagine Some Buyers Picking It Instead of a 3 for Its Purer Feel and More Inviting Persona"
Yes, "it" is the new BMW 1-Series. Like many of James Healey's reviews, there's a huge disconnect between the headline (" BMW 1 Series is small but sassy"), the critic's observations and his conclusions. Combining the old "I'll ask myself a question and then answer it" format with the bi-polar "I'll raise an objection and answer it" routine, Healey plays it straight down the middle. After arguing with himself about the small Bimmer's large price tag, he concludes "Nothing unexpected for a BMW. Hey, here's one: the stupid trim pieces on the inside door handles of the test cars, a 128i convertible and 135i coupe. The pieces are mated so that you grab the joining line every time you use the door handle. Unattractive. Rough-feeling. So there." Nuh. Healey's three word summary: it's a keeper. While our Justin Berkowitz wouldn't agree, BMW might well describe TTAC's 1-Series review the same way Healey refers to the 1-Series convertible's roof rattles: faint but troubling squeaks.
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mxfive4, that's why Atlanta is the most suburbanized city on Earth. Nobody wants to live in the 'city'. Those who do are often more focused on the 'hipness' of city life rather than the actual rewards of living in the city proper. High taxes, cronyism that rivals D.C. and Detroit, terrible schools, unbelievably bad traffic, and a surprising lack of interesting sites make the city of Atlanta downright sub-standard. I will say that the choice of restaurants is impressive and there are certain small neighborhoods that are actually pretty decent places to live. However you can get the same thing in the burbs' with better everything for about half the price. If you replaced the engine in the 1-series with a 1980's GM Quad DOHC engine, that would be the City of Atlanta.
Clearly the citizens of Atlanta are justified in being bitter, and it's no wonder that they turn to the 1 Series, guns, and religion.
i was hoping for something like a return to the 2002 or the original 4 banger 3 series, but instead it's sort of the current version of the BMW compact. it's less than a foot shorter than the 3 series, has most of the same mechanicals, weighs almost the same, and costs almost the same. "oh I can't deal with a 3 series, I'll go for this 1 series". Talk about a small niche market.