Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

> In article >,
> fbloogyudsr > wrote:

>> The 1 series is a smaller hatchback similar to the E36 318ti, and
>> is not anticipated to be coming unless it gets a larger engine than
>> the 4-banger.
>
> It certainly doesn't look similar to the E36 - it looks more like a
> small E60.
> It's had rave reviews in the UK as a driver's car, with the larger
> of the two diesels being the engine of choice. And there's room for a
> 6 cylinder engine which everyone guesses will come later.
>
> It's very tight for rear leg room - a penalty of the RWD layout. So
> different from most in this class that are meant as small family cars.

To me it looks like a Golf, or an older Civic hatchback. I like it. I'd buy
one over a similarly-priced Mini or VW because of the RWD, but I doubt I'll ever
get the chance.

The problem is that BMW and their dealers seem to not like selling cheaper cars
in North America. This was the problem with the 318ti. They were either
optioned to the gills and way overpriced, or used as a teaser to lure people
into a regular 3-Series (for only xx more dollars a month). BMW's brand
management goons supposedly hated the car too. Now they have the Mini, which
addresses the entry-level luxury market, without "cheapening" the BMW brand.

Also, with few exceptions, the low priced entry level car these days is not a
cheaper new car, but a better-model used one. This is true with any brand.
Dealers make a lot more money selling used cars anyway -- not just per car, but
as a percentage of total sales. Used cars are really what pays the bills. So
just as a Toyota dealer sells a lot more used Corollas, etc. than new Echos, BMW
dealers would rather sell people a used 3-Series than a brand-new 1. Toyota
purposely makes the Echo feel cheap to facilitate this process, as BMW did with
the 318ti (mostly with cheap-feeling upholstery). But with new and used BMWs
selling so well these days, BMW doesn't need a teaser car to lure buyers onto
their lots. If people really want a cheaper brand new car, BMW can sell them a
Mini.

Europe is different -- good small cars have as much cachet as anything else.
They're more desirable for practical reasons, such as narrow streets, parking
ease, higher fuel and insurance costs, and a culture where better does not mean
bigger.

Matt O.