CONFIRMED!: BMW 1 Series Destined for US

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A PREMIUM TOYOTA YARIS FIGHTER

poor america. it is such a hard car to get into, how will the 35% of your population who are obese get in? and why a sedan? that will look very bad.

I know

This is very bad for the brand image. A sedan smaller than the already small 3-Series? This can only bring BMW's cachet down to VW's level.

Now Lexus will have more cred. FOR ALL THE HATERS!

There is a great market for this BMW 1.

Instead of buying a Civic and fixing it up, why not just buy a real car from the beginning.

Some people prefer individuality in everything. That is why the SEMA show is so important.

They are only responding to market trends. Would you prefer BMW in the early nineties when they only offered the 3, 5, and 7 series?

And 8 Series.

I don't see this selling well. They're just shooting themselves in the foot; the MINI is already there. The 1 Series may attract a few posers, but most of those kinds of people gravitate towards the base 325i.

The 1 Series has no practicality to speak of, is too expensive, and has a cheaper interior than a VW Rabbit. I just can't see many takers.

Another change in the BMW Fans "Rules and Regulations" regarding certain things that cars need to be to be considered good cars.

What else do we have in the future that will shatter everything BMW fans hold dear to themselves???

have you been driving one Will? no i guess, but it is a nice car to drive and the 130i is pure sport.. I know i tried one:) The interior is cheap but it works and is well made no noises..
And it drives so much better than a Golf or A3.

"And it drives so much better than a Golf or A3."

Have you ever driven an A3 2.0T FWD DSG (five-door if possible)?

Obviously not.

It's like having a shrunken 3 Series with $10K shaved off the price- and it's slightly quicker than a 330i. I'd take my A3 winter beater over the more expensive, uglier, less luxurious, less practical 1 Series in a heartbeat.

Hopefully this will avenge the suckiness that was the 318ti.

Hey Ill take the coupe' Drop in a 2.5l

The 1-series are no good. Tight interior, not-so-good looks, high price. I'd rather buy an Audi A3.

thank god a sensible voice. if you need to carry 3 passengers, there is no way you'll all get in this car. it's tiny and so hard to get into!

looks is a matter of taste. I dont like the A3 the old one looked nice, the new one look like something hit on the roof.. its ugly in my eyes.. so is the TT.

it costs 100000 dollars here in the uk.

Just one more thing to remind everyone, BMW is a mass-market car maker. They're not the enthusiast-boutique that some of their fans make them out to be. They follow the money like everyone else.

Exactlly. I think in the future we'll see BMW follow Mercedes' buisness plan. (i.e. variation of models in all price segments). It's the only way for them to sustain growth and keep share holders happy.

With the proper marketing, the 1-Series CAN be a success and an image booster. Notice I said "can".

The 3-Series Compact failed because of wheezy engines. The 1-Series we'll get doesn't have that problem so it's got credibility in that department.

Again, proper marketing is the key.

Here in San Diego, around Mission Valley, I've already seen a BMW 1 Series Station wagon cruising around Friars Road on 2 separate occasions.

The Volkswagen Golf has defeated the BMW 1 series in numerous comparisons. There is absolutely no spae behind the front seats. BMW's first time effort has come up short.

its not about space, but fun :) If you want practiallity you buy a ford mondeo ( here in europe)fun you drive a BMW or any rwd car.
Yes the Golf is bigger inside, but look at it, it looks so boring.

1 series is an obesse kid with rich man's underwear.
thats how attractive it is. And it is the only way some ppl can date the rich =p

0-60 time is barely acceptable considers the small size it has. WRX can run faster .

I meant space. Also, the 1 series is perhaps the worst looking BMW out currently.

The best looking one is the one pictured, but they're not bringing the hatch over. They're still spooked about hatches being unpopular in the USA but I don't think that's true. Bad hatches are unpopular.

Caltrans you dont know much about cars.

BMW envented the golf class, the 1600 in the 60s, and the touring in the 70s.

They made their compact in 1994, way before Audi had a A3.

The Audi A3 came out in 1995... so, "way before the A3" isn't exactly valid in this comparison.

And the 3 Series compact wasn't exactly a competitor, as it was uglier, more expensive, less fun, and didn't sell nearly as well.

Much like the current 1 Series vs. A3.

Wait till you see the coupe'

This will just allow more people to buy into the BWM family and then hopefully upgrade as the years go on. It's a great marketing strategy that has been used by many companies before. MB did it back in the late 90's with the C230 Komp Hatch (some would call it a coupe). The roads exploded with that car. Everyone was driving it, men, women; young (wealthy) kids got it as 'their' car, etc... You could see hundreds in the cities and even in the urban/rural areas. Light weight with that zippy supercharged engine, it was a fast and really fun car to drive.

It was the cheapest MB that you could buy in the US but it allowed people to walk around with the three pointed star in their pocket. Plus, for the mid/high 20's that people were paying for it; those same people would then be able to upgrade to a bigger MB years later. And after some time that person that started with the 230 Komp is now riding around in a nice E or S Class.

I think it's going to do very well with the image-driven need of the American public.

If it's such a great marketing strategy, then why did Mercedes decline to bring the A-B class cars here?

Because Mercedes dealers revolted. They don't want a $25k car bringing down the Mercedes illusion.

If BMW loses the cachet of being slightly unattainable, where people scratch and save and lease, the brand will become more ordinary, not less.

The truth is, BMW is nothing special. The whole brand is built on great marketing. Their cars aren't worth the 20% premium BMW charges. Once you can get a BMW for $25k, I think people will begin to see the ordinary nature of BMW--not see it as more valuable.

Then, what happens to the pecking order at the service dealership. Do 1-series cars get loaners?

crackity....

I was talking about the C-Class. Not the A-B Class. Totally different vehicles.

Ah, got it. Yes, that picture you paint is an intriguing one. But didn't BMW just have that with the Mini? You think a design-challenged shrunken sedan is going to replicate that success? The Mini is brilliant while the new 1-series looks like a price compromise.

Well, I can see your comment/arguement about the Mini. Except for the fact that on the hood of the Mini, it's wings and not the Blue and White Checks.

Plus they would have to totaly change around the chassis of the Mini to make it 1 Series 'ish'. The Mini allows BMW to have that cheaper sport compact alternative for those that don't want the 3 Series. IMO.

We have this BMW in europe. It's realy fun to drive. It's a excellent and pleasent car. BMW fans try it you'll love it!

Well I like the one series. I rented one for a couple of weeks earlier this year. It isn't that practical as a family car. Me and a mate took one to go camping in as we couldn't fit all our gear in my 3. Rear space is tight but even the 120d which we had was fun to drive. I happen to really like the look WITH the exception of the tail-lights, which are bland when compared to the rest of the car.

If the coupe looks anything like the 4car winter testing pics from last year it should be great.

IIRC the line up was

4 door hatch (the one currently available)
2 door hatch (like the 135ti pictured earlier)
2 door coupe (poss. 2 series name)
2 dood cab (poss. 2 series name)
4 door saloon (yes it was ugly)
4 door estate

All of which have been seen testing - so they should be here sooner or later. AND I CAN'T WAIT!

The A3 beat the 1-series in every comparo I've seen.

No one is afraid of the 1-series except BMW dealers, who will sell fewer 3-series to people who were overreaching to get into BMW. Audi has won as best compact car in the luxury class everyplace I've seen it tested.

The A3 is worlds ahead of the 1 Series in every category.

Get your head on straight.

If the A3 and C-Class coupe never sold in high numbers, what makes you think the 1 Series will make an impact in the BMW lineup, especially when you can get a more characterful, less expensive, more practical, more frugal, peppier MINI Cooper for thousands less?

logical, you give into absolutely everything with a blue and white propeller on the hood.

Go out in the world; try new things. Don't live for the same old M5 rag every day. I'm going to smell the roses and live life as it comes; not stay with Audi my entire life. I don't dislike Audi in the least, and after I get a 911 or XKR for my next car, I may get another Audi, such as an S8, a car or two later.

Step out of your BMW box. You need some excitement in your life. Go drive an RS4, and you'll see what I mean.

and no air conditioning!

I don't know what all the negativity is for regarding bringing these to the U.S. Everyone complaining about it being too expensive needs to remember that BMWs are less expensive here than abroad. An Audi A3 3.2 S-line starts at $34k here, that's more than a 328i sedan. With Audi charging that much BMW has plenty of room to price a 128i and 135i. Plus if they bring the coupe/convertible models over with the 300+hp twin turbo that pushes thew new 3-series 0-60 in 4.8 seconds and charge $40K or less, with free maintenance and a roundel emblem to boot, I don't think BMW would have much trouble selling them. It would also give BMW ammunition against the G35 Coupe, which is in the same pricerange, and wouldn't offer the same performance. The biggest selling point to the G is that it's cheaper. If you could get a higher performing BMW for the same amount of money I think they'd sell the crap out of them.

"An Audi A3 3.2 S-line starts at $34k here, that's more than a 328i sedan. "

That's because it's faster, more practical, is standard with REAL leather seats instead of "leatherette", has a standard S-Line package and 18s instead of the 328i's 16 inchers, a DSG transmission, the list goes on...

And there's no doubt in my mind that the 135i is going to cost about $5K more than the A3 3.2- I think they may have a little trouble selling them, because who wants a $40K hatchback? You could almost buy a 5 Series for that, or at least a 335i coupe.

Nice try Rob. Before it was, BMW is a boutique brand for enthusiasts. It's uncompromising. It's the ultimate driving machine. Quality costs money. It's not for everyone, etc. etc. etc.

Now you're saying, "I don't understand why BMW can't bring a sub $30k midget sedan to the USA and be successful."

Sure, they can be successful. They can be very successful. When you mortgage your reputation you can make lots of money. You Bimmer types should be making this argument yourselves, not falling back to making excuses while the rest of us laugh at the dumbing down of the Ultimate Washing Machine.

Have fun pulling your 225 hp 530i up to a light with the 300 hp 1-series next to you, piloted by a 23 year old with his laundry in the back seat.

BMW drivers. A sad lot.

crackity .. you are a dick, and If you are too FAT to fit in a 1 series... tough shit... BMW have been making cars since before you grand parents fucked each other, and BMW know better than you when it comes to selling cars to people.

Come on now. Using profanity and references to parents are like shooting up flares on the Titanic. You're losing your argument, take it like a man.

Matt, we've all seen BMW backpedal on some pretty big things, starting with the look of the 7-series. They misjudge the marketplace all the time. The 318i, their last low-end model, wasn't successful. BMW doesn't always get it right and as Americans we can see how the 1 will cheapen the brand. They're in Munich. So, it's a judgment call. Having an opinion on this isn't off base.

I think they'll sell a lot of cars, personally, but at a greater cost than the additional dollars.

BMW has done 180's before. They may do it again.

crackity, the problem is "boutiques" don't make much money.
ferrari? bought out by fiat, and very very expensive.
porsche? was literally close to bankruptcy until the boxster.
jaguar? loosing money.
aston? has never made an overall profit for any of it's owners.
i've just realised a 135i has more horsepower than my 740.
people forget, in europe there is no exclusivity in having a bimmer, merc or audi.
prestige yes, but no exclusivity.

I don't think BMW is a boutique car brand. I'm being told this all the time by BMW drivers. Every time BMW acts like another normal car company, the BMW faithful is left holding the bag.

Audi is sometimes cheaper, yes. Don't see the problem with that. I don't let BMW set the bar at how much something should cost.

audi is a competitor to bmw.
c'est ca.

huge discounts? i see none.
i'd much rather have an s4 cab than a common as muck m3.

I COULD HAVE TOLD YOU THIS A LONG TIME AGO! I sent a friendly little e-mail to BMW asking them when they are going to market it over here... unfortunatley I did not save the e-mail! The guy wrote and said that it will arrive here between December and January!

This is good. I missed the 3 series of '90s. It was compact, fuel efficient, sporty and right size for me. I would probably buy 1 if the 1 Series sedan is stylish w/ paddle-shift.