A disappointment

Exterior It's the BMW stying philoshphy that I can't fault. The car looks sporty, lean, and muscular.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) I like the space. I drove this car as a solo driver mostly but I think it's good for two as well. The boot is also quite spacious. Features-wise, the GPS is great. Navigating the menu while driving is easy and fun. Steering media controls are cool.

I didn't like the aircon at all. If the car has a temperature setting, it should just maintain the temperature, which the 116i didn't do well.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox My first car was the City VTEC 2002. I was hoping this car would perform at least as good as that car but the 116i is a major disappointment when it comes to performance. The car is fairly quick and much better in first and a little better in the second gear but it's simply not fun that point onwards when it acclerates lifelessly and is missing 'roar'

Fuel economy of this car is really bad. I drove around 1000 kms at a fuel economy of around 12kmpl. There was fair bit of driving in the mountains but not excessive breaking or gear shifts. In today's time, I expect better from an engine this size.

The gearbox also isn't as crisp as ...say a SWIFT's. This is completey unacceptable from a BMW.

Ride Quality & Handling I drove this car up to 130 km/hr and on long (20 km) 110+ kmph stretches. On all grounds, this car is appalling in stability. It doesn't stick to the ground firmly and when passing trucks I realised how flimsy the grip felt. This is one car that doesn't inspire confidence at higher speeds. Forget Honda City VTEC (old), a Swift Petrol does better. The steering is great. It's a joy. This car is a delight to manoeuvre.

Final Words Overall, if you drive this car before buying, you'll probaby never buy any BMW. If I have to spend so much of money, there are great options from other manufacturers. More importantly, if you are a BMW fan, never drive this car.

Areas of improvement BMW should get rid of the 116i.