I'd like a 120d hatchback. I currently have an E46 touring and love it. As for your comment about more E36 hatchbacks sold than convertibles and tourings; is that US sales, or world-wide. I ask, because the E36 touring was never sold in the US.
Intriguing, but I think more the reason why BMW doesn't bring the 120d and merc doesn't bring the A200 is that there is too much competition from mainstream companies such as Nissan, Chevy, and subaru. You can get that kind of gas mileage and performance for a lot less than BMW is willing to sell. If there were a time for their 1 class diesel it would be now. They would have to upgrade the powerplant to keep in line with the petrol version.
CT......I am glad it was not my projection. I paid $4.60 a gallon recently for premium, but I have no idea when it will reach $7.00 a gallon.
I disagree with the statement of too much mainstream competition for the 1 series hatch size and type car. The same could then be said for any of their models. Why on earth would anyone buy a 5-series when they could get an Accord or Camry for the same price? If I'm shopping a 1-series hatch, a Nissan Versa isn't going to compete in terms of driver involvement and refinement. My wife & I have had a MINI for about 8 years now. It is a fun car, but doesn't have the level of refinement or quality that BMWs have. I still prefer RWD (which, no other car in this size/type segment has). I also wish that BMW, and the other premium makes would realize that just because someone can afford to buy their cars doesn't mean they don't want efficiency. A 120d has all the same great driving dynamics as a 135i, just less acceleration, but way more efficiency. For my driving styling, I have a lot more fun keeping my speed through the turns than just tromping on the go pedal coming out of the turns. That take more skill. It is easy to just tromp the go pedal, but picking the right line through the turn to hold a higher speed takes more skill, and is more fun. Don't get me wrong, the 135i is a hell of a lot of fun, but for my daily driver, a 120d or 320d would be ideal.
I agree with you. The true competitors for a 1-Series hatch would be the Audi A3 and Volvo C30. Neither car can offer the same driving dynamic as a 1-Series because they are FWD (unless you get an A3 Quattro). I owned an A3 a few years ago. Nice car but I did not love the torque steer. I just don't like FWD cars. I would take a RWD 1-Series hatch over an A3 or C30 in a heartbeat. I hope someday we see BMW bring a RWD diesel hatch to the US.
How then would the one series hatch fit in with the 128 and 135? The hatch has been around in Europe for some time and has nowhere near the drive quality of either the above mentioned cars. I get the RWD aspect and agree with that. You'd also have to take a look at what it would cost the upgrade the 120d to comply with US emission standards.
A 1-series hatch with 4 doors would be a viable option as a family car. A few years ago I selected an A3 over a 128i because a 2 door coupe with two young children was not going to cut it. I have never driven a 128i or 1 series hatch but your drive quality comment on the hatch vs the coupe surprises me. I have heard the 3 series wagon drives just as well as the 3 series sedan. I am not saying you are wrong. I can't comment from experience.
The 128i and the 1-series hatch *ARE* the same car, just with different bodies from the B pillar back. Why do you believe the "drive qualities" are different?
I own an E46 wagon. Drives just like a similarly equipped sedan. Disclaimer -- my wagon does not have the sport package, so, I don't know if the difference would show up on sport package cars.
The 2l diesel is available... The caveat is that it comes badged as an Alpina... And everything I've read is that it is US street legal. It's got plenty of torque and gets up to 50mpg... Here's the link... http://www.alpina-automobiles.com/?2988&L=0 Chuck
Different than the 120d I thought we were discussing. The 120d is different from the 128i in that i believe it comes as a 5 door hatch and although its 2 liter powerplant puts out 161bhp and 251lb-ft(very respectable), it runs on 205 55R-16 michelins and it's underpinnings are indeed older and less refined the the 128i that had been redesigned for the us in order to "bring back" the classic 2002. Though seemingly a tweak here and there could really make this a great car performance wise in addition to efficiency wise if they decided to bring it overseas. IMHO.
I thought I saw... I believe I saw mention of the urea injection system required for the 335d somewhere recently associated with the D3... maybe I was dreaming (I do have some pretty lucid dreams...) or maybe it was a news release for the future. Chuck
That beautiful blue... It also doesn't help that I have a "thing" for that Alpina Blue... Maybe it was a lucid dream after all. Where's my drool cup? Chuck
Yes. Way off......thankfully. I am only paying a little over $4.00 a gallon here in CT. Perhaps if the Iranians block the Straits of Hormuz we will see $7.00 a gallon........
