THE DRIVER’S SEAT By JEFF SABATINI, May 16, 2008
The 1-Series is the German auto maker’s smallest and least expensive model. In Europe, BMW sells 3- and 5-door hatchback version of the 1-Series and offers four-cylinder gas engines as well as diesel engines.
I have become somewhat disaffected about BMW of late, disliking the overriding design theme of this decade’s newest models. From the “flame surfacing” look of asymmetrical and unbalanced curves and lines to the myriad electronics that sully the man-machine interface, I pine for the purity of BMWs past.
So it was with much excitement that I hopped behind the wheel of the 2008 BMW 135i coupe for my weekly test drive. The new 1-Series is being cast as a car for a big group of BMW fans: enthusiast drivers who love the communicative steering, nimble handling and rear-wheel-drive layout of Bimmers, but feel the beloved 3-Series has become too big and heavy, too feature-laden and too expensive.