Post by Big Blue on Jun 5, 2018 16:42:47 GMT
Well, as per every year I have a summer of rental cars ahead of me and the first one has just been handed back. However, there was an earlier loan car that will also be reviewed here for reasons of comparison and the fact that I had it a day and a half and it was not exactly driven beyond the confines of Thames Ditton, Surbiton and Worcester Park.
That first car was this:
It's a 420D and it was very well appointed. All the stuff like Nav, comfort entry, that is now far more common than not. As I stated I didn't really drive it much but from what I did I can understand the reason why the 2.0D BMW engine is the engine of choice for company car drivers: it's no slouch, is it? Combined with the auto box it stepped away with great alacrity and didn't give the impression of speed at all. That said it is a 4-cyl diesel so it did sound like me standing in the garage shaking a tool box vigorously when at idle. It was also happy to rev to its red line but there was simply no aural joy to that exercise whatsoever.
They do have loads of space inside, and I could sit behind the driver's seat with it in position for me with no problem. W2.0 was even fairly impressed. I was also surprised how pleasant they look in the metal close up. I always see them as more bloated than E92s but they're not unpleasant. I'll never own one nor do I aspire to do so (even with a different engine) but I can see the appeal. I like the Five door one as a prospect much more.
On to the rental car. It was ..........
Yes, another BMW and judging by what's on offer by SIXT at present I could have a summer full of these.
Again, a well appointed car: sat nav, iPhone app thingy, heated seats, LED lights etc. but curiously analogue air con controls: as opposed to digital displays with buttons you turned the dial to the temperature and selected the airflow with a dial as well, although "auto" was an option I don't know if that was the fan speed or not. As this picture shows it had one other crucial feature:
Yes, that's right: it had an "i" on the boot. So, a twin turbo petrol engine which I assume has a swept capacity of 1.6 litres. It certainly shifted OK and combined with an auto box used around 10l/100km which is 28.2 mpg. It cruised at 140kph with no issues whatsoever and never felt lacking, which is good 4-up with 46kg of suitcases (both were 23.0kg exactly on the Alicante scales - damn I'mgood! lucky!) plus hand luggage. One thing about that photo above: these always look like they have a "jutting jaw" rear bumper in photos when in actuality they look very svelte. Can't explain it, so I'll allow one of the photographers to tell me what element of lens perspective causes that.
The thing about BMWs when you own one is that everything is where you expect it to be, probably like any other make of car except Alfa Romeo, and that helped when chucking it about the roundabouts of La Manga and Cabo do Palos. It handles nicely and I can see why the M140 /M135s are so numerous. What a great little car and superb for taking the whole family. Gratuitous photos:
They are also very comfy. At no time did I feel cramped or sitting badly or that the chair was cheap and cheerful and there were no complaints from anyone else in the car, aside from W2.0 during one of the aforementioned roundabout assaults. I really actually loved this car, probably also because it has 10 whole kms on it when they gave me the keys. Remind me not to buy a used hire-car. Ever.
So what was bad? The engine note had a period of raucousness which you could liken to an E30 M3 between about 4,000-4,250rpms but it was quite harsh at the top of the range. However it was still willing to the extent it was far nicer to rev this out than the sudden dead stop of the 420D at 4,500rpm and the associated diesel noises.
That's it on bad: I was amazed it took the 2 Samsonites without needing to remove the hatch cover so it probably won a fair few points there anyhow. Having Eulogised about it there was one thing that annoyed above all else and that was a missing option. It didn't have HUD, massaging seats, air-flow seats or an electric handbrake. I could live without all those and didn't really even notice but Comfort Entry. That is now THE no1 must-have. Not having to take the fucking key out to unlock, lock etc. when you've got naughty kids / shopping / luggage tops it all.
Now, where's my AutoTrader app for that Orange M135i? With Comfort entry.....
That first car was this:
It's a 420D and it was very well appointed. All the stuff like Nav, comfort entry, that is now far more common than not. As I stated I didn't really drive it much but from what I did I can understand the reason why the 2.0D BMW engine is the engine of choice for company car drivers: it's no slouch, is it? Combined with the auto box it stepped away with great alacrity and didn't give the impression of speed at all. That said it is a 4-cyl diesel so it did sound like me standing in the garage shaking a tool box vigorously when at idle. It was also happy to rev to its red line but there was simply no aural joy to that exercise whatsoever.
They do have loads of space inside, and I could sit behind the driver's seat with it in position for me with no problem. W2.0 was even fairly impressed. I was also surprised how pleasant they look in the metal close up. I always see them as more bloated than E92s but they're not unpleasant. I'll never own one nor do I aspire to do so (even with a different engine) but I can see the appeal. I like the Five door one as a prospect much more.
On to the rental car. It was ..........
Yes, another BMW and judging by what's on offer by SIXT at present I could have a summer full of these.
Again, a well appointed car: sat nav, iPhone app thingy, heated seats, LED lights etc. but curiously analogue air con controls: as opposed to digital displays with buttons you turned the dial to the temperature and selected the airflow with a dial as well, although "auto" was an option I don't know if that was the fan speed or not. As this picture shows it had one other crucial feature:
Yes, that's right: it had an "i" on the boot. So, a twin turbo petrol engine which I assume has a swept capacity of 1.6 litres. It certainly shifted OK and combined with an auto box used around 10l/100km which is 28.2 mpg. It cruised at 140kph with no issues whatsoever and never felt lacking, which is good 4-up with 46kg of suitcases (both were 23.0kg exactly on the Alicante scales - damn I'm
The thing about BMWs when you own one is that everything is where you expect it to be, probably like any other make of car except Alfa Romeo, and that helped when chucking it about the roundabouts of La Manga and Cabo do Palos. It handles nicely and I can see why the M140 /M135s are so numerous. What a great little car and superb for taking the whole family. Gratuitous photos:
They are also very comfy. At no time did I feel cramped or sitting badly or that the chair was cheap and cheerful and there were no complaints from anyone else in the car, aside from W2.0 during one of the aforementioned roundabout assaults. I really actually loved this car, probably also because it has 10 whole kms on it when they gave me the keys. Remind me not to buy a used hire-car. Ever.
So what was bad? The engine note had a period of raucousness which you could liken to an E30 M3 between about 4,000-4,250rpms but it was quite harsh at the top of the range. However it was still willing to the extent it was far nicer to rev this out than the sudden dead stop of the 420D at 4,500rpm and the associated diesel noises.
That's it on bad: I was amazed it took the 2 Samsonites without needing to remove the hatch cover so it probably won a fair few points there anyhow. Having Eulogised about it there was one thing that annoyed above all else and that was a missing option. It didn't have HUD, massaging seats, air-flow seats or an electric handbrake. I could live without all those and didn't really even notice but Comfort Entry. That is now THE no1 must-have. Not having to take the fucking key out to unlock, lock etc. when you've got naughty kids / shopping / luggage tops it all.
Now, where's my AutoTrader app for that Orange M135i? With Comfort entry.....
