BMW 1 Series

The BMW 1-series is a small premium Bee-Em that comes in every bodystyle; sedan, hatch, five-door and convertible. All are rear dive, but only the sedan looks any good.

• Comfort

  Not the most comfortable of cars because the ride can be jittery at times. Most versions are also stuck with doll's house rear seats and a Rubik's Cube-sized boot. Space in the front is fine though.

  

• Performance

  Monster 135i has oodles of power if you want a genuinely rapid hot hatch, but most people will be seduced by an exceptionally strong set of engines ranging from a 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre petrol (up to that big 3.0-twin-turbo 135i) alongside a 2.0-litre turbo diesel, 6.1L/100km and 125kW. 

  

• Cool

  The sedan looks pretty darn good when optioned properly, and the convertible is clever and solid, but the 1-Series always looks like you couldn't afford a decent 3-Series. So not cool, actually.

  

• Quality

  Solid BMW build makes this a premium thing to sit in and own. Nothing wrong here.

  

• Handling

  Rear-drive makes the 1-Series one of the most satisfying small cars to thrash about in, but the lack of a limited-slip diff can be frustrating in the higher-powered cars if you really want to play. Great steering and a superbly controlled body are the key components.

  

• Practicality

  The boot is tiny in the hatch at 330 litres, making it almost feel like it's from a class below. There's precious little room in the back too. Better to think of this as a small driver's car than the most practical of hatches.

  

• Running costs

  Go for the diesels if you care about mpg and running costs - all get exceptional mileage and perform well. Do-able insurance means that the 1-Series is on a par with other hatches. Residuals are strong across the range - it's the BMW badge - which is why they are also expensive to buy.