BMW 1 Series Coupe 120i ES Auto 2dr Car Review - February 2012

Although the 1 Series' ride is often a little too firm, the car offers a fantastic driving experience. The car is poised and balanced and the automatic gearbox is a peach.

The engine delivers 170bhp and 155lb-ft of torque, allowing the car to reach 62 mph in 8.4 seconds. This is fairly fast for a car of this class and a top speed of 138 mph gives this car relatively strong performance credentials.

Despite its strong performance, the powerful engine is smooth and quiet. The road and suspension noise are also hushed within the cabin although there is a little wind noise on motorways.

The 1 Series Coupe 120i ES Auto has a great driving position with a lot of adjustment available - although unfortunately the mechanism is a little fiddly which means getting the seat in the optimum position can take time.

In terms of standard equipment, the ES Coupe comes with air conditioning, alloy wheels and a stereo with MP3 connectivity. Optional extras include leather seats for £1,115, with climate control costing £400, rear parking sensors £350 and Bluetooth £400. There is no option to add a built-in satellite navigation system to the car.

The car also comes with the iDrive control system which takes a bit of getting used to. BMW’s ‘Efficient Dynamics’ technology is also utilised to reduce the amount of wasted energy, helping to make the car more efficient.

The 1 Series Coupe 120i ES Auto is a well crafted and engineered car which offers long-term reliability thanks to the reputation of the BMW brand. The car comes with a three year warranty for unlimited miles to provide reassurance to buyers and also rated well in the 2011 JD Power survey.

Driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags are all fitted as standard, along with traction control and dynamic stability control. An alarm, immobiliser, remote central locking and deadlocks are all offered for increased security.

In terms of practicality, despite the improvements made over the previous model, the 1 Series is still short on leg space in the rear seats, although it does have more boot space than before thanks to a longer and wider body. This means that practicality is improved but still somewhat limited for a car of this class.

The 1 Series Coupe 120i ES Auto is pricey at £24,230 but the ‘Efficient Dynamics’ technology helps to keep running costs low - making it better value for money than some might expect. Fuel economy iss 42.8 mpg on the combined cycle whilst CO2 emissions of 154g/km but the car into road tax band G which is fairly reasonable.

The ES trim is the cheapest available on the 1 Series and this means the range of equipment is a little limited. Those wanting more luxuries can choose to upgrade to a more advanced trim but the additional price this incurs may not be considered justified.

Overall, the 1 Series is a good investment so long as buyers are prepared sacrifice rear leg room and practicality.