Many engines, which is the most economical?
BMW never actually did well with the BMW 1 series. The first generation was named ‘the pot-bellied pig’ and the second, with its large headlights, did not initially appeal to enthusiasts. The facelift made it a bit more subtle, but also a bit less pronounced. Fortunately, in this section we are not talking about taste and design, but about measurable matters. This time we look at the second generation 1-series, available between 2012 and 2019.
BMW always gets things right with its wide range of engines. This 1-series ranged from a modest 114i with 102 hp to the 340 hp M140i. Of course, diesel enthusiasts will also get their money’s worth at BMW. In this article we find a nice mix.
Consumption BMW 116i and 118i
With these motorizations there is a ‘catch’. Until the facelift in 2015, the 114i, 116i and 118i were basically the same. A 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbo then provided the drive, depending on your choice with 102, 136 or 170 hp. The 114i does not appear in our consumption figures, but we still get a good picture of the 116i and 118i. After the facelift, the 116i received a three-cylinder, for which we have no values ​​available. The 118i kept the same power source, so we have simply included it in the averages below.
Well, the supreme moment. Drivers of a four-cylinder 1-series achieve a combined average of 1 in 13.8 (7.3 l/100 km). The bandwidth is, as expected, quite large. The most economical is a 116i, which achieved an average consumption of 1 in 15.7 (6.4 l/100 km) for more than 40,000 kilometers. The greediest is a 118i Corporate Lease Edition, of which the sporty driver drove an average of 1 in 11.5 (8.7 l/100 km) over a distance of 122,063 kilometers.
And the 118d/120d/125d?
Of course, diesel drivers also, or especially, keep track of their consumption. As with petrol engines, not every engine designation always refers to the same block. For example, the 116d EfficientDynamics is equipped with a 1.6-liter diesel, while the ‘regular’ 116d has a two-liter diesel. That is the same 2.0 as in the 118d, 120d and even 125d. There was even a 114d.
If you have not yet given up despite this engine mess, we have the consumption figures of this two-liter for you. On average, users drive this 1 in 17.7 (5.65 l/100 km). The best consumption was achieved by a Belgian driver, who achieved an average of 1 in 19.5 (5.1 l/100 km) for 177,567 kilometers (!). The worst value over a longer period of time is 1 in 16.2 (6.2 l/100 km). In short, whatever you think of the design, such a 1-series is very economical, especially on diesel.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl