No connection with any firms mentioned - other than as a customer!
I went to Germany yesterday with a work colleague, for some shopping. Stansted to Hahn for £32 return, hand luggage one way, checked in case coming back. Ryanair flights on time out and back. Check in and security very speedy even during the early morning rush at Stansted. Passport control and baggage very quick on the way back - 40 minutes from touchdown to driving away from the mid-stay cark park!
I had booked a group B hire car at Hahn and was expecting a Corsa, Fiesta, Fox/Polo. Booking direct with the Majors was expensive (£50+) and I got one for £45 with Budget but thru Holiday Autos. Got to the desk and was pleasanyly suprised to be given a 118d BMW. Booking with Holiday Autos gives one the option to buy top-up CDW, from insuranc4carhire for £4.50. This is expensive compared with their annual rate of £49 but way cheaper tham the £10/day rates charged by the majors for their own insurance.
The car was, frankly, a bit odd! I was given a block of black plastic, the size of a small match box, with three buttons on it. I guessed the metal key blade appeared when one of the buttons was pressed, but it didn't! Went back to the desk and was told the car was 'keyless'. Went down to the car park, found the car and spent 5 minutes trying to see how the system worked. Finally found a small receptacle in the dash into which they fitted. Inserted it and then pressed it an and it locked in and turned on the ignition. Press a dash mounted start button and all was well. Drove off and stopped at a set of traffic lights and after about 5 seconds the engine stopped. Panic! Pressed the clutch and the engine re-started and away we went - an introduction to BMW's stop start system. I think the engine can be made to keep running when parked by putting the handbrake on!?
The car was an odd spec. Heated seats but with fabric not leather, only speedo, RPM and fuel gauges, no temp gauge. Steel wheels with Korean Hankook tyres, surely they aren't original eqipment on any BMW? Traction control and a very nice diesel engine (Turbo?) The 6 speed gearbox was awful, very baulky and hard to engage gears when moving. Very economical, did 60 miles on 10.5 litres of fuel including some M Way work with no speed limit.
Overall a good day out, the deal was that we saved over £500, vis a vis the UK price, on my colleagues small stinky cigarillos! The car was a suprise, for a £45 hire charge but I wouldn't spend my own money on a BMW 1 series!
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Surely it'd be cheaper still if he gave up the filthy weed?
Sounds to me like BMW make cars to a spec for the hire cos. - hence the fabric seats and tyre choice.
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60 miles on 10.5 litres is less than 30mpg, wouldn't call that economical on that size of car
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Check your fuel figures - 30mpg isn;t too good for a supposedly green car. I'd expect to use less than 6 litres for 60 miles in a 118d.
Hankooks are fitted to a number of German marques - we had a Touran hire car with them fitted. Lower spec models don't have the "rubber band" low profile tyres of more powerul makes and Hankook will meet the required specification for the manufacturer.
As for fabric seats - I expect it in a BMW unless the options list has been visited.
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Hankooks are fitted to a number of German marques - we had a Touran hire car with them fitted.
True. When in the local VW showroom last November ordering our new Touran, the demo model they had in the showroom had Hankooks fitted, and I was expecting our car to be delivered with them as a result. It turned up with Continentals, which I was slightly happier with, although if they'd have been Hankooks I'd have trusted that VW were happy that they were the equal of Contis, or they wouldn't be fitting them.
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Germans often run very basic BMWs - a German colleague told me that in company car lists a VW Passat is considered more prestigious than a 3 series BMW.
Interesting comment about struggling somewhat with the car's features - my FIL hired a car in Spain (Citroen Piccaso, I think) that had one of the current automated manual geraboxes and electronic handbrake. Of course he was just handed the keys and left to find the car some considerable distance away. He's a capable, mechanically minded person but he said getting it going was a real struggle.
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Re fuel consumption! Typo plus poor proof reading! 160 miles on 10 and a bit litres - sorry!
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that's about 70mpg, much more impressive
318d is one of my shortlist for testing in a few months time, to UK tarted up spec
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I am not a car tester but I am interested to see that others here aren't too keen on the 6 speed box
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The 6 speed gearbox was awful very baulky and hard to engage gears when moving.
This echoes my experience of recent BMWs.
Both E90 3 series I've driven of late (both sub 30,000 mile, well cared for 6 speed manual diesels) had the most obstructive, heavy, notchy gearchanges of any car I've driven in recent memory. Both would baulk into second gear, particularly going down the box, and just had an unpleasant stiff, awkward feel to the lever as it moved about the gate.
It's a shame, as the throw is short, and the stubby gearlever a delight.
I always remember older BMWs having a real knife through butter quality to the gearchange, but the later stuff is very disappointing. Maybe it improves with miles.
Cheers
DP
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BMW are seen in Germany as being a "lo-spec" car-worse than Ford.It's in the UK they are seen as prestige.
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My close cousin works in Germany, and most people at his company as compay cars take Audi4 1.9/Mondeo 2.0tdci. BMW 3 was taken off as option due to no interest from staff. Higher managers get E-Class/A6.
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