Be the envy of friends and neighbours

JUST a few weeks back I wrote about a lovely red and black coloured version of the Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo and said that it might be idea for Bohemians fans. Last week I had a car that should be attractive for Shelbourne or St Patrick’s Athletic supporters, a red BMW116d with white alloys.

This is the second generation of BMW’s 1Series and naturally it’s bigger and better than the old one. When it was launched at the Munich Motor Show in 2004 some people complained that it was too small and too cramped, especially in the back. I have yet to drive a revamp of any car that wasn’t longer, more spacious and had a bigger boot.

I can’t remember having any problems with the last model, but apparently BMW has eradicated a few things that might have been mildly annoying. The changes to the lights and grille are discreet. The front end now looks very square, but the double grille is different to say the least.

The last time I drove a BMW my grandson loved the I-drive and kept choosing radio stations that were not really to my taste. Oscar, for that is his name, was home from Denmark when I had the 520D. I missed him last week, but I didn’t miss his choice of radio station as I was allowed to choose my own favourite country music stations!

Make no mistake this is a classy looking motor and the red version was very striking. Money may be tight in Ireland right now, but there is still a certain status that comes with owning a BMW. This rear-wheel drive model handles very well in all types of weather and road surfaces. And if it’s speed you are after you can get from zero to 100km/h in just over eight seconds. But you may be more interested to know that you can switch to a new ECO PRO system which ensures greater fuel efficiency.

I found the cabin very bright thanks to a nice touch of grey on the seats. However, my regular female passenger was underwhelmed with the interior. The dash is fairly basic with the controls well laid out and easy to use. And you get plenty of slave controls on the steering wheel.

The boot is a decent size and it’s opened by pressing the BMW logo on the back door. That is something we have got used to in VW cars and though I am open to correction this, I think, is the first time BMW has used this method to open the boot.

A third of the 1.2 million units of the 1 Series which have been sold since the car was launched eight years ago have been on the German market and seven out of ten buyers are new to the brand. But then Germans love their BMWs. The latest model comes in three diesel and two petrol versions. I drove the 2.0 litre diesel Urban version which will cost you

?¬30,800 before any extras are added. Prices for the 116d start at

?¬28,090.

So if you want to get on the first rung of the BMW ladder, buy a red 116d with those white alloys and you will be the envy of your friends and neighbours.