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CAP Blog > CAP Blog > Martin's Blog
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Apr
15
Written by:
Martin Ward
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
On paper the 116d looks like a non-starter in the market in comparison to the 118d. They both share the same 2.0 litre diesel engine but the 118d produces 143hp compared to a lowly 116hp on the 116d. The Co2 difference is only 1g/km with the 116d being 118g/km and the 118d at 119g/km. Is there any reason for the 116d? The 118d appears to do everything better; it has more power and is still under the 120g/km VED band, making it only £35 per year to tax.
 When our test car arrived it was one of those that you really didn’t want to drive because you just know it is not going to be up to BMW standards and would feel like it would under achieve. The first journey was down the M1 to Silverstone via some fairly steep hills on the way to the motorway. The first thought was had BMW cheated me and stuck on some 116d badges on a 118d? Or even a 120d? Surely not! They hadn’t, it was the 116hp 116d, I did check. It coped admirably with the hills and even better on the M1, cruising easily at 70mph with plenty of power left if needed. It is quiet, refined and a pleasure to drive. It had no lack of power in any condition; it had more than enough which was quite surprising.
 After using the 116d for a week on a variety of journeys, it achieved 54.3mpg which I think is a good result. BMW have told me that the 116d is designed for those who want a more frugal car than the 118d. They said the 118d is more of a driver’s car for those who want more power and a quicker 0-62mph than the 10.2 seconds the 116d offers.
BMW have created a car that the market wants and not built a car that they want the market to accept; a stylish, quality car but with a lower power output. The car we tested was the three door which I think looks much more stylish than the five door but getting into the rear is not that easy. Sometimes design is better than practicality. The 116d is a typical example of you can’t judge a book by its cover and at £995 less than the equivalent 118d, all you lose is 27hp and swap an ‘8’ badge for a ‘6’.
 At £19,890 on the road for the test car, it probably looks a bit expensive for a small three door car but it is a quality car that is still highly desirable on the used market. It has a badge that counts for so much. Would I pay extra for the 118d? No!
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