Senselessly it does make sense.

This time I drive THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE. Yes a couple of BMWs and both of them are absolutely perfect for the job they are designed to do.

SO in this post I'll tell you about the cheaper one and save the best for last. So the cheapest BMW - the 1 series. Its not cheap though the basic model without any convenience features costs rs. 31 lakh (on-road indore) . The second variant which I would suggest to go for with all the features except Bi-Xenon headlamps is Rs. 34 Lakh(on-road indore) and The one with Bi-Xenon headlamps for some senseless reason costs Rs.37 lakh(on-road indore). So having dropped the price bomb first I'll now continue with the review.

SO, how Good is the 1 series? Let me tell you one thing that it spits in the face of all the people who say it's priced senselessly and say that the Merc-A class its chief competitor costs less as much as Rs 10 lakh is better buy. The car is an absolute hoot to drive.I've waited all my life to drive a car like this. It is so fun to drive that ever since I've driven it, i cant get over the fact that i don't own one and wont be able to own a 1 series of this generation. Everything on that car is absolutely perfect! The steering despite being electrically assisted gives proper feedback and is very very responsive. The ZF 8 speed automatic gearbox installed in it is globally acknowledged as one the best gearboxes of all time, and it's not just me, everyone in the world of motoring loves it! the gearshifts are smooth and fast despite it being a single clutch transmission. The only thing which would further enhance gearshifts are paddle shifts. But without those also the gearbox is awesome!

The Ride

I cannot Imagine how much thought and research has gone into configuring the suspension of this car!
The ride is Perfect. I believe there is no car with a better ride/stiffness balance than this one. The suspension is an engineering marvel. The ride despite being comfortable, always gives the driver confidence to drive it sportily without any body roll whatsoever! Until driving this car i believed it was impossible to have this sort of suspension setup, its always either sporty or comfortable but somehow this car does both effortlessly!

But the party piece of this car is the engine! I drove the BMW 118D that is the diesel and from being a petrolhead, for me diesel is a satanic fuel. But my thoughts about diesels are now totally changed. The 2 litre turbocharged diesel produce 143Bhp and an ample 320NM of torque. This sort of power is nothing short of astounding for diesels! And despite Being  a diesel it Revvs up to 6000 RPM! YES 6000!! again despite being diesel this one is free revving. Until now i couldn't associate free revving with diesel but this one changes the norm. The engine is also very refined and there is not even the slightest hint of turbo-lag.

The Interiors

The interiors of this car follow typical BMW approach of function over form. Still the interior quality is pretty nice but i feel for a car that costs Rs. 34 lakh more leather could be used.

Overall the car is an extremely tempting buy for an enthusiast. But still this is the car for young generation and it shows. The only thing that stands in the competition is the BMW 3 series. But its not even close to this in terms of the driver friendliness which this car offers. Even I was a big critic of this car because of its pricing but from the time I've driven it I've become a die hard fan of this car and now i realise that pricing is perfect! What more can you expect for a car costing Rs. 34 lakh? This car gives you everything that an enthusiast seeks- rear wheel drive, outstanding ride, marvellous gearbox and a butter smooth engine. Every car has its faults and this one also has some like it isn't as Striking as the BMW 3 series or as beautiful as the Merc A class but once you drive this one you wouldn't mind if this car looked like a HM Ambassador. Literally.

The more I think about this car the more it grows over me and the more it makes me SAD. why sad??
because by the time I will be old enough to buy one the 1 Series will come with front wheel drive. Now i am absolutely sure that BMW will make the front wheel driven car as much fun to drive as this one but it will never be this one! So if you are planning to get one, get one NOW because you might never have a chance to buy a car which is as perfect as this one!

So Ultimately when Its a beemer it always makes sense.