Really boring question but BMW 1 series or classic Golf?

[bialystockandbloom]

Getting new car. I've always had VWs, either Polos or Golfs. Current Golf very tired now, and it's a Golf plus which I hate as so bulky and sort of homely looking, not much style about it. DP has a BMW 5 series which is lovely to drive, and I do like the feel of it, and love the look of the BMW 1 series. But I'm the one who transports the children around much more on a day-to-day basis, so need to factor in space in the back, plus what's nippier for driving round town (I'm in reasonably central London).

Would a BMW feel a bit small at the back? Dc are 5 and 8, so obviously need to factor in growing legs over the next few years.

Budget is prob c.£13/14k so can get a good nearly-new Golf for that, but a slightly older BMW.

Any experiences?

Id go golf but that's purely on seating and driving position preference.
I've had both, they've both been very similar on running costs. I think the golf was slightly bigger inside, the 1 series was actually bought from a woman who needed more rear leg room for her teenage son.

Thanks damn

When you say driving position do you mean the position of the driver's seat? I do find DP's BMW seats more reclining, which isn't great for driving or for my back. I think you're probably right about the Golf.

Yeah that's exactly it, the seat just seems to be in a better position for me in the golf. The bmw's (we've had 1, 3, and 5 series) just don't seem to go in quite the right place for me. OH loves the seating position though.
Like you say too recliney - I always thought it was just me! Long journeys kill my back. Vw's & audis always seem to go in the right place for me.

Ah that's interesting, was thinking about an Audi too, though never had one. I've wondered if bmws are made for taller people than me - I'm 5'5 so not tiny but have to put seat all the way forward - i must have short legs! Whereas the impending lengthening of ds's legs is another matter

Thanks for your advice damn

Ah that's interesting, was thinking about an Audi too, though never had one. I've wondered if bmws are made for taller people than me - I'm 5'5 so not tiny but have to put seat all the way forward - i must have short legs! Whereas the impending lengthening of ds's legs is another matter

Thanks for your advice damn

Oops!

If you're treating your budget as 'this is a target of much I want to spend' rather than 'this is the most I can spend' then the 1 series might be a better buy as you will be getting an older one, which therefore will already have done more of it's depreciation.

You have to think of all money you spend on cars over the absolute minimum as wasted*, unless you buy one that becomes a 'classic' and is worth more than you paid for it when you sell it. Therefore I'd get an older Golf (because if you're prepared to consider an older 1-series there is no logical reason not to consider an older Golf) and therefore get something perfectly serviceable for a lot less. I don't suggest going down to my £2.5k ish level - you're in London after all - but you can get a very nice Gold for £5k, which leaves you £9k to spend one something that won't depreciate, or at least is more fun than a car that's a bit newer and shinier but does the same job as the one you already have.

A car is just a car, especially in London. I know a banker who even in the heady days of the late 90s bonuses had a 5 year old Golf he bought second hand - his rationale being a) he needed a car to travel to Wales that weekend, and had forgotten to hire one, and the garage he got the Golf from was open, and would let him pay with a debit card b) you can always sell a Golf c) it was a low spec, old-ish car that he could park anywhere without worrying or caring d) he could fit large-ish things in the back if he needed to. I've not seen him for years, but he still had it last time I saw him when I guess it was 10 years old.

Most Audi's are very similar to the equivalent sized VWs, Skodas and SEATs as they are all the same group and share a lot of the same components.

• Of course you may not see it that way. I've had expensive cars and I've had cheap cars, and at the time I thought the cost of the expensive one was justified because it looked amazing and was fast and comfortable. But I'm not sure I'd make the same decision again.

Thanks pie you make good points.

Yes I suppose the budget is what I was thinking I'd spend, rather than the maximum I'd spend. Totally agree about 2nd hand cars - was always intending to get one as buying new car (or even 1year old) is pointless. But it's more about mileage for me tbh. My car before now was a Polo, pretty old (10 years when I got it) but really really low mileage. It was fantastic, lasted me for years without one single problem. Current car was newer, but much higher mileage, and feels like it took a battering before I had it.

I'm not really thinking about re-sale value though tbh - more about what's more practical for schlepping around town with children, reliable, manoeuvrable (being in very busy town roads), and comfortable. But with a pretty good budget I thought maybe worth looking at something a bit more stylish than a VW, much as I love their reliability etc. BMWs seem to have a few more great features too - though maybe that's just DP's pretty bloody flash one!

Get something more reliable from Japan....

I was going to buy a bmw 1 series but after driving home from work in terrible snow and seeing my 3 friends with the 1 series stranded as they are rear wheel drive, I decided against it.

I thought it was a bit low too. My dh always buys Audi's, but I thought the a1 was a bit small for the dc in the back.

I bought a Hyundai ix35 instead and I really like it. High driving position, big boot and plenty of room in the back for the dc. It also has loads of extras included that were extra in the bmw.

I was going to buy a bmw 1 series but after driving home from work in terrible snow and seeing my 3 friends with the 1 series stranded as they are rear wheel drive, I decided against it.

In fairness that's more down to a combination of poor driving and summer tyres than being rear wheel drive.

Not really. Rear wheel drive vehicles in snow are renowned for being difficult. This includes most bmws and mercs.

Front wheel drive is better in snow. You get much better grip.

UGG that is only because very few people in the UK bother using winter tyres and lack the training to deal with driving in snowy conditions. I'll take a powerful rear wheel drive car with winter tyres any day over a front or four wheel drive car on summer tyres.

This illustrates my point perfectly

Not really. Rear wheel drive vehicles in snow are renowned for being difficult. This includes most bmws and mercs.

Front wheel drive is better in snow. You get much better grip.

Not exactly - a rear- or mid-engined RWD car will have similar traction to a front-engined FWD car; it's about the weight over the driven wheels. In fact, they'd probably be better than a FE/FWD car because during acceleration weight on the front tyres is to all intents and purposes reduced (front end wants to lift) and weight on the rear tyres is increased (the rear end squats).

In any case, as shown in the video linked by penisland, having the proper tyres for the conditions on your vehicle makes all the difference.

I put winter tyres on my car last October, removed them in March. Number of days of snow last Winter: zero.

I have a 1 series. I fit my DD and her chums in the back with no difficulty. It's a lovely car to drive - and I live in a very snowy part of the UK! A set of narrow 16" wheels with winter tyres on meant that I didn't have a single slip or slide all winter. BMW's have DTC (dynamic traction control) which is a system you switch on in the snow - it detects which wheel is slipping and directs the drive to the gripping one, if that makes sense. With winter tyres on, my DTC wasn't needed.