Video: 2008 BMW 1 Series

There are two trim levels, the 128 and the 135. This is the 135. It has a Dual Turbo 3-liter Inline six cylinder. It's good for 300 horsepower, 300 pound feet of torque. If this sounds familiar to you, it's because it comes right out of the 335 that we like so much. That's right, same power, smaller, lighter car. BMW says zero to 60 in just over five seconds. There's a difference in the trim levels. The 135 has a deeper front bumper. It also has 18-inch wheels, performance tires. Take a look at the brakes, six piston calipers in front, two in back. You don't need as many in back unless you do all your driving backward. Also on the 135, Rocker Panel Extensions. And then, there's a tasteful spoiler on the trunk. You can get some of these features as a sport package on the 128. With the 1 Series being smaller than the 3 Series, you're probably wondering, "How does someone fit?" I'm 6' tall, and I can tell you with the seat all the way back, I'm too far from the pedals. So obviously, they gave the seat a lot of travel. It doesn't do much for the backseat, but it gives you a lot of room. Headroom, also fine. The upholstery options are a leatherette, which is a nice way of saying fake leather, or what's called Boston Leather. (upbeat music) Does Boston even have cows? Nevermind. I also like the trim. It's called Galvanized Pearl Gloss. I don't know what that means. It doesn't seem to be real metal. It doesn't look that bad. Another handy feature for getting into the backseat, once you pull the lever, there's a little rocker switch here, moves the power seat forward as far as you want it, makes it easier to get in. What happens when you get in? I don't know. I kind of don't believe this myself, but the headroom is fine. I'm good with that. Let's see about the leg room. When you move the seat back, it's actually not that bad. It doesn't give the driver full leg room, but it's totally workable. So the 1 Series obviously looks an awful lot like the 3 Series. It might take some sales away from the 3 Series. That probably doesn't affect you at all. The question is, what does it do for the brand? Many years ago, BMW came out with a 318, which was the cheapest car they had. And a lot of people said it took away from the brand, brought the value down a bit. There's a difference between that and the 1 Series. That thing was a piece of crap. This thing looks awesome. I would love to have one myself. <v Narrator>For additional information on this car or any other, go to cars.com and our blog, KickingTires.