2008 BMW 1-Series Exterior Review

• Overall
• Performance
• Exterior
• Interior
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• Reliability
• Specs
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Exterior - What the Auto Press Says

The new 1-Series is a shrunken BMW 3-Series in every way, but many auto reviewers say this doesn't reflect well on the coupe's out-of-proportion design.

• "The 135i looks a bit like a 3-series coupe in a fun-house mirror-the roof height seems excessive for the length, the doors look massive, and the headlights take up too much space, exaggerating the narrowness of the front end." -- Car and Driver
• "While the front of the 1 Series remains true to BMW, sloping down into a frown, the sides look sucked in and hollow. Puddles of excess material gather at the bottom of the doors like curtains too long for the window, and the roof bubbles up like a piece of Muenster under a broiler. The lesson here: Shrinkage is not always good." -- Detroit News
• "The 135i's proportions were more carefully considered and while it is definitely short in the poop compared to the larger 3 Series, it looks good that way, thanks to the designers. It doesn't look cheap or cut off or bandaged." -- New Car Test Drive
• "It starts off well, with its huge headlamp clusters and rather "friendly" expression. … But once you get around to the back of any 1-Series the whole design comes asunder, it seems. The dreary, misshapen rear lamps and drab tailgate are disappointingly bland given how dramatic the rest of the car looks." -- The Car Connection
• "Its compact dimensions, strongly creased character lines and taut surfacing can be jarring from some angles and certainly won't be to everyone's taste, but they do provide the new two-door with an alluringly muscular appearance that expresses its sporting aspirations." -- Edmunds