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Thanks for an interesting read Bryan.
I actually think the article is surprisingly level-headed and reasonable, certainly better than what I would've expected from a business magazine.
I know most people that come here have to have a lot of love for this car, considering that it's not even out yet. But I really don't think the author was being unfair to the car.
Pretty much only thing he criticized the 1 was the lack of rear leg room, which is quite true. The term "packaging" does often refer to the ratio between the interior volume and the size of the car. BMW is often said to sacrifice packaging for the sake of dynamics. In this respect, FR layout with multilink rear suspension and 50:50 WD for a sub-compact car IS a packaging nightmare.
I know most people here really don't care about back seats, but if the 1 did not have back seats at all, then it would be competing not against the A3 but against the Z and the s2000. This I don't think is BMW's intention. The point is that having back seats is actually an important aspect of the 1's identity, and it also connects it to the heritage of 2002 as a PRACTICAL 2-door sports sedan. So I don't agree that whoever mentions the back seat "doesn't get it".
The pricing WILL be extremely crucial to the success of the 1, more than any other models that BMW currently sells. BMW does need to hit the sweet spot between maintaining premium image and staying well under the 3 series price range.
And besides, the guy talks about the lack of steering feel. How often do you hear that even from dedicated car mags? :biggrin:
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