
BMW's smallest offering in the U.S., the 1-Series, carries forward into 2012 with a few tech upgrades but otherwise unchanged fundamentals, including its pair of engines and trims. That's not a bad thing, however, as the 1-Series continues to be one of the most impressive entry-level luxury sports cars on the road.
Technically, there are three 1-Series offerings right now, including the 2012 128i, the 2012 135i, and the 1-Series M Coupe. The M Coupe, however is nominally a 2011 model, despite just going on sale in the last few months.
Both of the non-M models share similar styling, and are available in coupe and convertible form. The styling is crisp and clean, with the 135i showing a little more sport and aggression in its basic configuration, but the overall impact of the 1-Series' look has a tendency to fall into love-it or hate-it classification for many. Inside, the 1-Series can be a bit drab, with a functional but simple dash and center stack, a predominantly black finish in base trim, and perhaps more plastic than you'd expect in a luxury car, but upgrades and custom elements can change this--for a price.