BMW 128ti
Fuel economy is all of a sudden becoming the hot hatch’s strong suit
MILEAGE 6111
WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT
To see if this car, the first of a kind for BMW, can tackle its established rivals
It’s really strange. I knew the 128ti would use less fuel than the Ford Focus ST that it replaced; it’s a little less powerful and has a smaller engine, after all, even if it is a touch heavier. And that’s how it turned out: in my early miles in the car, it would do about 38mpg, which in itself was about 4-5mpg better than I had got used to expecting from the Ford.