The Fun Car Purchase Story of an Ajussi Nearing 40 (feat. BMW F20 118d)

When I was in middle school, I thought by the time I got old, I'd be driving something like an S2000...

0. Prologue - 'Nearly 40. Can a Fun Car be the Joy (樂) of Life?' When I was young, I thought once I got a job and settled down, I’d be cruising around in a fun car, lol. I was born in '86, so next year I'll be forty. After getting married and having kids, it feels like the things I 'really' wanted to do were constantly postponed or conveniently abandoned. It was mid-November, I think. I was melting down every day, exhausted from the new job and raising twins. Then the thought suddenly popped into my head: 'I wish I had a small, fast hatchback.' We already have a wagon for the family, so if I just had a toy car for myself, I felt like I could put the kids to sleep and just blast over to the nearby beach for a coffee break. If I could enjoy myself, even for just 30 minutes a day during my commute, driving a car I love, wouldn't the exhausting daily routine become a bit more bearable...? That thought kept growing stronger. People say turning forty means reaching 'Buloak' (不惑 - not swayed by frivolous temptations, lol), and there was that inner voice saying, 'Is it really right for a husband and twin dad to spend spare cash on something just for his own pleasure?' But then I argued: 'It's not like I'm ripping out the pillars of the house to buy some supercar or sports car; it's just a used hatchback. Buying one isn't going to ruin my life (and if it would, that means my life was already ruined, lol). If I drive it and it’s great, I'll get energized and live harder. If it’s not for me, I'll just sell it without regret, right?' I barely managed to succeed in convincing myself and the wife with that logic lol. And so, the search for my first life fun car began.

The e82 120d still looks sick. You were my college dream car! 1. The Candidates - N? GTI? JCW? E82? F20! Trying to stick to a 10 million won budget felt disappointing in many ways, but spending over 30 million... then the faces of the wife and the twins keep popping up in my mind... (sighs only...) I honestly acknowledged, 'This is the extent of my 'bowl' (capacity/budget)!' So, I cleanly settled on a 20 million won budget just for the car price, looking for a used one. I started prowling Encar and Naver car forums, looking up Veloster N, Golf Mk7, Mini JCW, etc. Then I remembered a classmate senior from college who used to pull up to the business library, lovely girlfriend in the passenger seat, in an e82 120d Coupe just to grab coffee. I was a shabby exam prep student, and I can barely remember if what I truly envied was the sleek silhouette of the e82 Coupe or the girlfriend; Either way, it was a car that brought back major nostalgia. I heard rumors that enthusiasts still give it a thumbs-up, so I decided to go for the e82 Coupe! But since it was released between '04-'13, due to the age, clean condition cars with low mileage were extremely rare. I asked a friend who’s into cars, and he told me the next generation, the f20, was the real masterpiece. He even saw people who owned several of them, saying that as the last RWD hatchback, it had plenty of collection value. My ears perked up. Fortunately, there were many good listings, and I learned that most people who sell it end up missing it. On top of that, I heard the praise from the 'King of BMW YouTubers,' Go-gaetmaru, who confidently recommended it as having 'the most BMW-like balance and performance,' a car that brought back the nostalgia of the classic 3 Series. After hearing all this, even the car's initial, slightly unfinished look started getting 'brain-washed' into looking better. Afraid of getting ripped off buying a used car blindly, I proceeded with the contract through TRS, which I had used before for proxy purchase. I ended up bringing home a facelift 118d Sport model in Midnight Blue with around 40,000 km on the clock.

The headlights are sharp, making the facelift look much sleeker than the pre-LCI, lol. I was extra happy since the blue is relatively rare. 2. Driving Impressions - 'I should have driven this 10 years earlier! Why only now do I get this fun...!' (Please be understanding, as this post is full of an Ajussi's excitement over his first Bimmer...) I picked up the car at work and immediately took it on the highway at night since I had a trip to Daegu. What I felt immediately was: 'The car finally moves exactly the way I want it to.' I felt like a tightly tuned machine was moving precisely according to my intent, like clockwork. There was no nauseating, wallowing, swaying feeling, none of that buffer of 0.x seconds between the acceleration/handling input and the car's movement that I felt in my national sedan, the Sonata New Rise. When I stepped on it, it leaped forward. When I turned the wheel, it carved the corner instantly. It felt like running on a track wearing high-performance running shoes or soccer cleats. My grip on the road felt incredibly strong? Since the car's movements were much more predictable, I actually felt more comfortable pushing it. I'm an outsider, so I don't know the exact reason, lol—whether it's the engine pushed deep inside, the RWD setup, the smart ZF transmission, or the new Pirelli tires. But the excellent balance of the car was conveyed clearly through my body and mind without needing a long explanation; I felt it immediately when I swooped around the rotary entering the highway. Perhaps because of the powerful diesel engine in the small body, reaching mid-high speeds around 140 km/h was incredibly easy and comfortable. Even at high speeds, the car felt strangely stable, without any anxiety about maintaining speed. How should I put it? It was a strange feeling of being one with the car, almost like riding a motorcycle, exaggerated only slightly... I had the truly fascinating experience that driving could equal immersion/focus, not stress. If I had known earlier that driving could be this special, I would have definitely pushed myself a bit more to get a used one ten years ago when I was single. I suddenly regretted how harsh I had been on myself in my younger days. I think I wasn't as accepting of imported cars as I should have been, and I was overly concerned about what others thought. But it's so great once you actually drive it...

3. The Little Things I Tinkered With After Getting the Car The basic maintenance and tires were cleanly finished at the shop, and I completed a few urgent necessary tasks.

(Front) 3M Crystal 70%, (Side) Llumar Vertex 900 30% 1) Tinting: It originally had reflective tint, but I think the 'fishbowl' look (no/light tint) is the authentic style for European cars, so I went 70% front and 30% side. My eyes do sting a bit in the sunlight... I might re-tint if I feel like I'm going to burn up in the summer, but I drive mostly at night, so I'm convincing myself it's fine.

Android Auto flown in from AliExpress 2) Navigation: The stock display was 6.5 inches, which was too cramped, and it didn't have Carplay, so I swapped it out immediately. I was going to get 12.3 inches but went for 10.3 inches, and I think it was the right call—it doesn't obstruct the view as much.

Focal ES 100KE + Door Soundproofing 3) Speakers: They look like military-issue radios, but these Focal speakers deliver. They even installed the right tweeter by drilling like that. Even if the car is all about driving performance, the stock speakers were truly miserable—podcast diction was completely muffled. The output is a little weak, but the highs pop with great resolution. I'm very satisfied so far!

4. Conclusion - Hoping This is My First BMW, Not My Last One of the unexpected upsides of this car was that it didn't cause any awkwardness or unease among my coworkers, especially the guys, lol. Everyone knows the 1 Series is BMW's entry-level car, and because it looks small and approachable, there’s no sense that I'm showing off an import. They probably just see me as 'that dude who's gone crazy wanting a BMW' and move on. I feel relieved because I don't attract unnecessary attention, and the real value of this car feels like something only I, the driver, get to enjoy amid the world's indifference. It feels like secretly eating a delicious lunch box while hiding it from friends lol. The 118d is plenty fast, but it is definitely not a scary fast car. I didn't get that explosive feeling you read about in supercar reviews, where the seat pushes you into your back. However, in the practical driving range, it never feels sluggish—I could say I’m the fastest in my neighborhood. Driving is so fun that honestly, just making a left or right turn is enough to make me happy. It drives better than expected, it's stable at high speeds, fuel economy shows over 800km when I fill the tank, and since I never planned on carrying anyone in the back seat, the hatchback space is perfectly adequate for driving alone. It’s amazing that an entry-level car can provide this much satisfaction, fulfillment, pride, and happiness. It provides the maximum value possible at this price point, which demonstrates the full potential of BMW, the world's best car manufacturer. In a way, I wonder if it could be viewed as a kind of talent donation. Like BMW is kindly saying, 'Hmm, if you're a little short on cash... well, why don't you have a taste with the 1 Series?' lol. Even today, when I almost got home, I deliberately missed the exit just to drive the long way around, and I'm even considering buying another one—a pre-LCI 'frozen car' (low mileage, pristine) with 5,000km, just claiming it's for parts—which I saw on Encar the other day. That's how much I still love it. Even if this ends up being my last BMW, it wouldn't be bad, but the more I drive it, the more I want to make this my first BMW. It's like, 'Okay, I started late anyway, so let's climb up slowly, one step at a time, starting with the 1 Series.' I hope the day comes in a few years when I finally drive the M2 I've always dreamed of. Ending this long post. Thank you for reading. lol