ROAD TESTS

Cupra Leon vs rivals

through corners means that it doesn’t quite offer the detail to make the BMW’s good chassis a great one

The engine has a little less torque than the Cupra’s, so it doesn’t feel quite as effortless at higher speeds, but the pleasing three-cylinder note and the unit’s willingness to rev means that it’s still more fun to use At 8 8 seconds, the 1 Series is one tenth of a second slower from 0-62mph than the Cupra and three tenths behind the Mazda

However, the BMW’s case is helped by a decent dual-clutch transmission, which can be overridden by a sequential-style shifter on the centre console Here there are also three driving modes, which adjust the responsiveness of the gearbox and throttle pedal

Practicality

score 3.9

WHILE the BMW and Mazda are evenly matched for cabin space, they both have to play second fiddle to the Cupra Leon when it comes to carrying passengers The 1 Series concedes roughly 10-15mm of headroom to its rival and a similar amount in kneeroom in the rear, too The main issue is with the seats themselves, though; the bases feel closer to the floor, which forces occupants’ legs off the ground and gives less under-thigh support as a result The centre seat is also narrower, so it’s a less comfortable place when travelling three abreast Once you ’ ve got past the doors, which are marginally narrower than the Cupra’s, loading a child seat into the BMW is a fairly simple task, because the Isofix points are easily accessible behind plastic covers The same can’t be said for the Leon, which places them within some awkward fabric slots A 60:40 split for the BMW’s back seats is standard, but a more versatile 40:20:40 arrangement is a £150 option

Ownership

ALL three of these cars come with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty from new, while extended warranties are available as an option Both the Cupra and BMW benefit from two years of breakdown cover, but the Mazda gets a more generous three-year package

Running costs

score 3.8 score 4.1

AS conventional petrol vehicles, none of these cars will be an obvious candidate for company users High Benefit-in-Kind tax brackets mean each faces deductions of around £4,000 per year Thanks to its lowest 31 per cent banding, the BMW offers the smallest costs of this trio, just undercutting the Mazda in the 32 per cent band by less than £10 The Cupra is the priciest, at £4,186, because of its higher P11d value

Testers’ notes

“If you’d like to travel further on a tank of fuel in the BMW, then another £50 gets you a 50-litre tank in place of the standard 42-litre capacity ”

Alex Ingram Chief reviewer

Boot space

Low load lip boosts access, while 40:20:40 seat folding is an option

Interior Bright red upholstery is an option, but first-rate build quality comes as standard