X1 20D vs 120D vs 116i/118i

[r0gue_shin0bi]

Hello Fanatics,

Wondering if I could perhaps draw on some of the knowledge and experience of some of the members here
And apologies in advance for the following thesis

Essentially, I am looking to get the wife a car, while she has been my passenger princess - it is time to get her a daily vehicle of her own.

I have considered new little hatchbacks such as Hyundai i20, Suzuki Swift etc. as well as "mini-SUVs" like the Haval Jolion etc. however, due to my general familiarity with BMW, and my family mechanic being a BMW specialist - I would prefer to go with a BMW.

Another caveat is I'm looking for Run Flat wheels as a minimum effort mod/already inclusive on the vehicle as she shouldn't ever need to stop on the side of the road for a flat tire

I have essentially 2 x main options and 1 x "kind of for me" option that I am looking at for her:
1. a larger more expensive option for 5 years minimum and
2. a cheap(ish) "first car" option for +- 2-3 years max
3. Upgrade for myself and let her drive my current

Ideally it should be relatively cheap to buy/maintain as she is currently still completing her studies (In Architecture, this is important as her various projects etc do get quite large)

Option 1: Larger/Family/holiday car - I was looking at a +- 2011 X1 20D/2014 GLA180/200D as this should be quite fuel efficient all things considered, and large enough to carry ourselves, my brother, luggage etc. on road trips and the like (I have heard some concerning things with regards to reliability regarding the 2012-2016 model X1s and 2017+ is a little out of my price range currently)
But I am willing to spend a little more on this option as the capital and operational expenditure will be higher, but we are expecting to utilize this for longer - although I should mention my hesitance to get too expensive of a car due to her relative "newness" to driving

If anyone has any experience with these, I would be immensely grateful for your insights.

Option 2: small "first car" hatchback which will be sold/traded within 3 years or so, as ideally, we would be done with the university fee expenses and will return to being dual income (she did work previously in a separate field, but decided to return to complete a degree in her preferred career)

For this option I was looking at a small F20/E87 1 series hatchback - ideally a 120d (however, assumedly due to their reliability - the mileage on these is usually quite high)

In this particular case - would it be more worthwhile to go with an older E87/F20 120d with higher mileage or perhaps a newer F20 116i/118i with lower?
I haven't quite given up on the dream of matching his and hers E8Xs though

If anyone has any compliments, horror stories or suggestions regarding those models that would be greatly appreciated as well

On a potential 3rd option - I am currently driving a good ol' 2012 E82 125i - and am looking to potentially upgrade to a F22 M240i or E92 335i - I could upgrade and let her drive the E82, but my E82 is my baby, and might be a much for the wife at the moment in terms of petrol/power/space (I would ideally like her to start with something in the 1.4l to 2.0l range)

Extra Context just in case its relevant I guess:
I would prefer to buy in cash, it has just been how I've done things - much to the banks chagrin but I am more willing to finance the X1 as it is expected to be used for longer - no to finance for the hatch
We have both agreed, kids are not on the table for the foreseeable future, so I can keep my coupe
Trading in my E82 is not an option - I will keep that til the day I die ideally

Please do let me know and if there are considerations that I may have not taken and if there is anything I should be looking out for when looking at these models

Thanking y'all in advance

 

[sash]

I can only comment on the X1 20d. My wife has been driving ours since 2017, I have not found myself on the side of the road as yet, but have done the following items, some preventative, others just by the way.
Dampner pully at 190k ( was not showing signs of wear, but was planning to drive to CT so chose to change)
Replace front control arms ( normal wear and tear)
Coolant flange on block( was plastic and started to leak)
Brake disks and pads all round ( normal wear and tear)
interior handles replaced ( wear and tear on the rubberised part)
tailgate shocks (age)
tailgate switch handle ( was partially wear and tear and my kids lifting up the tailgate while pressing on the switch.
Battery ( age, changed original battery after 9 nine years)

Other than this it has been normal oil service, changing the filters at regular intervals as well gearbox services

The car was bought on 103k, currently doing 229k. If i remember correctly the pre lci had some timing chain issues but this was remedied in the LCI, along with the 8spd ZF box. I cannot complain about the consumption over the 7 years as well..

 

[Schalk94]

Hello Fanatics,

Wondering if I could perhaps draw on some of the knowledge and experience of some of the members here
And apologies in advance for the following thesis

Essentially, I am looking to get the wife a car, while she has been my passenger princess - it is time to get her a daily vehicle of her own.

I have considered new little hatchbacks such as Hyundai i20, Suzuki Swift etc. as well as "mini-SUVs" like the Haval Jolion etc. however, due to my general familiarity with BMW, and my family mechanic being a BMW specialist - I would prefer to go with a BMW.

Another caveat is I'm looking for Run Flat wheels as a minimum effort mod/already inclusive on the vehicle as she shouldn't ever need to stop on the side of the road for a flat tire

I have essentially 2 x main options and 1 x "kind of for me" option that I am looking at for her:
1. a larger more expensive option for 5 years minimum and
2. a cheap(ish) "first car" option for +- 2-3 years max
3. Upgrade for myself and let her drive my current

Ideally it should be relatively cheap to buy/maintain as she is currently still completing her studies (In Architecture, this is important as her various projects etc do get quite large)

Option 1: Larger/Family/holiday car - I was looking at a +- 2011 X1 20D/2014 GLA180/200D as this should be quite fuel efficient all things considered, and large enough to carry ourselves, my brother, luggage etc. on road trips and the like (I have heard some concerning things with regards to reliability regarding the 2012-2016 model X1s and 2017+ is a little out of my price range currently)
But I am willing to spend a little more on this option as the capital and operational expenditure will be higher, but we are expecting to utilize this for longer - although I should mention my hesitance to get too expensive of a car due to her relative "newness" to driving

If anyone has any experience with these, I would be immensely grateful for your insights.

Option 2: small "first car" hatchback which will be sold/traded within 3 years or so, as ideally, we would be done with the university fee expenses and will return to being dual income (she did work previously in a separate field, but decided to return to complete a degree in her preferred career)

For this option I was looking at a small F20/E87 1 series hatchback - ideally a 120d (however, assumedly due to their reliability - the mileage on these is usually quite high)

In this particular case - would it be more worthwhile to go with an older E87/F20 120d with higher mileage or perhaps a newer F20 116i/118i with lower?
I haven't quite given up on the dream of matching his and hers E8Xs though

If anyone has any compliments, horror stories or suggestions regarding those models that would be greatly appreciated as well

On a potential 3rd option - I am currently driving a good ol' 2012 E82 125i - and am looking to potentially upgrade to a F22 M240i or E92 335i - I could upgrade and let her drive the E82, but my E82 is my baby, and might be a much for the wife at the moment in terms of petrol/power/space (I would ideally like her to start with something in the 1.4l to 2.0l range)

Extra Context just in case its relevant I guess:
I would prefer to buy in cash, it has just been how I've done things - much to the banks chagrin but I am more willing to finance the X1 as it is expected to be used for longer - no to finance for the hatch
We have both agreed, kids are not on the table for the foreseeable future, so I can keep my coupe
Trading in my E82 is not an option - I will keep that til the day I die ideally

Please do let me know and if there are considerations that I may have not taken and if there is anything I should be looking out for when looking at these models

Thanking y'all in advance

I think the 120d E87/F20 would be a good option and definitely better than a lower mileage 116/118i as they are quite bulletproof.
The X1 would obviously be more suited for our roads ,but a newer X1 would obviously mean stretching your budget a bit more and if a family is off the cards,it might not be necessary,especially as a first car.

My wife had a 120d E87 LCI for about 4 years and we had zero issues with the car at all.The economy is brilliant and at the reef it would keep a 125i E82 extremely busy during a TLGP.We also found the E87 to be quite practical when comparing it to the E90 I had at the time,mostly due to the folding seats which made loading larger items possible.

 

[FILV]

Im not sure what your budget is, but i was in a similar situation to replace my wife's Ford Fiesta just to have a bigger boot and more space for the baby chair.

After looking at 2015-2018 X1's, i decided to check out a a Mini Countryman (2016 + shape, F60 generation). I went knowing i wasn't going to like it.
Once we got to the dealership and i looked at it, i was like that's actually not bad. Then i drove it... by the secoind robot i was sold.

They are generally 20-40 grand cheaper than the equivalent X1,and come way better spec'd. Adjustable rear seats , run flats, and so much character. Def worth a look.

Between the cars you listed - The E84 X1 males sense to me.Still fun for you (after a remap) last of the hydraulic steering X1's, so its a pure sporty drive, and it will be practical due to its higher ride height, and depending on what trip level, thicker and practical tires. If you guys grow your family will still work great as family car.

 

[Riaad]

Indicating your price range for each option will help steer the advice you will get here.
as with most suvs...especially bmw diesels, you can expect to be in for a premium.

I do like the countryman (2016+) as a non-bmw bmw option, these are generally well specced and offer good value for money, but they may not be the most fuel efficient.

 

[r0gue_shin0bi]

Thank you for the advice and replies!

Let me start with budget - for the "Mini-SUV" bracket I would be willing to go up to around 300K-350k absolute max with finance for a gem but I would prefer it to be roughly around the 200k cash/slightly financed bracket (again - for fear of getting too expensive of a car for a new driver, but also since I will be driving the long distance runs a fun car ideally as @FILV suggested)

For the hatchback I think I would max out at around 150k-180K but around the sub 100k-120k would probably be ideal (180K would ideally be for a relatively well maintained 120D, FSH etc. but this may be a bit optimistic on my part)

In all honesty - I would prefer to keep it as cheap as possible for a non-lemon as I am working towards a nice F22 M2C and a newer X3M setup for the wife and I eventually

With regards to @FILV and @Riaad on the Mini Cooper, that's an option I actually have not considered as I generally perceived Mini to be a british BMW with less German engineering - however, as I have never really driven one for too long - perhaps it was just an assumed bias - I will see if there are any decent Mini's Countryman or similar out there which I can perhaps test out but luckily I do have some time as we do have access to my brothers old Getz which is also on its last legs so I prefer to not let her drive it

Although the X1 is currently my personal favorite (as I would like to send it on trips to Sun City and the like, and having done so in my mums 2016 X3 30D - I have faith it will be fun time) @FILV the mileage done in your wife's X1 is quite impressive and quite does give a bit of peace of mind in terms of the long term reliability (I'm concerned my wife would fall in love the X1 and not want to upgrade when the time comes)

With regards to @Schalk94 - thank you as well for the personal experiences with them and advice regarding the 120d vs 116i/118i - I had similar inclinations, but without any real experience in owning either - I am grateful for your advice and experiences - honestly the dream for me would be to have a nice his and hers E87 and E82 however, after her having spoken to my mum and explained the value of a larger car as a woman in SA, I was a bit more willing to look at bigger cars for her

On the note of not having kids and the X1 being perhaps a bit much for that - generally, that is why the X3 was not in contention here as personally based on my experience with my mums X3 30D, it is a little too much for what we are looking for in terms of power/fuel etc, for the wife it was mainly a size issue as wife was a bit concerned regarding parking and things even with reverse cam/PDC and the like, mainly it would be used as her daily but also for road trips and airport trips as well as some of her architecture stuff like models for example which does get quite large

 

[r0gue_shin0bi]

On a side note, apologies for the omission but also thank you immensely @sash that is extremely useful info!

Just out of curiosity, would I be correct in assuming the model referred to in your post is a 2016-2017 model?

 

[sash]

No worries, its a 2012 S-Drive, but a Facelift. theres alot of guys selling pre lci 2012 models.

 

[Riaad]

Thank you for the advice and replies!

Let me start with budget - for the "Mini-SUV" bracket I would be willing to go up to around 300K-350k absolute max with finance for a gem but I would prefer it to be roughly around the 200k cash/slightly financed bracket (again - for fear of getting too expensive of a car for a new driver, but also since I will be driving the long distance runs a fun car ideally as @FILV suggested)

For the hatchback I think I would max out at around 150k-180K but around the sub 100k-120k would probably be ideal (180K would ideally be for a relatively well maintained 120D, FSH etc. but this may be a bit optimistic on my part)

In all honesty - I would prefer to keep it as cheap as possible for a non-lemon as I am working towards a nice F22 M2C and a newer X3M setup for the wife and I eventually

With regards to @FILV and @Riaad on the Mini Cooper, that's an option I actually have not considered as I generally perceived Mini to be a british BMW with less German engineering - however, as I have never really driven one for too long - perhaps it was just an assumed bias - I will see if there are any decent Mini's Countryman or similar out there which I can perhaps test out but luckily I do have some time as we do have access to my brothers old Getz which is also on its last legs so I prefer to not let her drive it

Although the X1 is currently my personal favorite (as I would like to send it on trips to Sun City and the like, and having done so in my mums 2016 X3 30D - I have faith it will be fun time) @FILV the mileage done in your wife's X1 is quite impressive and quite does give a bit of peace of mind in terms of the long term reliability (I'm concerned my wife would fall in love the X1 and not want to upgrade when the time comes)

With regards to @Schalk94 - thank you as well for the personal experiences with them and advice regarding the 120d vs 116i/118i - I had similar inclinations, but without any real experience in owning either - I am grateful for your advice and experiences - honestly the dream for me would be to have a nice his and hers E87 and E82 however, after her having spoken to my mum and explained the value of a larger car as a woman in SA, I was a bit more willing to look at bigger cars for her

On the note of not having kids and the X1 being perhaps a bit much for that - generally, that is why the X3 was not in contention here as personally based on my experience with my mums X3 30D, it is a little too much for what we are looking for in terms of power/fuel etc, for the wife it was mainly a size issue as wife was a bit concerned regarding parking and things even with reverse cam/PDC and the like, mainly it would be used as her daily but also for road trips and airport trips as well as some of her architecture stuff like models for example which does get quite large

its a bit refreshing seeing a well thought out and sensible response by a new member

the budget you have set out is realistic. If it is a car your wife would predominately be driving, then i would lean closer to the "newer" models.
Around 120-130k, you should be able to find an e87 120d, these are fairly solid but they are nearing +-15 years old and well maintained examples are difficult to find...you could easily find yourself spending 20-40k on maintenance and up keep, notably the earlier N47 do have cases of timing chain failures.

The X1 is the perfect size for a small family, we have had one for about 3 years and it served the wife and I well, similar to Sash, our was a LCI 2013 20d xdrive, Did not have any issues other than a boost pipe failing. Notably, these E84 X1 have a very heavy steering, so parking could be an issue for the ladies.

As i mentioned above - expect to pay a premium for a diesel bmw, just the way the current market is. A Countryman S (probably 2018) is definitely within your budget, and offer a good alternative to the X1.... Another wild card is the Active 220d (not a good looking bmw by any measure, but can be picked up at a relatively good price with the 20d engine).