Review
Apparently the winter white-out has cost Britain plc billions of pounds in lost productivity, with factories closed and staff unable to get to work.
I should have been able to save the country a small fraction of that lost productivity. After all, with a new BMW SUV, surely a bit of snow wasn’t going to stop me getting me to the office?
Except it did, and the BMW ground to a halt as we attempted to crest a hill leading out of my home town.
The reason? Our BMW X1 is an sDrive, not an xDrive, meaning it is rear-wheel drive rather than four-wheel drive.
How my fellow commuters chuckled as my chunky SUV slithered and span its wheels in the snow before I gave up and reversed down the hill.
But being two-wheel drive does have its benefits – it is £1,280 cheaper than the identically-powered xDrive 18d, yet is more economical.
The rear-wheel drive model returns a claimed 54.3mpg and emits 136g/km of CO2, whereas the all-wheel drive version records 49.6mpg and emits 150g/km.
Benefit-in-kind tax for a higher rate taxpayer works out at £135 a month, compared to £166 for the xDrive version.
Other than the embarrassing failure to commute, the X1 is proving an ideal family vehicle.
Bigger inside than a 1 Series, with plenty of room for five adults and a decent boot, it fulfils the role of family hold-all well.
The interior is, in the main, well built – only a few pieces of brittle plastic trim spoils the overall impression.
Test average fuel economy of nearly 40mpg is not to be sniffed at either – although I think it would be better if I could get the stop-start system to stop and start.
In a month’s tenure, it has kicked in only once.
Perhaps the cold weather and increased demand on the heating is to blame.
Bloody weather!
Specs
Manufacturer | BMW |
Model | X1 |
Specification | |
Model Year | 0.00 |
Annual VED (Road tax) | £0 |
BIK List Price | £25,205 |
CO2 | 140g/km |
BIK Percentage | 20% |
Insurance Group | N/A |
CC | N/A |
Fuel Type | Diesel |
Vehicle Type | |
Luggage capacity (Seats up) | N/A |
Running Costs
P11D | £25,205 |
Cost per mile | 41.58ppm |
Residual value | £9,075 |
Insurance group | N/A |
Fuel Type | Diesel |
Cost per mile | 0.00ppm |
Fuel | 0.00ppm |
Depreciation | 0.00ppm |
Service maintenance and repair | 0.00ppm |
Info at a glance
-
P11D Price
£25,205
-
MPG
53.3 -
CO2 Emissions
140g/km -
BIK %
20% -
Running cost
3 Year 60k : 41.58 4 Year 80k : £7,075 -
Fuel Type
Diesel