[SN88]

Go for a 2014- 2016 BMW 3 series petrol. 500 kms a month doesnt warrant a diesel as diesels do not like short corner runs. You can even get a 520 within 15 - 18 lacs of year 2012-2014.

Out of the big 3, BMW's are the most reliable IMHO.

Alternatively I have seen VW Tiguans 2018 go for 20 - 22 lacs which I feel is a steal for the car.

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

Because if the financial aspect, I stick to used cars.

However, my car is not a utility for me, I take pride in the ownership of my cars.

Now basis my pattern, my Polo has been with me for about 4 years...

I have been seeing a few BMW X1s from the first batch and am really liking the deals on used cars.

My Questions[list=1][*]Is a German Luxury Segment of age 10 years even worth considering? [*]What are the things I should look at when evaluating an old X1? What are the most notorious problems...

Should I drop the German car plan? Is it too Naive??

My plan is to get a German car and budget a few lakhs for complete restoration and a lakh a year for maintenance? Am I underestimating the maintenance of such cars?

First, you already own a German car which you presumably bought 2nd hand, so you're not working from a standpoint of zero experience.

IMHO Team-bhp, with all due respect, may not be the best place to find answers to the sorts of questions (and they are indeed the right questions) that you've asked... In India generally, there isn't a huge number of these cars around, and not many outside the ASCs and a few specialty shops will know a lot of specifics about them.

Go to YouTube search for "X1 transmission problems" or "X1 issues" or etc, etc and see what you come up with. Here the resounding refrain is going to be "stay away from older German". It's understandable, people's experiences are real. But every brand had its better and worse models, you want the former, which can be a joy - the latter will make you despair of life itself.

Thing is that owning many such cars requires EITHER deep pockets OR a level of personal involvement/ commitment as it concerns being well-informed, being able to personally find sources for spare parts, to find able, trusted technicians or even to get into some DIY.

India is generally averse to the latter, and to me that can be the biggest difficulty. I have a friend abroad who owns two old Porsche 944's... he's always doing something or the other on them, but manages it himself (incl. engine overhauling, etc) at somewhat reasonable cost, sometimes using used parts, etc. It's a hobby, and he accepts that some money and time will be invested. But would he touch a 928? No way. Unless you're Jay Leno, we all have our limits.

There are importers in Delhi (Palikha Bhavan, etc) who can get you about anything for any car... but are you willing to seek them out / be that committed? And to face the music if you have to wait a few weeks or more for something vital to arrive? Or if it costs a bunch?

Besides YT, contact a few independent imported car specialists and put your questions to them. Almost all (European) cars have their little (or large) glitches or weaknesses. Porsche 911 had those (stupid) sealed camshaft bearings, Mercedes E-class (I-6) had soft valve guides that failed and their V-6's had timing chain problems...
BMW 4L V8's had their nitrided cylinder walls getting eaten very early by high-sulfur US petrol... I could have bought a beautiful 540i there for about a lakh back then... and when I was over there in 2017, my former college roomie had bought a running and decent-looking 740iL from "some kid" for (if you can believe it) $200!!!

As it happened, I bought a decade-old 7-series (this was an E32 - so waaayyyy back!) in nice condition for or 1/7th of its original price, and can say it was a good overall experience. But that had the old SOHC 3.5L I-6, a fairly robust, bulletproof engine. Even those had an issue of the factory not sufficiently tightening the banjo bolts for the camshaft-oiler lines... they'd come loose and fall out and the cam would go dry and fail. It would have happened to me, too, if I'd not been INFORMED and checked it out - whereupon I indeed found (just in time) a banjo bolt laying loose in the cylinder head... My cam miraculously had survived. I was lucky/blessed, others were not. The front suspension bushings wear out every 50k km's on those, but I could get the harder 750i ones from an aftermarket supplier that lasted longer. A/C tcv was leaking and needed replacing, it was a huge dash-out job as per BMW ASC, but my buddy who had worked for Merc/BMW told me a way he had figured out to do it much less invasively, and I did it myself without much trouble.

Never did get the climate control behaving properly, I lived with it; The indie BMW specialist who inspected the car for its next owner said that at BMW the official repair would cost $4,000, but that he had a $400 hack. Car would sometimes stall when de-clutching on deceleration... an engine-management issue but only as per my driving style - not for the next owner, as per his statement during the test drive. My car was one of the better-maintained ones the mechanic had seen, he said, and buyer paid me a good bit more for it than I'd paid for it a couple years earlier. Enough that it was a no-profit/ no-loss deal for me. Not many can say that, and I was helped by the fact that mine was an exceedingly rare manual-gearbox 7-series... the last of that breed. Guy who bought it had a 635i and a new kid, so wanted 4-doors in a mechanically similar and more sporting package.

Bottom line, you have to have resources of info, expertise, and maybe spares. None can be found right around the corner. So it's a commitment. How much of a commitment is the question. I don't know about the X1, but the X3 & X5 were considered disastrous junk by at least one YT pro mechanic I've followed. With Euro stuff, in general the simpler the better. 3-series back jn the day was much easier to own than the 5's and especially 7's... but these days even the entry-level models have become relatively complex...

-Eric

[tejas2323]

If you dont need sunroof you can seriously consider 2016 to 18 Tucson Diesel.
Its a very nice car . Similar power to bmw x1,great suspension setup,more space than X1 and also hyundai reliability.
2016 17 models will cost you around 12 to 13 in Pune and Mumbai.

[2000rpm]

Anyone here who is a BMW expert? As in, someone who has followed the BMW product lineup in detail?

Someone similar to
- Gannu for the VW cars!! Especially with the VCDS System
- CrazyDriver for Versys!

[Xsglfvm]

I recently bought a pre-owned X1 E84 2012 model. I was lucky enough to get one with the sunroof.
I made the mistake of not getting a qualified enough mechanic to verify the purchase, hence had a demanding few months before I could get the beemer into proper action.
Issues Faced:

EGR valve was jammed completely, while I took it out on my first long drive. Spent some money on getting the car back to Bangalore.
AC compressor and condenser replaced.
Radiator hose gave up, thankfully, while at my new garage.
Blower assembly was a mess, flap motors were missing. Had to source the entire assembly from Delhi.
ABS module error - still no fix found, no issue with the brakes or sensors though.
Fuel injectors had to be serviced and injector pins replaced.
Pulley bearing, pulley belt, Dynamo bushes, water pump were the other replacements.

The total expenses were around 1.5L.

Reasons for Buying:
This was/is my first German car. I still have my dad's Zen 2003 model, which is in pristine condition.
The reason I zeroed in on the X1 were pretty common(I think ). Bmw is known for making driver oriented cars. Hence the brand was a no-brainer for me.
Next, I wanted a crossover, as they're definitely more frugal than SUVs, and have the bare ground clearance needed to survive in the near roadless conditions of Bangalore (no offence to Bangaloreans).
I needed a point and go car, meaning the car should think and behave like me, no questions asked. I have a heavy right foot, and that is a death wish if the machine will not co-operate.
Automatic is a need to have in our traffic conditions, but considering this would primarily be my long drive car, it was not a necessity for me.

Experience:
The car is nothing short of excitement redefined, unless you're used to driving anything bigger, like a 3.0L turbo diesel, naturally aspirated V6 etc.
Although this particular model comes with a ZF 6 auto transmission, I find it quite responsive and not lagging at all, although a ZF8 would definitely be better, which is available on post 2013 models.
I am used to driving 6-10 hours straight, all the way from the winding roads in Kerala, to the near straight highways from Madurai to Salem, to the ghat sections post that route as well, till Bangalore.
The seating position is good for a 5'5" guy like me, so not sure if taller guys would have a similar experience. I have not faced any comfort issues so far, although I don't think that would be a criteria for you, considering your usage.
I usually cruise between 120 -140kmph, occassionally crossing that if our roads and sensible highway riders permit . Please note in no way am I endorsing exceeding legal speed limits. They're there for a reason, and should be abided by all.
The braking and handling is too good. I have had instances where jaywalkers have popped out of nowhere, at night, and all I have to do is kiss the brakes and caress the steering accordingly. No drama there, the car shows the difference between German engineering and ROW.
The luggage space is decent enough (creta can be used as a reference).
The only pain point is sourcing the parts, like some experienced BHPians have already mentioned in the thread.
If you can deal with that, and the fact that a sunroof model is rarely available in the used market, then I would definitely recommend the X1 E84.

Please ensure you've a qualified mechanic, with a scanner, to thoroughly check out for any unwanted surprises. Do remember that more than your willingness to deepen your pockets, is the availability of the spares. My new mechanic (thankfully a man who knows his job) is still of the opinion that I push the car at a good price, although being the person that I am, I won't

I do have a query though, is anyone aware of examples of tuned X1s ?

[Xsglfvm]

Adding to my previous post, a few pics of the X1.

[Precision]

@Xsglfvm I am also contemplating picking up a Used X1 of the 2014 vintage.
Could you help me out with how much Road tax was paid for KA registration?

[shankar.balan]

Don’t mind me.
I was very tempted to put this here.
(Mods please delete if you think it might not be generally appreciated.)

[Rapid]

My father owns a 2017 X1, and I know it is not what you are looking for, but the power will absolutely push you into the seat. The gearbox is unknown to me, but doesn't lag, and it has a panoramic sunroof. If you're ready to spend a few ten thousands on the car, it is a NO BRAINER! Also, I know design is subjective, but I feel the 2017 X1 looks the best. The 2012 ones are too curvy, and the 2021 ones, too sharp. Again, I know design is always subjective, but I think many on this forum would agree with me.