[ddndrive]

Hi Folks , I currently drive a Skoda Laura(old model ,8 years old ,which is parked in the service centre due to the non availability of parts since last 2 months) and I am looking to buy a new entry level luxury car immediately. I have shortlisted down to the New X1 and 3 Series petrol.

I am too confused between these two cars as both have its pros and cons, I have done the TD of both, below are my views/observations on both the cars...

X1 :

PROS

1) Good looking/Brand New Design ,is here to stay for next 6-7 years
2) Very spacious when compared to GLA and Q3
3) Right size for a city like Delhi
4) can go bit of off-roading too...

CONS

1) No Petrol(the biggest disadvantage cos of the diesel resale factor)
2) Not as good to drive as the 3 series
3) No discounts
4) Tyre Noise

3 Series Petrol

PROS :

1) Driver's delight
2) Petrol engine ,hence no headache of 10 years ban and re-sale would be much better after 6-7 years when i plan to sell it ...
3) Direct CBU
4) Good discounts, which bring it in the same price tag as X1

CONS

1) A 4 year old design, would be entirely changed in the next 2-3 years(biggest drawback)
2) Too may on the roads already
3) No Bluetooth in CBU petrol (can't understand why)
3) C Class and Upcoming A4 are much better options and look fresh

I will be keeping the car for next 6-7 years minimum, hence I feel X1 is a better bet as it wont look outdated even if I plan to keep the car for additional year or two. But because it is a Diesel , I am not sure about the resale of this small SUV , I think the resale of all the diesels would be terrible.

I would have waited for the launch of Petrol X1 but since the date/month is not confirmed, it is looking very difficult to hold on as I don't have a spare car to drive now(was driving my father's car since last 2 months) and the Laura is showing no signs of coming back home and i am planning to sell it off as it is at a reasonable rate.

The max. budget I could stretch to is Rs. 35L on the road. Not considering C Class and Upcoming A4 as they wont be under my budget.
Guys , please help me out and give in your reviews as to which one I should go for and which is a better bet for the long run of 6-7 Years.

Thanks!

Mod Note: please use proper punctuation and avoid...dotty posts...like this. Thanks!

[akshay81]

Except for diesel dilemma, I would suggest X1 anyday. You have already listed the pros for X1. Add to it better ground clearance. Compare the driving position comfort as well.

You should also consider the low ground clearance aspect of the 3 series and the below average suspension. We have had 3 series for over 3 years in the family and have multiple incidences of scraping. Though a delight to drive, the suspension is not at all good.

Any reason for not considering the Q3 (if you are still considering diesel)? Q3 is nowhere close to the driving pleasure the X1 and 3 series give but it will be within your budget and the suspension is much better than 3 series.

[Turbanator]

3) Direct CBU
4) Good discounts, which bring it in the same price tag as X1

Have they started giving Discounts on Petrol already ? I believe BMW India is losing 6-8 Lac on each 3 & 5 series Petrol Imports.

3) No Bluetooth in CBU petrol (can't understand why)

It's standard on Luxury line - Petrol.

A 4-year-old design, would be entirely changed in the next 2-3 years(biggest drawback)

well, anything that's new today will get old or replaced with something else someday. By my experience Mid carrier refresh LCI models are best to buy, new 3 series does look tempting and much bigger than what it is.

I found X1 little crude and the gear box has comparatively long shifts. If you don't have rear space / road clearance issues , 3 series German CBU is the one to go for in my opinion.

[ddndrive]

Originally Posted by akshay81

Except for diesel dilemma, I would suggest X1 anyday.

Yes this is the biggest dilemma of all ... Having said that, i was just doing a small calculation just to be more on the practical side ...
I dont know how far it is correct but if the scenario stays as it is , i guess the resale of a 7 year old car with same kms on odometer of approx. 1.25-1.5 Lac on an X1 would be on these lines :

Resale value of a Diesel X1 after 7 years = Rs. 4-5 Lac due to the 10 year Ban
Resale value of a Petrol X1 after 7 years = Rs. 7-8 Lac due to 5 extra years of life

The difference would come out to be approximately Rs. 3.5-4 odd lacs , which is not much , keeping in mind that you would also save god amount on monthly running cost of Diesel(my monthly running is close to 2000 Kms approx) ...

Guys , is my above calculation true in the real world or am i missing something ...

[ddndrive]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Have they started giving Discounts on Petrol already ? I believe BMW India is losing 6-8 Lac on each 3 & 5 series Petrol Imports.

Yup , the discounts are there , the on road price of petrol prestige is somewhat same as of X1 Expedition .

[the_skyliner]

Go with the X1. Diesel dilemma isn't a big issue if you are planning to keep the car for 7+ years. Petrol 3 series resale won't be great either as you already mentioned in second post.

Also, I seriously doubt that the 10 years old diesel car ban will reach to all states. So you would most probably have an option to sell it in nearby states.

Although the X1 doesn't get pure RWD and ZF box, it still is fun to drive.

[krcustoms]

DDndrive, I am in a similar situation. one point about price, I think the base model of the new X1 in Chennai is around 38L on-road so am not sure where that 35L number came from. These rates are 2-3L more then they were just a few months ago because of the new luxury tax.

My original target was under 35L these rates are really pushing it so I also started looking at an Endy which works to about 36L on road. I know its apples to oranges comparison between X1 and Endy but pricing is just not right for me.

38L- 39L pushes you closer to a used 525D category

Anyway It would be interesting to see what you end up doing. I am going for a test drive of new X1 this weekend.


good luck

cheers
Krish

[kartavya]

It is really surprising that BMW are giving such huge discounts on the LCI 3 let alone petrol which was launched three weeks back ! Wouldn't you be charged double the tax for it being a CBU as well? Was just checking the price and that is a discount of 7L on the new 320i, which would mean its selling for a bit under the ex-showroom price ! . Those are discounts that were available on the pre-LCI when everyone knew the new model was due (December).

The other big differentiation is that X1 is a FWD and the 3 is a RWD. Also the base X1 misses out on a few features like sunroof/panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting, I believe the transmission is different in both the cars. Also I did find the quality of materials in the X1 is not as good as the 3 series.


I would say 3 would be VFM but in Delhi X1 probably makes sense.

[ece2k2]

Took a test drive of the new X1 (first bimmer I have ever driven) and I must say that I was not impressed. Nothing special about the interiors and the ride was a bit bumpy. The only thing I liked was the engine and gearbox combo. Infact, I was oscillating between Innova Crysta ZX and BMW X1 20d Expedition , but couldn't find any value in BMW X1. IMO, the build quality of the new X1 didn't feel as solid as my Linea or even an Ecosport. I may be wrong though.

[.anshuman]

Also please note while the new BMW X1 brochure may say 8 Speed gearbox, don't confuse it for ZF8(the brilliant one in 3 series), its a Aisin supplied gearbox, not bad but nowhere as good as ZF8.

Also the X1 has front wheel drive type layout, even for the AWD the primary powered wheels are front ones with a horizontally mounted engine.

In terms of Interiors and Fit & Finish the new X1 is much superior than the crude old X1.

[ddndrive]

Originally Posted by krcustoms

DDndrive, I am in a similar situation. one point about price, I think the base model of the new X1 in Chennai is around 38L on-road so am not sure where that 35L number came from.

In Delhi , it is 35 Lac on road , may be due to the low value of road tax, when compared to cities in south India .


[/quote]Also please note while the new BMW X1 brochure may say 8 Speed gearbox, don't confuse it for ZF8(the brilliant one in 3 series), its a Aisin supplied gearbox, not bad but nowhere as good as ZF8.

Also the X1 has front wheel drive type layout, even for the AWD the primarypowered wheels are front ones with a horizontally mounted engine.[/quote]

I completely agree , i test drove both the cars one after other and there is no doubt that if we talk about sheer driving pleasure then it has to be 3 series but the looks , feel , driving position ,interior space(after driving X1 when i sat in a 3 series i got a very cramped feeling, for its size i feel X1 is huge in interior space, to me it even seemed bigger than the 5 series)
The only factor against the X1 currently is the road/tyre noise .
Could this be because of run flat tyres ? If i get them replaced with the normal tubeless , would the road noise reduce significantly or possibly vanish ?

[holysmoke]

If I was in your place I would take the 3 series hands down. Reasons being it's a cbu, just launched LCI, joy of driving in a rwd 3 is very diff from a suvish x1. Also, being in Delhi the new petrol would be a lot more fun, and if you're looking at a timeline of 6-7 years resale shouldn't matter much. Somehow the fwd bmw x1 just doesn't cut it for me, if you're buying the ultimate driving machine it's got to be the 3 for me.

[Turbanator]

Ok, so it's kind of official now , they have dropped prices of 3 Series Petrol CBU by 6 Lac. Apparently there are no sales for Petrol despite being cars Made in Germany.

[kartavya]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Ok, so it's kind of official now , they have dropped prices of 3 Series Petrol CBU by 6 Lac. Apparently there are no sales for Petrol despite being cars Made in Germany.

They should have just decreased it by 2-3L I had say. Is the 6L off only on the petrol or also on the diesel? I would buy the Petrol CBU anyday for that price and build quality !

Also doesn't the petrol miss out on a lot of features compared to diesel in the model to model comparison or am I mistaken?

[RocketRaccoon]

IMHO, you should go for the 3 Series Petrol. You will be getting a great fun to drive car. Sure, the X1 would be more practical in terms of cost, ground clearance and other metrics which other members have highlighted but you plan to keep this car for 6-7 years and I think you will agree that within this time period you will inevitably be attached to the car on an emotional level however 'practical' your decision might be right now. Therefore why not go with something that already appeals to the heart and soul rather than your brain ! After all, you only live once. Another point which might be irrelevant on a statistical level - ever seen an old version of the X series and an old version of the 3 series on road. See which one looks, feels more premium after they grow old ? Your 3 series will age so much more gracefully for 7 years, even more years hopefully ! In summary, if you want the ultimate driving machine go for the 3.