[v&v]

Originally Posted by coolboy007

congrats on clocking the 50k mark.



For the shock absorber, did you mention anything to them or they caught it out on their own? Happy to see that BMW covers the entire suspension till the 50k mark, shows the confidence that they have in their products.

Thanks coolboy. Yup its actually fun to drive on hills with loads of torque and stability on curves. Amazing machine.

As for shocks, they diagnosed it , it was a very minor leak. I am very happy with Deutsche Motoren , Moti Nagar team.

Warranty is not 50k , it's for 100k and 5 yrs under BSI Ultimate.

Originally Posted by jkdas

Thanks for keeping the thread updated. Just read from the start coz you had everything covered!



Q: changing the tyres to tubless wont void the warranty?



Didn't know that the space saver is so puny @ 135/80 though!

Appreciate JK. Tubeless technically is not recommended but generally they honour it. At least they understand and respond to customer queries & concerns.

Now I understand why they recommend RFT in Indian conditions is because these machines are seriously fast and RFT is a safe bet in case of a tyre burst.

RFT are a pain when you are driving alone or on rough roads.

Space saver do look like a bike tyre. But there is no other solution as a full size tyre will eat up the whole of boot space.

[v&v]

Update after pre monsoon checkup call..

I had earlier also mentioned them about slight sound from damper. Very slight noise during cold start. So this time they replaced the Damper.

Ref no 11237823191 - Cost Rs 22779/- Replaced under BSI.

Also replaced Break pad wear sensor
Ref no 34356792565 - Cost Rs 1757/- Replaced under BRI

Net net i didn't pay anything. Learned a new term BRI ie BMW repair inclusive.
BSI + BRI = Ultimate package.

The insurance also was renewed. Bought TATA AIG Autosecure Zero dep insurance with Engine secure (Hydro lock) , Key replacement, Loss of personal belongings, Emergency transport and hotel expenses.

Total damages Rs 72741/-

Went for a trip to Narkhanda. Drove via chail road. Sadhupul has a temporary route. Visited to Hatu peak also. Accent was effortless for this machine. Hairpin bends were breeze.

Sharing some pics..

At Sadhupul on Chail road


Ascent to Hatu




Hatu Peak

[v&v]

Update after regular annual service for 2017.

Drove about 15k kms in this one year and drove BM to may places likes Pangot, Chopta, Sambar lake, Sariska, Dalhousie, Shimla, Rajgarh.

No Major issues faced. Never faced GC issue any where.
Observation during service were Right side shock absorber had minor leakage and was replaced under BSI. Windshield washer was not spraying properly, that too replaced under BSI.

I enquired about ATF change and got reply ATF does not require a change in X1 , only topup if required. Need to do research on this.

2 RFT's need change. Zeroed Pirelli P7 XL.

Sharing some clicks

Pangot





Sambar lake






Somewhere near Pontasahib


Choupta


Dalhousie

[KAUBMW7]

Good to see the X1 being used across all terrains, nothing is worse than buying an expensive car & keeping it under wraps in wool with resale value or maintenance worries in mind all the time!

[v&v]

Originally Posted by KAUBMW7

Good to see the X1 being used across all terrains, nothing is worse than buying an expensive car & keeping it under wraps in wool with resale value or maintenance worries in mind all the time!

Thanks & Agree. Actually these machines performs awesomely on hills and has been reliable too. With BSI as support you get lots of confidence to drive to difficult terrains. X series has decent GC which also helps.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by v&v

Actually these machines performs awesomely on hills and has been reliable too.

Which is what I m closely following, since I've begun to lust for the F30. Are you running RFTs or tubeless tires now?

[v&v]

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Which is what I m closely following, since I've begun to lust for the F30. Are you running RFTs or tubeless tires now?

Sorry Bhai... for the delayed reply. I had switched to tubeless (falken). Front were on RFTs as advised by SA till BSI which now has expired.

Now I have all 4 running on tubeless. I must acknowledge drive comfort has improved considerably.

[De-Veer]

How is the service experience after your BSI expired?

[v&v]

Originally Posted by De-Veer

How is the service experience after your BSI expired?

Regular service costs around 24k. Spares are expensive.

[Sukanta73]

Originally Posted by v&v

Regular service costs around 24k. Spares are expensive.

Bumped a very old thread.

I am searching for a pre owned X1. Now I have some queries-

1. Do you have this car still?

2. How much you spend yearly in normal conditions?

3. If I buy the car from any other source, can I get the service package from BMW?

[Vipinprasad]

Prologue

Somewhere over the years, I had etched in my mind to own a luxury badge by the time I hit 40 years; a sweet reward for all the efforts put in.

In 2017, I had also made up my mind to buy my next car without any loan ( All my previous cars have been on loans and the itch for an upgrade would hit me in approximately 2.5 years leading to pre-closure of loans by paying pre-payment penalty apart from leaving a huge hole in the pocket. The interest I have paid on all the car loans could have got me a plot of the outskirts of Blore. But that’s beside the point, anyhow.)

My previous buy, a 2011 Skoda Yeti had been serving me well over the last 5 years (The only car that I have driven for over 2.5 years) with absolutely no glitches and perfectly suited our requirements. Annual Kms haul of about 12 K mainly on highways. Ask anyone who has used a Yeti and you will hear wonderful stories of the beautiful machine for at least a couple of hours. IMO, there is absolutely no replacement for it in India at a similar price. The only replacement would have been a Karoq. Enquired at Skoda a couple of times about its launch and they were not able to give clear timelines.

Our beloved Yeti!



Buying a new one was ruled out, as I believe that all these cars are overpriced in India and with the huge road taxes you pay in Karnataka (20% of Ex-showroom price), it is not financially prudent too. Started browsing through the used car classifieds across all online portals. Not even a day passed without looking at Team BHP classifieds to find a good buy. Started dropping into 9th Gear in Koramangala to get a hang of the market prices and the options available. While the heart was tugging for a BMW 3 series, my drive routes definitely called for a SUV. And mind you, every month, I navigate around 70 speed humps (both ways) on the Gundulpet-Sultan Bathery route during my trip home!

I am actually an impulse buyer when it comes to cars and have made all my previous car purchase decisions at a spur of a moment. However, this time around, the war between the heart and mind went on pretty strongly (May be the grey hair was doing the talking and the Yeti managed to suppress the buying urge every time she had a thorough wash and wax. It drove phenomenally well even after 96000 kms on the Odo). The conversations between the Heart and Mind went like this…

Heart: It is one life; It’s your desire. Go for it!
Mind: Why do you want to plonk 15 extra Lakhs on a car ( A classified depreciating asset). Your current car is doing extremely well and is a well-crafted piece admired by all in the family
Heart: But it’s one life. Should you postpone Joy?
Mind: You can soak in a couple of experiences (Switzerland, France etc) if you don’t change the car now?
Heart: That can still happen. But have you had better pleasure all these years when you were not behind the wheel during the long drives?
Mind (Finally): OK. Follow your heart if you meet the right dame!


The Shortlist and the Purchase Journey (October 2018 - November 2019)

Started looking out for the right dame and the bare minimum requirement was that it should be an automatic and should have a panoramic sunroof (I have a little one who enjoys spotting those elephants and deers when we pass through the Bandipur-Muthanga Forests.) Shortlisted on the following makes.

1. Land Rover Freelander 2 (Came highly recommended by a friend who has been using one for the past 4 years)
2. Audi Q3 (I actually like how it looks; The constant feeling of driving the same engine in a new skin was not encouraging and the VAG scandal did not leave a good taste)
3. BMW X1(Always wanted a Beemer, but was not sure of an X1)

Saw a few of these cars at 9th Gear, Koramangala and Autobahn, BTM Layout; But most of them were overpriced vis-a vis their condition. Over a period of time, had also developed a good relationship with Habib of 9th Gear. A pleasant gentleman who was always smiling and entertaining. (Must have made over 10-15 visits over a period of 1 year. But never did he display a fatigue of meeting and showing you the cars around). Promised him that I would do business with him someday for sure.

In between, came across a Mercedes M class,2008 make and done around 97k kilometers which was going for around 10 Lakhs. Got tempted, but the car had already changed 4 hands and was feeling a little dated. A friend, mentioned about the opening of a new premium used cars showroom called Exotic Carz on Brunton road and decided to pay a visit. They had some lovely cars and a beautiful Volvo XC60 caught my attention. It was a 2015 model, run around 60 K kms, neatly maintained and the quote was around 25 L. Came home and ran through Team Bhp and other forums about the car and was thrilled to learn about its capabilities. The only grouse for me was that Volvo is now owned by the Chinese guys and I am not a great fan of theirs. Made a repeat visit the very next day and took a test drive and fell in love with it. Got down to serious talking and the sales guy put me across to one of the owners of Exotic Carz. We just started the conversation and he excused himself for 2 mins to attend to someone else. The 2 mins became 10 and then 20 with no signs of him returning. Felt insulted and made my displeasure known to the salesman and asked him to call back with their best offer. He called the next day saying that they could offer it at 21 L and I made a counter offer of 18 L. He promised to check and call back, but the call never came. I was sitting on a fence and may be a little bit of cajoling would have got me to buy that car! The overall experience at Exotic Carz did not leave a good taste.

Made a visit to Classic Cars after seeing a listing for a 2014 BMW X1 Sportline which had done approximately 35 K kms. When I did a Vin check, realized that it was a 2012 make but registered in 2014. The car looked gorgeous - Silver Exteriors with Black Interiors asking price was 17.95 Lakhs and the guys were not willing to negotiate at all. Saw that car listed there for about 5 months. Made a conditional offer of 15L. The sales person promised to call back after checking with the owner, but never got back. End of Story.

During this period, the decision also started veering more towards the X1.The good Freelanders and Q3s were all priced over Rs 25 Lakhs and a good friend with whom I discuss cars hummed the line ‘ You either buy a car or a BMW’! And that more or less sealed it!

Then came along a beautiful white X1 Highline of 2011 make done around 65000 kms with beautiful tan interiors. It was well maintained; had a fancy number and I fell in love with the car. The price quoted was also reasonable and decided to get the car checked. Took it to a FNG-Car Mechs in Koramangala and he gave me a go ahead with a caveat. The Steering system was weak and might need replacement in a year’s time with a damage of ~ Rs 1.5 Lakhs. Communicated that with the dealer and he was ready to bring down the price by 50% of the quoted cost. I was also ready to take a calculated risk and confirmed to the dealer subject to verifying the papers. And here was the catch. The Papers never arrived. The story given was that its stuck at the RTO for ownership transfer. Waited for about three weeks and then gave up on it! I guess the dealer would have pawned that off to an unsuspecting buyer at a higher price than what was agreed with me.

Flipping through carwale threw up another X1 of 2012 make, single owner driven, white in color with beige interiors and was posted by an individual. Got excited about buying from a direct seller; called him and went for an inspection. Oops.. It was the worst X1 I had seen- both the exterior and interior was dirty. Made some polite conversation with the seller and enquired about the car. He seemed a little clueless about the features and the car condition. Got me suspicious and I asked to see the papers. He hands me the RC card with a different name and I was shocked. Checked if it was his son and then he says that it is his friend’s car which he had bought last month. (All along on the phone he had mentioned that he was the first owner). Excused myself from the conversation and scooted from the place.

I will someday do a thread on my experiences of scouting for used cars and the innovative stories sellers weave. There are many uninformed buyers who fall prey to such gimmicks.

Got super busy with work with a lot of travel on weekends that literally shut me out from checking cars in real form. But the search was eternal on Team BHP and Carwale. None of the cars got my attention and the occasional stops at 9Th Gear when I passed through Koramangala also did not yield any results.

October 2019 arrived and wifey reminded me that I had just another month to fulfill the self-made promise. A client/friend too pumped on and again I was on the active look out. Made a call to Habib on the 1st of November after seeing a listing and he said that the X1 I mentioned had just arrived at the outlet and suited my taste and requirements. It was a 2013 make Xline version with ~64000 kms on the Odo. I was told that the service history is available at BMW and that came as a relief. They were also honest that the suspension work was done outside and carried a six month warranty and showed the detailed bills. It also had a new battery. The price was reasonable too and they were willing to negotiate as the seller had to realize the cash fast for his next car. This is how she looked when I first checked her out.


The bodyline was perfect and the interiors were clean, just the way I like to keep mine. When it comes to colours, I am a BLACK or WHITE guy and was not particularly excited about this one. But I could make do with it because it has inherent advantages of not showing up minor scratches and dust. On the interior colour choice I would have preferred a black against the beige, which this one had, but I was ok to compromise on that one too as long as all other things were intact.

Got down to talking the numbers and I made an offer subject to BMW service giving a clean chit. Habib requested for a day to talk to the owner and come back. It was good for me also to do my calculations and allow the feeling to sink in. Went back home and told wifey about the deal. She always stood by me whenever I go car crazy. She just says ‘Go for it’. I am one of the few lucky ones to have that benefit. Know a lot of friends who have to coax their better halves to let them pursue their desires with low success rates.

I hardly slept through the night because I knew that this dame was going to come home soon. The next day, Habib called to say that they were ok to go ahead with a little increase over my offer. I was fine with it and did not haggle as I believe that in any deal both the buyer and seller should be happy. Paid an advance and asked them to book a slot with BMW service for inspection. Alas, they had a slot open only after 5 days.

Drove to BMW service on the inspection day to hear about the antecedents about the dame. Had to wait for half an hour beyond the appointed time as there was a rush of cars and customers waiting for their turn. Then came a friendly service advisor with the data that he had downloaded from the key and mentioned that everything seemed fine. I requested him to show me the service history of the car and he obliged by showing but was not willing to share a hard copy. All the services were carried out at BMW and even the tyres were also replaced at the dealership itself and the service advisor was pleased seeing the records. Then came the time for the physical inspection. The car was put on the ramp and a visual inspection done. The service advisor kept nodding and seemed to be approving the purchase. The Engine was cranked and then I see his face change. He checked for a few minutes and told me that the timing Chain was due for replacement and it is better to get it done before going ahead with the purchase. That gave me a rude shock and I was feeling that my dream was evaporating! The service advisor assured me that the car was in good nick and this is a recommended replacement due to the wear and tear factors. Called Habib and told him about the discovery and asked the service advisor to communicate the same.

Thought about it for a couple of hours and called Habib to communicate that I was ok to go ahead with the agreed deal subject to the replacement of the timing chain at the seller’s expense. A little bit of dilly dallying and they agreed to do it but not at BMW but at a FNG (https://raceng.in) who was known for his expertise in Beemers and other high end cars. I was ok with it subject to them offering a warranty on the work and allowing me to see the parts being replaced. The overall difference in quote between BMW service and the FNG was ~Rs 1 Lakh. Decision done and I took the pain of going to RAC in Jakkur once the new parts had arrived to physically inspect them. The entire process took a week as they had to order the parts. Met up with Bharath, the guy who runs RAC. A friendly gentleman who patiently answered all the queries and reassured me about my chosen ride. He was also updating me regularly on whatsapp on the work in progress. Happened to see many premium cars in RAC which reassured me that the recommendation made by 9th Gear was probably a wise one. (Only Time will tell). Finally, on the 14th of November, the car arrived back at 9th Gear. I went in for an inspection and to complete the other formalities so that I could take delivery on the following day. Till that moment had paid the initial advance amount of Rs 50,000/- only. The replacement work was done by 9th Gear in good faith. I mentioned that I would make the full payment before driving away as I had not seen the duplicate key and the owner’s manual (That was with the seller at his place and had not been delivered to 9Th Gear). They made arrangements to source it by the next day before I arrived to take delivery.

On the 15th of November went to 9th Gear around 4 PM, did a final check on the car and transferred the money, collected the customary chocolate box and drove straight to the temple. It was a nice feeling of buying a car akin to shopping in a mall .And almost a week before I turned 41, the dream of owning a luxury badge was realized!! On the 16th of November went about familiarizing myself with the owner’s manual and getting to know the car. And on the 17th went for a breakfast drive to Shoolagiri. It was the first spin on the highway and thoroughly enjoyed the drive though I did not shoot above 100 KMPH!


Over the last 6 months did numerous trips to Wayanad, Kudremukh, Coorg and Mysore covering over 7K kms and am happy about my decision.

Now for the Good and the Bad!

The Ayes!

Driving Experience - A very pleasant driving experience thanks to the fine auto gearbox. The shifts are timed perfectly and the sports mode is absolute pleasure when driving alone! Found it best as a highway car and cannot take it on the potholed roads where my Yeti glided smoothly.

Sun Roof/Moon Roof- I got my money's worth as my kiddo, an animal freak enjoys this feature the most and is always looking out for them standing, while we navigate through Bandipur . And for us, its indeed a pleasant feeling to let the moonlight glide in on full moon light!

Badge Value- Now, you are a Beemer man! Thats the comment you most hear from friends and relatives! This is the second one in the greater family circles.

The Nays!


I do keep comparing it with the Yeti though. I have taken the Yeti to all kinds of places including to the river bed through my paddy fields, but I will not dare to try such stunts with the delicate X1

Rear seat Comfort – Comfort in the rear seats are just about ordinary and the ride is a little bumpy too. Have been trying permutations and combinations changing the tyre pressures. Also, I think the RFT tyres are to blame.

Sturdiness- I was a Skoda user for more than 8 years and the sturdiness the Yeti offered boosted the confidence at high speeds. I feel the X1 is a delicate darling!

Parking Sensors- I miss the front parking sensors badly especially while parking in our basement. It was such a blessing in the Yeti. Whats more? Even the new X1s don't come with them? How much are you going to lose by providing one?

Service Experience- Been to Navnit motors a few times to pick up a couple of accessories as well as to chat about the service requirements and the costs. It has not been a pleasant experience at all and they are happy rolling out huge quotes for everything and not really interested in solving your concern/query


I have a few thoughts on doing the following over the next 3 months. Request BMW experts to share your reccomendations

1. Tyres- Currently my dame runs on Pirelli RFTs and has a life of ~4 K kms. Have been reading about the prospects of a much better ride if I switch to Tubeless
2. Change Brake Pad set to one of these- Textar,Brembo, Meyle ( They are due in another 4 K kms)
3. Paint the Grills and the Alloys in a Charcoal Black colour (Feel that it will suit the body colour better)
4. I do not intend to go to Navnit. Thinking of using Car Smith Motors. (Had a long chat with Vishwas and am convinced about the place)
5. If there is anything else that I should be taking care of, request fellow X1 users to give me a heads up.

Its my first attempt on Team Bhp and apologise if the post does not meet the high standards of the forum! Thanks for reading

Adding a few pictures of the new entrant!