BMW X1 running costs and reliability

2022 onwards (change model)

Running costs rating: 3.8 out of 53.8

Written by Murray Scullion Published: 9 November 2022 Updated: 10 November 2022

Miles per pound (mpp) ⓘ

Low figures relate to the least economical version; high to the most economical. Based on WLTP combined fuel economy for versions of this car made since September 2017 only, and typical current fuel or electricity costs.

Petrol engines	5.0 - 7.4 mpp
Diesel engines	6.7 - 7.7 mpp
Plug-in hybrid petrol engines *	6.4 - 7.0 mpp

* Fuel economy of the engine when operating without assistance from the electric motor and battery.

What is miles per pound?

Fuel economy ⓘ

Low figures relate to the least economical version; high to the most economical. Based on WLTP combined fuel economy for versions of this car made since September 2017 only.

Petrol engines	34.4 - 50.4 mpg
Diesel engines	52.3 - 60.1 mpg
Plug-in hybrid petrol engines *	43.5 - 47.9 mpg

* Fuel economy of the engine when operating without assistance from the electric motor and battery.

View mpg & specs for any version

PHEV most economical
Mild hybrid system works well
23i petrol surprisingly economical

There are four internal combustion engines and two plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) to choose from, plus an electric BMW iX1 that gets its own review.

What are the running costs?

On paper, the most economical of the internal combustion models are the diesels. The two-wheel drive 18d and four-wheel drive 23d should both be capable of mpg in the mid 50s.

Next up is the two-wheel drive petrol 20i, which officially should do close to 50mpg. The four-wheel drive 23i is theoretically the thirstiest, with scores of 40-ish mpg.

However, on a 128-mile long and slow motorway crawl we actually achieved more than 50mpg with the 23i.

xDrive25 and 30e PHEVs feature an electric motor powering the rear wheels, with an electric range of between 50-57 miles. They should be able to charge from 0-100% using a domestic socket in around eight hours, or around 2.5 hours from a dedicated home charger. Official mpg, like most PHEVs, is largely dependent on how you drive it. Plug it in religiously and you could see three figure mpg scores.

All engines, save for the 18d and PHEVs, are mild hybrids. They use a small electric motor and battery for little improvements to acceleration and mpg here and there. The cars are not capable of driving on pure electricity, unlike with a normal hybrid. It sounds complex but it all works seamlessly, and you can’t complain about the mpg results.

View detailed MPG and CO2 figures on the BMW X1 specs pages

Servicing and warranty

There are several servicing plans on offer, including an option where you pay for the first four years worth of services up front.

The X1 comes with a three-year unlimited mileage warranty that includes breakdown cover. Other car makers offer much longer warranties, but all come with limited mileages.

Reliability

BMW doesn’t have a stellar reputation for reliability
Some software could be glitchy
Engines used in other BMWs

The X1 is still very new, so there haven’t been any official recalls yet. It uses engines found elsewhere in the BMW lineup, which hopefully should mean they’ve had the kinks ironed out of them.

We’ve encountered no problems with the infotainment on our test car, but have on other BMWs using the same system. Software updates usually fix anything like this.