[mario486]

Originally Posted by manicm

barbel - it depends if BMW includes a Service Plan in the purchase price - they do in some countries. If not enquire how much it will add and judge if it's worth it - or haggle it as part of a discount. In fact I would say do not buy the car without it anyway, even if you have to pay for it. Haggle hard.

Outside a service plan - yes diesels generally require more frequent servicing than petrols. Take into account how long you'll keep the car for.

Also note that recommend advice for any modern diesel is to drive a single 40km+ trip (one-way) once every two weeks to clear their filters and keep them clean until routine servicing. This is very important. Manufacturers may not always give this advice, but motoring hacks do.

Manicm is correct, get a service plan if you can. I paid extra for mine and have the same type of plan on the Mini, worth every penny and takes out any worries about future costs or cost rises. As he says, diesels are more expensive to maintain, but generally and arguably last longer than petrol engines as well.

The filter he refers to is the Diesel Particulate Filter and yes you need to run the car for half an hour or so at speed to clean them. Basically they heat up and then “burn” the soot away, bit like a self cleaning oven. I have never got a straight answer as to how regularly you need to do this but imho I would say every few months at least. If you do not however they get clogged and are very expensive to replace.

Originally Posted by DUH CAR

In Canada, our X1 came with Goodyear Eagles LS. They have a "M+S" on them. But no mountain symbol. So they obviously can be used over 7C as it was 31C yesterday.

I agree with Mario486 that buying a second set of winters is the optimum solution if you have a real winter and it lasts for months and you are keeping the car for a few years. I wouldn't worry too much about the extra wear above 7C for a few weeks either. But in your case, if you want to save some bucks, M +S is probably the best bet for casual use. The better tread will also help with grip in the wet vs. summers.

Yep, winters can of course be used in summer but they just won’t last as long at 30C. According to the experts there is a slight (5%?) loss of traction when they get really hot. Also the 7C is just a general rule of thumb, or design point.

Originally Posted by barbel

Mario486, tks for such a detailed response on the tyres. Just to clarify: is there is major downside to using M&S above 7C? I was thinking that I could switch to M&S for 3 winter months, but I guess the roads away from the mountains will often be above 7C. Does that mean that I will pay just the penalty just a bit more tyre wear, or is is more complicated than that?

Not complicated, just think of the 7C as a guideline. The more you go below this the more the reason to use winters, above this the more reason to use summers, simple. However, if the road temperature consistently falls much below 2C I would say you should be on winters.

Originally Posted by barbel

On a separate point, choice of model and gearbox... I'm now honing in on the 20d or 23d. I see you have 20d and chose (and like) the auto box. This wouldn't have been my immediate thought, so I'm very interested in your experience. My earlier BMWs were both (different 5-series) autos, and I really liked them. But over the last 5 years or so I've been driving a (non BMW) manual, and got back to liking that too. For urban/country driving, I think I'd like an auto. But how is it in the snow? Sorry for my ignorance of the current BMW autobox and how it works, but does it have a useful manual overide? And if so, how did you use it in your exploits in the snow and mud of Scotland?

Very subjective this one but I will try and answer:

2.0d vs 2.3d – I found the 2.0d engine to be a good compromise between price and performance and the match with the auto box. The 2.3d is really nice but I found that it was a bit “peaky” with the auto. Largely down to my own exerience and "feel" I must add, and I don’t have a huge amount of experience with autos.

Auto vs manual – The X1 is my first auto...ever. Thought long and hard about this as I normally prefer a manual. However, this is a diesel and the auto box just handles it really well with little sacrifice in performance or economy. In addition about 70% of my driving is around town and its great to have a nice relaxing drive. If I want to have a blast around our narrow streets I take the Mini.

X1’s auto – Yes its very good. There is a DS (direct shift) option as well. Just be careful, in the UK the steering wheel paddles are another extra. Manual shifting through the gears is a blast but leaving it in DS mode gives a more sporty drive anyway. Sticks to gears longer and is very good with engine braking. The auto is also “intelligent” of sorts in that it “learns” you current driving style and adapts accordingly. If you are lazy, for eg during pull aways, its lazy. If you floor it it tends to also be a bit manic...brilliant.

WARNING – There is a new 8-speed due on the X1 and it may be an idea to get this one. I have driven it in the new X3 and its really, really good.

Auto in the snow – Easy, I leave it in auto, it has just worked for me. The electronic gizmos take over and it just goes.

Originally Posted by barbel

Final question, my son (who has a 120d) warned me that the service costs can be high on the diesel due to the shorter service interval compared with the petrol. Is this true?

Yes, diesels are more expensive to maintain than petrols. Its not a big difference though but get a service plan if you can. Oh, and you probably will make up the difference in fuel costs anyway.

Lastly and most importantly. Try and get an extended test drive on as many varients as you can, even if this means testing some second hand ones as well. I cannot stress this enough, its your money so get the one that feels right for you.