Avant
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Posts: 691 
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Post by Avant on Nov 20, 2017 19:10:02 GMT
I was lent a 2-series AT, a 220i, last week when my seven-year-old 125i was in for recall work (all credit to BMW for going back that far). I was very impressed. It's the first 2-litre automatic I've tried where the transmission didn't seem to be holding the car back when accelerating: having eight speeds no doubt helps. Steering lighter than most BMWs (I like that, although I know many don't) and handling not as good as the 125i but a lot better than the stodgy V60. Lovely quiet petrol engine: nothing can quite touch a straight-six but this one isn't far off.
The X1 is also one to look at of course: but unless you particularly need 4WD, I'm not sure it's worth the extra £3,000 or so over the equivalent Active Tourer.
If you see this, T & E, do let us know your thoughts: I seem to remember that you're happy with your petrol X1.
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Post by tyrednexited on Nov 20, 2017 19:24:18 GMT
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WDB
Full Member
Posts: 7,427
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Post by WDB on Nov 20, 2017 22:08:15 GMT
Only that there are FWD (yes, front) 'S-Drive' X1s as well as 4WD 'X-Drive'. And that the 220i is the (in my case) Grand Tourer that I had as a loaner. Nice engine, excellent gearbox, and the only stop-start system I've yet tried that also let me use the parking brake to extinguish the brake lights. No more than adequate for second-row space, though - possibly compromised by a three-row layout in what is still not a long car. The X1 has it beat on that count.
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Post by tyrednexited on Nov 20, 2017 22:18:44 GMT
Only that there are FWD (yes, front) 'S-Drive' X1s as well as 4WD 'X-Drive'. And that the 220i is the (in my case) Grand Tourer that I had as a loaner. Nice engine, excellent gearbox, and the only stop-start system I've yet tried that also let me use the parking brake to extinguish the brake lights. No more than adequate for second-row space, though - possibly compromised by a three-row layout in what is still not a long car. The X1 has it beat on that count. ....actually, (until you sus one thing) using the stop-start brake-lightless on the X1 is a pain, and much less intuitive than the Smart (which allows the handbrake on and a shift into Neutral). I assume the 220i had the EPB, which, if you apply it whilst still holding down the footbrake (usually) allows you to lift your foot off the brake, extinguish the brake-lights, and keep the engine off (though this is not defined in the handbook). The prescribed way of achieving this in the X1, however, is to shift the gearshift into "P". This takes some (a lot of) mastering, as stop-start doesn't function in "N", through which you have to shift :-( . It was only with some perseverance that I learnt the swift and decisive action through the gate which avoids the engine firing up again as soon as you slip out of "D". |
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WDB
Full Member
Posts: 7,427
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Post by WDB on Nov 21, 2017 7:45:19 GMT
I assume the 220i had the EPB, which, if you apply it whilst still holding down the footbrake (usually) allows you to lift your foot off the brake, extinguish the brake-lights, and keep the engine off (though this is not defined in the handbook). Yes, that's how I remember it - although it was only for a day and a half, eighteen months ago. I do remember that I'd been driving it for half a day before I even realized that the engine was cutting out, so unobtrusive was the operation. As you'll have guessed, reading the manual had nothing to do with it. |
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