Was looking @ the x1, as its the entry level of the BMW flagship.

There are 2 models the petrol and the diesel model.

Any advices?

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At the dealer near me, the gas unit is just under 2m Bt

Yet the diesel gets nearly 20 kpl (48 mpg)

How much will you use it and how long will you keep it ?

I would say the Diesel is the much better option, good engine those BMW 2.0 diesels, enough power and torque.

The 1.8 engine is a bit weak and from what i have read is not really up to it in a relatively heavy car.

My wife is keen on the X1 but I am not totally convinced, the 3 series sedan looks a lot better IMO.

I read somewhere the X1 petrol version is a bit gutless, 150hp for 1.5 tonnes does not sound good. That little engine would be working hard so fuel consumption probably would not be great.

The diesel has a little more power and a lot more torque but at around 2.8M baht it is a lot more expensive. Similar money to a 320d!

The base model gasoline X1 is built to price - a good price - but it's just too compromised IMHO.

The gasoline engine performs on-par with something like a VIOS or a pickup truck, so not terrible, but also not great. Fuel economy obviously isn't fantastic, but on-par with something like a CR-V.

It's the deleted options I couldn't stomach at the 2M price point - no cruise, no steering wheel controls, no iDrive/navi/screen, no USB (ok, that's not such a biggie)... To get these staples you have to step-up to the 'highline' model at an incredulous 500K Baht extra.

Now, as a 2.5M Baht car, you really do have to ask yourself whether it's worth twice as much as your PJS rics21

The base model gasoline X1 is built to price - a good price - but it's just too compromised IMHO.

The gasoline engine performs on-par with something like a VIOS or a pickup truck, so not terrible, but also not great. Fuel economy obviously isn't fantastic, but on-par with something like a CR-V.

It's the deleted options I couldn't stomach at the 2M price point - no cruise, no steering wheel controls, no iDrive/navi/screen, no USB (ok, that's not such a biggie)... To get these staples you have to step-up to the 'highline' model at an incredulous 500K Baht extra.

Now, as a 2.5M Baht car, you really do have to ask yourself whether it's worth twice as much as your PJS rics21

Was thinking of an upgrade. My wife says I will need a upgrade on the face. So any recommendations for a 2m car?

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The base model gasoline X1 is built to price - a good price - but it's just too compromised IMHO.

The gasoline engine performs on-par with something like a VIOS or a pickup truck, so not terrible, but also not great. Fuel economy obviously isn't fantastic, but on-par with something like a CR-V.

It's the deleted options I couldn't stomach at the 2M price point - no cruise, no steering wheel controls, no iDrive/navi/screen, no USB (ok, that's not such a biggie)... To get these staples you have to step-up to the 'highline' model at an incredulous 500K Baht extra.

Now, as a 2.5M Baht car, you really do have to ask yourself whether it's worth twice as much as your PJS rics21

Was thinking of an upgrade. My wife says I will need a upgrade on the face. So any recommendations for a 2m car?

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Yep, buy a nice Golf GTI and you and your wife will smile all day long....it is a great ride, comfy when neeed, yet 'scary' powerful when really pushed. Excellent build quality as well..., which I would take over the Bimmer. the new 320D is surely nice, yet not very spacious trunk and nearly 3m if I am correct.

Good ride, quite fun, quirky and very good fuel economy is a Skoda Yeti at around 1.6m not really cheap.

or as we are at Skodas....again...hehe...if you need space, a Skoda Superb is really quite superb.....and if you take the combi version....you can transport probably more than in a PJS....well maybe not really, but nearly.

Goes well, and high quality.

my 2 cents anyway...

What I cannot figure out,,

E 84, X1 diesel cost new almost 1 million less then the E83, X3 diesel

2010 model both cost the same 2nd hand, would a X3 at 2 year old be a better buy ?

on the other hand then looks like the X1 holds if value much better after 2 years.

Another option is the new Audi Q3, also petrol or TDi

I expect the OP's Face upgrade means a car with a better perceived image. Depending on who the OP or his wife want to impress, a car with more "face" is tricky under 2M. For farang a Golf or a Skoda is not really going to be considered a flash car. Car enthusiasts will recognise the GTI is a quick car, but others will see them as hatchbacks with big wheels.

Most Thai people only take notice of BMW and Mercedes. Face costs more than 2M with these two badges unless you can put up with the cheapest X1 or a used version.

The 2.4 new CRV feels way batter than the X1. Drives better, feels better inside also. and cheaper

I expect the OP's Face upgrade means a car with a better perceived image. Depending on who the OP or his wife want to impress, a car with more "face" is tricky under 2M. For farang a Golf or a Skoda is not really going to be considered a flash car. Car enthusiasts will recognise the GTI is a quick car, but others will see them as hatchbacks with big wheels.

Most Thai people only take notice of BMW and Mercedes. Face costs more than 2M with these two badges unless you can put up with the cheapest X1 or a used version.

Agreed with all of this... except I would say that Benz carries more street cred than BMW does, over the broader TH population.

The base model Benz C200 BlueEfficiency kicks off at 2.2M (though 50-100K discounts aren't unheard of), and outside of car nuts, looks the part from the outside

Unfortunately it's a similar story to the X1 though - the few little extras your want/expect at this price (e.g. leather) just aren't there without sacrificing a further 600-800K Baht..

If it was all about 'face' and not about substance or value, it'd be my #1 choice..

The 2.4 new CRV feels way batter than the X1. Drives better, feels better inside also. and cheaper

Which X1? Not the BMW one I expect, hehehe

Where do you guys get the money to pay for a 2 million baht car?

Paying that much for a car in Thailand is insane, unless you're filthy rich.

2 million. A VW Beetle here is 2 million. that's $65,000 for a $20,000 car. If you're paying 2+ Million baht for a car, you're paying a 70% Idiot Tax.

Where do you guys get the money to pay for a 2 million baht car?

Decent paying jobs I expect TC

It's all relative..

As for the 'idiot' tax - I can't disagree with that terminology much other than to say a lot of it is recoverable upon resale (assuming you buy something with decent resale), and when you do the numbers compared to the poor resale values in the West, it really ain't that bad - it's just that the barrier to entry is higher..

Where do you guys get the money to pay for a 2 million baht car?

Decent paying jobs I expect TC

It's all relative..

As for the 'idiot' tax - I can't disagree with that terminology much other than to say a lot of it is recoverable upon resale (assuming you buy something with decent resale), and when you do the numbers compared to the poor resale values in the West, it really ain't that bad - it's just that the barrier to entry is higher..

Except that BMW's resale value literally crashes after the 5-year warranty ends....

^

Higher!? That's the understatement of the year. I can take a little higher, but $40,000 US dollars over the price is a bit much. How much is a Boxter? That's like $150,000 over the price.

Ridiculous.

The top for anyone should be 1.2 million. That's the cut-off for me.

Like the 750Li BMW.

US = around $90,000

TH = around $520,000

I mean, come on...

Like the 750Li BMW.

US = around $90,000

TH = around $520,000

I mean, come on...

You start off talking about 2M Baht cars, which is what I responded to.. Now you're talking about 15.7M cars?

Why not go for gold and up the ante to a Veyron or even just an LFA? LOL

Like the 750Li BMW.

US = around $90,000

TH = around $520,000

I mean, come on...

You start off talking about 2M Baht cars, which is what I responded to.. Now you're talking about 15.7M cars?

Why not go for gold and up the ante to a Veyron or even just an LFA? LOL

Or a Porsche Cayenne.

Like the 750Li BMW.

US = around $90,000

TH = around $520,000

I mean, come on...

You start off talking about 2M Baht cars, which is what I responded to.. Now you're talking about 15.7M cars?

Why not go for gold and up the ante to a Veyron or even just an LFA? LOL

Or a Porsche Cayenne.

Or an Evoque.

That's why I only buy made in Thailand cars, I don't give a shit what the neighbors thinks, about 1.2 mill bath is also max I want to shell out for a car despite having a fairly well paid job in the oil off-shore industry.

Current car on order: Ranger WT 2.2 2wd Chill to old price: 869k bath I think I was, hoping to get it early next year.

TC, how about looking at it this way. If someone has a good paying job or robs a bank, what ever and have the cash plus either appreciate a better designed car or want the face mentioned in the OP, why not cheer them on. Each dollar in tax for flash cars is a dollar less the government will need to drag out of you when you buy a 1.2M car. Some of us will be less bored when the occasional interesting car goes buy after the last few thousand Toyotas, Hondas and Isuzus.

Be Happy and enjoy the little motoring diversity we have

We had the same dilemma looking at spending around 2 million baht or a bit over on new transport. The missus and I couldn't agree (as usual) between small and practical for town work, against big and comfortable for trips away with the whole family and weekend football team duties. In the end we split the money and bought 2 cars, she got a Focus for running around town, and I got the PJS as the family work horse. Both of us are happy, no arguments about who gets the car, no waiting around for the other to get home, and we have the right car for most occasions. Nothing too exciting in the choices but "face" was not a concern for us. Maybe not the solution for everybody but it works for us and managed it for a bit over the 2 million.

That's much more sensible. 800,000 on a focus. 1.2 million on a PJS.

2 million and you get 2 nice cars instead of a 2 million over priced car.

It's not about the money. It's about buying a car that is really a $20,000 car for $65,000. For $65,000 you want the highest quality. But you're not getting that. You're getting a $20,000 car quality for $65,000. That's what I'm saying.

My Cruze is closer to 600,000 in the USA. I paid 875,000. That's a markup, but I'm still getting the expected quality of that price range.

In the case of the X1, this car starts at about $33,500. Here in thailand $65,000. You're paying $65,000 for a $30,000 quality car.

It makes 0 sense.

2 million baht doesn't get you a "nice ride" in thailand. It gets you a $20,000-$30,000 quality ride depending on the car you get. That's just for suckers.

You start paying these ridiculous prices for $20-$30,000 quality and this is what happens

That's your 2-2.5 million baht car.

Meanwhile, the 800,000 baht Focus is awesome and probably looking as good as it did when it came off the lot.

I had a friend who went to the car show to check the new 2012 BMW 3 Series. He said he opened the back door and he saw the back of the center console was all peeling off. The paint was all peeled off and the black plastic underneath was showing. Just from people going in and out of the car as they were checking it out.

Same issue on the plastic on the doors. And one of the door controls you could push up and down with your finger. Like you could push the controls right through the door.

That's a 2++ million baht car.

Bullcrap.

For 2 million baht, you can get a personal driver, everyday, with a nice comfy van, for a looooooonnnnnggggg time. Of course, there is no resale value but you'll have the face. And as we all know, face can get you a higher paying job so you can get a driver in the future with a higher-model vehicle.

I would much rather a driver. Really rich people don't drive.

I would much rather a driver. Really rich people don't drive.

Really rich people won't buy a Chevrolet.

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TC, thanks for all your advices. But I do have some spare cash and I guess its nice to make myself comfy and get myself some face.

What's wrong with spending more on a german car? Been driving the Japanese cars for years, tried the American cars.

Both types of cars can't be compared to the German design and technology.

I have got the PJS while my wife is driving the vios. I just feel that its time for an upgrade from the PJS to a benz or BMW.

I went thru the 2m price range European car. I guess there are only the X1 and the C200.

The C200 is somehow a small sedan with almost 180hp while the X1-18i is with 150hp. Both models r there for quite some time, will, there be a facelift?

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TC, thanks for all your advices. But I do have some spare cash and I guess its nice to make myself comfy and get myself some face.

What's wrong with spending more on a german car? Been driving the Japanese cars for years, tried the American cars.

Both types of cars can't be compared to the German design and technology.

I have got the PJS while my wife is driving the vios. I just feel that its time for an upgrade from the PJS to a benz or BMW.

I went thru the 2m price range European car. I guess there are only the X1 and the C200.

The C200 is somehow a small sedan with almost 180hp while the X1-18i is with 150hp. Both models r there for quite some time, will, there be a facelift?

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The Benz C-Class had a minor change last year, and is due for a full model replacement (W205) in 2014 - which for us probably means late 2014/early 2015.

The X1 has actually only been around since 2009 in other markets (2010 for TH), and started being locally assembled in Q1 2011 (with a nice price drop). Not much is known about the next-gen yet, other than it's mini-based (current version is 3-series based) and will hit OS markets in 2015 - we likely won't see it until 2016 though.

Other Euro non-hatchback options at this price point are the Volvo S40/V50 (1.7M), S60 (1.9M), and Skoda Superb (2M)