• PHEV potentially the most efficient
• Mild hybrid system works well
• The 23i petrol is surprisingly economical

What are the running costs?

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

Servicing and warranty

BMW has 150 dealers in the UK with most towns and cities being covered. Customer service is generally rated highly in industry surveys such as those conducted by JD Power.

BMW servicing isn’t based on mileage, but on condition – the car will tell you when it needs a service. Service plans are available to help manage the cost. How much you pay depends on the model.

All BMWs are covered by a three-year unlimited mileage warranty which isn’t particularly generous in today’s terms but probably enough to cover the initial owner’s PCP or PCH agreement.

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.