BMW X1 vs Fiat 500: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Fiat 500 burns about $2,250 of fuel annually against $2,700 for the BMW X1. That $450 yearly gap compounds to roughly $2,250 over five years and $3,600 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Fiat 500 leads in both cycles — 31 mpg city and 38 mpg highway against 25 and 34 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the BMW X1 is recorded with 2 distinct engine configurations (SIDI & PFI, SIDI), the Fiat 500 with 3 (1.3, SIDI, 1.4). Across 23 recorded BMW X1 configurations and 33 for the Fiat 500, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the BMW X1 is offered with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive, the Fiat 500 with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Large Cars and Minicompact Cars respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Fiat 500 emits 264 g/mile of CO2 versus 311 g/mile for the BMW X1. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.