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Home›Duel›BMW 120d vs BMW 218d

Performance comparison

BMW 120d xDrive F40 vs BMW 218d xDrive F22: which is truly faster?

Simulated drag race 0 → 1,000 m in real time. Synchronised speed counters and stopwatch. Physics calibration on 7 manufacturer measurements.

BMWDieselFaster

120d xDrive F40

190 hp · 400 Nm · 1,515 kg · 2020

VS
BMWDiesel

218d xDrive F22

150 hp · 350 Nm · 1,520 kg · 2018

MotorwayRange & chargingPerformance0-100, top speedConsumptionAnnual TCO

Parameters and assumptions

Simulation

Start
Standing, straight line
Surface
Dry asphalt, 23°C
Wind
None
Driver
1 person, 75 kg

Calibration

Splits
0–100, 0–200 manufacturer
Power curve
Real measurement (Caralogy)
VMax
Manufacturer limited
Transmission
Losses integrated in model

Physics model calibrated on manufacturer splits. The limited top speed is not the real aerodynamic top speed of the vehicles.

120d xDrive F40218d xDrive F22
0–100 km/h7,13 s−1,79 s8,92 s
400 m standing start15,21 s−1,46 s16,67 s
1,000 m standing start28,00 s−2,09 s30,09 s
Top speed (electronically limited)228 km/h+19 km/h209 km/h
Power-to-weight ratio7,97 kg/hpbetter ratio10,13 kg/hp

Watch the race

Standing-start drag race, calibrated on manufacturer splits. The gap shows at each stage.

BMWDiesel120d xDrive F40
Speed
0km/h
Timer
0,00s
Distance
0m
BMWDiesel218d xDrive F22
Speed
0km/h
Timer
0,00s
Distance
0m
100 m
200 m
300 m
400 m
500 m
600 m
700 m
800 m
900 m
1000 m
0m → 1000m
Gap0m

Stage-by-stage comparison

Simulated performance at each stage. Winner in green.

Palier120d xDrive F40218d xDrive F22
0–30 km/h1,50 s2,34 s
0–50 km/h2,54 s3,76 s
0–80 km/h4,93 s6,39 s
0–100 km/h7,13 s8,92 s
0–120 km/h9,98 s12,25 s
0–160 km/h18,51 s22,61 s
0–200 km/h35,95 s48,45 s
400 m standing start15,21 s16,67 s
1,000 m standing start28,00 s30,09 s
Top speed228 km/h209 km/h

Under the bonnet

Manufacturer technical specifications. The power-to-weight ratio is the key physical factor in a drag race.

BMW

120d xDrive F40

7,97kg/hpratio better by 2,16 kg/hp
CharacteristicValueDetail
Power190 hp4 cyl
Torque400 Nm
Weight1 515 kgmanufacturer kerb weight
DrivetrainIntegrale (AWD)
Gearbox8-speed Steptronic transmission
BMW

218d xDrive F22

10,13kg/hp
CharacteristicValueDetail
Power150 hp4 cyl
Torque350 Nm
Weight1 520 kgmanufacturer kerb weight
DrivetrainIntegrale (AWD)
Gearbox6-speed manual (8-speed Steptronic)

The start: 0 to 100 km/h

Off the line, the Bmw 120d xDrive hits 100 km/h in 7.13 s versus 8.92 s for the Bmw 218d xDrive. At this point, the Bmw 120d xDrive leads by 1.79 s and sits roughly 26 m ahead.

From 100 km/h to 400 metres

At 200 metres, the Bmw 120d xDrive is doing 119 km/h against 113 km/h for the Bmw 218d xDrive. The gap is 1.19 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the Bmw 120d xDrive crosses the line in 15.21 s versus 16.67 s. The 1.46 s gap represents roughly 56 m of track — a gap visible to the naked eye.

Beyond 400 metres: top speed comes into play

Past 400 metres, the Bmw 120d xDrive continues to build its lead. At 600 metres, it runs at 164 km/h versus 157 km/h. At 1,000 metres, the Bmw 120d xDrive finishes in 27.99 s versus 30.09 s, with a 2.09 s lead.

What the numbers don’t tell you

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the Bmw 120d xDrive is capped at 230 km/h, the Bmw 218d xDrive at 209 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit — it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

With two combustion powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (7.97 kg/hp vs 10.13 kg/hp) and transmission (Automatic vs Automatic).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 14.27 seconds. The 1.79 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.

Compare with other alternatives

Swap one of the two models to explore an equivalent duel in the same segment.

Instead of 120d xDrive F40
Audi A3 Sportback TFSI quattro S tronic 150 kWAudi A3 allstreetAudi A1 Sportback 35 TFSI S tronic 110 kW
Instead of 218d xDrive F22
Audi A3 SedanAudi A5 SedanAudi A3 Sedan

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BmwVSMercedes

218d xDrive vs A 200

Frequently asked questions

Sur 0–100 km/h, 120d xDrive F40 gagne (7,13 s vs 8,92 s).

120d xDrive F40 passe de 0 à 100 km/h en 7,13 secondes (simulation calibrée).

120d xDrive F40 : 190 hp, ratio 7,97 kg/hp. 218d xDrive F22 : 150 hp, ratio 10,13 kg/hp.

120d xDrive F40 : 228 km/h. 218d xDrive F22 : 209 km/h.