Taking advantage of the last of two days I'll be working locally in Greenville, I rushed down to the local BMW Centre to test drive a X1 they had in stock. I never really planned to get the X1 even before the test drive (wrong size, no diesel, 2 pedals only), but was anxious to see if it would live up to my expectations and see if it's a good drive, and more importantly, if it would be suitable for a certain type of customer. Each car usually has a target audience, and I was kind of interested to see if the X1 would fill the void previously filled by the E83 X3 back when it came out in 2004. So was the X1 a reincarnation of the "Active Lifestyle" SUV that was the X3?
3-second summary: A vehicle that's very good, but makes no sense.
I've seen the X1 in person and sat in many at dealerships in Germany, but this time I took the opportunity to test drive a Midnight Blue 35i which was optioned up to typical "American" specs- premium, xLine, Sat nav, and other luxuries, stickering up around $47k. I had high expectations for it to drive well, and thankfully it does not disappoint.
As is typical, I use my X3 as the comparison point. In this respects, the X1 actually drives better than any previous BMW SUV and has a solid, tossable feel that the current F25 X3 just doesn't have. Change of direction is eager and one feels very connected to the road. The steering talks back to the driver, the chassis is communicative, and overall it drives like a BMW from the mid 2000s. If you liked the way the E83 drives, the E84 X1 is your new BMW SAV ticket to
Fahrfreude.
Unfortunately, it's also a vehicle that makes no sense.
The X1 drives well because it's even lower to the ground than the X3. It's also smaller, has a narrower cabin and cargo area, and rear seatroom isn't any bigger than the E83. And even though I'm only 1,73m and don't have massive legs, the driver's cockpit felt strangely cramped, as if everything was clustered around my knees. Visibility to the outside is just fine but the vehicle just felt small and impractical. And because ground clearance isn't as generous, I'd be even more hesistant taking the X1 off-road, never mind the fact that a long-term test by
Auto-Bild yielded some loose-fitting underbody trim after many a off-road session.
Secondly, the pricing structure is absurd. There have been complaints on Xoutpost about this before. I can understand BMW NA wanting to make cars easier to sell off dealer lots, but between the Lines and Packages, it's nearly impossible to get the car you want unless you happen to want lots of expensive upgrades. But then, suddenly the X1 makes very little sense compared to the X3 which has a more updated software system and more comfortable cabin.
All in all, I'm really just not sure what the X1 is geared for.
It's definitely too small to haul one's gear for a weekend excursion, unless you only plan on carrying say, hiking shoes and poles. You're better off with a larger SUV if hauling items is a priority. May I suggest a VW Tiguan, Ford Escape, and other midsize SUVs? But perhaps you say you just want something to pop down to the market or pick up your children, and cargo space isn't that important. In this case, may I suggest an ordinary hatchback or the 3er wagon? There are of plenty of sprightly choices out there, like the Golf/GTI, Ford Focus, and they both cost substantially less than the X1, and the Golf has a nicer, more spacious interior as well. The facelifted X1 may have an improved interior but it never quite feels like quality. The boot space is laughingly small (I'd be surprised if a set of golf clubs fit), and I wouldn't recommend anyone over 1,7m sit in the back seats given how low the roofline is.
The X1 drives very well and feels nice and solid. But that's pretty much all that it has going for it, and there are many other cars out there that do more things better than the X1. Honestly, I wouldn't spend my money on this vehicle even if it came in diesel because there's better choices out in the marketplace. Driving dynamics alone just don't sell a crossover SUV, it's got to have some real-life purpose and the X1 just doesn't have one.
Test conditions: The test drive was approx. 18km and took place on the ICAR campus located in Greenville County, SC. The weather was overcast and 29°C and pavement conditions were fair.