Photo: Autoblog
Since BMW managed to introduce small cars on the US market successfully with the MINI (which became a hit in the US), most of us weren't surprised when they decided to also introduce the most affordable BMW X model over here too, the X1.
Autoblog took one of BMW's CUVs for a test to see if the market's gone crazy and is buying this car just because it's the cheapest propeller badged car you can get or if it's really worth the money.
The car they tested was an xDrive28i X1. That means it had a 2-liter, 4-cylinder turbocharged engine with 245 HP and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of torque. It was hooked up to the increasingly more popular 8-speed ZF gearbox and returned a fuel consumption of 22 mpg (10 l/100km) city and 33 (7.1 l/100km) highway.
Being based on the E90 3 Series, this Crossover is easy and fun to drive. The suspension tells you what's under the wheels but also keep your head-banging to a minimum. The interior is still designed in the classic BMW style but it's practical and easy to use. One mistake the German engineers overlooked was the single upholder present in center console (for the US market that's really important).
Even though the car has compact measurements, begin smaller than the Mazda 3, for example, somehow its spacious enough and, due to some clever design features, it's actually quite comfortable.
The engine handles the 3,700 lb (1,678 kg) weight easily and offers plenty of torque from 1,250 RPM. The car feels agile and controllable even in the tightest corners and that is possible due to almost perfect weight distribution (50.6/49.4).
Bottom line, the X1 is one of BMWs most popular cars in the US. Ever since it was introduced it outsold cars with a lot more history on the market, like the Z4, 6 Series and even 1 Series. It is a fairly smaller reminder of the great potential the X3 has and comes with a way better price tag. It's definitely a car fitting for family use.
Via: Autoblog
The car they tested was an xDrive28i X1. That means it had a 2-liter, 4-cylinder turbocharged engine with 245 HP and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of torque. It was hooked up to the increasingly more popular 8-speed ZF gearbox and returned a fuel consumption of 22 mpg (10 l/100km) city and 33 (7.1 l/100km) highway.
Being based on the E90 3 Series, this Crossover is easy and fun to drive. The suspension tells you what's under the wheels but also keep your head-banging to a minimum. The interior is still designed in the classic BMW style but it's practical and easy to use. One mistake the German engineers overlooked was the single upholder present in center console (for the US market that's really important).
Even though the car has compact measurements, begin smaller than the Mazda 3, for example, somehow its spacious enough and, due to some clever design features, it's actually quite comfortable.
The engine handles the 3,700 lb (1,678 kg) weight easily and offers plenty of torque from 1,250 RPM. The car feels agile and controllable even in the tightest corners and that is possible due to almost perfect weight distribution (50.6/49.4).
Bottom line, the X1 is one of BMWs most popular cars in the US. Ever since it was introduced it outsold cars with a lot more history on the market, like the Z4, 6 Series and even 1 Series. It is a fairly smaller reminder of the great potential the X3 has and comes with a way better price tag. It's definitely a car fitting for family use.
Via: Autoblog
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