BMW X1 2.0d xDrive Review

Although our test car was equipped with the optional electrically-operated seats in the front, they're not exactly the most comfortable in the world, especially if you have to travel for longer distances. Apart from the heating option, their best part is probably the thinning and widening of the back rest at the touch of a button, in order to accommodate slimmer or more... horizontally-challenged passengers.

The rear seat, on the other hand, is even stiffer than the front seats, especially for the passenger in the middle, who is provided with the same seating comfort as from a wooden bench. On the plus side, apart from being 40:20:40 foldable, the rear backrest can be adjusted in eleven steps.

As we mentioned earlier on, the interior space can feel a bit cramped for larger fellows, especially when talking about knee and elbow room in the front. Other than that, the interior is pretty close in size to a 3-Series Touring, only a bit taller.

The dual-zone climate control system is pretty efficient, while the BMW Professional audio system our test car was fitted with is above average, though it can't exactly be called a "creme de la creme" of in-car audio.

The suspension setup is much more comfy than in a BMW sedan or coupe, but it somehow doesn't feel as composed as an X3 over potholes or rougher roads. On the whole though, the X1 is one of the most comfortable small BMWs, especially when taking its sedan and coupe little brothers in the equation.
Even though about a year ago we tested what we thought was a more domesticated version of the X1, the 320d xDrive Touring, we weren't greeted by the exact specifications in the X1. On paper, strictly looking at the numbers, these two cars are twins separated at birth. In real life, the only common traits between the two reside in the design elements.

As we mentioned earlier, the X1 is based on a modified platform shared by both the E90 3-Series and the E81 1-Series. In length and width, the X1 sits right between a 1-Series Coupe/Cabrio and a 3-Series Touring, but it's much closer to the 3-Series in overall size. So, apart from the increased ride height and a couple of other details, we were at first inclined to compare the technical bits of the X1 to our earlier test car.

Turns out, the two are alike in some ways, while in others they are completely different animals. For example, the two-liter four-cylinder under the hood sounds a bit noisier but it's somehow less vibrating inside the cockpit of the X1. We suspect the main difference came from the fact that the X1 automatic gear shifter knob is less prone to vibrations than the manual one found in our previous six-speed manual 320d xDrive Touring.

Other than the noise problem, the two-liter turbo-diesel is quite a feisty little engine. Just like in the 3-Series, it manages to offer 177 horsepower and a more-than-adequate torque figure of 350 Nm (258.1 lb ft). What really got our attention about it was the very little lag experienced, especially since it was coupled with a six-speed Steptronic transmission, and the fact that the maximum torque ca be felt from 1750 to as high as 3000 rpm.

If the very long maximum torque line isn't enough to impress you, learn that the fuel consumption on a car like the X1 with an automatic will not jump above 11 liters per 100 kilometers (US 21.4 mpg) unless you're driving the car in a highly "dynamic manner".

Even if it's quite far from the sharpness of a dual-clutch, the six-speed automatic transmission gets the job done. Made by ZF, it can be encountered on numerous other cars, like Audis, Volvos and Jaguars, but it's specially tuned for each manufacturer and/or car. It's not exactly fast, but the gear changes are smooth and the kick down option is well-anticipated by the ECU.

The most important techy bit on our X1 test car was of course the xDrive all-wheel drive system. You may know this already from press releases or other test drives, but it's one of the very few pro-active systems out there, ready to intervene even before the driver knows that something (bad) is happening with the traction.

Although by looking at the price sheet (almost 50,000 euros), our test car should have technically be filled with the nicest goodies on the X1 options list, this wasn't exactly the case. You see, all the comfort features were present, but some important "useful gadgets" were nowhere to be seen.

The electrically-controlled front seats, which were also heated and drenched in leather were a nice addition. So were the light and rain sensors, the bi-xenon headlights, the dual-zone climate control and the four automatic windows. The nicest gadget feature was by far the huge glass sunroof, which can practically transform the car into a Targa at the touch of a button.

The HDC (Hill Descent Control) system, which coincidentally started to appear on BMWs after they briefly owned Land Rover, is a nice addition on a compact crossover, but don't expect to use it that much in real life. What we were expecting at this price, but we didn't get, was the highly-touted iDrive system and/or a navigation system. Instead of those we got a somewhat useful storage space on top of the center console.

Another useful but missing gadget was a cruise control system, which would have really come in handy on the highway. Oddly, the 1-Series parts bin was much more scavenged than the 3-Series one when making the X1, since the separate opening for the rear windshield was also missing, just like on the bigger X3.

On the whole, we think that some of the options found on our test car could have probably been replaced with more useful ones, but apparently this X1 was better equipped for "show" than "go", which isn't that bad either when looking at it from a different point of view.

We've probably said this in other test drives as well, but we have to mention it here as well. The xDrive system isn't exactly a life-saver if you're depending strictly on it on a snowy day. It is pro-active, it gives power to the right wheel exactly when needed, but on low traction surfaces you're still depending on what kind of tires you're having and if the electronic stability control system is on and working.

Speaking of active safety systems, our X1 was equipped with the usual standard found on most BMWs. The DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) system takes care of more than you think, especially on slippery roads, while the DTC (Dynamic Traction Control), gives the right amount of traction whenever you're too optimistic about sending those 350 Nm (258.1 lb ft) of torque to the ground.

The CBC (Cornering Brake Control) is also there to protect you from an uncontrolled slide if you're braking like a maniac during a high speed curve. As far as the passive safety features, our X1 was equipped in standard with six airbags (two dual-stage ones in the front, two thorax airbags for the front passengers and two head airbags for the front and rear passengers).

So far, the X1 has only been tested by the EuroNCAP crash testing organization, and it passed it with flying colors. Although five stars are no longer something to go bragging about after being tested by the EuroNCAP, the X1 was also one of the few models which scored the highest points, so on the whole, the BMW X1 is a very safe car.

The best thing about the X1 2.0d xDrive is probably the fact that it's one of the closest things to an all-rounder from BMW. It keeps the BMW handling and "go", but it also adds a higher ground clearance, better suspension comfort, a compact size, small fuel consumption and all-wheel drive. It looks good as well. Now that's a package not many people would like to miss, isn't it?

The bad part about the X1 we drove was most likely its price. At 50,000 euros you'd expect a bit more useful or comfortable features than a gigantic glass sunroof. Then again, as we said earlier, our test car was better equipped for stealing looks than for comforting its driver and passengers on a longer trip. Looks also cost money, apparently.

The only ugly bit we could find on our test car was probably the fact that it uses too many common parts with the 1 and 3-Series, especially when talking about the interior. We completely understand brand image, cost reductions and uniformity in design, but when you're pushing the exact same buttons in cars that can cost between between twenty and seventy thousand euros, then you have a bit of a problem.