2020 BMW X1 | Like Driving a Spreadsheet

We review the 2020 BMW X1, the most affordable and smallest CUV in the BMW lineup. We discuss the good and bad of the BMW and the technical side. The price is competitive however there are other players like Audi Q3, Acura RDX, Honda CRV, Mazda CX5, Lexus NX.

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Index:
00:00 - 00:45 Intro
00:45 - 4:10 Interior Impressions
4:10 - 6:00 Mechanical Overview, Suspension, Body, and Engine
6:00 - 11:33 Driving Impressions
11:33 Final Thoughts, Pros and Cons

[TheUrbanEpicure]

*"I've always been a smaller guy, in every single area of my body"*


No added comment necessary. That's just outrageous.

[Suction_]

The official car of 'leaving your cart next to the car because the stall is too far away'

[jeffwarren]

BMW moving some product to FWD with turbo 4c and Mazda/Toyota moving some product to RWD with NA inline 6. Wouldn't have guessed that 5 years ago.

[ryanpatterson]

Things you should never say on a first date: "I'm a smaller guy in every single area of my body."

[PianoBlackTrimRep.]

Savagegeese is not the car reviewer we expected, but he is the car reviewer we needed.

[zaitcev]

I am 200 cm tall or about 6'5", I weigh 230 pounds, and I fit in X1 just fine. In fact, it's of a perfect size. But I drove it and said "meh". Paid a little to more to buy X3, which is unfortunately too large, too heavy, but drives much better. The sacrifices we have to make as car people. {Update: X1 was better than Volvo XC40, which was on top of my list until I drove it.}

[belka]

I'm 6'3" and 220, I'm very comfortable on long road trips in these seats. Just need to extend the lower thigh support.

[asdlkfjawoeijfldkf]

FWD vs. RWD. It's alright, the dealership will tell you its rear-wheel drive if you ask.

[JL_sounds]

Some of us don’t want to buy a large SUV because 1. we live in a big city with limited parking space and size and 2. we may already have a large SUV such as the X5. Such as us when we went shopping as we wanted to upgrade our Audi A3 wagon. We needed something roomy but could still fit in our driveway along with the X5 as we have tandem parking. This new vehicle needed to also carry both kids and a hockey bag and stick. Oh and since we’re in Canada AWD capability is a nice have. We’re also fortunate that we are able to afford a luxury brand. Let me tell you this thing has been great, it drives more like a car as your height is somewhere between an suv and a sedan. Great views, massive amount of cargo, good drivetrain, stiff suspension for some fun and small enough to zig and zag in the city and to park anywhere you want. It’s worth what we paid, you’re buying a depreciating asset no matter how you look at it. Having a car is a luxury in itself and of all the X models this one is built in Germany and yes it feels very European and made for European roads and driving which we love. It’s been perfect for us and we often take it for road trips vs our 2014 X5 as we also put our bike and ski rack on the X1 as the X5 is too high sometimes to reach things on the roof rack. Also yes it’s FWD biased but seriously unless you’re buying a sports car and going to the track fwd is more efficient and safer. I think we need more compact all purpose vehicles vs having larger parking lots.

[DW]

I’m from the U.K. and have owned a X1 2.0i X-drive for over 2 years. I have also been employed for 30 years in the automotive industry so am in a good position to offer a valid opinion on various motor vehicles.
In X-Line spec my X1 has been a revelation in every department, which is more than can be said for the 2017 VW Tiguan R-Line 4 motion which I own along with its faulty DSG Gearbox and low rent interior!
As a family guy it accommodates everything that has been thrown at it, coping admirably with the UK’s poor roads and on long drives where 55mpg from a petrol unit is considered quite a feat and as good as the fuel economy from my VW Tiguan which has a Diesel engine.
Overall I’m very happy with this purchase and would consider another X1 when I am ready to change.

[kevinbarry]

X1, if a Mini wasn't enough of an expensive disaster for you.

[ojoaoflores]

These sell like hotcakes in Europe. In Portugal, where I'm from I see them around most days.

[myemail]

Not sure that I agree with you on several points: In the entry level luxury market, the X1 is much more engaging to drive than the Audi Q3 or the Volvo XC40. It hugs the road better, has tighter and more responsive steering, faster acceleration and better gas mileage. The interior quality of the X1 is also better than the Q3. You found the seats uncomfortable, but your review car had the sport seats (which are very rare in the X1). Personally, I find them much more comfortable than the standard seats which are too flat and short for me. But That’s a question of personal comfort. You could save a small amount of money and get a loaded Mazda CX-5. It’s a nice car, but I hate that there’s no panoramic sunroof and I found the seats in the Mazda to be pretty awful and the tech a bit outdated. It also has lower gas mileage. I haven’t driven the new RDX, but it’s nearly a foot longer than the X1, so that puts it in a different category altogether for people who want something smaller and Acura customer satisfaction rates in recent years are lousy according to Consumer Reports and other auto press. The X1 is mainly sold in urban areas where people want a small car that’s easy to park and maneuver. In some urban areas, the X1 is out selling the 3 series. Sure, you could get a Honda, Ford, Toyota or Kia for less money, but they’re no where near as engaging to drive as the X1. The X1 does have road noise, but it’s mainly due to the stock run flat tires. Get a spare tire kit and swap them out for a decent set of non run flat performance tires and that should solve the problem. I agree that BMW nickel and dimes you. It’s unacceptable that they don’t come standard with blind spot monitoring for example. Is the X1 perfect? No. But when comparing apples to apples in the entry level luxury cross over market, I’ve found it to be a very strong contender and with comparable pricing. One last point: Your comment that the X1 has the same drivetrain as the Mini is mistaken. The Mini Cooper S models have a 189 hp engine. The X1 has a 248hp engine with more torque. At 0-60 in 6.3 seconds, X1 accelerates faster than all S model Minis. Anyway, just my two cents 🙃

[frankiegale]

Some of the best production quality and sound I heard! This has become my favorite channel for autos.

[vlatkomafija]

its really interesting how in the north american market people make fun of the 4 cylinder and the "lack" of power thereof, but when you look at the road structure, style of driving then you realize that you will probably be fine with a 1.0 liter engine. in europe its complete opposite where driving style is much more aggressive, people drive faster, the whole driving culture is different yet people drive waaaay underpowered cars. a typical higway in america is just driving constantly 70mph whereas in europe due to the smaller size of roads and much faster driving, there is almost constant overtaking, accelerating, braking etc.

[pistolpete]

Great thorough review as usual. I happen to be on my second X1, the first version of this was pretty cheap feeling but the newer version is quite nice and my wife and I really love love this vehicle. We got a great end of year deal on a loaded model so it was a good value.

[GIGABACHI]

Ha ! I knew it was Wrong wheel drive and shared the underpinnings with some MINI. Gotta spread those production costs. 😁

[myoschollum]

Pretty tough review gents. I just bought X1 Sdrive. It’s a great car and dollar for dollar good value against what Mercedes and Audi are offering. This is my 6th BMW. My last 2 cars were a BMW V8 M3 and Porsche Mecan S.
The X1 is excellent. It’s a compact cross over with shorter wheelbase for better manoeuvrability. Yes the ride is a little firm, but it’s not designed a grand tourer.
The fact that everything works exactly how it is designed to work puts a smile on my face as an owner. It does what is meant to do.

[JamesOrtonVideo]

we leased the previous gen and it has been one of my favorites, a dorky box but the e46 chassis was perfect, the car flew and was outstandingly fun in snow, this one without the chassis being near 50/50 is a challenge to convince me of enjoyment long term. I do like the cargo area and its well received in demos, the 2GC, I am still thinking on how to talk it up in a review, it looks like a corolla and the plastic inside it is scary to look at. Great review guys thanks!

[ponrix]

I love the routes you guys take when doing the test drives. Nice scenery, straights and turns.