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As it turns out, our X3 is in the shop for a rattle concern. Go figure! Since I already had a feeling the turnaround time would be at least a couple of days, I booked us a loaner car for our appointment. When the dealership initially offered me a positively battered 50,000-mile 2019 530i, I politely asked if there was anything newer. (It was pretty disgusting inside.) Thankfully, they did, and it was not just newer - it was about as new as you can get. It was a 2024 BMW X1, and it still had protective plastic on the door sills and screens. I believe it had only about 30 or so miles on the odometer when we left the dealership - that's a new car, all right. The new-car smell along with the relatively new style of the X1 had quite a wow-factor at first, but, after three days, has it stacked up well against the initial impressions?
Style Forward
On the outside, the X1 has a lot of interesting angles and cuts, but its overall proportions read "Honda CR-V" more so than "BMW SUV". This makes it one of those cars that looks best up-close rather than at a distance. Finished here in Mineral White Metallic, it stops short of looking like a total appliance thanks to the edgy BMW styling cues. The front view is one of its best angles, whereas I am not as much of a fan of its rear. The tail lights look cool up close, but they seem somehow out of proportion with the rest of the car when seen on the road. The flush door handles serve to make this look more modern than it otherwise might, and they are totally usable.
Aerodynamic wheel covers are an odd addition to this car - yes, that's right: it has plastic covers over the outer portions of the wheels, much like those you'd find on a Tesla or a Prius. They're... not horrible, but I'd say I'd probably remove them if I owned an X1. (Most likely, I'd spring for some of the other wheel options on this car instead.)
Technodrome
Inside, the X1 is clearly designed to showcase where BMW is taking its smaller vehicles in terms of tech and user interface. Sadly, our loaner has the smaller screens of the two sizes offered, but they are still large enough to be very clear and easy to interact with. Ambient lighting is pretty much everywhere, including in the important mobile phone holder. The phone even gets its own "lap belt", as I like to call it, to keep it from moving around.
There is a nifty storage area underneath the armrest, which also leads a floating area with the gear selector, engine start/stop button, and a few shortcut buttons for the iDrive system. Thankfully, this car also has a physical volume controller in the form of a roller next to the gear selector, and I'd say it works very well. Honestly, the interior of this car is extremely practical thanks to all the airy, open space and abundance of nooks in which to stow items. While it does feel slightly smaller inside than our X3, the difference is mostly down to overall headroom, which doesn't necessarily impact day-to-day use.
The Harmon Kardon audio system is included with this car, and thank goodness for that. It's a very nice system, and to my ears, it's on par with the HK system in our X3. While the bass isn't quite as strong here, everything else is. It's crisp and clear, being only mildly fatiguing on extended use.
I like the steering wheel. It's a good size and shape, and it's good-looking. The button layout is pretty simple, though it took me a second to realize the somewhat contextual nature of the area on the right. By default, it controls media selection - for instance, changing between SiriusXM stations. But, when I press the gear icon next to it, it controls the gauge cluster layout and/or contents. There are three separate layouts available, each with some central content that can be changed along with varying arrangements of speed and energy flow or a tachometer. I've pretty much stuck to the view with the speedometer and tachometer during my time with it.
Cargo space is decent at best. Honestly, this is really where we miss the X3, which has a fairly large cargo hold by comparison. We could easily fit two large suitcases in the back of the X1, but when we add a third and some other odds and ends, it becomes apparent that the rear seat will need to play a role in our cargo hauling. Honestly, for most people, this should do just fine, but anyone planning a longer trip or with a family might be out of space.
Freude am Fahren?
As the smallest "SAV" in BMW's lineup, featuring standard all-wheel-drive and a more powerful version of the B48 than in prior X1 models, with a dual-clutch transmission to boot, the X1 promised a pretty enjoyable driving experience. A few basics - it has a curb weight of 3790 pounds, makes 241 horsepower with 295 ft-lbs of torque, and gets 28 MPG combined. BMW says it'll do 0-60 in 6.2 seconds, but I bet it'll do better than that. The engine seems to have quite a bit of torque in the midrange, and if you combine that with the DCT's smooth but immediate response, it feels zippy. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I am forgetting to mention my very first impression of this car - shifting it into Drive for the first time and pressing the gas.
I pressed it, and I waited a second. Nothing happened, so I pressed it a little more - wham! It lurched. I thought maybe I was just going to need some time to learn the way it worked. That is true, but as I continue to drive this car, I realize there's an oddly long delay before the accelerator responds whenever I've been stopped. This is pretty annoying in most situations, but it seems like it would be dangerous in others. For instance, let's say I am trying to make a left turn across multiple lanes of traffic and have to wait for that perfect opening to do so. In this car, I'd say you're better off just turning right. I had to do that very thing during one of the trips I took in it, and even considering I had learned of this delay in response, it still felt like the car took an eternity to get off the line. What the heck, BMW?
It's even more puzzling because everything feels as it should once the vehicle is at speed. The DCT shuffles gears more smoothly than a casino blackjack dealer shuffles cards, and it generally upshifts and downshifts in a way that is intuitive. It was pretty darned close to a Volkswagen DSG in its overall behavior. However, I don't recall either of my DSG-equipped cars having an oddly-long delay off the line.
What else is there to talk about? Well, for starters, the car does, in fact, live up to being the small, sporty crossover it looks to be. It feels light and agile around town, and the steering, while vague, is precise and easy to get used to. The ride can be a little choppy on imperfect surfaces, but it's made up for by the fact that this car is very, very quiet. I'd say it is equally as quiet as our X3 on the road if not better. I was genuinely impressed by that. The "Iconic Sounds" faux engine sound isn't so quiet, but it can be easily defeated in the infotainment system. I left it on because I liked hearing what the engine was doing a little more audibly. Hey, I am used to an IS 500, okay?
Conclusion
All in all, I think the X1 is an interesting vehicle. It's far from perfect, but it is undeniably a very practical and usable vehicle. On top of that, it's pretty fun to drive as long as you don't come to many complete stops. The interior lighting is fun to mess around with, and the sound system is good. So, hopefully passengers will be even happier than the driver. All this is available for a reasonable price by BMW standards while returning reasonable fuel economy.
Would I buy one? Sadly, I'd have to say no. Ponying up the extra cash for an X3 would net me a much more refined overall driving experience, which, while not as perky to drive, lacks any of the quirks that make the X1 somewhat irritating in city driving. Also, the X3 rides a lot better, particularly over smaller road imperfections. Even my IS 500 rides more smoothly. That said, if I was a single guy and needed a lease machine to run errands in to keep the miles off my other car, maybe I'd choose something like this if I decided I was too good for a Camry.
Good writeup. Stitched dash and upper door panels? It's baffling how much nicer the interior in the X1 is compared to the new, far more expensive 5 Series.
Good writeup. Stitched dash and upper door panels? It's baffling how much nicer the interior in the X1 is compared to the new, far more expensive 5 Series.
Yes, I will say that I was impressed with the overall look and feel of the interior for it to be an entry-level Bimmer.
Most of it is plastic, but they had the decency to make it all soft-touch as far as I can tell. Obviously, the lower door panels are hard plastic.
I have a '23. I'm very happy with it. The accelerator lag is a common complaint for this vehicle, but I've learned to adapt my driving to it, so it's never really an issue. I do find that iDrive 8 is a bit glitchy, especially when it comes to SXM presets (the disappear and re-order at least 1x per month). If your loaner is a '24, then it's up to iDrive 9, but I have seen people complaining about glitches there too.
But, in this class, I still think this is the best value car out there, right ahead of the Volvo XC40.
Thanks for the review. I enjoyed reading it. I had the previous gen 2017 X1 which we enjoyed before moving on to an X3. It was fun to drive with no issues at all. Our 2017 didn't have the throttle lag, but it had an Aisin 8 speed automatic vs. the DSG. The only major negative was the seats. They could have been more comfortable, but we had the regular seats vs, the sport seats. They may have been more comfortable.
Thanks for the review. I enjoyed reading it. I had the previous gen 2017 X1 which we enjoyed before moving on to an X3. It was fun to drive with no issues at all. Our 2017 didn't have the throttle lag, but it had an Aisin 8 speed automatic vs. the DSG. The only major negative was the seats. They could have been more comfortable, but we had the regular seats vs, the sport seats. They may have been more comfortable.
Cool! Yes, I have driven a 228i Gran Coupe with the Aisin transmission, and I didn't note anything odd about it. It seemed to be performing as expected for a BMW, if not quite as sharp as the ZF.
Seats in this X1 are decent. The bottom part of the seat is a little short, but I find them to be decently supportive overall. I had no pain or fatigue from using them. The SensaTec in this X1 felt less premium than I've felt in other models, though.
Originally Posted by tex2670
I have a '23. I'm very happy with it. The accelerator lag is a common complaint for this vehicle, but I've learned to adapt my driving to it, so it's never really an issue. I do find that iDrive 8 is a bit glitchy, especially when it comes to SXM presets (the disappear and re-order at least 1x per month). If your loaner is a '24, then it's up to iDrive 9, but I have seen people complaining about glitches there too.
But, in this class, I still think this is the best value car out there, right ahead of the Volvo XC40.
Yes, it's definitely a 2024. In the infotainment, the factory date is listed as 01/04/2024. It's factory-fresh!
I honestly think the accelerator lag is a major turn-off for me. Why? Well, simple - I am used to driving our X3 that has virtually no lag in its inputs, along with my IS 500 which, on top of not having noticeable lag, isn't even turbocharged. You take those instant responses away from me, and I am no longer a happy camper. It's like trying to play a game online versus offline - something just feels wrong about it. However... I'll admit, it is something I've gotten used to a bit more over another day of use today.
I revisited TheTopher's review of the 2023 X1, and I largely agree with his assessment.
He was let down by the tires, which are not an issue on the loaner I've got. It has Pirelli P Zero tires, which are pretty great for an OE tire. They steer well and put the power down.
Thanks for the review. I enjoyed reading it. I had the previous gen 2017 X1 which we enjoyed before moving on to an X3. It was fun to drive with no issues at all. Our 2017 didn't have the throttle lag, but it had an Aisin 8 speed automatic vs. the DSG. The only major negative was the seats. They could have been more comfortable, but we had the regular seats vs, the sport seats. They may have been more comfortable.
Edit: I meant to add this picture to my original post. My '17 was Mineral Gray Metallic. It cleaned up nicely.
Inside, the X1 is clearly designed to showcase where BMW is taking its smaller vehicles in terms of tech and user interface.
the theme of that interior appears to be "if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, you can baffle them with b--- s---."
I am forgetting to mention my very first impression of this car - shifting it into Drive for the first time and pressing the gas.
I pressed it, and I waited a second. Nothing happened, so I pressed it a little more - wham! It lurched. I thought maybe I was just going to need some time to learn the way it worked. That is true, but as I continue to drive this car, I realize there's an oddly long delay before the accelerator responds whenever I've been stopped.
you sure this isn't engine auto start/stop so the delay is actually getting the engine started?
you sure this isn't engine auto start/stop so the delay is actually getting the engine started?
100% positive it's not auto start/stop. This was after I had just reversed out of a parking space. Even if I am in Sport mode it still lags off the line.
02-16-24, 07:04 PM
Is the 2024 BMW X1 any good? (Loaner review)
It's like trying to play a game online versus offline - something just feels wrong about it. However... I'll admit, it is something I've gotten used to a bit more over another day of use today.
