BMW X1 (2015-present)
The BMW X1 is a compact SUV with quality, style and low running costs
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
Weaknesses
BMW X1 Diesel Estate xdrive 20d m sport 5dr step auto [tech ii/plus pk]
Total RRP £41,595
Your quote £34,638
You Save £6,957
The BMW X1 is the smallest of the company’s SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) range, and is also the cheapest. But its grown-up styling and big BMW grille ensures that it never feels like a budget option.
It’s hard to define when a crossover becomes an SUV, but the X1 treads the line between the two. It shares mechanical parts with the Mini Hatchback, but it sits higher up, giving the impression of an off-roader. It can also be specified with four-wheel-drive.
Generally, the added height is supposed to give X1 drivers a better view of the road ahead, while the mechanical bits underneath make sure that it drives pretty much like a normal hatchback. The X1 does a good job of this too - and it certainly feels less cumbersome to drive than the Mercedes GLA.
The ride is comfortable and smooth too, which is an improvement over the similarly-sized Audi Q3. Because the X1 is designed for owners who spend most - if not all - of their time driving on the road, not all models have four-wheel drive, which BMW calls xDrive. This provides extra control in slippery conditions, and while cornering.
Inside, you can fit three passengers in the back without too much discomfort, thanks to the ample leg and head room. Storage space is generous all round (BMW claims the door pockets will hold a one-litre bottle).
The boot is a good size – there’s more room here than in the Mazda CX-5 or Audi Q3. Dropping the back seats increases it substantially. If you need the seats, you can specify a sliding rear seat that allows you to choose between some useful extra boot space or additional rear legroom.
It’s in the interior quality that you see the difference between the X1 and cheaper rivals such as the Kia Sportage, Nissan Qashqai and Renault Kadjar crossovers.
Whether the seats are finished in cloth or leather, it feels well-built and generously equipped. Standard equipment includes dual-zone climate control that allows each front passenger to choose the temperature for their side of the car, 6in screen with sat-nav and parking sensors.
It’s a match for the luxurious Mercedes GLA, and a step up from the Audi Q3. The price for this is high, though. Even if you can find a BMW X1 offer that reduces the official price, which starts at around £27,500, it costs more than most other small crossovers, and considerably more than a family hatchback like the VW Golf, Audi A3 or Skoda Octavia, which also offer reasonable interior space and quality.
Apart from insurance, at least many running costs are low, thanks to a choice of efficient diesel engines that minimise fuel and road tax bills. Stick with smooth automatic versions and it will feel like the premium car that it’s priced to be.
Last Updated
Key facts
Warranty: 3 years | Boot size: 505 litres |
Width: 1821mm | Length: 4439mm |
Height: 1598mm | Tax (min to max): £20 to £145 |
Best BMW X1 Deals
- Cheapest new
BMW X1 sDrive 18i Sport 5dr estate
Your price: £23,300 - Biggest reduction
BMW X1 xDrive 20d M Sport 5dr Step Auto [Tech II/Plus Pk] diesel estate
RRP: £41,595Your price: £34,638Your saving: £6,957 - Cheapest finance
BMW X1 xDrive 18d xLine 5dr Step Auto diesel estate
Your price: £12,100or £187 per month
Best BMW X1 for...
BMW X1 History
- 2015 The current BMW X1 is launched.
Understanding BMW X1 car names
- X1
- Driven wheels
- xDrive
- Engine
- 25d
- Trim level
- M Sport
- Driven wheels
- Versions badged xDrive are four-wheel drive. sDrive cars are only two-wheel drive, with power from the engine only powering the front wheels.
- Engine
- BMW’s engine badging can be confusing. The engines are badged 18, 20 and 25. In general, the larger the number, the more powerful the engine. The letter d indicates a diesel engine, while an i is used on petrol models.
- Trim level
- The amount of equipment that’s included as standard depends on the trim level, which starts at SE, then goes through Sport and xLine to the top-of-the-range M Sport.
BMW X1 Engines
18d, 20d, 20i, 25d
There’s only one petrol engine in the X1 range. It’s called the 20i and frankly, it hasn’t much going for it. It’s the least economical and not quite so powerful as the other engines.
The diesels provide better overtaking performance and are quiet when travelling at a steady speed.
The engine in the 18d is the least powerful diesel in the X1 range but it still accelerates from 0-62mph in less than 10 seconds. It’s also the only engine available with the option of two-wheel drive, which makes the car more fuel efficient.
The 20d is the best balanced engine in the line-up: economical but powerful, too. Its performance is not blunted by the addition of four-wheel drive (it can do 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds), which only strengthens its case still further.
The 25d is fun to drive because it’s powerful and fast. It’s reasonably economical, too, but you have to wonder whether it’s not just a bit over-the-top for a compact vehicle such as the X1. In most circumstances, the 20d will be all you need.
Type | Mpg | Bhp | 0 - 60 | top speed | |
18d | Diesel | 60.1 - 68.89mpg | 148bhp | 9.2 - 9.3s | 127mph |
20d | Diesel | 57.6-58.8mpg | 187bhp | 7.6s | 134mph |
20i (auto) | Petrol | 44.8mpg | 189bhp | 7.4s | 139mph |
25d (auto) | Diesel | 55.4mpg | 228bhp | 6.6s | 146mph |
BMW X1 Trims
SE, Sport, xLine, M Sport
The trim levels dictate the level of standard equipment on your X1. BMW also allows you to add most items of equipment as options that you pay for individually, but this can become extremely expensive if you start ticking a lot of options boxes.
The basic trim is called SE and is only available with the 18d engine. Alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, a sat nav, DAB digital radio and rear parking sensors are all standard.
For around £1,500 more, Sport trim makes the interior feel more luxurious. Sports seats are included, along with glossier panels in the dashboard. The size of the alloy wheels goes up from 17in to 18in. It’s available with all engines bar the 25d.
For £3,000 more than the SE, xLine trim includes heated leather seats, bright LED headlights and silver highlights around the windows. It’s available with the full engine line-up.
M Sport trim is also £3,000 more than the SE and is offered on all engines too. It adds sports suspension and the heated sports seats are a mixture of cloth and alcantara but the rest is visual: namely chunkier bumpers.
Upgrading your X1 beyond this level can be expensive. Metallic paint, for example, is a £550 option. You also have to pay extra for items such as a rear-view camera and panoramic sunroof, which are standard on top-of-the-range models from cheaper rivals.
BMW X1 Reliability and warranty
As it’s still a fairly recent model, the best information that we have to go on is that the X1 shares mechanical parts with the Mini, as well as the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer people carrier, which are both highly-rated by owners.
The X1 has a three-year unlimited mileage warranty. Most rivals are restricted to 60,000 miles.
It's also a safe choice, with a five star rating from Euro NCAP, which independently crash-tested the car.
Used BMW X1
SUVs such as the X1 are increasingly popular and the little BMW is one of the best, which means that demand will be high, keeping prices expensive.
Your best hope for a bargain is the 20i petrol model. You’ll have to put up with high running costs, which is the main reason that the car has lost value more quickly than the rest of the range. These start from £10,500 if you're willing to put up with a car with more than 50,000 miles on it.
If you're willing to spend a bit more money, you can get the 20d diesel engine, in M Sport specification for around £15,000.
Pre-registered 18d models start from less than £25,000, a useful saving of around £2,000 depending on trim levels.
BMW X1 Prices
BMW X1 M Sport
sdrive 18d m sport 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 65.7mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £29,121
You could save up to: £4974
sdrive 18d m sport 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £30,511
You could save up to: £5184
sdrive 18i m sport 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 51.4mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £27,595
You could save up to: £4750
sdrive 18i m sport 5dr [plus pack]
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 51.4mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £29,506
You could save up to: £5039
sdrive 18i m sport 5dr [tech ii/plus pack]
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 51.4mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £30,593
You could save up to: £5202
sdrive 18i m sport 5dr [tech pack ii]
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 51.4mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £28,681
You could save up to: £4914
sdrive 18i m sport 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 52.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £28,768
You could save up to: £4927
sdrive 18i m sport 5dr step auto [plus pack]
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 52.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £30,680
You could save up to: £5215
sdrive 18i m sport 5dr step auto [tech ii/plus pk]
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 52.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £31,766
You could save up to: £5379
sdrive 18i m sport 5dr step auto [tech pack ii]
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 52.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £29,854
You could save up to: £5091
sdrive 20i m sport 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 49.6mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £29,573
You could save up to: £5912
sdrive 20i m sport 5dr step auto [plus pack]
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 49.6mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £31,485
You could save up to: £6200
sdrive 20i m sport 5dr step auto [tech ii/plus pk]
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 49.6mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £32,571
You could save up to: £6364
sdrive 20i m sport 5dr step auto [tech pack ii]
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 49.6mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £30,660
You could save up to: £6075
xdrive 18d m sport 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 58.9mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £30,424
You could save up to: £5171
xdrive 18d m sport 5dr [plus pack]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 58.9mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £32,336
You could save up to: £5459
xdrive 18d m sport 5dr [tech ii/plus pack]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 58.9mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £33,422
You could save up to: £5623
xdrive 18d m sport 5dr [tech pack ii]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 58.9mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £31,510
You could save up to: £5335
xdrive 18d m sport 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £31,815
You could save up to: £5380
xdrive 18d m sport 5dr step auto [plus pack]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £33,726
You could save up to: £5669
xdrive 18d m sport 5dr step auto [tech ii/plus pk]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £34,813
You could save up to: £5832
xdrive 18d m sport 5dr step auto [tech pack ii]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £32,901
You could save up to: £5544
xdrive 20d m sport 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £31,640
You could save up to: £6505
xdrive 20d m sport 5dr step auto [plus pack]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £33,552
You could save up to: £6793
xdrive 20d m sport 5dr step auto [tech ii/plus pk]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £34,638
You could save up to: £6957
xdrive 20d m sport 5dr step auto [tech pack ii]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £32,726
You could save up to: £6669
xdrive 20i m sport 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 44.8mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £30,917
You could save up to: £6108
xdrive 20i m sport 5dr step auto [plus pack]
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 44.8mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £32,829
You could save up to: £6396
xdrive 20i m sport 5dr step auto [tech ii/plus pk]
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 44.8mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £33,915
You could save up to: £6560
xdrive 20i m sport 5dr step auto [tech pack ii]
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 44.8mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £32,003
You could save up to: £6272
BMW X1 SE
sdrive 18d se 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 65.7mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £26,036
You could save up to: £4509
sdrive 18d se 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £27,426
You could save up to: £4719
sdrive 18i se 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 51.4mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £24,510
You could save up to: £4285
sdrive 18i se 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 52.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £25,683
You could save up to: £4462
sdrive 20i se 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 49.6mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £26,488
You could save up to: £5447
xdrive 18d se 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 58.9mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £27,339
You could save up to: £4706
xdrive 18d se 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £28,730
You could save up to: £4915
xdrive 20d se 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £28,555
You could save up to: £6040
xdrive 20i se 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 44.8mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £27,832
You could save up to: £5643
BMW X1 Sport
sdrive 18d sport 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 65.7mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £27,556
You could save up to: £4739
sdrive 18d sport 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £28,947
You could save up to: £4948
sdrive 18i sport 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 51.4mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £26,030
You could save up to: £4515
sdrive 18i sport 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 52.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £27,204
You could save up to: £4691
sdrive 20i sport 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 49.6mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £28,009
You could save up to: £5676
xdrive 18d sport 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 58.9mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £28,860
You could save up to: £4935
xdrive 18d sport 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £30,250
You could save up to: £5145
xdrive 20d sport 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £30,076
You could save up to: £6269
xdrive 20i sport 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 44.8mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £29,353
You could save up to: £5872
BMW X1 xLine
sdrive 18d xline 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 65.7mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £28,425
You could save up to: £4870
sdrive 18d xline 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £29,816
You could save up to: £5079
sdrive 18i xline 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 51.4mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £26,899
You could save up to: £4646
sdrive 18i xline 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 52.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £28,073
You could save up to: £4822
sdrive 20i xline 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 49.6mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £28,878
You could save up to: £5807
xdrive 18d xline 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 58.9mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £29,729
You could save up to: £5066
xdrive 18d xline 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £31,119
You could save up to: £5276
xdrive 20d xline 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £30,945
You could save up to: £6400
xdrive 20i xline 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 44.8mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £30,222
You could save up to: £6003