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 (2015-2019) sdrive 18d se 5dr
Finance price £189 per month
Cash price £12,449
The BMW X1 is the smallest of the company’s SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) range, and also the least expensive. 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 for...
- 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: £30,655
You could save up to: £4445
sdrive 18d m sport 5dr [tech pack ii]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 65.7mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £31,780
You could save up to: £4570
sdrive 18d m sport 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £32,095
You could save up to: £4605
sdrive 18d m sport 5dr step auto [tech pack ii]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £33,220
You could save up to: £4730
xdrive 18d m sport 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 58.9mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £32,005
You could save up to: £4595
xdrive 18d m sport 5dr [tech pack ii]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 58.9mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £33,130
You could save up to: £4720
xdrive 18d m sport 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £33,445
You could save up to: £4755
xdrive 18d m sport 5dr step auto [tech pack ii]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £34,570
You could save up to: £4880
xdrive 20d m sport 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £33,544
You could save up to: £5656
xdrive 20d m sport 5dr step auto [tech pack ii]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £34,669
You could save up to: £5781
xdrive 25e m sport 5dr auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol/plugin elec hybrid
- Economy
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £37,383
You could save up to: £2617
xdrive 25e m sport 5dr auto [tech pack ii]
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol/plugin elec hybrid
- Economy
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £38,546
You could save up to: £2704
BMW X1 SE
sdrive 18d se 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 65.7mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £28,660
You could save up to: £2890
sdrive 18d se 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £30,100
You could save up to: £3050
xdrive 18d se 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 58.9mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £30,010
You could save up to: £3040
xdrive 18d se 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £31,450
You could save up to: £3200
xdrive 20d se 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £32,350
You could save up to: £3300
BMW X1 Sport
sdrive 18d sport 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 65.7mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £29,035
You could save up to: £4265
sdrive 18d sport 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £30,475
You could save up to: £4425
xdrive 18d sport 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 58.9mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £30,385
You could save up to: £4415
xdrive 18d sport 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £31,825
You could save up to: £4575
xdrive 20d sport 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £31,924
You could save up to: £5476
xdrive 25e sport 5dr auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol/plugin elec hybrid
- Economy
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £35,709
You could save up to: £2491
BMW X1 xLine
sdrive 18d xline 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 65.7mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £29,935
You could save up to: £4365
sdrive 18d xline 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £31,375
You could save up to: £4525
xdrive 18d xline 5dr
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 58.9mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £31,285
You could save up to: £4515
xdrive 18d xline 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £32,725
You could save up to: £4675
xdrive 20d xline 5dr step auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £32,824
You could save up to: £5576
xdrive 25e xline 5dr auto
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol/plugin elec hybrid
- Economy
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £36,639
You could save up to: £2561