2014 BMW X1 Test Drive

"Mosqvich" (mosqvich) 10/22/2013 at 18:37 • Filed to: BMW, X1

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I'm on vacation staying with my in-laws. They need a new car desperately. The car being replaced is a 1993 Lexus ES300 with a 5-speed manual transmission. It's a great car, but reliability for long trips is in question and the clutch is a little hard for my octogenarian in-laws. They were looking at a Hyundai Sonata, but they still drive long trips and mushy seats are an illusion of comfort. The first trip to Florida will reveal their true nature. Additionally, AWD is in order. It snows in Missouri in the Winter and they have a steep driveway, often resulting in their being marooned at home.

Why a BMW? Well, my In-Laws have typically had something of an interesting car starting with a brand new Triumph TR-3, TR-4, Mercedes sedans, Volvos, a Porsche 911, and the Lexus. They like quality, but they're blown away by today's car prices. An X1 that isn't all optioned can be had for $30k more or less.

We drove the X1 and it was a rocket. The 4-cylinder TwinPower engine is incredible. It would scoot up to 80 with ease. They loved it. Now we just need to take care of some other stuff and they might be rolling along in Bavarian bliss in the Spring timeframe.

Victorious Secret > Mosqvich 10/22/2013 at 18:41

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I like the X1. It isn't even massive or absurd to handle.

wkiernan > Mosqvich 10/22/2013 at 18:45

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Damn man, I'll be glad to take that MT ES300 off their hands!

shpuker > Mosqvich 10/22/2013 at 18:47

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Big fan of the X1 here. Handles very similarly to the 3-Wagon it's based off, looks good, plenty of power in the 4-cyl and a nice chunk of punch in the 6. I did a little getup on it a while back.

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/oppo-driven-20…

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dogisbadob > Mosqvich 10/22/2013 at 18:48

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How many miles on the ES300?

Manuél Ferrari > Victorious Secret 10/22/2013 at 18:48

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Agree. I've checked out the specs and sat in one. Have not driven it yet but like everything about it that I saw:

*As you mentioned it's not huge. From what I've read it handles great.
*I found the rear leg room to be really good for a car this short.
*Great price (at least here in the US). It's cheaper than a 3 Series with the same version of the 2.0L engine.
*IMO it's the best looking BMW SUV. It doesn't have any bad angles.
*Comes in RWD or AWD. Anyone who doesn't live in an area with bad weather and just wants a higher riding car can get RWD.

I think it has the potential to be one of the better bimmers out there. Anyone who doesn't need the "status" or space of an X5 should not pass over the X1 and strictly look at the X3.

Victorious Secret > Manuél Ferrari 10/22/2013 at 18:52

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Personally I think the X3 needs to be wearing the X1s design, but the smaller design just works well.

The only fault I give it is being a victim of BMWs annoying option pricing structure.

Mosqvich > dogisbadob 10/22/2013 at 18:52

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133k. It runs well, but the a/c is kaput among other niggles. Though wouldn't it be a fun track car? The V6 still pulls pretty well.

Manuél Ferrari > Victorious Secret 10/22/2013 at 19:00

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I totally agree. The X3 doesn't look terrible to me, it just seems a little odd in some areas. The X1 is the better looking vehicle to my eye.

The BMW option prices do suck. But at least they're not as bad as Porsche :P

Mosqvich > Victorious Secret 10/22/2013 at 19:00

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Yep. The options turn it stupid expensive in a blink. My in-laws don't need the distraction of iDrive nor the other stuff. They need a safe, high quality car that is comfortable. I think the Hyundai is all kinds of wrong for them, particularly considering their driveway.

Mosqvich > wkiernan 10/22/2013 at 19:01

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I'm going to get it cleaned up and sell it in the Spring.

Victorious Secret > Mosqvich 10/22/2013 at 19:03

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I'd take iDrive because I'm me, but at the same time...god damn. I could be up to 10k in options for what anyone else would charge 3-5k at most.

Mosqvich > Victorious Secret 10/22/2013 at 19:07

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iDrive is too complex for my particular Octogenarians. Simple is the word of the day.

dogisbadob > Mosqvich 10/22/2013 at 19:08

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Oh yeah, awesome car for the track. I wish I could get my 96 ES on the track!

Too bad they stopped offering the ES with a manual starting in 94 with the 1MZ :(

or if only they just kept the 3VZ for the whole generation like the rest of the world!

(the Camry V6 was available with the 5-speed from 97-01, but the ES300 of that vintage didn't get that choice!)

rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S > Mosqvich 10/22/2013 at 19:23

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My neighbor sold his Audi S4 to get an X1 (granted, one with the big motor) and he absolutely loves it. It doesn't offend me personally as much as some of the larger SUVs on the market, and it looks pretty nice.

D > Mosqvich 10/22/2013 at 19:40

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My small-business ex-boss had one. Seems like a small-business-boss's car.

Don't get me wrong though, I like it. It's basically a lifted wagon.

Textured Soy Protein > Mosqvich 10/22/2013 at 23:13

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Do they have much need for a back seat? I tried out an X1 35i when I got my 135is, because I like wagons and it's a not-very-tall crossover.

I'm 5'11" and after I adjusted the driver's seat for myself, I didn't really fit in the back seat on that side. I could get in but it was very tight and I wouldn't want to ride back there very long.

I was willing to consider the tradeoff of worse handling and transmission in the X1 in exchange for roominess, but that small back seat pretty much ruled it out as an option for me. So now I have an even more worthless back seat.

Mosqvich > Textured Soy Protein 10/23/2013 at 01:48

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The rear legroom is not great. In fact, it wouldn't work for me, though an X3 would.

X1: 34.9 inches of rear legroom.

X3: 36.8 inches of rear legroom

X5: 36.6 inches or rear legroom (weird, eh?)

It doesn't seem like much, but 2 inches it quite a bit.

Textured Soy Protein > Mosqvich 10/23/2013 at 01:54

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In all of my checking out cars for myself and others over the years, I've found that not all legroom measurements are created equal. But I suppose at least within the same brand they could be useful for comparison's sake.

I guess this means your inlaws aren't too concerned about the small back seat?

Mosqvich > Textured Soy Protein 10/23/2013 at 11:44

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Not at all. It will replace the Lexus for my Mother-in-Law, but for long distance travel, it replaces a Nissan Frontier pick-up.

As a side note, we're planning on getting a Cayenne in the next 8 months or so. It is positively cavernous in comparison, but we have a giant 11 year old!! Plus, we want to be able to enjoy the Fire Roads in the Rockies near our house.