31 January 2011
Over the 4-week Christmas break, I was lucky to have had a beautiful BMW X1 on a long-term loan for a darned good, long test-drive. Even better, as I was in my last month of an exhausting pregnancy, I was most excited to be at least driving in comfort.
As far as I’m concerned, a long-term test drive is the only way to go when it comes to getting to know a car. Just like a first date, sometimes a short-term, brief encounter can be deceiving – it’s easy to compare the vehicle to the last one, you tend to see the best in the car without getting to know it intimately and then, just when you think the car is the best thing since sliced bread, cracks start to appear and it’s all over between you.
In the case of my really getting to know the BMW X1, the opportunity of the extended period was beneficial not only in giving me a great indication of how the car fit into my everyday lifestyle (think getting to the local for my grocery shop, loading kids in and out, reverse parking into my own driveway and showing off to friends,) and more importantly, as I’m directly in the market for a new car, I was able to ascertain whether or not this car could be a keeper. My decision? Read on…
The Scoop
There are a few things I like about the BMW X1. Namely, the fact that the price is actually affordable for me (read: I can drive a BMW with all the benefits of the badge, less the pricetag).
With the basic X1 costing under $50,000 (the range starts at $43,500 and goes all the way to $59,280 for the primo model) and is sold with extras including air-con/climate control, cruise control, alloy wheels, parking sensors and automatic wipers, it certainly can remain on my potential new car list.
The X1 now comes in a few variants including BMW X1 sDrive18i with manual transmission ($43,500), the BMW X1 sDrive20d with manual transmission ($49,300), the BMW X1 xDrive20d with manual transmission ($52,700), the BMW X1 xDrive25i
with automatic transmission ($56,800) and the BMW X1 xDrive23d with automatic transmission ($59,280).
The Drive
There’s no better way to test how well a car drives than under pressure. And there can be no more pressure for a driver than getting a pregnant wife to the hospital while in labour. Welcome to our world.
Screaming (me, not the car) down the M5 back to Sydney with my hubby at the wheel while I suffered severe (what turned out to be false) labour cramps, I can safely say that both the hubby and the car held up well.
Flooring it, the xDrive20d will get you from 0 – 100km/h in 8.4 seconds. Not bad when you’re in a serious hurry.
According to hubby, even though driving on a wet road at night and feeling rather nervous and frightened at the prospect of impending fatherhood, he felt stable and safe; the car was responsive in braking and steering, the vision excellent and the gears in a word – seamless.
Another bonus, we drove the diesel and found the fuel economy was amazing using just 5.8L of diesel per 100km for the XDrive20d (the 23D delivers 6.3L per 100km).
Style
On the outside, the BMW looks a little bit hatch, a little bit SUV and whole lotta stylish.
The X1 has serious stare-factor with additions such as your choice of metallic paint ($1700) and automatic transmission ($2200), all the way to the professional or business pack system for the iDrive, satellite navigation sports seats, sunroof, heated seats, rear-view camera, 18-inch alloy wheels and a sexy 340-watt harman/kardon stereo.
Mind you, the standard doesn’t cut corners and includes 17-inch alloy wheels, door sill finishers, fog lights, leather interior, park distance control (rear only – front is optional), cruise control, sport leather steering wheel with button controls, start-stop button, full electric windows up/down for all 4, 6-speaker audio system with support for iPods, etc., trip computer, and Bluetooth connectivity.
Luxurious interiors compliment the stunning exterior with the model we drove sporting gorgeous timber trims and beige leather, including seating. The boot is not huge but large enough and the cabin room acceptable for this sized vehicle.
Safety
Rated 5-star by ANCAP www.ancap.com.au, the BMW X1 comes with 6 airbags, stability control, hill-descent control, ABS, rear-parking sensors and front sensors and a reversing camera is optional.
3 words to describe this car:
Affordably decadent, sexy, stylish.
What are the best things about this car?
Great looks, luxurious interior and fabulous fuel economy.
What are the downsides of this car?
None.
What kind of petrol did this car use?
Diesel and petrol, depending on the variant.
Liked it?
Absolutely love it (it’s a keeper!).
If personified, who would this car be?
Charlize Theron.
Soundtrack of choice for the BMW X1
Crazy Love by Michael Buble.