Long-Term Road Test Intro
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We sign on for 40,000 miles in BMW’s smallest crossover and cheapest vehicle, period.
Months in Fleet: 7 months
Current Mileage: 20,217 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 23 mpg
Range: 382 miles
Service: $0
Normal Wear: $0
Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $435
By now, we all know that everyone is supposed to be driving smaller vehicles. But we’re not doing a very good job of it. At almost every redesign, cars and trucks gain size, mass, or both. Even the smallest vehicles often get bigger when redesigned, creating a cycle whereby the bottom slot opens up, ready to be filled by a new, smaller model. Within BMW’s SUV lineup, the X3 was the little guy, but after a couple of redesigns, it had grown enough to open up space beneath it for its own little brother.
Enter the X1, BMW’s newest and smallest model line. By giving it an alphanumeric label beginning with an “X,” BMW indicates that it considers this a crossover. But it looks an awful lot like a wagon, and its suspension is an awful lot like that of a 1-series, which is in turn much like that of an E90 3-series. We were thinking of the X1 as a 3-series wagon, but then BMW introduced the latest 3-series wagon. So now the X1 is back to being a tiny crossover that, with its tall windshield and airy greenhouse, looks kind of like a startled station wagon.
Going For Broke
“Startled” also accurately describes many staffers’ reactions to our X1’s sticker. At a base sticker of $31,725, the X1 is the cheapest vehicle in BMW’s current lineup. All-wheel-drive four-cylinder X1s carry an entry price of $33,425. The only option not on ours, however, is the Servotronic variable-assist power steering. For $250, we got BMW Apps smartphone integration, which just about all of us are morally opposed to on the grounds of smartphone apps being tremendously distracting no matter how you interact with them. Satellite radio cost $350, even though we’ve already upgraded to a Harman/Kardon sound system for $875. For $3000, the M Sport line adds a firmer sport suspension, M wheels, an aerodynamic body kit, sport front seats, and various other trim bits, but it took another $500 to get those seats heated and another $600 to add an inch to the wheels, making them 19s. Valencia Orange paint (which has already gotten us waved at by one DPW truck driver) was $550, and while the $6650 Ultimate package includes a panoramic sunroof, auto-dimming mirrors, Comfort Access keyless entry, navigation with real-time traffic info, USB and iPod adapters, and voice controls, it’s not so ultimate that it includes xenon headlights, automatic high beams, or ambient lighting. That stuff is included in the $1200 Lighting package. Our as-tested price: $47,370.
Its mid-winter arrival coinciding with a glut of machines more preferable for road trips, the X1’s mileage accumulation got off to a slow start. So far, its biggest trip has been a jaunt across the border to Montreal for a wedding. The trip gave us ample time to contemplate that combination of 19-inch wheels and sport suspension. On rough roads, it makes for a lot of harsh impacts and a not-so-smooth ride. And the 225/40-19s’ short sidewalls make them rather vulnerable. One particularly angry pothole, encountered right after the summer tires went on, cost us our left front Pirelli P Zero run-flat and $435 for a new one.
We’ve had just one stop for regular maintenance, an oil change at 11,766 miles that was covered under BMW’s Ultimate Service free-maintenance program, and two other dealer visits for small fixes, both covered under warranty. With just 5439 miles on the clock, the right taillight bulb burned out. Since the bulb is integrated into the housing, though, the full assembly needed to be replaced. About 7000 miles later, we noticed that the X1’s tiny rear-window wiper blade was missing. No problem; at the dealership, new blades are “free to a good home.”
A Familiar Four
The high-visibility orange dinghy’s tidy size, large greenhouse, and tallish seating position make it a great car for urban commuting, although our observed fuel economy of 23 mpg trails that of our long-term 328i—which has the same 2.0-liter turbo four—by four mpg. No small part of that discrepancy is owed to the X’s 3824-pound curb weight, which surpasses the 3’s by just shy of 400 pounds. The 10-percent-or-so dollop of extra mass dings the X1’s performance as well, with 0 to 60 mph taking 6.0 seconds compared to the 328i’s 5.6 and the quarter-mile passing in 14.6 at 95 mph instead of 14.2 at 100. But, while the X1’s 0.84-g skidpad performance trails the 3-series by 0.04, its 151-foot stop from 70 mph is 14 feet shorter than the 328i’s performance (no doubt aided by the X1’s optional ultra-sticky P Zero summer-only tires). In both vehicles, the automatic engine stop-start function has drawn criticism for being too harsh. Fortunately, there’s a button on the dash to turn that feature off. Bummer that more cars don’t have dash buttons that instantly fix the things we complain about. We’ll add more such buttons to our wish list (and perhaps find more about the car to love, like, and respect) as the X1’s stay continues.
Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon
PRICE AS TESTED: $47,370 (base price: $33,425)
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 122 cu in, 1997 cc
Power: 241 hp @ 5000 rpm
Torque: 258 lb-ft @ 1250 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 108.7 in
Length: 176.5 in
Width: 70.8 in Height: 60.8 in
Curb weight: 3824 lb
PERFORMANCE: NEW
Zero to 60 mph: 6.0 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 16.4 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 36.6 sec
Rolling start, 560 mph: 6.8 sec
Top gear, 3050 mph: 3.4 sec
Top gear, 5070 mph: 4.2 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.6 sec @ 95 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 143 mph
Braking, 700 mph: 151 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: : 0.84 g
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway: 22/33 mpg
C/D observed: 23 mpg
Unscheduled oil additions: 0 qt
WARRANTY:
4 years/50,000 miles bumper to bumper;
4 years/50,000 miles powertrain;
12 years corrosion protection;
4 years/unlimited miles roadside assistance;
4 years/50,000 miles free routine maintenance
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