[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

SX4 taller than this thing?!!

Here is a cellphone pic i clicked in my Apartment's parking.

[suman]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

If you compare it to your 3.0 DICOR it will feel good

I was actually comparing the smooth idle & NVH to the Petrol Fiesta 1.6 SXI that I also drive - maybe the Laura TDI shuts the outside world out together, cannot comment as haven't been in one.

[.anshuman]

This is what Jeremy Clarkson has to say about the X1, nice read, do not take it too seriously

I like the BMW 135i very much. It has no styling and no big USP. It’s just some car. But it’s the most faithful BMW of them all. Simple. Six-cylinder engine up front. Rear drive. It’s built for the road. It is The Road.

That’s why I was quite looking forward to trying the new BMW X1. There are a lot of so-called crossover quasi-off-road, urban SUV cars around at the moment and none of them is really any good. They offer no more space than a normal hatchback and they are no more rugged, but they cost more to buy, they use more fuel and — with the exception of the Ford Kuga — they are all preposterously ugly.

I felt BMW might be able to pull off a bit of a winner, then. It had learnt some lessons with the woeful X3 and it really has got styling worked out these days. Plus, BMWs are almost always better to drive than any of the cars with which they compete.

Sadly, I was to be disappointed. First of all, the X1 looks like a Hyundai that’s been subjected to a thousand years of wind erosion. It’s dreary. And it’s much the same story on the inside, where you are greeted with lots of extremely scratchy plastic and almost no equipment at all. You want a built-in sat nav system? Well, tough.

A friend of mine, who runs the car I drove, says that the wiring loom is cheap as well. Quite how he’s determined this, I have no idea, but there you are. It’s cheap to look at, cheap to sit in and cheap to touch. But it’s not even slightly cheap to buy.

No matter, you might think. It’ll be a stormer on the road. Well, yes, it might be if you could buy it with a creamy six-cylinder petrol engine. But you can’t. Instead, sir can have it with any engine he likes, so long as it’s a diesel. Normally, BMW diesels are rather good, but the 2-litre version fitted to the X1 is not. It sounds like a dump truck when you start it up, and any request from the helm for more speed is met with a recalcitrant, “You want to do what?”

It’s very uncomfortable as well. The ride is much too rigid and the seats are very nearly as firm as those fitted to a Ford Galaxy. Which means they are hard enough to shape diamonds. That’s nice if you actually want to shape diamonds, but if you just want a comfy place to sit while you go home, the X1 won’t do.

Off-road work? Well, yes, there is a four-wheel-drive version, which should be all right on farm tracks and the like, but the car I drove was fitted with something called sDrive. That sounds exciting. It sounds like the sort of system Captain Scarlet would have used to fight the Mysterons. But no. For some extraordinary reason, sDrive means rear-wheel drive.

Now I like rear-wheel drive. Rear-wheel drive makes a car feel better balanced than front-wheel drive, or even four-wheel drive. It’s right that the front wheels do the steering and those at the rear the propulsion. It’s why BMWs always feel so proper. But I can’t see the point of such a system in a tall car with the engine from a canal boat under the bonnet.

It robs space, adds cost and means that if we get another snowy winter, you won’t even get out of your drive. I fear the marketing men have insisted this car has rear drive even though it makes no sense at all. The whole package doesn’t, if I’m honest.

If it were a book, it would have no plot and a stupid cover and it would fall to pieces in the sun. But it isn’t a book. And neither is it a car. It’s rubbish.

THE CLARKSOMETER 1/5

Clarkson’s verdict

It’s not a car. It’s rubbish

Taken from: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/dri...cle7105825.ece

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by suman

I was actually comparing the smooth idle & NVH to the Petrol Fiesta 1.6 SXI that I also drive - maybe the Laura TDI shuts the outside world out together, cannot comment as haven't been in one.

The point was- it feels rough for a car of this price.

Since you have already driven this car and you liked it + you do not like any of the it's competitors, go ahead Buy the X1. It's far more involving to drive than your other choice- the Cruze. With 320d you will have to worry about the GC.

[GTO]

Great review man! Rating a well-deserved 5 stars

I'm not a fan of the X1 at all. It's a poor excuse of an SUV, doesn't have the road presence & I'd really much rather have the 3 series over this. The proportions look funny in person too. Sure, I do think BMW has priced it well, but it's a pointless vehicle to me. Ideally, I'd wait for the next-gen 3 series if I were in the market for a sub-30 lakh BMW (got that, Suman???!!!).

@ Anshuman : Have you driven the Yeti & the X-Trail? Remove the badges and the Yeti does everything that the X1 can, while the X-Trail does some better.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by GTO

@ Anshuman : Have you driven the Yeti & the X-Trail? Remove the badges and the Yeti does everything that the X1 can, while the X-Trail does some better.

Never got a chance to lay my hands on X-Trail but i have driven the Yeti. Yeti with the Smart AWD and body shape(minimal overhangs) can go to places X1 cannot. It actually is a smart Crossover which retains the car like drive experience, go anywhere ability of softroaders and hatchback practicality and Size(May not appeal to those looking for BLING).

I was wondering if the X1 had a VW/Hyundai/Skoda/Chevrolet badge, would it find any takers.

[suman]

Originally Posted by GTO

I'm not a fan of the X1 at all. It's a poor excuse of an SUV,

Is it really an SUV? Even BMW doesn't seem to think so.

Originally Posted by GTO

Ideally, I'd wait for the next-gen 3 series if I were in the market for a sub-30 lakh BMW (got that, Suman???!!!).

Rush, ideally, I would have liked a Diesel sedan in the 14-15 lac on-road range that has decent ground clearance, good legroom at the rear, rear seats which wide enough for 3 & with good underthigh support, no center hump on the floor, automatic climate control, leather upholstery, steering mounted audio controls, leather seats, alloy wheels, sunroof and is FTD. Now is that such a tall order? But name one car that fulfils all of this, according to you. I can name 5 which do it on the individual criteria but not as a package.

And do you seriously think the new 3 series will be available at the current mouthwatering price the 320d is being offered? I would think not.

Originally Posted by GTO

Remove the badges and the Yeti does everything that the X1 can, while the X-Trail does some better.

Spot on! Now if only the Yeti didn't look so darn ugly. But then, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, right?

Originally Posted by .anshuman

I was wondering if the X1 had a VW/Hyundai/Skoda/Chevrolet badge, would it find any takers.

Dead right, I doubt it would. But that's what a badge does, right? And the CRV still sells at that ludicrous price, doesn't it?

[Guna]

For me X1 kind of vehicle is just the right concept of a car. Not too low like a sedan but still drives and feels like a car. Not too tall like other softroaders/SUVs. (some people may say they have commanding view but somehow they don't feel planted).

@ Anshuman, is the driving position slightly upright or is it much like in a sedan?

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by suman

And do you seriously think the new 3 series will be available at the current mouthwatering price the 320d is being offered? I would think not.

BMW will do anything to retain the no.1 spot in the luxury segment, ask the BMW salesperson about the most popular cars across segments- his answer will be X1 CE>520d>320d CE, all these variants are the base variants which compromise either on performance or equipment. BMW cannot risk losing the market to Mercedes, What if Merc decides to bring in a no frills C Class? Why do you think X1's CE variant was available from Day 1?

[Technocrat]

Great review Anshuman

I wonder the existence of the entire one series, be it the cars or the X1. The 1 series cars look so tiny & weird, the X1 is middle of the road like the X6. Looks like the 1 series is an attempt to attract first time BMW owners which is good in a way for all those who wouldnt have otherwise thought of owning a Bimmer.

[vb-saan]

Excellent review anshuman – short & crisp. I personally is quite ok with the styling of X1.
But last year, I got to see it next to the X5 and the new X3, and the shortcomings got more visible. In company of the big brothers, the X1 looked a bit of a malnourished sibling – not really up to the BMW standards.
Once the new 3 is launched, I am expecting a mid-life facelift for this car, with all those efficient dynamics gadgetries getting in.

Note: Thanks for sharing the Clarkson snippet. Even there, he did not forget to mention his favourite whipping boy (Hyundai)

[_raVan_]

Nice review Anshuman Rated the thread!

On a personal front, X1 I believe are for those people who really want a cheap BMW. It wont excite enthusiasts (who will consider 3) and people looking for a good crossover/SUV.

[suman]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

What if Merc decides to bring in a no frills C Class?

You mean something even barer than the C220 CDI Executive

And I'm sure you know this already - a diehard Bimmer fan will not step into the most VFM Merc available & vice versa

(Disclaimer - I'm not a diehard fan of either)

[mdsaab]

Man that jeremy review has just ridiculed the x1.
i really doubt its that bad. But now i can see why many of you still prefer the 3 over the X1.

[arup.misra]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

To sum it all, just like the 320d, the X1 is an excellent car for you if you love to drive.Avoid the above mentioned cars if Space and Comfort are a priority for you, the VW Passat and Skoda Superb may be better suited for you.

@anshuman - Great review mate. Neither too short nor to long just perfect. Couple of points from your review

a) No spare tire and replacement tools - Unlikely but what if you get a flat tyre? Sorry if this is a noob question

b) Instrument cluster looks pretty plane jane to me, heck even the civic has a better instrument panel for half the price. (Not comparing the car's)

c) Cabin Plastics - a big let down for a 25L car

d) High NVH levels is simply not acceptable when you pay the hefty price