BMW X1 review

If your caravan or trailer is particularly bulky, though, you may wish to look towards the Audi Q3 instead, because this can handle up to 2,100kg.

“The X1 is meant to fit right into your life with surprising ease and, for me, it achieves precisely that. How come? Because it does all the practical stuff far better than I ever imagined it might. It’s also roomier in all directions than I thought it was going to be.” – Steve Sutcliffe, Auto Express special contributor.

Industry safety body Euro NCAP awarded the X1 a top five-star rating in 2022, and its impressive scores in each individual category should mean buyers feel reassured when considering the X1, particularly as their next family car. 

However, if you want the full array of safety and driver assistance systems, you’ll need to invest an extra £720 in BMW’s Driver Assistance Plus pack. This adds in tech like adaptive cruise control, lane control assist, automatic speed limit assist and lane departure warning. We can’t help feeling that this is perhaps a bit tight considering a number of the X1’s rivals include such technology as standard.

While the X1 didn’t make an appearance in the most recent Driver Power best cars to own list, the brand did finish in a pretty respectable eighth place out of 31 brands in the best manufacturer rankings. However, arch-rival Mercedes placed second in the same survey.

• Best buy: BMW X1 sDrive20i xLine

Considering that the base sDrive20i petrol provides ample performance and sensible efficiency, we’d stick with this powertrain as you’ll be able to keep the purchase price under control without making any major sacrifices. That being said, it’s worth putting some extra money into the fancier xLine trim, because this helps to make the X1 feel more like a proper premium car with touches like automatic air-conditioning and Veganza upholstery.

BMW X1 alternatives

The BMW X1 has no shortage of upmarket small SUV rivals. The Audi Q3 and Mercedes GLA are the entrants from this brand’s long-standing German rivals, while the Range Rover Evoque and Volvo XC40 are equally convincing options from further afield.

For similar money, you could also buy a high-spec SUV from a more mainstream brand, meaning far more fancy kit. The Volkswagen T-Roc, Skoda Karoq, Mazda CX-30 and Peugeot 2008 are just some of the many potential choices here.

Of course, if you’re one of the many drivers considering an electric car, the BMW iX1 is obviously the closest X1 alternative. Elsewhere, though, there’s also the Mercedes EQA, Audi Q4 e-tron, Volvo EX30 and Genesis GV60 to consider.