Distance: 806km
Location: Malaysia
Date: August 11-16, 2018
Up front: There’s no denying that the BMW X1 is just a glorified 3-series hatchback and its cheapness starts in the front row seats. The leather, though real, feels more mid-grain than top-grain, the second cup holder is tacked on as an afterthought, and the driving position is cramped. It feels more like a premium Honda C-HR than a mini luxury BMW X5.
In the back: This car was made for people who live alone, loves premium badges, can’t afford to pay for real luxury, occasionally volunteers to be the designated driver, and is fickle. Rear legroom is cramped for adults over 5’3” and headroom isn’t more generous than a VW Golf. The materials are as cheap in the back as they are in the front and don’t get air vents to help mitigate sweltering summers.
The boot can barely accommodate three full-size suitcases, so you won’t be able to go on a road trip as a family of four. Grocery trips are fine, but Home Depot is out of the question. The seats can be folded down to create a level loading floor, but the seat backs are still angled up.
Driving: BMW really lost its lead as the prime manufacturers of mean, lean driving machines. I know that because I’ve owned a 1998 5-series and I know what a real BMW is supposed to feel like. The turbo four-cylinder has more power on paper than the 2.8L inline sixes of the 1990s, but it doesn’t feel the same. It lacks the linear acceleration that just pulls and pulls at Autobahn speeds, it doesn’t grunt like the Hulk on steroids, and the only thing the steering wheel feeds back is understeer.
