Opinion about new BMW X1?
Ugly and overpriced. BMW has lost their way and the cars don’t hold up like they did 25 years ago. My opinion, feel free to disagree.
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It is a vast improvement over the outgoing X1 generation (ended in 2015) which was flawed in a few important ways. The new FWD platform with available AWD is much roomier and the X1 will compare in size to some of the compact crossovers from other brands like a Lexus RX or Acura RDX. If performance is important to you the X1 will not disappoint. If it is not a top priority, options include the Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring. Beware the run flat tires. My understanding is that they may not be mandatory on the new X1. We recently quit on BMW after a pretty bad dealer and product experience with an X3. There was nothing premium about the vehicle or the experience we had over 5 years. For example, two closest dealers did not provide us a loaner vehicle for repair stays. And there were many. Consumer Reports rates the 2018 BMW X1 a 2/5 for owner satisfaction and a 3/5 for reliability. Here is a review done by a CarTalk partner publication if interested.
I wouldn’t buy one. Vastly overpriced for the car you’re getting. BMW doesn’t have a great history of reliability in the recent years, especially with their electronics.
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Concur with the others. BMW is overpriced, poorly engineered, and riding entirely on their “rich people drive them” reputation.
There are an awful lot of cars out there that are better built, more luxurious, and less expensive.
Consumer Reports calls it a recommended model. Says reliability is average and owner satisfaction below average.
It’s based on the Mini Clubman and Countryman platform. Responsive engine, 26 MPG. Ride and handling not up to BMW’s high standards. Road noise rather noticeable. Interior of high quality materials, seats rather short and flat.
The header indicates the OP wants opinions on a 2019 model. As far as I know they are not even sold yet so who could offer an opinion.
As for Consumer Reports count me among those that don’t care much for what they have to say.
CR says the X1 was introduced for 2013 and redesigned for 2016.The report I cited is in the April 2018 issue, for 2018 vehicles. Maybe the 2019 will be another redesign and that’s what the OP is waiting for. Or maybe they are calling the 2018s 2019s. Not the first time.
CR is not beholden to the PR departments of carmakers. Magazines like Car and Driver, Road and Track, and other journalists on TV, newspapers, and on line are. I’ll listen them all, but for actual data on reliability and owner satisfaction, CR outdoes the rest.
Yet, Consumer Reports says BMW is top 5 in reliability in this year’s ratings.
I don’t find that in the April 2018 issue, their annual Auto Issue, do you? Where?
On p. 27 they list these brands as Above Average in predicted reliability (I put them alphabetically): Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Subaru. And this brand Much Above Average in predicted reliability: Toyota.
For the BMW X1 (p. 51), its new car reliability prediction for the 2018 model is Average and as a used car with data from 2013 to 2017 its reliability ranges from Average (2013, 2015, 2016) to Above Average (2014) to Much Above Average (2017).
I agree, but then there is the issue of the cost of servicing a BMW, which–like Mercedes–can be insanely expensive. CR is silent on the issue of maintenance costs for that marque vs non-German marques.
A one year blip doesn’t account for how many consecutive years of worsening quality and issues. I will admit, too, that I take what CR and the other magazines that rate with a large grain of salt
I have a 2016 used car buyers guide from CR, and all of the BMWs with enough sales to be rated have excellent reliability for several years running. When was the last time you checked CR or any other source for reliability information?
Physically picked up a CR magazine? Probably the last time I was at my doctor’s office for a physical last year. I prefer to use multiple sources when I am researching a used vehicle purchase. From forum websites such as ours, forums dedicated specifically to those vehicles I’m looking at, google searches, kbb/edmunds (both cost and cost to own projections), but (especially for BMWs), my 2 next door neighbors growing up. Both are car nuts who do a ton of work on their own cars (the one still owns his first car, a mid-late 60s Chevelle, still in beautiful condition), including many BMWs over the years. They don’t consider them to be “excellent reliability” vehicles, even the recent vintages (one of them owns a 2018 he got in late December and has already sent it back to the dealer 3 times!). Their opinions run far closer to the common opinions heard on this community…
I virtually pick up CR at the public library, mostly. On line at home, too. You implied Consumer Reports panned BMW and this year’s report must be an anomaly. I pointed out that isn’t true and gave evidence of it. That’s all I wanted to say.
You can like BMWs or not for whatever reasons you wish. I would say that CR is the most current source of data for reliability. I use Edmunds True Cost to Own whenever I buy a car, but it is not as up to date as CR. Like you, I use a lot of sources of information.
IMHO Consumer Reports has gone downhill as badly as BMW. I looked at the CR car buyer’s guide a few days ago and was appalled at how little meaningful information they now provide… and they only go back three years? What’s with that? That tells me zip about a manufacturer’s long term track record.
As for BMWs, my son had two of them, in succession. He got rid of both due to very high cost of ownership. I think BMW built their reputation on the model 2002 of many years ago. That was a great car in its day. Still is.
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April, the annual car issue, has repair data going from 2010 to 2017. That’s about the time span they usually cover. For older cars, one could find an older April issue.
I do wish CR would cover some of the boring old info like LOA, WB, weight, wheel/tire size, etc. Does anyone know a publication that still lists that kind of info?
There is a buyers guide that Consumer Reports puts out a few times a year that at least recently still had detailed dimensions and specs. Usually sold next to the other car magazines for around $11
CR seems to have become a publication for the upper crust. I subscribe so that I can get a glimpse of what rich people buy. No matter how wonderful the reliability record is for a BMW or how high the owner satisfaction, I think the cost per mile of operating a BMW would be much higher than a perfectly adequate Toyota Camry.
It never ceased to amaze me that I had younger colleagues at the university where I taught for 44 years that had a lower salary and bought BMW and Mercedes Benz automobiles. When I retired in 2011, I was still driving my 1978 Olds Cutlass Salon to work that I bought new. I was never late to work because my car wouldn’t start. The Olds looked a little ratty in its last year’s, but it did its job. I paid cash for the car when I bought it and I would bet my cost per mile was a fraction of the cost of running a new BMW, particularly if I had to pay interest on a loan.
I’m not sure taking CR’s recommendations would save me any money. Our newest appliance is 23 years old. CR seems to recommend that I replace my refrigerator, washing machine, etc. with new “energy saving” appliances. I bet I could buy a lot of kilowatts for what new appliances would cost.
A couple of years ago, I bought a used Black and Decker battery powered electric lawnmower from a friend. The next season, I had to replace the batteries at a cost of $65. I barely made it through two seasons of mowing and I will have to replace the batteries again. I can buy a lot of gasoline for $65. My 26 year old gasoline push mower is now using so much oil it fouls the spark plug. When I look at CR’s recommended mowers, I can get a Walmart special for less than half the price. With reasonable care, I would bet the mower would last almost as long as the CR recommended Honda considering that I can mow my yard in less than an hour.
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Thanks for that info, wolyrob. I have subscribed to CR for years and never knew their buyers guides went beyond the info in their magazine.