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It's BMW's smallest sports activity vehicle.
Don't call it an SUV.
They don't like that.
This time though the engine's in wrong.
Let's find out why they did that.
As we drive 2016 BMW X One XDrive 28I.
[INAUDIBLE] Now spotting one of these second generation X-1s is like falling off a log.
The proportions have been substantially redone.
First of all, the whole vehicle is a inch shorter, its almost two inches taller, and the distance between the wheels, the wheel base, is over three and a half inches Shorter.
This is all dramatic stuff to the eye, and one thing you'll also notice immediately is the very short front overhang.
That's the amount of body that exists ahead of the front tires.
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Now, inside the X1 they don't cheat on the cabin build quality and finish.
It's really nice in here.
And they've done some nice sculpting, the way this pod comes forward and the way it's angled toward the driver and beveled this way.
Outstanding ergo to get to every control in this vehicle.
Now this little postage stamp is because we don't have the tech package.
That's why the screen is so small.
Get the tech package and that balloons out to about eight inches.
Right now it is kind of in the fiftieth percentile of automotive nav screens in terms of size.
In a nice wide ratio.
Amazingly because that tech package is missing, this button is also does nothing.
The voice button, no voice command.
Luckily, depending on your view of automotive safety you can still use the Idrive controller to tap out addresses, while your driving.
That tech package would add to that A handwriting pad on top of the knob, and a HUD, a head-up display, as well.
Auto industry frenemies Apple CarPlay and Android Auto not available presently in the X1, and I doubt there'll be a retrofit if you buy a '16.
Cuz your shifter is very conventional and notice, it's a mechanical linkage shifter.
No one even does that any more.
And no paddles.
Unless you get a fourth coming M Sport package.
And yet in spite of giving you a smaller screen and no voice command, a power rear tail gate is standard weird priorities here.
I'd also recommend you option up the Harman card and audio and that nice big [UNKNOWN] roof.
Those are always even better when their in smallest car.
Adding to that nice feeling of airy visibility you've got an inch and a half higher seating position in the front row, two and a half inches higher in the back row, it's almost like stadium seating, and an inch and a half more leg room minimum in the second row as well.
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This one's gotta go back.
They put the engine in wrong.
That's right, they do that now.
This is a transverse mounted engine in a BMW.
It sits this way.
They basically don't do that until now, and in some markets this can actually be had as a front wheel drive vehicle.
Now it's whole batch of heresy in here, now in the US, we only get these as all wheel drive and this side saddle engine is one possible unit.
A two liter turbo charged in line four.
Twin power means a single turbo with two scroll profiles in it.
Not two turbos, number four.
Overall output is two hundred and twenty eight horsepower.
The torque of course is really where it gets the boost here two hundred and fifty eight pounds of torque, that's a good number and a good ratio as well.
Turning that engine sideways is a big part of how they created all the extra seating room we just talked about so don't sneer, at least not until you hear this platform is shared with the Mini Even then you're being Caddy.
Okay, about 3,700 pounds of X1 gets up to 60 in around 6.3 seconds.
Good performance.
22/32 are your EPA mileage polls, 26 average.
One choice on the gearbox by the way, it's an 8 speed automatic.
The power train is 80 20, 80% of the time it's got the right power when I want it and 20% of the time it's just in the wrong gear, in the wrong turbo phase, or it's just not awake.
That's partly due to turbo's [UNKNOWN], partly do the fact that when you have a little engine on steroids They tend to get those weird slingie modes.
Sport mode is blessedly simple and non-configurable.
Eco Pro mode features a coasting function that disconnects the drivetrain when you lift off throttle between 30 and 100 miles an hour.
And that reduces drive line drag to save a little fuel.
My biggest gripe happens to be the ride.
The handling is Quite good in this vehicle but you pay too much for it in the everyday ride, I don't feel every divet in the road I feel every pebble in the asphalt.
It's just a pain in the ****.
Now yes the other side of that firm suspension is really toss able handling but you're not taking your X1 to the track.
Listen to me you're not doing that.
You're going back and forth to work and to Target.
And it doesn't help that just about surface you contact is really hard and rigid.
The seats feel like they're honed out of mahogany, the steering wheel like it's a chuck of metal.
But on this occasional roads where you can open things up and let her rip the great handling small crossover.
Okay pricing an X1 is actually fairly simple because we only have one in the US.
This guy, which is the two liter turbo all wheel dive.
Base is a little under 36 delivered.
Then there are an annoying three tiers of checked boxes you've gotta hit to get the driver assist we like.
That's messy and they don't feel like a great value.
For crying out loud, don't forget the tech option at $2,550.
That brings you HUD, a bigger navigation screen, voice command and a whole bunch of things you absolutely need.
Good values are the panoramic roof and the Harman Kardon audio.
Those are priced really well.
All in, once we've made this guy CNET style, Sitting somewhere north of $43,000.
Now you've got a lot of great choices to cross shop in this category like Mercedes GLA, Lexus NX, Range Rover Evoke, Audi Q3.
But when you drive this one bring a seat cushion.
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More cars [UNKNOWN] CNET style standing by now at CNETOnCars.com.
Click on the road.
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