My 2007 328i was in the shop this week, so I asked to get an x1 for a loaner because I'm very interested in picking one up once they start hitting the CPO market. They gave me an xDrive28i that was pretty much a stripper. It had the fineline wood trim and the cold weather package, and that was about it. I had it for about three days, so I got to try it out multiple times on my 60 mile commute to and from work.
Overall I really like the car and would still strongly consider it to replace mine when I get tired of being off warranty. The gas mileage was just a bit better than mine- I tend to average 27 to 28 mpg in mostly highway, and more down to 25-26 combined. The loaner was averaging 28 highway, but I was surprised that eco pro did little. Less fun to drive, but had very little impact on the highway. Maybe it does better in city driving.
As far as the engine goes, it drives quite different than my NA inline 6, but I like it. It's a quick car, quicker than my 328i at higher revs. Down low, the 8 speed transmission shifts so often that you never really seem to maximize the better torque. Maybe I've just adapted to the AT in my 3, but I liked how the inline 6 pulls down low, even if it's not as strong. I think the combo in the x1 is overall better, especially for new drivers, since you don't need to learn the non-linear throttle that I have in my 3. You do get more of that kick in the pants feeling, but it sometimes does not feel as strong as the 6. I'd say the tradeoff for MPG is worth it, and I bet the more I drove it I would figure out how to maximize the x1 too.
Handling is as good or better, which is great for the somewhat increased ride height. As for the increased height, I was surprised to notice that it's really not very high at all. You're pretty much on level with large sedans now, whereas the e90 was lower than them. Not SUV height at all, but enough to make egress easier and working with child seats nicer. I expect the height is much better for getting very young children into their seats.
Even though the base price is cheaper than a new 3, the lack of some features that should be standard bugs me. The interior quality is fine, but I have a hard time paying >$30k for a car without power seats. Plus, iDrive (not nav) should be standard. At least they should offer a cheaper tech package without nav. And the lack of auto dimming mirrors really bugged me at night, since there is seemingly no way to dim the center rearview at all.
The extra ride hight does allow more room for the driver, which I really like, and the cabin does feel "updated" compared to e90, but it feels more like a second lci (which it really is).
The stereo does sound worse than in my '07, but not nearly as bad as the base audio that they did standard in the '10s. That was the worst stereo I've heard in just about any car. This one has very imprecise bass and sounds a bit more tinny, but overall acceptable. The cost to get something better stock, however, is way too much.
The real issue I have, I think, is that it's not hard to add options and be in base X3 territory, at which point you would have a better equipped, larger car, but one that does not drive as well and does not get as good gas mileage.
And still, this is a car that puts a smile on your face when you drive it. And it's a pretty unique car too, kind of like the A3 in the states in that regard. It's a fun car to drive with just enough increased utility to be of use to a small family. If they had brought this here when they did the LCI I think it might have gutted the market for the 3. At this point, the price just is not right (outside the base, no option model), limiting it to those who really have a connection to the car and BMW. That may be exactly what we want. At the least, knowing that the RWD nature of this model is likely to disappear at the next redesign, this is a car for BMW people that know what a BMW should be, and don't care about the cup holders.
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