Thoughts about trading '15 35i MSport for 2021 X1

[pfschim1]

Currently driving a stock 2015 X1 XDrive 35i MSport ultimate. It has 42k miles on it and while it does have a few cosmetic flaws after 6 years of driving all over the western US, it is running great and I'm perfectly happy with it.

So, my question is ... I keep getting prompted by my local dealer (East Bay BMW) about "great trade in deals" they want to make for me to swap my 2015 with a 2020 or recently a 2021 model. But the cars they want me to consider are the 4 banger 2.8 Sdrive models.

I'm perfectly happy with my current car, but recognize it is 6 years old and out of maintenance. But BMW, of course, did away with i6 X1's after 2015 and I just can't get my head around the Mini-Cooper 4's. I also don't really want to move into the larger X3 or X5 platform just to be able to keep the i6.

I'm sure I would get better mileage and I'd have a new/newer vehicle, but its not a very appealing proposition on a visceral level.

Any thoughts about this from the collective wisdom/experience of Bimmerpost/XBimmers ?

[Duchess22]

I, for one, was not a fan of the newer X1 or x2. The size was the right fit, but the driving feel left me wanting. Currently a '11 335i and '15 X1 35i m sport.

I don't drive hard, but I like to drive. It's more along the lines of knowing the performance is there when I need/want it.

There was more day to day comfort in the newer X1, but the departure from RWD drive train has lowered the bar for Bmw.

[cwickberg]

I've had several BMW's 3 & 5 series wagons, X5... I love the X1 35i. its the last true great driving feel BMW. I think the f series on have all gone electronic this and that...

With a nice tune and upgrade flash to the transmission, the silky smooth I6 and hydraulic steering and AWD makes for a great package...

The "ultimate driving machine" for BMW, IMO is not fancy, comfortable fuel economy driving, its connection to the road... after all your 'driving' the car, not along for the ride...

Get the Ultimate MSport package, add a tune, non run flat tires and just drive the thing.

I gave mine to my daughter... she appreciates the "drive..." She started looking at an X2, GLA and A3 and after driving the X2 and GLA, she decided to keep the X1 just because it drives so well.

[pfschim1]

I'm tending to agree with you both. The car is in very decent shape, has been driven for sure but not outrageously hard. I did replace the run flats with Michelin's Pilot Sport A/S's.

So far I have ignored the dealer prompts. Just wondered what the rest of you might think about this.

thanks

[Duchess22]

The closest model I found to the X1 35i , in the current lineup, is the x3/4 m40i. It's bigger and heavier, but has good control over the added weight. The acceleration is violently effective. The b58 is no joke and is a worthy successor to the n55. Time will tell regarding the long term reliability. So far so good though


It will be my next choice If I stay with a small Bmw crossover/ SUV.

[wheela]

I agree with these comments too. This is a pretty special car, for the reasons mentioned. For me, i've decided I'm going to keep my 2015 X1 35i m sport for the long haul. I'd just as soon put money into maintenance on this one rather than buying a new car. Plus, I'm extremely slow on car projects, and have about 4 year's worth of stereo components yet to be installed, and still want to take this further down the tuning rabbit hole. Plus, more and more tuning options are slowly becoming available for n55. It would suck to finally finish everything and then have to start over on a new car.

[Gamb1t]

I rather buy a Mazda CX5 GT than a Mini-derived X1.
I did drive an X2 loaner once. It drove alot sportier than the f48 X1. I think for 99% of the BMW drivers, they would value gadgety toys over true blue driving dynamics. The f48 X1s are numerous on the road here. That said, the interior quality is nicer. Lots more softer touch points than our 1-series interior.

[Duchess22]

The x2 35i is decent and the interior is definitely improved. I would go that route over, say, a GTI or Mini. But not over a e84 X1.

Updated gadgets would be nice to a point. But that means more electronic issues on the horizon.

I think these generations were on the boarder of analog and digital.

[Gamb1t]

I didn't know there's a 35i variant of the X2. IIRC BMW has stopped producing the X2. What a short lived non-M car!
A better choice IMHO is to buy a 328i Touring over an F48 X1.

[wheela]

Originally Posted by Gamb1t

I didn't know there's a 35i variant of the X2. IIRC BMW has stopped producing the X2. What a short lived non-M car!
A better choice IMHO is to buy a 328i Touring over an F48 X1.

It was an X2 m35i, but not an n55 motor. It was a 2.0 liter (b48 I think?), but tuned up for more power than the standard 30i b48 motor. I drove an X2 m35i once, and despite a quicker quoted 0-60 time from bmw, I thought my x1 35i felt faster, stock for stock.

[wheela]

IDK, maybe it was a tunef up n20 still? Thinking back, I think the standard X2 was still 28i, not 30i, so maybe it wasn't a tuned up b48. But it was definately a 2.0 liter.

[cwickberg]

Originally Posted by Gamb1t

I rather buy a Mazda CX5 GT than a Mini-derived X1.
I did drive an X2 loaner once. It drove alot sportier than the f48 X1. I think for 99% of the BMW drivers, they would value gadgety toys over true blue driving dynamics. The f48 X1s are numerous on the road here. That said, the interior quality is nicer. Lots more softer touch points than our 1-series interior.

Its my understanding the e84 X1 was based on the E-9X chassis.

I would not agree that 99% of BMW drivers value gadgets over the drive... There are many other cars out their , namely the ricers, that are chocked full of gadgets with a very soft driving experience.

Perhaps you may be referring to 20-30 somethings who don't really know how to drive a car and think entry level BMW is luxury.

[Gamb1t]

Originally Posted by cwickberg

Its my understanding the e84 X1 was based on the E-9X chassis.

Our beloved X1 is a parts bin vehicle. Platform off a hybrid of e90 and e87. Engine variants from f30. But interior is most decidedly derived from 1-series.

[Duchess22]

It's definitely a factory Frankenstein mashup. Some designer was actually able to MacGyver a car

[Teutonic]

Originally Posted by pfschim1

Currently driving a stock 2015 X1 XDrive 35i MSport ultimate. It has 42k miles on it and while it does have a few cosmetic flaws after 6 years of driving all over the western US, it is running great and I'm perfectly happy with it.

So, my question is ... I keep getting prompted by my local dealer (East Bay BMW) about "great trade in deals" they want to make for me to swap my 2015 with a 2020 or recently a 2021 model. But the cars they want me to consider are the 4 banger 2.8 Sdrive models.

I'm perfectly happy with my current car, but recognize it is 6 years old and out of maintenance. But BMW, of course, did away with i6 X1's after 2015 and I just can't get my head around the Mini-Cooper 4's. I also don't really want to move into the larger X3 or X5 platform just to be able to keep the i6.

I'm sure I would get better mileage and I'd have a new/newer vehicle, but its not a very appealing proposition on a visceral level.

Any thoughts about this from the collective wisdom/experience of Bimmerpost/XBimmers ?

NO!

E84 is a true BMW with a 3 series touring chassis and a True xDrive with a RWD bias that keeps a sporty behaviour on dry pavement and a full AWD controlled one on slippery situations.

The new X1 / X2 is a CLAR chassis with a fake xDrive badge that is actually a FWD Haldex transmission.

The E84 (yours) has an excellent ZF German transmission, the new X1 has a Japanese Ainsin transmission which is a not even close in any aspect.

Your E84 has a true hard sunshade with sun reflection on the panoramic roof and tough materials on the pillars and top, while the new ones have a saggy mosquito cloth that offer no full prtection on hot days and cheap pantyhose material on the pillars.

Your E84 will never creak on the panoramic roof area when driving in the winter on some uneven roads while the new one will give you the creeps as the chassis is not that stiff.

Your E84 drives like a dream and has a 6 cyl engine, while the new ones have less Hp even compared with the previous N20 four banger that is actually very good (except the chain assembly).

Your E84 has full leather coverage ans soft materials that make the rear seats confortBle and wide, including the over-the-wheel entrance cushion that is inexistent in the new ones where you can see the trunk from inside….

Your interior materials are top notch and the fit and finish is excellent while the new ones are a joke with terrible plastic.

Your E84 has excellent seats with wonderful support, while the new ones have Mini seats that are terrible, small with no proper lateral support and no leg support whatsoever (short seating area) so you will feel every long trip in a very unhappy way.

If you have the Harman Kardon sound system on it keep in mind that is well engineered that beats for example the new 3 Series Harman Kardon that doesnt sound like it. Is that good.

Your chassis on the E84 will stay on tight curves that cane be taken easily with 80-90 km / h while the new one are just a joke.

Shall I continue?

Goand drive the new one s and you will be -unpleasantly- surprised. They literally lower the niche to a level that is quite scary for the brand and money they are asking for. I mean Mazda for example is a way better vehicle in terms of materials and interior cabin design for less money.

Keep your E84 until it dies. The new ones can’t hold a candle to the old one.
I kept my 2012 and love it, and bought an X4 as an aditional vehicle as the quality of the new X1 is worse than I have ever seen in this brand…

[pfschim1]

thanks to all for the encouraging replies. I had already really decided to stick with my X1 M. It works great for me and I'll just focus on keeping it maintained as well as possible.

A friend of mine has a 440i that looks pretty nice and has a very solid zoom-zoom factor, but I am not a sedan/big coupe guy.

Thanks!

[Duchess22]

Good deal. The looks are growing on me the longer I have it. Coming from an e92, The size is perfect for me. 4 doors and a hatch while still compact.

Oh and it's rare.

[healeydays]

Don't rush to trade it to the dealer. There was someone in Cali on Facebook looking for your car. I sent him the link to this so he might reach out.

[pfschim1]

as a quick follow-up. I'm keeping my X1 for sure. I had it in for a new battery (original lasted nearly 7 years). While I was there taking to the SA, I mentioned something about how it was too bad that the new X1's were all Countryman based 4 bangers and how the sales side of the shop kept bugging me to trade in my 2015 MSport for a newer (but used) X1 28i S model. He laughed and said that he totally agreed that I should hold on to it and that a well maintained, 6 year old X1 MSport with 44k miles in LeMans Blue was kind of a rare-ish item.

We talked a bit about the current X3 M40i though. Coming out of coupes, I really like the smaller footprint of the X1 over the larger X models, so I'll just stay in the X1 until it really starts to fall apart (hopefully a while off).

[odessa91]

According to internet search, E84 X1 35i M Sport is rarer, less than 1000 been sold overall around the world (NA only).

The exact production numbers of the E84 X1 35i are not readily available, but some estimates can be made based on the sales figures and the model distribution. According to BMW, the total sales of the E84 X1 in the US were 94,417 units from 2012 to 2015. However, the E84 X1 35i was not introduced until 2013, so the sales figures for 2012 (8,947 units) can be excluded. This leaves 85,470 units sold from 2013 to 2015. According to a forum post by a BMW insider, the model distribution of the E84 X1 in the US was roughly 60% sDrive28i, 30% xDrive28i, and 10% xDrive35i. Assuming this distribution is accurate, the estimated number of E84 X1 35i sold in the US from 2013 to 2015 is 8,547 units (10% of 85,470 units).

The E84 X1 35i M Sport is a trim level that adds sporty features such as a body kit, sport seats, sport suspension, and an M steering wheel. The M Sport package was available as an option for the E84 X1 35i, but the exact number of units that were equipped with it is unknown. However, based on the online listings of used E84 X1 35i for sale, it seems that the M Sport package was not very common. A quick search on [Autotrader] shows only 9 listings of E84 X1 35i M Sport out of 118 listings of E84 X1 35i in the US. This suggests that the M Sport package was only chosen by about 8% of the E84 X1 35i buyers. Therefore, the estimated number of E84 X1 35i M Sport sold in the US from 2013 to 2015 is 683 units (8% of 8,547 units).

To summarize, the E84 X1 35i is a rare and powerful model of the BMW X1 range that was only sold in North America for 3 years. The E84 X1 35i M Sport is even rarer, as it adds a sporty flair to the already fast and agile SUV. Based on the available data, the estimated production numbers of the E84 X1 35i and the E84 X1 35i M Sport in the US from 2013 to 2015 are 8,547 units and 683 units, respectively. However, these numbers are not official and may vary depending on the source and the accuracy of the assumptions.

[cwickberg]

Originally Posted by odessa91

To summarize, the E84 X1 35i is a rare and powerful model of the BMW X1 range that was only sold in North America for 3 years. The E84 X1 35i M Sport is even rarer, as it adds a sporty flair to the already fast and agile SUV. Based on the available data, the estimated production numbers of the E84 X1 35i and the E84 X1 35i M Sport in the US from 2013 to 2015 are 8,547 units and 683 units, respectively. However, these numbers are not official and may vary depending on the source and the accuracy of the assumptions.

I bought my mineral white X1 35i MSport Ultimate from a dealer as a loaner car and traveled 1,000 miles to drive it home.

This is a sleeper great drive and very rare for sure

[SharpAndCunning]

With 42k miles on your car I wouldn't even consider trading in. Maybe if you absolutely loved the 2024 X1 35i that they have, but outside of that I wouldn't.

The X1 is a fairly robust vehicle. Sure, the water pumps sucks, and they do have radiator cracking common failures, but it's a great car.

I consistently get 24/25 combined driving and I'm really not easy on my car. The maintenance isn't that big of a concern, the $200 oil changes aren't really enough of a factor (with 42k miles, you don't drive a lot) to consider trading in to get a new maintenance plan, IMO.

If you like your car and your bought it because of the i6 and what it is, I think you'll be disappointed trading in for a 2020 and you'll have to turn the world over trying to find a nice 2013-2015.

I would recommend having someone look at the car and fixing the exterior so it rejuvenates your love for the car and keep it another 5 years.