On the fence on the 2.8?

[BMWrules7]

Do no be on the fence. I am here to convey that the 2.8 with the 8 speed tranny is a beautiful combination!

We just rolled over 2000 miles in my wife's x1. This 2.8 is the most remarkable engine for its size.

This baby puts out and is in no way underpowered. This is the little engine that could.

Above it all, this baby feels like a $40k car. The steering is so well connected and this li'l mite resonates the most beautiful harmonious songs!

[Irish-Texan]

Gotta ask, as you commented on the steering, if you have an SDrive or XDrive?

[BMWrules7]

Originally Posted by irishtexan

Gotta ask, as you commented on the steering, if you have an SDrive or XDrive?

2.8 Xdrive stock!

[Monterra]

In my limited time behind the wheel I'd agree the 2 liter N20 is indeed the little engine that could. Beautiful and harmonious songs? Compared to other 4 bangers maybe, compared to the 35i's N55, not close. Between that, and the relatively small price gap on an optioned up 28i I'm having a hard time selling myself on a 40k 2 liter car.

[Transfer]

The transmission alone makes the 28i the better buy over the 35i in my opinion. It's so incredibly responsive compared to the old 6sp. The 35i doesn't feel faster until about 60mph+ and even then the 28i feels strong. And rated 33mpg highway??! yes please! Anyone shopping X1 35i in the US needs to drive both an xDrive28i and 35i back to back before they make a decision.

+1 to the awesome steering. We bought an xDrive28i without servotronic and after driving one, my wife decided she didn't want servotronic. It's heavy steering but it's sooo good. She is small and admits it's heavy, but she doesn't mind it.

[MSportX1]

Originally Posted by Transfer

The transmission alone makes the 28i the better buy over the 35i in my opinion. It's so incredibly responsive compared to the old 6sp. The 35i doesn't feel faster until about 60mph+ and even then the 28i feels strong. And rated 33mpg highway??! yes please! Anyone shopping X1 35i in the US needs to drive both an xDrive28i and 35i back to back before they make a decision.

+1 to the awesome steering. We bought an xDrive28i without servotronic and after driving one, my wife decided she didn't want servotronic. It's heavy steering but it's sooo good. She is small and admits it's heavy, but she doesn't mind it.

I agree with you. The 6-speed transmission is old technology and out-of-date. Besides, it depends which car you come off. If you used to drive a sport car or a BMW car with N54/N55 engine, you may feel 28i is slow. But, if you come off a Japanese car or down sized from a mid/large SUV, you may feel 28i is fast enough. Like me, I came off a 2001 Infiniti I30. After test driving X1 sDrive28i, I changed my mind. I felt X1 sDrive28i has enough power and much faster than my Infiniti I30. So, I am going to order a X1 xDrive28i and will spend extra $2700 (saving from 35i) to get the Technology and Driver Assistance packages.

[BMWrules7]

Originally Posted by MSportX1

I agree with you. The 6-speed transmission is old technology and out-of-date. Besides, it depends which car you come off. If you used to drive a sport car or a BMW car with N54/N55 engine, you may feel 28i is slow. But, if you come off a Japanese car or down sized from a mid/large SUV, you may feel 28i is fast enough. Like me, I came off a 2001 Infiniti I30. After test driving X1 sDrive28i, I changed my mind. I felt X1 sDrive28i has enough power and much faster than my Infiniti I30. So, I am going to order a X1 xDrive28i and will spend extra $2700 (saving from 35i) to get the Technology and Driver Assistance packages.

NEW POST:


Well, I have a 2011 750li Xdrive. My wife has a 2013 x1. My 750li Xdrive is no slouch. But, going from my car to my wife's 2.8 x1 is not a step down. On the contrary, the x1 2.8 Xdrive feels like a slot car. The 2.8 engine is a perfect fit for this vehicle. You can feel the engine unwind.

This 2.8 engine in the x1sings its song during normal driving whereas my 750li does not start singing until you are violating the law.

In contrast, the 2.8 Xdrive opens up during routine driving. It is such a unique experience.

Moreover, my 750 has the 6 speed tranny and it is no where near as smooth as my wife's 8 speed x1!

[Transfer]

I daily drive my M3 DCT and I even get a kick out of our X1 but I hated the 35i because of the slow transmission.

[BEAMERBOI]

I do not regret getting the 35I and could not be happier !

[BMWrules7]

Originally Posted by BEAMERBOI

I do not regret getting the 35I and could not be happier !

Actually, you could be happier if you had an 8 speed transmisssion!

[Bill B.]

Originally Posted by BMWrules7

Actually, you could be happier if you had an 8 speed transmisssion!

Keep repeating that and you'll eventually convince yourself...

[Red Bread]

I love the N20 and do believe that in city driving, it's probably a very small gap between it and the N55. However the transmission is not the big deal that folks seem to think it is. We've had this 6s transmission for five years now, in the X1 and my wife's previous 135i. I've also extensively driven the 8s with the N55 in the F30 and it's an improvement, but more in efficiency than power delivery, in fact I think the 8s is a better fit to the N20 than the N55, or at least it makes for a more noticeable improvement for that motor.

Both cars are fun and good value, it's funny how any forum I'm on has more fighting between models, S52 M Coupe vs S54 M Coupe vs Z3 Coupe, 128i vs 135i vs 1M Coupe and now we're already frequently into the X1 28i vs X1 35i. Good times. Enjoy your car/truck.

Oh, and we all know a manual would be the best transmission for any car, I can't believe I'm actually arguing about automatics.

[Transfer]

I think the point is that the 8speed on the 35i is the best option but doesn't exist for the X1. I drove 35i and 28i X1s and X3s and the X3 8speed 35i was great but I didn't like the X1 6speed. Whatever configuration we get on the X1, we're either sacrificing power or responsiveness. I'm just glad we're all happy with our choices.

[Au111]

I had the opportunity to road test the 28i and the 35i on Saturday, and have to agree that the 28 is more than adequate for the little wagon. The 35 felt a bit nose heavy and sluggish, whereas the 28 felt "sportier" (not necessarily faster) and more responsive.

My initial impressions were confirmed by autocrossing the 28 and 35 back-to-back on Sunday. The 35 pushed in slow corners where the 28 was able to bite and pull the front end through. If the 35 had stayed in 2nd gear for those corners, it might have acquitted itself better, but that wide drop between 1st and 2nd was a killer. The 28, in comparison, shifted quickly between 2nd and 3rd on the short straights, but held 2nd nicely through the tight sections. Now, this was an exceptionally tight course, and probably an un-relatable result to street driving, but it did reinforce the notions I had from the road test.

I'll also note, just to add fuel to the fire (welcome to the Internet), that the X1 xDrive28i is more fun to drive than a '10 328i xDrive. (did that recently, too)

[Turfgod]

I drove the new x6 with the 3.5 and it has the 8 speed transmission. I has not happy about the first three gear shifts. Seemed like there was a slight miss between first and second. My new x1 is much smoother. It has a little lag off the line but I think that is a throttle pedal response more then engine or transmission. I am VERY happy with the power and its highway speeds. I am coming off a 2007 M5 that I drove for 60k miles. It's a pleasure seeing a gas station now.