BMW X1 Review & Prices

The BMW X1 is a small, posh, practical SUV that’s good to drive and comes with a great interior, but the touchscreen controls are a pain to use and it gets very expensive as you go up the trim levels.

If you hadn’t guessed by the name, the X1 is the smallest petrol-powered SUV BMW makes, sitting beneath the X3, X5 and enormous X7. There’s also an all-electric BMW iX1, which is smaller than the iX and the iX3.

Choosing an X1 is a bit like buying a Dior keyring or card holder, rather than a handbag or jacket. It’s just as posh, but it’s smaller, cheaper and a bit less conspicuous than its larger alternatives.

Just like a designer accessory, there are other fancy brands to choose from instead. The Audi Q3 and Mercedes GLA have similar road presence to the BMW, while the Volkswagen Tiguan and Peugeot 3008 are great alternatives if badge appeal isn’t at the top of your priority list.

Peugeot aside, the X1 is the sharpest looking small SUV of its type on sale, though the Audi Q3 runs it close. The tall, upright front end with angular headlights, funky creases down the sides and slim LED taillights stand out among a sea of increasingly smooth, slippery-looking cars. It’s even more menacing in M-Sport trim thanks to an aggressive body kit.

The interior is a bit more understated than the outside, with a minimalist dashboard that’s topped by BMW’s gorgeous two-in-one infotainment and driver display. The infotainment system is a pain to use, that being said, with a few too many menus to navigate and fiddly touchscreen climate controls.

Everything feels solid and premium otherwise, with soft-touch plastics on the dashboard and bright trims to break up the upholstery.

There’s plenty of space both front and back in the X1, and the rear bench slides forwards and back so you can prioritise leg or luggage space, with loads of headroom, too. The 540-litre boot is generous compared to the Mercedes GLA (495 litres) and Audi Q3 (488 litres) and, but the Peugeot 3008 has a whopping 588-litre boot capacity.

You can choose from a range of engine options, starting with a 1.5-litre petrol unit through to a diesel, plug-in hybrid and a high-performance range-topper with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and four-wheel drive - the X1 M35i.

Around town the X1 is pleasant to drive, with light steering and decent all-round visibility. It’s easy to manoeuvre thanks to the large door mirrors and standard-fit rear parking sensors. You get a little jiggled about over bumps, however, especially with the 20-inch wheels fitted.

There’s a bit of wind and road noise on a motorway cruise, but all models accelerate up to the national speed limit with ease. All X1 versions feel stable on a twisty road, and while the dull steering means they never feel very fun, you can keep good progress up on a country lane - especially in rapid M35i guise.

Check out the latest BMW X1 deals on Carwow, or X1 lease deals instead. There are used BMW X1s to choose from, as well as other used BMWs available through our trusted dealer network. Carwow can even help you sell your car, when the time comes to switch.

The BMW X1 starts at over £37,000, making it a bit cheaper than the Audi Q3 but more expensive than the (admittedly ageing) Mercedes GLA. For around the same price or a bit less you can have a Peugeot 3008 or Cupra Formentor, both of which look even more stylish and come better equipped.

The entry-level Sport model comes on 17-inch alloy wheels, has a cloth interior and features plastic cladding around the bumpers and wheel arches. It’s far from ugly, but looks admittedly low-rent compared to the xLine and M Sport models with their chunky and sporty body kits (respectively) and standard-fit 18-inch alloy wheels.

M Sport Pro models come on 19-inch wheels, with plenty of extra kit such as adaptive LED headlights, keyless entry-and-go, heated front seats and red brake calipers. Shadow edition is much the same but with a host of option packs included in the price and more gloss black details on the exterior.

Most models can be had with any of the engines (save for the M Sport Pro and Shadow Editions), but the M35i can only be had with the full-fat 2.0-litre turbo engine.

The X1 is a good all-rounder, being both comfy in town and on longer drives, but the steering doesn’t give a lot of feel

In town

The X1, being the most compact BMW SUV, is pretty easy to use around town. It doesn’t feel too large on smaller streets, even though it has grown compared to the previous generation. You get light steering to help with manoeuvring, but the turning circle of 11.7m is down on the Volvo XC40 and Mercedes GLA (11.4m). It’s still more than good enough though.

Despite the large A-pillars blocking some of the view out front, you still get decent all-round visibility – the large wing mirrors and rear window helping out especially.

Suspension is a touch firm, and when you add 20-inch wheels into that, it could even be considered too firm. But on the whole, bumps are rounded off nicely and you can make smooth progress.

You can only get the X1 with an automatic transmission, but it’s a good one so you don’t have any worries with that, and the engines are smooth – the 23i helping with punchiness out of junctions.

If you go for the 25e and 30e plug-in hybrids, you can cruise around on electric power alone for over 50 miles on both, while the punchier 23d diesel will give you decent acceleration away from junctions and lights. The 20i petrol and 18d diesel are more than good enough around town as well, but won’t be as quick at accelerating.

The sporty M35i model packs the most punch thanks to its high-performance engine, but it's much less comfortable over bumps due to its stiffer suspension.

On the motorway

Apart from some engine noise that’s a bit loud when you’re accelerating, motorway driving in the X1 is very simple. With the 23i, you get up to speed swiftly – even if the auto box is a touch laggy – and that helps a lot getting on at junctions.

When cruising, the X1 is good, although there can be some wind noise, and larger wheels do mean you get some tyre roar as well.

You get cruise control as standard to help make long distance driving easier, but you will have to add a rather expensive pack for the pleasure of adaptive cruise control. Annoyingly for that as well, distance control is very fiddly to adjust.

On a twisty road

By no means is the X1 a sporty car, but it handles really nicely. The steering is direct and you can place it easily – it’s just a shame that you get little-to-no feel for grip from the front wheels.

The M35i stands out on a twisty road, and it's very capable when carving through corners with lots of grip and heavier steering. It's not as fun as VW Golf R for example, but feels almost as rapid.

Body control is good when you put it into sport mode, and even in the normal comfort setting the X1 doesn’t lean too much. Sport mode does also improve engine responsiveness and steering weight – both of which enhance the driving experience. You also get fake engine noises piped into the cabin, although that’s a bit of a gimmick in our eyes.

There aren’t many things wrong with the X1, but the boot is a little underwhelming with either mild hybrid or plug-in hybrid involved

Compared to its alternatives, the X1 has a good deal of storage space up front, with plenty either side in the large door bins, and under the floating centre console. Although only an option, the wireless charging pad sitting below the infotainment screens is also quite useful, while you get two well-sized cup holders.

As with most BMW models, you can get comfortable really easily. The electrical seat controls that are part of the comfort pack give you lots of adjustment, while the steering wheel has reach and angle alteration. The rather chunky steering wheel of the M Sport model can block some of the driver’s display though.

Space in the back seats

As with some other small SUVs, you can slide the rear bench to give you either more legroom or boot space – with 130mm of variation. Even with the seat in its front-most position, you get just enough knee room for an adult, while headroom is consistently good wherever the seats are. You also get some reclination to help you relax on longer drives.

As with the front, you get deep door bins in the back seats – although they aren’t as long – plus nets on the back of the seats, even the sportier M Sport ones. You get two USB-C charging ports to keep your devices topped up too.

Boot space

Compared to its alternatives, the maximum boot space of 550 litres is very good. Only the Volvo XC40 bests it with 578 litres, but the Audi Q3 (530 litres) and Mercedes GLA (495 litres) do lag behind. Having the mild-hybrid models – likely to be the most popular ones – reduces it to 500 litres, while going for the PHEV drops storage by a further 10 litres.

The shape is really useful with a large opening, while the load lip is level with the floor to make loading and unloading really simple. You get some nets, little bins either side and a 12V socket, but no way to fold the seats down from the rear. Annoyingly you need to go round to the seat bases and pull a cloth handle.

The professional look and excellent build quality is classic BMW, but it could be described as a little dull

The cabins of most BMW models are of a high quality, and the X1 continues that trend. You get soft-touch surfaces for all the major touch points, and smooth leatherette or leather on the steering wheel. You will find some scratchier plastics lower down around your legs though.

You also get that choice for the seating, with either the sport or optional comfort seats fitted – while the dashboard can be trimmed in piano black plastic, aluminium effect or wood to change the interior feel.

The look of the cabin is pleasing on the whole, with nice lines and a simple-to-navigate layout. It’s not the most exciting design, but it’s modern and streamlined. In some regards it’s too streamlined, as you don’t get conventional climate control buttons and the driving settings are now buried in menus on the touchscreen, which can be very fiddly to control when you’re on the go.

As the centrepiece of the cabin, the panel on the dashboard holds the two large displays – a 10.7-inch infotainment touchscreen and a 10.25-inch driver’s display. Both are clear and simple enough to navigate, and you can alter the design of the instrument display to show what you need.

You can also configure the infotainment screen, where you can drag and drop the different tiles to make a layout to suit you. The system can be a little laggy though, so you may be better off using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto – which can show their navigation apps in the driver’s display if you so choose.

There are some options to choose from, including the comfort pack, a Harmon Kardon sound system and the Driving Assistant pack – although you also need to also tick the box for the Technology pack to even have that included.

The X1 has the choice of petrol, diesel or plug-in hybrid petrol – all of which have their own merits. For those wanting to get decent tax breaks and spend a lot of time in town, one of the PHEVs – the 25e and 30e – is a good choice, while the petrols – 20i and 23i – are better for shorter stints but are still great over long distances for efficiency. The diesels – 18d and 23d – are definitely for those doing longer journeys consistently.

Both the PHEVs come with a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor. The 25e has 245hp, while the 30e has 326hp. Both get over 50 miles of electric range and emissions of 20g/km CO2 or below. Official fuel efficiency is also at over 110mpg for both models, though you’re unlikely to see anything near that unless you charge the electrical system regularly.

The diesels come with fuel economy figures in the mid 50s, while the petrol engines range from the low to mid 40s for efficiency. Emissions do also lean in the favour of the diesel engines, but the lower-powered versions of both are quite close. The higher-powered petrol emits significantly more CO2, but has the performance edge.

As mentioned earlier, the PHEV models will get you favourable tax breaks if you get one as a company car. But otherwise, the least expensive PHEV starts from more than £40,000, so you’ll need to pay more road tax in years two to six as a result of the luxury car supplement.

Through the stringent Euro NCAP testing process, the X1 scored five stars. It scored well in safety assist (92%), child occupant (89%) and adult occupant (86%), while the vulnerable road user level was a little down (75%).

As standard, the X1 gets parking sensors with a reversing camera, attentiveness assist, BMW’s active guard emergency braking system and cruise control, while you can add further assistance systems. You can only add those if you choose the Technology Pack though.

You also get ISOFIX points – with one on the front passenger seat and two on the back row – alongside all-round airbags and alarm system.

BMW came an impressive eighth place in the 2025 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, which should put you at ease if you’re hesitant to jump into premium brand ownership.

With each new BMW you get a three-year/unlimited mileage warranty, and as you can get the X1 as a PHEV, you can get a specific warranty for the battery too. The plug-in also gets a better warranty than the petrol and diesel cars, up to 74,500 miles, up to a maximum of eight years.

That’s still behind Lexus, though, which offers a staggering ten-year/100,000-mile warranty with regular servicing through an approved garage.