BMW X1?
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Discussion

VEA

Original Poster:

4,790 posts

221 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
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Morning all,

No this isn't a what car thread. More of a "who would buy that car?" thread.


My Question is, does anyone on here own a BMW X1, and if so, why did you buy it? I would love to know the thought process behind it. There appear to be more and more of them popping up around me, and I cannot think of one single good reason why anyone would buy one of these things.

The 1 series in general I know is a great car (I had use of one through my better half for a year or so). However, this slightly jacked up, bulbous version of it just seems pointless to me. Does it really have that much extra space in it? What does it offer over a normal 4 door 1 Series?


P.S. why do the majority of them around here seem to be in that odd golden brown colour?

kambites

70,289 posts

241 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
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Same reason people buy an X3 or an X5 I assume. Because they want a 1/3/5-series sized car which is higher up and/or 4wd.

12gauge

1,274 posts

194 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
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dunno.

If I see one in pink I'll assume the owner has a pig fetish.

Other than that, i cant see why anyone would ever buy one. Even if it drove like a Ferrari, I just couldnt get over 'those' dumpy, snout nosed looks.

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

224 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
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Its about the same size as a BMW 3 series, it has 4wd and raised suspension

Think of it as BMWs version of a Subaru outback

I'd happily buy one apart from the price and german reliability

Chrisw666

22,655 posts

219 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
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Once you've filled every niche in the car market you have to create niches to be filled. The Germans excel at this.

xu5

769 posts

177 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
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It looks terrible.

Is it a case that peolpe think they are some how missing out by not having a more "commanding" view of the road?

Vitorio

4,296 posts

163 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
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xu5 said:
It looks terrible.

Is it a case that peolpe think they are some how missing out by not having a more "commanding" view of the road?
I am the exact opposite, just this morning i thought to myself that the seat position in my ford focus is 10 cm too high, and i should consider an old mini for fun and games.

Hoofy

79,129 posts

302 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
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It's like an upmarket Forester. Which is related to the Impreza. So I like it by association. nuts

And it's lower than the X3 and X5... or at least it looks lower... so it looks better.

ehonda

1,483 posts

225 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
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My good lady wife has one.
I don't like it, it's too cramped.
She doesn't like it much either.
My disco 3 is a better car in every respect apart from fuel economy.
She wanted a BMW as that's what she had (a 325 touring) before this. She wanted 4x4 as she'd been stranded at home in the 325 in the snow.
Since she got it we've had another kid and got a dog, it's now about as practical as my MX-5.
I think it looks OK from some angles, and I like being able to fill her stereo hard drive up with metal CDs to annoy her. Other than that it's really not got a lot going for it.
If only she'd kept the 325, we both loved that car.

Roop

6,018 posts

304 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
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I looked at the X1 and X3 before I bought SWMBO's Kuga. Other than the thickness of the paint which is woeful on the Ford, I too could not find a single reason for buying the X1. It was more expensive, less well equipped and looks like a hippo taking a dump. Crucially for a BMW, it didn't drive half as well as the Kuga, in fact the only thing that bettered the Kuga was the Volvo (XC60...?) which was lovely but was almost twenty grand more (Swiss Francs) for the same spec...