When BMW launched the first-generation X1 in 2009, it didn’t make many mates. It wasn’t smooth. It wasn’t low. And it definitely wasn’t fairly. The truth is, to a lot of the BMW devoted, the E84 X1 was a little bit of a monstrosity. Right here was a model identified for sport sedans and stylish touring wagons providing up what appeared like a lifted 3 Sequence wagon carrying orthopedic sneakers. BMW known as it a “Sports activities Exercise Automobile,” however to many, it appeared like a confused compromise.
And but, beneath that oddball shell, the X1 xDrive35i was one of the trustworthy, entertaining, and enthusiast-friendly vehicles BMW offered that decade. The world simply didn’t understand it.
Constructed on a 3 Sequence, Not a Crossover Platform
Constructed on the E91 3 Sequence Touring platform, the E84 X1 shared extra than simply bones with top-of-the-line chassis BMW ever made. It inherited the identical rear-wheel-drive structure, the identical multi-link rear suspension, and most significantly, the identical driving DNA. At its core, it was a 3 Sequence carrying mountaineering boots. That meant the proportions had been tight, the stability was pure, and the dealing with—regardless of the marginally larger experience peak—nonetheless carried that unmistakable BMW character.
A Correct BMW Engine The place You’d Least Anticipate It
The highest-dog xDrive35i model made it even higher. BMW dropped within the N55B30, a 3.0-liter single-turbo inline-six with direct injection and variable valve timing. It made 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque, and it pulled like a freight practice from simply 1,300 rpm throughout 5,000. That extensive, flat torque curve gave the X1 a shove off the road that shocked most individuals. Regardless of being a lifted wagon, it might dash to 60 mph in simply over 5 seconds—quicker than many sports activities vehicles of its period. The six-speed computerized transmission was easy and well-tuned, and in an age the place BMW’s dual-clutch and eight-speed models had been nonetheless maturing, the normal torque converter setup labored superbly.
Rear-Biased Dealing with That Nonetheless Feels RWD
However numbers solely inform a part of the story. What made the X1 xDrive35i so particular was the way it drove. The xDrive all-wheel-drive system, in contrast to most techniques within the compact crossover section, was rear-biased. Underneath regular situations, it despatched energy to the rear wheels, preserving the entrance axle principally passive till traction loss known as it into motion. That rear-drive really feel gave the automotive a way of goal via corners that few crossovers ever handle. Flip off stability management, and the little X1 would even dangle its tail out in a slide—one thing no small SUV must be able to, and but right here we’re.
One in every of BMW’s Final Nice Steering Racks
Much more spectacular was the steering. BMW’s Servotronic variable-assist steering was non-obligatory on the X1. And for those who didn’t test that field, you bought one thing that no fashionable BMW provides anymore: a correct hydraulic steering rack. Not electrical, not drive-by-wire, however actual, old-school hydraulic energy steering. The type that talks again via your fingertips. The type that builds weight as you load up the entrance tires and offers you suggestions you may really belief. The type BMW was once well-known for. And the E84 X1 was one of many final vehicles within the lineup to supply it.
No Drive Modes, Simply Sincere Tuning
This wasn’t a automotive you adjusted via modes. There was no Consolation, Sport, or Sport+. No adaptive suspension, no configurable throttle maps, no digital damping. The suspension was tuned as soon as, accurately, and left alone. That gave the X1 a experience that felt assured and composed with out being overcomplicated. It soaked up damaged pavement with out flinching however stayed buttoned-down in corners. The simplicity made it really feel extra mechanical—extra linked—than lots of its extra superior successors.
Sensible, Fast, and Surprisingly Enjoyable
In fact, it had flaws. The rear seat was a bit tight. The appears had been polarizing at finest. And its barely taller stance didn’t do it any favors on backroads with sharper elevation modifications. However these quirks pale into the background when you discovered a twisty highway and let the automotive stretch its legs. It might have appeared like a crossover designed to chase gross sales, however the way in which it drove informed a special story. This was a 3 Sequence with extra floor clearance and fewer excuses.
The $12,000 Secret BMW Bought Proper
What makes all of this much more absurd is the worth. Right now, yow will discover a clear, low-mileage 2015 BMW X1 xDrive35i for round $12,000. That’s $12K for a turbocharged inline-six, one of many final hydraulic steering racks BMW ever made, a rear-drive chassis with all-wheel-drive backup, and acceleration that will embarrass some fashionable sports activities vehicles. For lower than the worth of a used Honda CR-V, you may get a automotive that also feels prefer it was constructed throughout BMW’s golden years.
The E84 X1 xDrive35i is a type of uncommon vehicles that makes extra sense now than it did when it was new. On the time, it confused individuals. However in hindsight, it’d’ve been considered one of BMW’s finest unintentional hits. It snuck in on the tail finish of the analog period, earlier than steering really feel was tuned out, earlier than drive modes changed tuning, and at the start needed to be digitally configurable. It simply drove effectively, full cease.
If you happen to’re the sort of one that nonetheless values how a automotive feels—the way it reacts to your palms and ft, the way it communicates via the wheel and chassis—the E84 X1 xDrive35i must be in your radar. It won’t seem like a lot. However drive one, and also you’ll get it.
And for twelve grand? You’ll be laughing all the way in which to redline.
